“Joe Lee, that’s the last straw. You’re expelled.”

The blond haired boy stood in front of the principal and groaned. His father would not like the sound of this. He swung his bag over his shoulder and smirked carelessly at the balding old man.

“Good riddance.”

“WATCH YOUR LANGUAGE, YOUNG MAN.”

But Lee Byunghyun had already long walked out the door.

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“Byunghun, we’ve decided. We’re sending you back to Korea.”

“It’s Ljoe.” He snapped, before going into a sulk. He was standing in front of his dad and stepmother, being lectured for the millionth time.

“Don’t you dare reply to your mother with that attitude, Byunghun. What were you thinking? That was your seventh, no, eighth school now this year. You’ve been expelled from so many I’m losing count!”

Byunghyun crinkled his nose distastefully and looked away. It was true. “So what? And she's not my mother.”

His father scoffed incredulously. “She is your mother as much as you are my son. Can you even hear yourself right now? Do you know how lucky you are to be studying here in the States? We give you everything, but you just turn it down. Seriously Byunghyun, what other kids would give to be in your position.”

 “I’m not like other kids.” He continued sulking. “I’m the son of Kingdom’s CEO. Your happiness is our happiness.” He mocked the advertisement slogan he saw so often on TV.

His father cut him no slack, ignoring his childishness. “Then you better act like it, Lee Byunghun.” He paused, eyeing the blond boy with a piercing glare. “Lucky for you, your mother and I are giving you one last chance. You’ll be attending your final year of high school in Korea. You will be leaving tomorrow. The maids have already packed your things and your flight has been booked.”

Byunghun blinked, stunned. They had always threatened to send him back to Korea, but they had always been just empty threats. Perhaps he had really gone too far this time.

His father continued, pacing in front of him menacingly. “You better brush yourself up, Byunghun. The discipline in Korea is no joke [a/n: CUE LJOE SINGING JANGNAN ANIYA HAHAHA].” He sighed. “And try not to get yourself expelled again. It doesn’t look good on your record.”

So it was really happening. Here he was, standing at the airport, about to leave the land of the free, to the cold city of Seoul.

His stepmother gave him an awkward embrace, before whispering harshly. "Your father won't be there to clean up after you when you get into trouble, so try not to. It gives the company a bad name.”

Byunghun pulled away sharply witha scowl on his face. Jerking his luggage handle, he cast one last glance at the wide open space of the airport, before heading down the boarding passageway.

-------------

On the other side of the world

A single tear dropped from her eye as she made the first snip. At the sweet age of 16, she was finally old enough to be free from the Fish Cake Ahjumma. Free from the endless washing of dishes, from the endless sweeping of floors, serving of customers, and free from the smell of fish and alcohol that she hated so much, with the perpetually wet and dirty floors. Most of all, she was free from the odd bouts of drunken rage, when the ahjumma would curse her endlessly, beating her with a long stick one minute, and sickeningly braiding her hair the next. It was the braiding that got her. The way she pretended to care for her like her own daughter, when she was just her little plaything. To be used for work and for her own entertainment. She gritted her teeth as she cut off the dreaded locks from her head. No more braiding.

Myungsoo too had advised her to cut her hair, afraid that the streets would abuse a little girl like her. Yes, she hadn't been able to find a new home yet, but she knew anywhere was better than here, even the streets.

"It'll be better for you to look like a boy, Jaehee." He had said softly to her.

She smiled grimly. Myungsoo had been her one friend, the kid who lived next door to the wretched place, and he would often sneak out to see her, and bring her nice food, telling her stories and teaching her what he had learnt at school. From primary to secondary school, Myungsoo had been the one that her given her hope all these years. The one who let her know that someone on this Earth actually cared for her.

One last slip, and I can be free.

Jaehee looked in the mirror, analysing her handiwork. Although her features were pretty, the rough wear and tear of the years of work were convincing enough for anyone to think she was a boy.

She nodded with satisfaction before slipping on a cap and grabbing the folded note she had written for Myungsoo and placing it in her little bumbag.

She exited the little hell hole through the side alleyway, stopping at the part of the fence where Myungsoo always found her. Carefully taking the note out of her bag, she unfolded it and scanned over it once more.

Myungsoo-ah, thanks so much for these past years. Thanks to you, I can read and write. Thanks to you, I am not entirely uneducated. But most of all, thanks to you, I had hope, and felt loved. Words cannot expres how grateful I am to you. It is time for me to leave now, and try and find my own life. Maybe we'll see one another in the future, who knows? Eternally grateful, Yours, Jaehee.

You'll never know how grateful I really am, Myungsoo. She quickly tucked the note in a gap that Myungsoo would know to check, and turned her head determinedly.

She looked back at the Fish Cake store once more before setting off into the unknown.

"Good riddance."

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hihihihihi, i think this fic will mainly be for fun, when I want to write about my Ljoe :')

Hope you enjoy it! Please subscribe comment and the like (: