Poor Yoseob doesn't have a lunch again.

I swear, his parents are trying to starve him to death. I feel so bad for him. I've been sharing my lunch with him for about two weeks now. I think this year will be our fifth year of friendship. He's a really kind-hearted kid. Never asks me for anything and always feels genuinely grateful for whatever I share with him. My best friend, definitely.

"'Ey! Kikwang!"

But that voice, I found to be extremely aggravating. Yong Junhyung. He always smelled like a mixture of cigarette smoke and alcohol. And he always had some kind of drug in his possession. It makes me very uncomfortable to be around him. But for some reason, he sticks to me like glue. I can't be rude and walk away from him whenever he wants to talk, but poor Yoseob, who hates the smell of cigarette smoke, avoids Junhyung at all costs.

"Hi Junhyung!" A conversation is a conversation, right? No matter how uninterested I am, I need to give whoever is talking to me my undivided attention. Because that's what a friend is for. Even though Junhyung's lifestyle bothers me greatly, I know that he has a tragic past. I know that that's why he resorts to drugs to make himself happy. And a friend is something I think he can use, and something that I can give him.

"Are you free later today? Let's go hang at the PC Room," he suggested. Lonely Junhyung. I should keep him company. But what about Yoseob? I promised him that I'd help him pick out a bouquet of flowers and a nice cake. He finally gathered the courage to confess his feelings to this girl at school...and I intend on helping him every step of the way.

The low-paying part-time job he worked every Saturday paid him just enough in two weeks to afford that small gift for his girl. That's why he's been starving lunch for the past two weeks. Because he was saving money. He wasn't poor or anything, but his parents didn't care enough to give him money to buy his own food. "He's old enough to make money for himself," they say. Selfish fools.

What should I do? PC Room with Junhyung...or help Yoseob? Well...I did promise Yoseob first.

"Uhh...I'm really sorry, but I already planned to go somewhere with Yoseob..."

"Oh! Don't worry about it. I know you wouldn't ditch me without a legit reason," he smiled. I felt a satisfying warmth in my heart. Like...I felt proud that I was able to become the friend that Junhyung never had. The friend that even a kid like Junhyung could always look to for help, look to for company...

"Well, see you around then!" Junhyung waved and walked off.

Right on cue, Yoseob entered the scene as Junhyung left.

"He STILL smells like smoke," he pinched his nose and furrowed his brows in disgust. I sighed. My two friends couldn't get along together. They didn't hate each other or have some kind of resentment towards each other, but they just weren't compatible. Like drinking orange juice after brushing your teeth.

But both of them occupied a permanent space in my heart. Yoseob, slightly a larger space, being my best friend.

"Come on, man. Tolerate him, please?" I asked Yoseob, tearing him half of my sandwich.

He took it with grateful eyes and nodded. "Thanks so much, Kikwang. I'll try."

See what I mean by how he's kind-hearted? He's probably the last person I would think of to use me to his advantage.

We spent the rest of the school day talking about what kind of flowers his girl would like. What flavor cake would be her favorite. Yoseob looked so excited and happy. I was a bit envious of his happiness. Even though I had great friends to talk to and listen to everyday. I wanted to receive happiness. I wanted to take something for once rather than give everything like I had been doing all my life. Sounds selfish, yes. But I couldn't help but think that way. Something in my heart, something was missing. Something that Yoseob and Junhyung were not capable of filling, no matter how important and special they were.

"So, I'll meet you at the flower shop in two hours?" Yoseob asked me as we walked out of school. The bell signaling dismissal had just rung, and we were both headed opposite directions to our homes. It was always like this. Everyday, we both part ways to get home. I take this old road through a new park that was built during vacation. It really was nothing special before, but now, during Spring, the blooming flowers are brighter, more vibrant, and more beautiful than the ones I see in flower shops. Maybe I should bring Yoseob here to pick a bouquet of flowers rather than buy one.

I entered the park through the familiar white, arched vine fence and walked along the path of earth colored pave stones. Inhaling deeply, a rush of fragrances numbed my mind. Scents such as plumeria, jasmine, lily, lavender...was it...cherry blossoms? I couldn't even name them all. It was such an overwhelming sensation, I closed my eyes and stopped for a moment to intake the beautiful setting. Whoever created this park is amazing.

Something moist touched the tip of my nose. I wondered if it was raining for a moment before I opened my eyes and saw the slightly dimming sunlight again. Then, I felt the same drop on the side of my face. I looked around, trying to find a source for the strange drops when I noticed a few random bubbles floating around me. Bothered by the sudden disturbance of the park's natural beauty, I ignored the glassy, transparent bubbles for as long as I could. But as I walked further and further along the pave-stoned path, more and more of the bubbles appeared.

Why is nature always ruined by some kind of artificiality? Bubbles...are NOT natural. Sure you can find them occasionally around bodies of water, but natural bubbles don't last long and float around like that. Not that I'm a tree-hugger or anything of the sort, I just love nature. Probably because I've been stuck in the city for all my life.

I saw another wave of bubbles headed towards me.

Just as I was about to groan out loud in frustration, I spotted a squatted figure in the tall flowers. She was wearing a light-knit hat and she her hair was of long, warm brown curls. She was...breathtaking. Really, there's just no other way to put it. And at that moment, I knew I had to greet her, talk to her, get to know her...

"Excuse me?" I hastily approached the squatting girl, as if she would vanish if I didn't hurry. Something about this scene just felt like a dream.

She glanced at me briefly, as if acknowledging my presence, and blew into her plastic bubble wand again. She looked, almost, lost. I stood by her side. She was still squatting. I looked down at the top of her white hat.

"Excuse me?" I repeated myself. I knew she was ignoring me. I knew she didn't want to talk to me, but I just had to hear what her voice sounds like. She intrigued me.

No response.

"Why are you by yourself? What's with the bubbles?"

Maybe she would answer direct questions.

But still, no response.

Feeling an immense blow to my pride, I frowned and walked away from her.

But I walked backwards, not wanting to let her out of my sight.