I want to be able to go home and bring a friend along. If I’m embarrassed to go home to screaming, what will my friends think if they come over? And now, since we’re starting a new unit involving partners, I have to go over to my partner’s house. I don’t want to have to go to their house every day. I want to be able to bring them over to my house and show off my room like a normal teenager would be able to do. I’m dreaming of that day.

“So, do you want to come to my house or what?” he asked. His head was cocked to the side, waiting for my answer.

I thought about my answer. “Anywhere is fine...” I whispered.

“Then let’s go to my house,” he said. He nodded and smiled to himself, for what reason I don’t know, and picked up his pencil. He tore off a corner of the page in his notebook and scribbled something on it. He handed it to me and I took it.

My eyes scanned the paper and saw his name at the bottom. “Myungsoo’s house...” I read. I folded the paper in half and wedged it between the pages of my book. “I’ll be there afterschool. We’ll brainstorm ideas and then I’ll type up the report,” I said.

Myungsoo nodded. “Kay.”

I wandered around the neighborhood for a few minutes before I found his house. It wasn’t a big house, but it was fairly larger than mine. I stepped on the doormat that had the word “welcome” in English on it and pressed the doorbell. Even through the wooden door, I could hear the chiming of the doorbell.

I waited for a few seconds and I hear a shuffling on the other side of the door. It opened a bit and I saw an eye peek outside. Then it closed and I heard someone scream, “Oppa!” from inside and then the door opened again. “Hi! Are you op