Hello! I’m Park Yuri, an 18 years old orphan girl who lives alone in an apartment not too far away from my high school. Currently, I live in Seoul and I work as a waiter at a coffee shop near my house so I can make money and live like a normal person.

My parents abandoned me when I was only 6. I was raised in an orphanage out of Seoul, but no one willed to adopt me. There was something about me that every human didn’t like. My personality and my looks. I look weird at first but then, bam, I’m the most funny and cute girl of the orphanage. Well, unfortunately, I didn’t have the luck to be part of a nice family like my friends did.

Everyday that went by, every friend of mine was taken away from me. I hoped that someone would take me, but no one did. No one.

I thought it was because of my personality, so I started to change. I tried pushing away that poker face of mine and started smiling more often. Luckily I wasn’t antisocial. I was nice to my friends and everyone told me I was beautiful and kindhearted, which got my hopes up. But again, everyday I saw my friends live, I was both happy and sad. Happy because they finally found out a family. Sad because I knew there was no way out for me.

Apparently, I was born to be alone.

I was curious to know why the couples who came didn’t like me, so I tried to convince the director that the new couple should see me first.

And so, happily I waited for that day with a smile on my face.

I was 12 at that time. When the director told me to visit the office, I felt like the happiest girl in my entire life.

“Mr. and Mrs. Kim, please have a talk with this cute girl. She’s been staying here since the age of 6 and she would love to have parents like her friends.” The kind director smiled at me as he whispered an ‘I’ll come after half an hour.’

I smiled and sat in front of the couple. I was a girl with good manners. I knew how to use the spoon, fork and knife when eating. I knew how to sit properly and not play around. I knew how to accept it when I was wrong and how to listen to older people than me because they are more experienced, of course.

The couple blinked a few times before looking at each other. The guy smiled and asked me the weirdest question I’ve ever heard,

“Did you take plastic surgery at this young age?”

My heart fell on the floor and drowned in a pool of living hell. Can’t they see natural beauty? Can’t they see I’m trying hard to be the daughter every mother wanted to have?

“Honey, what are you talking?” The girl tried to hold her laughter as she hit the guy’s stomach with her elbow.

With a smile, she started asking me some questions.

“Why are you here honey?”

“My parents left me when I was 6 years old.” I said without looking up at their faces. I knew they were probably laughing at me for being so lame, so ridiculous.

“What about your face? Why are you so pale and pretty?” She asked gently.

“I don’t know. I was born like this. I’m not stupid to take plastic surgery. Everyone has its own natural beauty.” I said calmly, suppressing the tears that threatened to fall.

“You’ve got a negative aura around you. I don’t like it. Love, let’s go. I don’t want to have kid like her as my daughter.” The guy said roughly. Standing up, he grabbed his wife’s hand and dragged her outside the room.

That day I broke into tears and cried the whole day and night. It was the first time I’ve received such insulting words from someone, and it really lowered my self esteem. My looks and my aura. Those were the two main reasons while I was stuck in that orphanage.

When I turned 18, the director helped me to find a good high school and an apartment where I could live.

“Why are you so nice to me?” I asked as a tear ran down my right cheek as I hugged the man in his mid 40’s.

“Because I love you like a father my little Yuri. If I didn’t have any children, I would’ve adopted you but I can’t take care of four children at once. I’m sorry, Yuri. Really sorry for that.” He rubbed my back as we finally let go, the cold breeze hitting my body as I turned to see the big city in front of me.

“Hello… Seoul.” I whispered as I took my bags and walked up the stairs to my apartment door.