Xiumin: You must be True to Yourself

Aileen couldn’t take it anymore. She kept hearing loud laughing behind her. She was trying to copy the notes from the board but the boys in the back were making it very difficult. They weren’t loud enough for the teacher to hear but that low hum of a voice was driving Aileen crazy.

“All right class I will be right back,” said the teacher as she left the room and left Nicole in charge

The 8^th grade class erupted into talking and laughing as soon as the teacher left the room and the once low hum became louder.

“Wow Minseok you are so fat! I mean really? How much can you eat?” asked Henry

“Haha good one Henry. I mean you’re almost the size of a whale,” Luhan puffed out his cheeks as he laughed

“SHUT UP!” Aileen stood up because no one else was saying anything. They were laughing with the boys, looking sad at Minseok or just completely ignoring the situation

“Oh no guys saint Aileen is trying to speak,” said Henry

Aileen slapped him upside the head as she glared at him, “I know your mother won’t want to hear about you bullying this kid. She would say, oh no not my sweet Henry. Don’t make me tell her when I see her at church,”

Henry instantly shrunk from her as Luhan rolled his eyes.

“Oh so what? Are you his savior now? Bao Zi is always good for a laugh,”

Aileen quenched her eyes together, “I don’t even know what that means but you better stop or I’m going to tell the teacher,” he smirked at her as he took his seat.

Aileen sighed as she looked at poor Kim Minseok looking straight at her. He was always in her classes ever since kindergarten. He was a little pudgy as a kid but most of the kids had baby fat; only his never came off. He always seemed to get bigger each year. But he was a quiet kid, never causing any trouble, always blending in the background. He needed a friend. She smiled sweetly at him as she took her seat back in the front.

Lunch time rolled around and Aileen was looking for Minseok much to her two best friends’ chagrin, Chloe and Natalie.

“What are you doing?” asked Chloe

“I’m looking for Minseok,”

“Why?”

“So he can sit with us. He doesn’t have any friends and Luhan and Henry were teasing him this morning. It was horrible,”

“You’re trying to be the cape crusader now,” said Natalie as she gave her a look

“What’s with the names people? I’m trying to be nice. How would you like it if people teased you because you were fat?”

“But we don’t know him,” said Chloe

“So we get to know him. What’s wrong with you two?” she frowned at her friends

“It’s just people talk and we’re in middle school and this is where you kind of establish yourself, you know, getting ready for high school,” said Chloe as she tried to choose her words carefully

Aileen was shocked as she looked at her friend, “So you rather be with the popular kids instead of sticking up for someone who is being teased because he’s fat. Well why don’t you go sit with the popular kids Chloe,”

“Hey don’t make her feel bad about that. Everyone wants to fit in,” Natalie stood up for Chloe

“I know that and he wants to fit in too but everyone just tip toes around him not leading him support or just plain friendship. That’s all I’m trying to do but I see I have to do this alone and trust me I’m fine with that,” she walked off

“Aileen wait,” Natalie sighed as she looked at a sad Chloe

Aileen was looking everywhere for Minseok but finally she found him sitting in one of the stairwells inside the school. He was by himself of course.

“Hey,”

“Hey,” she sat down next to him

“I’m Aileen,”

“I know who you are,” he smiled at her

“Look I’m really sorry about this morning. Those guys are jerks,”

“It’s not your problem. They’re right. I’m fat,”

“But it’s not like…some people can’t help it. It’s like genetic,” she tried to sound comforting. Minseok laughed

“Thanks for trying to make me feel better but you don’t have to stay here,”

“But I want to. Everyone needs a friend,”

“You wanna be my friend?”

Minseok was completely shocked. He used to have friends when he was little but once everyone hit puberty and started to change so did his friends. They more than ever and it got lonely for him. Sometimes he tried to laugh off their jokes but it was difficult.

Why did this pretty girl want to be friends with him? He had nothing to offer her.

“Yeah,”

“I’m not good company,” he looked sad

“Don’t worry about that. We just don’t know each other yet. So what are you eating?”

“It’s called kimbap. I’m Korean,”

“That’s cool. Can I try one?”

“Sure,”

She took a bite and loved it. Minseok laughed at her face because she thoroughly enjoyed it. And from then on they were inseparable. Aileen’s friends tried to befriend Minseok but they were more concerned about what other’s thought. Aileen didn’t hassle them about it too much because she genuinely adored Minseok. They did everything together. They walked home together. She went over his house as he went over hers. His confidence started to build because he had his Aileen by his side but that all changed one terrible morning.

Aileen was waiting for Minseok to walk with but his mother came out and told he left early. She told Aileen that he kept babbling on about a surprise he had for her so with a big smile on her face she headed to school.

“Hey Aileen,” said Natalie

“Hey,”

“Why are you so happy?” asked Chloe

“Minseok has a surprise for me. What I don’t know,”

“I think he’s going to confess his love for you,” laughed Chloe

“Me too. I think he has a big crush on you,” said Natalie

The girls were about to head into school when the heard lots of laughing coming from around the building. Once they got their they saw a huge crowd of kids throwing things and saying hurtful words. Aileen’s stomach dropped as she pushed through the group and find a scared Minseok scrunched down to the ground trying to cover himself from the flying condiments.

“STOP! What are you doing?” she was crying as Luhan came from the crowd

“Well Bao Zi needs some sauce. I was just reminding him of his place,”

“You spoiled cruel boy. How could you that to him,” Aileen helped Minseok up

“Oh come on, he liked it,” he laughed

“He does not deserve this. I’m telling the teacher,”

“Go on Aileen. Tell. He won’t say anything and my boys and their friends won’t say anything either. So are you going to do about it?”

“You must have had a terrible childhood that you would stoop this low to make someone else feel bad so you can get whatever attention you can get from your parents. Minseok never did anything to you. Why are you so cruel?” she was crying

“He did take something from me,” he got serious but then he smirked, “But I’m over it now,” he eyed Minseok as Aileen looked confused

“Don’t worry about me Aileen. I’m going to go home and clean up. You go to class and I’ll see you later,” he walked away from her

Aileen was distraught and refused to go into the school building. She was heartbroken she couldn’t protect her friend. But once school was over Aileen ran to Minseok’s house. Something felt strange as she got closer. There were no cars in the driveway. The lights in the house were out. Her heart dropped as she ran to the front door and rung the bell. No answer. She ran around the back of the house. The gate was locked. This can’t be happening? Where is he?

The Kims next door neighbor saw a frantic Aileen and told her the family packed up and moved out 2 hours ago.

“He’s gone?”

“I’m sorry dear,”

“They didn’t leave a note or anything?”

“No,” she left bad for Aileen but there was nothing she could do

Aileen just sat on the curb and cried.

This will be a 2 part story. I am loving me some Xiumin right now. I wish Sm would hurry the hell up and give us a comeback. i think we've been patient enough.