Rumor has it that once upon a time, Busan was blooming with sailors because of the large fish population in the sea. Hearing that today makes me laugh, because if you saw the sea now you'll know there is nothing living or breathing in there, unless it is some weird mutant that developed and adapted over time. 

Rumor has it Korea used to be bright and beautiful. That gets an even bigger laugh out of me. 

Nobody knows the full truth, but a couple-hundred years ago a huge war outlashed against the entire Earth. Countries turning on countries, civil wars left and right. People becoming more animalistic than the actual animals. It all got to the point that the world was practically an eternal fire and barely any natural resources were avaliable. I don't know if people exist in other countries. I don't even know if people still live in certain parts of Korea.

After the war damage came a huge "political" struggle people lived free for a bit, but that just caused more trouble, and nobody was really around for a "presidential election" or anything of that matter. So with the power invested in her, a woman by the name of Park Jiyeon rounded up a group of people and began to take over South Korea as we knew it. I was one of those people.

However, I left when I was nineteen and fled south to the Busan Border. The only place in Korea that is free of Jiyeon's dictatorship. And that's because when she rose to power, the people of Busan didn't want her near. Many places did, and she didn't have a problem with it. All the city had to do was win against her and her people in a civil war and if they won then they can claim their city as their own teritory. Many places stood up for their city, and only Busan won. Nobody knows exactly how Busan won either, some say the help of super being came but majority of us rational people believe that is only a rumor.

In a nutshell, the Busan Border is a tiny place on the southern edge of Korea, it is mostly just dry-land with little villages and civilizations here and there. We're a bit behind on technology, but it's safer than being under the dicatorship of Jiyeon. We call anywhere else but the Busan Border, Mainlands. I knew her, and I knew what her plans were and what she was capable of. So when I found out I was pregnent, Busan Border is the first place I fled.

I had my daughter Dani twelve years ago and we've been fine and happy in the Busan Border since. Food is scarce but when I do hunt down some good clean animals, it makes up for it comepletely. Especially since I'm mediocre at best when hunting. Dani can't see, so the fact that the world around her is dingy ninety-percent of the time doesn't bother her. Or the fact that we live basically nowhere and spend our nights in the backs of peoples cars on the empty high-ways from the people before us. We occasionally get a ride here or there to other places in Busan and that's always fun.

"Umma," Dani says one day as we're walking down the empty high-way looking for a place to rest for when night comes. The heat is blasting against our skin, we're wearing the only clothes we have which are dark pants and shirts, along with heavy boots. Sweat beeds off of our heads and adds moister to our hair, if we were running, we'd be panting like maniacs. But since we're taking more gentle strolls our breath is kept at a mainly normal temper.

"Neh." I say to Dani looking at all of the busted cars amongst the old and cracked concrete.

"Do you fear death?" She asked the question gentley, as if knowing it was a touchy topic. The topic of death is always touchy when it comes to anyone.

"No, not really." I respond honestly.

"Why not? Death is scary right?" Dani eyes get wider and for a second she almost looks humourus.

"I was once trained to be an assasin." I say. "And we are taught that if one is not afraid to kill, they must not be afraid to be killed. Death is something that happens to everyone eventually. It's just apart of life." 

"Aren't life and death opposites?" Her eyes had a hint of genuine curiousness in them. I have and push her hair behind her ear, the breeze locks it in place.

"Don't opposites attract?" I raise my eyebrows and she just giggles. Her long black hair flows into her face, the sunset is begenning and the sky is a deep blood red color. I feel a feeling in the pit of my stomach and I look away and turn to Dani who's walking while feeling the cars to get an idea of where she is. She feels down on an old Honda Civic and reaches for the door handal. She pulls and tugs, it opens and she smiles. 

"Uhmma! I found a place to sleep!" She yells from over. I jog over to by her side, the grable from the old concrete scraping against my shoes. I duck down and take a look in the car. Looks good and comphy enough, I pull the lever down on the chairs sending them down to the front of the chair. I help Dani into the backseat, propping her legs up on the let down chair. Then I get in on the left doing the same. She closes her eyes but I can tell she's not sleeping yet.

I glare at the sunset, it's now a more friendly orange glow and I feel at peace. I start to think of random things, I start to think of life, I think of Dani. I think of the boots on my feet and I think of the car we're sleeping in. I think of our sometimes neighbors and I think of how I would die to be an official citizen of the Busan Border. I think of Seoul and the life I left behind. And then my mind goes back to Dani and how precious she is to me. I think of how I wish to pick her up and dust her off. I think of how I want a better life for her.

Before I know it it's night and the sky is splattered with stars I start to yawn and Dani turns to me all of a sudden. 

"I can't sleep..." She states in an obviously sleepy tone. 

"You mean you won't sleep." I contradic her and she smiles lightly. "Neither have I sweetheart. I've just been thinking." 

"Can you please tell me stuff?" She asked randomly. This sparks my interest a bit and I'm a tad less tired. I sit up straighter and turn to Dani's face, her eyes are still closed.

"What do you want to know?"

"Hmmmmmm. Tell me about love."

"You want me to tell you about love?"

"Yeah like what it feels like to fall for someone. What do you feel?"

I sit back in my seat and a smile creeps along my face as I think this out. How do I explain to my twelve-year old what love feels like. 

I sigh. "Telling you love is strange would be too cliche. But it would be the truth. Love does strange things to you. It makes you feel strange things too."

"What kind of strange things?" She yawns resembling her father slightly.

"It can make you feel great in ways you never felt you could feel great in. It can be one of the greatest things to ever happen to you. But... it can also manipulate you if you let it. I was not manipulated but I know friends who were. My story is different." At this I stop talking and we are left in silence for a bit.

"What is your story uhmma?" Dani asks on the verge of falling right into slumber.

"I'll wait until you're a bit older so that you can understand. Okay?" I say taking her hair and pushing it behind her ear. She yawns really deeply and nods before officially falling asleep.

***

"Uhmma, I'm hungry!" I hear my daughters soft voice speak into my ear. I mumble incohearant words and roll over. I slept last night but I didn't dream. I never have dreams when I sleep. 

"Uhmma!" She speaks more aggresive this time and I finally sit up and rub the sleep from my eyes. I feel the pain of hunger in my stomach as well and I grab my bow and arrows. 

"Okay, let's go hunt." I say still in a sleepy daze. The only reason I am doing this is because I hate to have Dani hungry, she's already very thin I don't need her being malnurished. 

We step out of the car and I see a white and black rabbit hopping around Dani's feet. 

"Dani-ah. Be very still... There is a rabbit."

"Where?" She asked in an excited whisper. Her blind eyes looking in all opposite directions. 

"By your feet. Don't scare him away!" I whisper back. She kneels down and the rabbit hops backwards slightly. She feels around before her hand lands on it's furry back. Then she scoops it up quickly. The rabbit is not frightened by Dani's actions surprisingly. It actually adjust to her arms and remains there for a bit. Dani smiles and begins petting it slightly.

"Good job! Hand him here." I touch her to let her know where I am. She frowns at me slightly, knowing what's to come.

"Do we have to eat him uhmma? I mean we could just go to the edge of the border and get a turkey." She sounded so sad and brought the rabbit close to her chest as it nuzzeled slightly into the fabric of her clothing. I decided to give in.

"Fine we can go get a turkey." I say after comtimplating for a moment. Dani smiles and I take her by the hand guiding her towards the edge of the border.

This chapter is obligatory to show how Hyomin and Dani live. I know it's kind of boring but things will pick up in the next chapter. Promise.