I sit there silently watching Joong-ki decorating the Tiramisu.  The girls’ manner towards me really bothers me.  I feel unwanted here.  Now I’m starting to regret agreeing to Dad’s decision of moving here.  My life was better in Canada.  Even though I’ve got no best friends, at least I have friends that aren’t cold with me.  Here, it’s completely different.  Those girls and I are classmates but we don’t seem to get along.  It’s just upsetting.

“Why are you so gloomy?”  Joong-ki’s voice disrupts my thoughts. 

“It’s nothing,” I reply and smile bitterly at him.  He pauses from dusting cocoa powder on the Tiramisu and looks at me.

“Come on, you’re upset.  Tell me why,” he urges.  I sigh.  I don’t wanna make him feel like his classmates are some kind of bad people or whatever but it’s hard not to tell when he’s already urging me like this.  I look down and start to play with my fingers.  I notice him tilting his head to look at me.

“Well, I don’t feel wanted here,” I say.  He doesn’t respond.  “It’s like no one likes having me around.  I don’t blend in, you know.”  He reaches for a chair and sits in front of me.  “I feel so unwanted!  Your friends out there just now, they ignored me completely like I don’t exist.  They were like…cold with me,” I pause.  He’s still not responding so I continue.  “I know I look different from you guys and obviously I speak a different language.  I’m trying my very best to just cope with you guys and fit in but they just…hate me.”  I lift my head to look at him.  He just stares at me like he’s been listening the whole time.  I wait for his response.

“Cassie, you’re new and you’re still trying to fit in.  And, who says nobody likes having you around?  I love having you around!” he says.  I smile instantly.  “That’s what I wanna see.  I wanna see you smile all the time.  Don’t be sad.  It takes time to fit in.  About my friends, they aren’t exactly friends of mine.  They’re just classmates and they don’t hate you.  They just need time as much as you do, okay?” he continues. 

He leans closer and hugs me.  It feels nice being hugged.  It feels warm and full of care.  I hug him back tightly.  I’ve never had a friend who actually cares this much.  I guess I might have found myself a good friend.  I smile.  He was listening the whole time.  He speaks only when I’ve finished.  I am so happy to have him around.  Maybe this is how it felt like to have an actual friend. 

“No worries, okay?  You have me.  We can be the best of friends,” he says as he releases the hug.  Best of friends?  That’s kinda like best friends, right?  To be honest, I never have thought that a boy and a girl could be best friends. 

“Best friends, huh?  You’re a boy,” I say.  What did I say?!  Damn, he must feel offended by that.

“Just because I’m a boy, doesn’t mean we can’t be best friends.  You don’t like being friends with me?”  Joong-ki does this childish sulking look.  He looks so cute when he does that.

“Aw, I like being friends with you,” I say.  I reach for a small box containing cocoa powder.  “But…if you wanna be friends with me, you gotta stop doing that childish look and cope with my craziness!” I continue and throw a handful of cocoa powder into his face.

“What the hell?!”  He reaches out for a handful of flour behind him tosses it in my direction.

“Oh my God…I thought you wanted me to stop!” I shout.  I grab a whipping cream can and shake it. 

“No, no, no…not the face or the hair,” he says. He covers his face with his hands but leaves his hair exposed.  Here’s my chance!  I spray the whipping cream on top of his head. 

“Eyy…no…”  He starts to make this fake weeping sound that makes me laugh.  Before I realise it, he smashes an egg on my head.  I yelp in surprise.   Maybe I shouted a little too loud.  Our boss knocks the door to the bakery and says something in Korean.  Joong-ki covers my mouth before I start to laugh again – my face gets hot but I hope it’s not obvious .  He replies our boss and I can hear his footsteps walking away.

“Oh my God…that was close,” I say and titter.  We sit down with our backs leaning against the worktable. 

“You started it,” he whispers.

“I thought you wanted me to stop after that,” I whisper back.   

“You dusted me with cocoa powder,” he murmurs.

“Why are we whispering?” I ask – still whispering – and both of us just crack up.

“I’ve told you not on the face and hair,” he says and smears whipped cream on my cheek. 

“You made my hair smells like egg!”  I toss him the broken egg shell. 

“You made my face half brown,” he says as he brushes the flour off my fringe which then scatters all over the place. 

“Stop, stop, stop…better not start this fight all over again,” I say.  I get up on my feet and then help him up.  “Come on, let’s clean ourselves and then clean this mess,” I continue.  We both check on the Tiramisu.  Thank goodness, it was untouched. 

Joong-ki hands me a towel.  I head to the employees’ restroom to clean my hair.  Gosh, it smells like egg.  I wash my face and dust off the flour off my blazer and blouse.  I should’ve taken the blazer off just now.  Well, I can conclude that my first day of working is pretty fun.  I have never felt this much fun hanging out with a friend.  No, correction: best friend.  I smile genuinely looking at my messy reflection in the mirror.  I hope this friendship lasts forever.  

 

***

 

I look at my watch.  It’s 7.05 p.m.  I sit at an empty seat by the window waiting for Joong-ki.  There are not many people at this time.  Joong-ki said at this hour, working people usually go straight home to dine with their families.  I let out a sigh and my head just falls on the table.  “I am so tired,” I say.  I’m not exactly that tired but yea…you can say that.  But, my first day working is pretty awesome. 

“Excuse me, you’re that new girl in my class, right?” I hear a male’s voice says.  It can’t be Joong-ki.  This voice is different.  I lift my head to see who’s talking to me.  Obviously, it’s a boy.  He’s tall, fair-skinned and really good-looking.  He’s smiling at me.  Do I know him?

“Maybe I am but do I know you?” I ask.  I’m currently trying my best to remember his face.  No, I don’t recognise him.  No one else in class actually talk to me except for Joong-ki so of course I don’t know this guy.

“Oh, yea…we weren’t properly introduced.  I’m Yoon Chung-ho,” he takes his right hand out of his jacket’s pocket.  We shake hands and it is just awkward.  I should say something.

“Yoon Chung-ho, I’m Cassie Sage.  Nice to meet you, Yoon Chung-ho,” I reply.  He titters.  What’s so funny? 

“Come on, just call me Chung-ho and I know your name.  You introduced yourself to the class last Friday, don’t you remember?” he says. 

“Yes, I do remember but I thought you forgot my name because you didn’t even talk to me on my first day,” I say mockingly.

“Well, sorry about that.  I didn’t talk to you because I was afraid that you wouldn’t like talking to me…like now.”  He sighs.  “Maybe I should get going,” he says.  He turns and walks away.  Great, now I’ve offended him.  Damn, I feel bad.

“Wait, I didn’t mean what I’ve said!  I’m sorry.  I like people talking to me, Chung-ho,” I call out for him.  He stops and turns back to me.  I put on my best smile.  “I’m sorry,” I say.  He just smiles and then takes a seat in front of me. 

“It’s okay.  I understand.  And by the way, how could I forget such a pretty gal like you,” Chung-ho says.  Wow, should I be proud?  Whatever…  I don’t buy these kinds of guys’ words.  I’m so tired and I just want to get this sweet talk over with.  He still talks. And talks.  And talks… He talks a lot.  The moment Joong-ki approaches me I get up, grab his arm and walk away.  I’m sick of listening to that Chung-ho guy.

 

***

 

Today is another boring day at school.  I mean it, literally.  I have no one that’s willing to help me translate my notes today.  Joong-ki’s absent.  I don’t know why.  I wish he has told me but he didn’t.  Here I am, alone in the class while everybody else is having their meals at the cafeteria.  I feel so lonely right now…

How could he be absent and leave me alone at school like this?  Joong-ki… Come to school quickly, please.  I need you to translate my notes, I mourn.  I let out a sigh.  I can’t wait to finish school today.  I’ll head straight to the café.  I flip through my History textbook while waiting class to begin again.  I don’t have a single clue on what I’m looking at.  I close it immediately.  I throw my glance out the window, watching the school’s athletes running laps.  Wherever you are, I hope you’re okay…

 

***

 

I place my bag and my blazer in the locker provided for employees.  I hope I have dishes to clean today because I so don’t wanna replace Joong-ki making the Tiramisu.  I put my hair up in a bun and wear my apron.  I pass by the pantry just to check out who’s around.  I saw the Korean girl out there at the counter just now.  We weren’t properly introduced and I can’t remember her name.  She’s probably a year or two years older than I am.

There’s someone at the pantry, choosing ingredients from the fridge.  I take a closer look to see who and to my surprise, it’s Joong-ki!  I can’t help myself but run to him and just hug him.  Thank goodness he’s here!  I don’t have to replace him to make anything today. 

“No, no, no…don’t hug me now.  I have too many things to hold,” he begs.  I let go immediately.

“Sorry…  Where were you?  You left me alone at school!” I say, kinda angry but not really.  I help him with some of the ingredients he’s holding.

“I’m sorry.  I have to take care of my sister.  She has a fever,” he explains while his hands are busy grabbing things.  Did he just say sister?  I did not know that he has a sister.

“You have a sister?  How come you never tell me?” I ask.

“You should’ve asked then,” he replies spontaneously.

I smile.  Seriously, I am happy.  After a whole day of not seeing my best friend – yeah, calling him a best friend now – seeing him here is like the best thing ever!  It was such a bad enough day at school.  No one to talk to, no one to translate my notes, no one to explain the lessons to me, no one to…

“Cass, you’re done daydreaming?”  Joong-ki says as he taps my right shoulder.  I turn and his brown eyes are like staring straight into mine.  I can feel my cheeks burning.  Damn!  I turn away.

“Yeah, I’m done.  Let’s go!” I reply.  I tail him as he heads to the worktable.

Cass, the nickname echoes in my head.  Cass.  That actually sounds nice.