Right after leaving 'home,' several events happened that changed my life completely. First, I managed to obtain a room above a small bookstore. The owner of the bookstore agreed to let me use the room as long I worked in the bookstore with his family. During that time, I applied to as many schools as I could and was accepted into my top four. I chose Sungkyunkwan University, which was the closest to where I lived with my new landlord and his family. When I graduated from high school, the bookstore grew in size and began multiplying all over the city. I was promoted to manager of one of the branches and moved to the heart of Seoul, closer to school. Since I lived in America for three years before my father kicked out my mother, I chose English Language and Literature as my major and Theater as my minor.

I went from living like a princess in my father's million-dollar three-story house to a pauper in a room above a questionable bookstore. I had to learn how to live without money to spend and without the knowledge of how to spend the money I earned. I was always good at spending money. However, as soon as I moved out, I didn't have the luxury to excess amounts of money. Budgeting was a must.

Thankfully, I wasn't alone. Sungyeol remained in contact with me throughout the entire ordeal. And, not to mention, he was already attending Sungkyunkwan University. Moreover, the family who rented the room to me was kind and taught me many things I wouldn't have learned if I remained in that wretched home. Things like cooking, cleaning, manners, and of course, budgeting.

Therefore, when I began college, my mind was set on being the best and not letting anyone near to ruin my success. If it meant no friends, the exception being Sungyeol, I was consent with that. If it meant no boyfriends, I was fine with that as well. Three years later, I became a sophomore in college, pursuing a Master's degree in English Language and Literature.

~:~:~:~:~

"You did a great job, Hwayoung-eonni (*-eonni means 'older sister' from a younger female to an older female)!" said a female hoobae (*means 'junior') as she passed me. I acknowledged her with a nod. I spun the lock on my public shower locker, eavesdropping on her conversation with her friends about me in the next aisle over.

"Why do you keep fawning over her, Dahee? She's not as perfect as everyone thinks, you know," spat one of her friends.

"Why can't I fawn over her? She's driven, successful, and beautiful. I want to know her secrets," replied 'Dahee,' a tinge of playfulness in her voice.

"Don't you know that she has NO friends?" asked another friend. "YOU have friends. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"You know what? I feel sorry for her more than anything," Dahee replied after a minute. I froze in taking my jeans off. Even though that sort of comment was nothing new to me, I still felt hurt that someone who complimented me every day would even DARE to utter those words. And I was only in the next aisle over.  

"Yeah, and you SHOULD. She's nothing but a pretty face. Did you know that she dated, like, three guys at once this past summer?" gossiped her first friend.

"What a ! And guess what? Her father abandoned her and her mother for a model. True story. I heard it from a reliable source," jumped in her second friend. "Can you believe it? Miss High-and-Mighty is really an abandoned child. Maybe THAT'S why she acts that way."

"You're misunderstanding why I feel sorry for her, girls," Dahee said with a sigh. "She has the burden of living on her own to deal with. I heard that her father didn't care about her, nor her mother. And yet, she still continues to come to school and give it her best shot every day. I think she acts high and mighty for a reason. I think she doesn't want to get hurt, by anyone. So, she steels herself against the world and puts herself on a pedestal. And to me, that's impressive. That takes GUTS."

There was silence as I weighed the capacity of her words, which seemed to be genuine. It touched my heart to hear her say those words. I strained my ears to hear more, but after a few seconds, I gave up and continued undressing to shower. Before I left, I heard them speak again.

"Whatever, Dahee. You're just digging your own grave. Do whatever you want," huffed the first girl.

"Yeah, see where that gets you, hanging around a like her," sneered the second.

My heart stopped when they stopped in front of me. They widened their eyes at me, shocked that I was standing before them. I shot them a fiery glare and glided past them, brushing one of their shoulders ever-so-slightly. I proceeded to the showers without turning back.

~:~:~:~:~

The instant I got home, the tears fell like rain. Unyielding. Relentless. Even though whatever those girls said were untrue, it hurt me to hear them say them. But, Dahee told the truth. The reason for putting myself on a pedestal was all because I didn't want to hurt the same way I did when my father neglected me.

I clutched at my chest as a sudden pain seared through it. Hearing those thoughts was heart-breaking. I can say that I deserved it, but it still hurt all the same. I sighed as I let my schoolbag drop to the floor. It fell down with a loud thump, echoing throughout my empty apartment. I closed and locked the door and flopped onto my worn denim couch. My body quivered with restlessness as I stared at the ceiling. I wanted to scream, but my floor neighbors wouldn't be too happy about that. I may have been an ice princess, but I wasn't rude enough to disturb others.

I closed my eyes for several seconds, drinking in the quietness of my apartment. Although I enjoyed the tranquility, I knew that it was bound to be disrupted once the family across from mine came home.

WHUMP! I popped open my eyes and immediately, my eyebrows knitted together. I knew that my peace would be short-lived. Those darn kids!

WHUMP! Da-da-da-DUMP! I shot straight out of my couch and groaned when the blood rushed back into my head. I was ready to yell at the irresponsible parents, something I longed to do ever since they moved in two months and a half ago. Just as I reached for my door knob, a loud WHUMP! made me jump out of my skin and I realized my mistake. The noises weren't coming from in front of me, but from my right. The empty apartment.

Which meant that I had a new neighbor.

I grunted my disapproval. The last neighbor was a downright ert who was recently arrested when I reported him to the police. This was right after I noticed him snooping through my undergarment drawer. If this new neighbor was anything like him, I wouldn't hesitate to turn him or her in. I contemplated whether or not to tell him or her that he or she was making too much noise. A soft THUMP! broke my train of thought and I ultimately decided against it. I was too lazy and exhausted to venture out of the comfort of my apartment. I flopped back onto my couch and instantly fell asleep.

*****Hey, all! I know that this chapter is pretty short, but please bear with me! I will get in a longer one as soon as I'm able! Please comment and subscribe! Constructive criticism is welcome as well! I truly appreciate it! :)*****