Spring Year 2020, A Coffee Shop in Seoul, Korea

I was watching my best friend who was seated across me happily eating her waffles. Locks of dark black hair fell on her white porcelain cheeks, I must admit she was beautiful but she does not seem to know that. Ever since we were young she had her doubts in how a boy could be interested on her. But hey she was damn popular with the boys as well as I was.

Resting my chin in my hand that I carelessly plopped on the table I decided to speak my mind. “Hey friend. You are beautiful even more now that you are obviously in love.”

She stopped chewing, then she smiled widely. “Am I that obvious?”

“Yes, very obvious.” I emphasized. “Anyone could see you happy and in love.” Reaching out to touch her hand where the ring rested. “And sincerely I am happy for you. You deserve this.”

Leaning back comfortably on her chair as if resigning to that idea. “I do, don’t I? I mean deserve to be happy but I am not sure I deserve him.”

“What?” I said in disbelief. “His lucky to have you!”

“Hmmmmm…maybe he is lucky since am so darn gorgeous!” Suzy teasingly admitted as she chuckled happily. As I laughed along with her, our laughter resounded all throughout the coffee shop.

Suzy always brings out the best in me. Ever since we were younger I always had a cold exterior like I was holding a “do not enter sign” across my chest. People were afraid to approach me since I seem to exude this aura and most of them call me a snob. That is why I was thankful to have met her since she was the one who got me out of my shell.

Flashback to Winter Year 2003, Class A - Gradeshool bldg. in Seoul, Korea

In my usual seat at the back of the room I was still feeling the cold chill indoors. Maybe because there was nothing warm about this classroom filled with familiar faces. Faces of people that I grew up with but nothing came close for me to call them my friends.

In nine years of my life I have been well protected by my parents. I was just going back and forth from the house to this school. My only playmates were my younger sister and my other two older sisters. I was leading a boring life, a snore friendly life.  

My father built a home of security. This house was owned by him and he had built a reputable name as a photographer. So funds and budget wise we are not lacking. We are a family of stability with planned futures ahead of us. My father has mapped out his life and now his mapping ours.

“Having something constant and doing something constant is what builds life.” He would say to us repeatedly. “Having this applied to our lives brings us the sense of security. Why go through the hardship of rapid changes when it will just become all too confusing.”

Those are the words of my father that was as of this moment replaying on my head as I chewed on the end of my pencil. That was what I was doing now something constant…constantly boring more like it! I was staring at the same window sill, at the same tree that was across it, the same sky, the same everything. I was still in the same spot and the same life.

Our teacher only got everyone’s attention when she started rapping on the blackboard. “Students! We have a new student that will join us today. She came all the way from Busan.”

Lifting my head from where I was crouching on my sit I saw the cutest girl in pigtails. Her smile so genuine her eyes shaped in crescent moons.

“Please introduce yourself to the class.” I heard my teacher say.

The girl suddenly lost her confidence as she stared at her shoes a soft blush was slowly creeping up her face. Muttering something under her breath she squared her shoulder and lifted her head once again smiling wider than previously. Our eyes met and she started narrating her speech. “Hi! I’m Bae Suzy. I was born in Seoul but I have been living in Gwangju, Incheon and lastly Busan for the past eight years of my life. As you have probably figured out I do not speak with an accent since I originated in Seoul. So please do not ask me to speak in my dialect since my native dialect is from Seoul in the first place.”

She kept her gaze at me in her introduction and only started scanning the rest of the faces of our other classmates as she said. “It’s nice to meet you all. Please take good care of me.” Then she bowed. When she lifted her head I could see her gaze stopped right at Kim Jong In who was sitting in front of me. Her eyes lit up as if recognizing him. She nodded at him somewhat relieved that she knew somebody in this class.

“How did they know each other?” I wondered in my head.

Choi Suho, the bully in our class started applauding and whistling right beside me along with his minions. “Welcome Bae Suzy! You are so cute like a bunny with bunny ears with that hair. Can I touch it and start tugging at it?” He was chuckling evilly as he said that line and of course his minions laughed loudly right after him.

I saw Kim Jong In twisting on his chair as he turned to face Suho just to kick him on his sheen.

“Ouch!” Suho exclaimed as Suzy walked towards them finding the seat beside Jong In empty and that’s where she sat.

I gazed at the back of her head immensely curious about this new student at least now there is one face in this room that is not the same from the time I was in kindergarten.

I saw the person who had my attention lean towards Kim Jong In as she spoke in a soft tone. “Hey Kai!” I heard her say. “Can we change seats?”

“Why?” Jong In asked leaning forward towards her.

“I don’t like the looks of this classmate who’s behind me.” Suzy replied honestly.

I could sense Suho getting offended through the body language he was showing.

Kim Jong In smiled a slow smile immensely pleased with what he was hearing. “Of course we can change seats.”

“So they do know each other…” I thought to myself curiously. “…since they were speaking informally to each other and she even has a nickname for him, Kai.”

My thoughts were interrupted when the girl turned around to face me. “Hi! Can I enter your personal space?”

I could not reply to her question not understanding the meaning behind it. I was baffled.

She repeated. “Can I enter your personal space?” She probably saw the confusion on my face since she re worded her question. “I meant, can I be your friend and bring my seat closer to you?”

I could only dumbly reply a “yes”. As she immediately scooted her seat closer to me with a satisfied grin. Ever since then I put my guard down and let someone enter my small privately secured life. The “Do not enter sign” now securely hidden from people’s view. We were inseparable since then…………well almost inseparable since there were a few guys who will always try to get our attention.

Spring Year 2006, School Field Trip-