“Jiyong-ah, you sure you’re okay”? Kwon Hye Jee asked worriedly as she look at her son. She had a feeling that he was slipping away from her again, and it was only a matter of time till she saw him passed out in the bathroom, drenched in a pool of blood as she had seen him, the last two times he seemed detached. She was determined not to let it happen again. She was going to be there for her son; being a doctor took her away from home constantly, but after Jiyong’s second attempt, she decided to start her own practice, which turned out to be the best decision of her life. She made more money than ever, and she got to go home whenever she wanted.

“I’m fine” Jiyong responded dryly as he played with his waffle, he wasn’t going to tell his mother but he hadn’t had an appetite in the last three days, but he oddly felt full.

“Jiyong, have you been eating at all? You look lie you lost so much weight”

“Omma I’m naturally skinny. Like you” he said smiling at his mother. ‘Just two more years Jiyong, two more and you can leave peacefully’ it was the only thought keeping him sane. The thought that he could leave it all behind in two years.

“Right, I have good genes” His mother said laughing. He felt bad for her sometimes, she tried so hard all the time but there was nothing she could do to take the pain away. Every breath he took was painful and he just wanted to stop breathing. It wasn’t like they were poor or anything; they had all the money in the world, but money wasn’t it. “So what book are you reading these days”?

“I read pride and prejudice yesterday”

“Good, you know the doctor said to surround yourself with positivity” And just like that, the mood in the dinning soured.

“I’m late for school” He picked up his bag; he hated how his mother always tried to get him to talk about it. All she had to do was ask.

“Jiyong, I know you don’t talk to the doctor, but you have to at least talk to me. Please Jiyong”

‘How did it come to this, just a few seconds ago were fine. Now she’s crying again. I made her cry, i always make her cry’

“Omma I don’t know how to explain it to you. I don’t like myself; I don’t feel right in my own body. I don’t know how else to say it”

“I don’t understand what that means, you are born Kwon Jiyong. I don’t know who else you could be” his mother cried some more. He would have tried talking to her more if she didn’t break into tears every few seconds.

‘I could’ve been Kwon Jiyoung’ Of course he could never say that to her. He mother was a modern woman, but he wasn’t sure how she’d take the idea of him wanting to be a girl. He hadn’t even told her of the possibility of him being gay.

“I’m late for school omma” He walked up to her, and gave her a light kiss on her cheek. “Omma you’ve done everything for me, but this is one thing you can’t do for me. No one can, I promise to be better in a few years... maybe two” In two years, he wouldn’t be around for her to hurt so much, he would be done with and she would move on, instead of constantly being subjected to so much hurt week after week.

“Okay I’ll wait, but I’ll still try my best before then” she hugged him.

“Okay then” he pulled back, feeling bad.

“Why don’t you ever take your car to school”?

“So much stress for parking” he said before dashing out the door. It wasn’t the reason he didn’t take his car to school. There was no way he was going to be caught with a BMW in school when no one else drove that. It was going attract too much attention to himself, and that was the last thing he wanted.

He was the first to arrive at school as usual, and luckily for him the library was open. He ran to the table where he was seated and he wasn’t surprised to see his phone missing, of course the librarian was going to inspect the library before closing for the day, or worse, someone could have taken it.

“Excuse me ma’am, did you see any phone lying around. I left it here yesterday” he asked one of the workers.

“No, but I suggest you check the lost and found box over there” she pointed to a big brown box on the floor by the front desk. “If its not there, then I’m sorry your phone is gone forever”

“Thanks” ‘Great, my third phone in a month’ He walked over to the box, and there his phone was, he didn’t even have to look through the box. It was right there, almost as if someone left it there for him to see, even though it wasn’t possible. People in his school were never that nice. The phone was off, and luckily for him, he had his charger in his bag. He went to the back of he library where no one ever was to plug it in, as he sat on the floor beside it to wait for it. It wasn’t like people texted him often; he had one friend who would though, Hyunseung, his childhood friend. Hyunseung moved to Japan over a year ago but they always kept in touch via text and Skype. The light of his phone came on, making him excited. He had one text message, but it wasn’t from Hyunseung. It was from a random number.

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“Yo hyung”! Seungri called as Seunghyun walked into school with his sister. “Hyung did you even get any sleep last night”? Seungri asked, examining his hyung’s face.

“Get off” He slapped Seungri’s hands away from his face. He’d stayed up all night waiting for the girl to text him back but it never happened. He just wanted to talk; he didn’t want to seem like some stalker. He wanted to know what other books she’d read, music she listens too, poems she’d written but even he had to admit, he was being creepy. ‘Argh, Seunghyun; what were you thinking’

“Were you reading those stupid books again”? Seungri asked with a disgusted look o his face.

“This time, it was….” His sister started but he stopped her.

“Go to class”! He barked at his sister before she had the chance to tell the biggest mouthed person of his recent read.

“Fine. See you later Oppa” She said and skidded away.

“It was a girl wasn’t it”? Seungri asked excitedly. He just wanted to be alone all the time, but he couldn’t with almost everyone in school needing to talk to him all the time, It was annoying. He was still ignoring Seungri when a text came through.

Youngie>>>Seunghyun

Hey ^.^ . Uhmm, hi Tempo. I just got my phone back, thanks for leaving it in the lost and found box *hugs*.

“Is that a girl, you just smiled”? Seungri asked trying to sneak a peek but he pushed him off and raced to the library but there were only a few people but none with the phone he saw the previous day. He was still looking around when he accidently knocked someone down.

“Ouch”. It was the girly boy, most of his friends loved to pick on but there was no time to stop. He wanted to find Youngie, to see what she looked like.

Jiyong silently picked himself up and walked out of the library, ‘Two more years, two more years’ he chanted in his mind. He was pretty much invincible in the school, seeing how someone knocked him down and stepped over him.

“Hey” It was Hye Mi, she was standing before him smiling. He was jealous at how beautiful she was; she had long black hair, pale skin and a full red lip. It was no wonder people called her snow white sometimes.

“Hi” He said curtly as he looked around to be sure, she was actually talking to him.

“Jiyong. Right”?

“you know my name”? He was sure no one knew him in his school so it was a little shocking that she of all people did.

“Of course, we’re in the same class” She said laughing like he’d just said the most ridiculous thing when she was the one being ridiculous. “Uhmm, I just want to apologize for what they did yesterday”

“It’s fine, I’m used to it” He said, shifting to walk away. He wasn’t going to talk about some worthless bully to his sister.

“But you shouldn’t be” She blocked his path before he moved “Why don’t you report them, I know wasn’t the first time”?

“Why didn’t you stop them” he was facing her now. “After all you’re friends with them, their leader is even your brother” He didn’t want to be mean but he wasn’t going to let anyone think it was okay to talk to him like he was some helpless kid “And you clearly know about all the bullying, so why don’t you do something. Please, don’t use me to try to clear your conscience. I have enough things to worry about” He finished and walked away, hoping his voice wasn’t too loud. The last thing he wanted was a bunch of girls ganging up on him, in addition to Seunghyun and his crew.

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Seunghyun returned to the spot he accidently knocked the boy to the floor, but he was too late, the boy was gone and he didn’t get a chance to apologize. He already had the reputation of being an , thanks to his friends, and he did nothing to make people think otherwise. He just never cared enough to stop his friends, if his friends wanted to be bullies, it was their prerogative, and if the girly boy and other nerds or fatties wanted to be bullied, it was their business too. After all, no one helped him years ago when he got laughed at for being fat, so why should he. He just wanted to be off to college, and hopefully he could meet more mature people there, people who liked to read books, and listen to good music. People like Youngie.

Seunghyun>>>Youngie

You’re welcome. I tried looking for you….in the library. When you sent the text, I ran as fast as I could, hoping to see you. But you were gone, and now I’m sad

He really was sad.

(10 minutes later)

Youngie>>>Seunghyun

You really tried looking for me? Why? O.O Please don’t be sad, I hate making people sad. People make me sad all the time, so I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.

He was in class already when he read the message from Youngie, he wanted to smaile broadly but he couldn’t because Seungri kept looking in his direction, and the last thing he wanted was a suspicious Seungri.

Seunghyun>>>Youngie

What do you mean people make you sad all the time? Please don’t be sad either… Okay don’t freak out but I kind of went through your phone a little. I saw the scribbles on pride and prejudice and I felt the need to know you. I promise I wasn’t being a , it’s just that we have the same taste in music and for me, that means a lot.

He originally wrote three pages of text, but he had to edit it so he wouldn’t have her reading an essay.

Youngie>>>Seunghyun

Uhmm, maybe other people would think it’s creepy but I think it’s rather sweet XD. I don’t see myself as an intriguing person though. I’m just ugly and boring.

He choked a little when he read her message, the person he’d seen in the picture, even though it was just a blurry side view was far from ugly. Even by the side view, he could tell she was beautiful, and her music choices, and scribbles told him that she was far from boring also.

Seunghyun>>>Youngie

Youngie don’t be ridiculous, I saw the picture. You’re easily one of the most gorgeous girl in this school. And anyone who listens to Skrillex, Frank Ocean, Pharrell Williams, Miguel, Diplo, and many more is far from boring.

He sent the text to see everyone in class staring at him.

“Glad you could join us Mr. Choi” The teacher said from the front of class. “Now if you could leave us, and go join detention”

“Whatever” he whispered as he picked his backpack and walked out, but not before high-fiving some guy who had his hand up as he passed him. He hated detention, all phones and other gadgets were to be left in their backpack, and then kept in front of class. So he would have to wait to read Youngie’s reply. He’d just arrived at a seat when someone walked in. it was the same girly boy from earlier with a blush on his face. He couldn’t blame Daesung for getting pissed whenever he saw the boy, he really did look like a pretty girl, and even the way he walked was peculiar. He caught himself staring too long, so he placed his head on his desk, erasing the girly boy from his mind, and replacing him with Youngie. He couldnt wait till the day he'd be able to meet Youngie.