Things weren’t always rough for him. He was a good child long ago but things changed. He met all kinds of people who changed his view on his world. When he was a child, when he didn’t know any better, he saw the world as a wonderful and happy place. Things were always perfect in his eyes. His family, his friends, his favorite cartoons, the sun, the flowers, the bees, the squirrels, everything he laid his eyes on was flawless. But it was when he had entered the fifth grade when he saw just how cruel and flawed his family, friends, school, everything he laid his eyes on were. He realized that it didn’t matter if you were the smartest kid on earth; the only way you could survive in school was if you had money. He realized just how disloyal his friends were. One-by-one, they abandoned him to stick to some rich brats. It was then that he realized that his family was imperfect. He saw it through the arguments, the stress, the frustration and pressure.

In middle school, he gave up on studying. He showed up and did nothing. He eventually stopped showing up and quit school. He began to associate with the troublemakers of the neighborhood. They taught him how to survive without depending on anyone else. They showed him the ways of fending for himself. They were the only people he could trust. They were the people that helped him get rid of Lee Byunghun and turn him into L.Joe.

L.Joe was a tough guy who didn’t take crap from anyone. He roamed the streets with his friends like a bunch of lions waiting to pounce on some weak prey. He hung out at underground clubs that showed him the ways of rap and hip-hip. He was, in all, a demon who could not be saved. How could he be saved when there was no hope in his eyes, his soul? How could he be saved when he had given up on the world?

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“God! Can business be any slower? This has got to be what torture is!” Chunji threw his arm up in defeat and began to peel off his jumper. His face was shining with sweat just like the others. L.Joe and his friends sat around and waited and waited for someone to come in with car problems. To survive, he and his friends worked at a mechanics shop. It wasn’t the cleanest or the best job but it brought food to the table and a roof over his head.

It didn’t help that it was summer and the tiny fans that were supposed to keep them cool didn’t do much. L.Joe hoped that someone would come in so that he could take his mind off of the heat.

“Let’s just close up early. It’s obvious that we won’t have any customers today.” The boys agreed with C.A.P and when the sound of the doors locking was heard, they six boys cheered and head out to go have some fun.

By the time they headed home, the sun had set and the moon had risen. Drunk, the six boys went their separate ways. L.Joe bumped into people here and there. He happened to bump into the wrong people but because he did, he met the right person.

“Watch where you’re going!” L.Joe stopped and glared at the group of teenage boys. He told them to screw themselves. Being too drunk, L.Joe couldn’t fight them properly. He could feel their fists and their shoes pelting him along with a bunch of curse words. God damn it. I shouldn’t have had so many shots.

But for some reason, the group of boys stopped hurting him. He looked up and saw a girl with a white cane in her hands. She looked angry.

“Well, if it isn’t the blind girl. I’ll let you off of the hook because you don’t know who you’re hitting. Why don’t you just go on your merry way, no-eyes?” L.Joe saw that the girl was looking at nothing in particular. Her gaze was distant.

He expected her to cry and run away but instead, she stayed, looking angrier than ever. She raised her white cane and she proceeded to beat the boys down. L.Joe stared at her in amazement. He was fascinated hoe she managed to make sure she didn’t hit him. He was intrigued that she cursed at them and told them to leave before she made a kebob out of them. L.Joe watched them scurry off into the distance before he looked up in confusion. The girl was patting his body. First, his shoulder and then her hand made its way down to his hand. When she grasped it, he felt a tingling sensation running up his arm and through the rest of his body as she pulled him up.

“Are you okay? Did they hurt you a lot?” She was much gentler than she was just a few seconds ago. L.Joe wasn’t sure how to react. One, he was drunk. Two, even if he wasn’t tipsy, he wouldn’t know what to do in this sort of situation. He hadn’t had anyone defend him. He hadn’t been so defenseless before. He was always the one to beat someone up, not the other way around.

“You should be more careful. The people around here don’t care who you are, they’ll beat you senseless.” She didn’t seem human under the streetlight. She looked to heavenly to be walking around the streets of this particular neighborhood.

L.Joe, not sure how to react, just mumbled to mind her business and stumbled home. He could hear the stranger asking if he was still there.

“Am I talking to myself? Don’t tell me you left. I just saved you from a bunch of hooligans! Can’t I at least get an ‘I’m fine’? Hello? Great, I’m talking to myself. I guess he’s fine seeing as how he left.” L.Joe looked over his shoulder and at the bottom of the street, he saw her walking away, muttering about how she weird she must have seemed talking to herself. And at the sight of that, he could feel a smile itching to show.

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Work seemed tolerable the next day even if the heat was still slowly killing them. L.Joe just sat back and relaxed as he watched his friends bicker over the useless fan. With his hands behind his head, he chuckled at his friends with a light heart. He had never felt so good about life until then. His mind continuously wandered off to the helpful stranger who saved him the night before.

“L.Joe, get up. We have a customer. A gorgeous one.” L.Joe scowled at Niel for interrupting his thoughts. He stood up at walked over to garage door and almost stumbled back in astonishment.

It was the blind stranger. She was standing in his place of work. She was a student, judging by her uniform. And she looked even lovelier in broad daylight.

“How can we help you?”

“I was wondering how much it would cost for engine repairs at your car shop, sir.”

“Well, that depends on what kind of car you have.”

“A 2003 BMW Z8.”

“How can you have a car? You’re-” Stupid Ricky.

“Excuse me, but I never said that it was my car. And I would like it if you didn’t look down on me like that. Also, you don’t need to point out that I’m blind. I’m already aware of it.”

She’s feisty. I guess she doesn’t take crap from anyone. “Miss, I apologize for my co-worker’s rude behavior. If you could get someone to bring the car in, we can inspect the problem, for free, and if we are able to, we’ll repair it. And we’ll charge you according to how severe the problem is.” I go her to smile. I fixed the problem. I helped her.

“Thank you. I’ll call my dad and have him bring it immediately. Thank you– I’m sorry, I don’t know the name of the gentleman who just talked to me.” She wants to know my name.

“L.Joe. If your father asks for me, I’ll fix it myself.”

“You can’t even fix the lamp over there.” Really, Chunji? Do you have to embarrass me?

“Fixing a lamp has nothing to do with fixing a car.” Thank you, stranger.

“I don’t think I feel comfortable leaving my dad’s car in a shop with such rude employees.”

Crap, we lost a customer. Out of all the days they can rude to our only customer, they chose today.

“It’s only two of them. I’ll make sure that they don’t touch your father’s car.” Nice save, C.A.P.

But I guess it worked. L.Joe watched the young girl call her father and give him directions to their shop before she thanked them one more time and went off to school.

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As expected, the stranger’s father came in, but much later than expected, and asked for L.Joe. He could see where she didn’t get her kindness from. Her father was very strict and a dark aura radiated off of him. He didn’t seem to like being in the shop. But he completely changed when his daughter came back to the shop, looking for her father.

“Dad, I thought you were already done with your car.”

“I had some business to attend to. How was your day, sweetie?”

“It was fine. Is Mr. L.Joe here? I have to give him something.”

At the mention of his name, L.Joe perked up and walked over to her. She held out a bag full of ice cold drinks, antiseptics, and bandages.

“I recognize your voice from last night. I hope you’re okay. Those hooligans always cause trouble and get away with it. I bumped into them earlier on my way to school and I made sure to give them a nice scolding.” Great, she must think I’m a weakling or something.

“Last night? Were you in that neighborhood again? I told you that that’s a dangerous area.” Her father gave L.Joe a suspicious look and pulled his daughter away from him.

“Grandma Park needed my help with writing a braille letter to her grandson. You know I can’t say no to Grandma Park.” That old hag knows the stranger? She never talks to anyone though.

“Anyways, my name is Jung Naeul. It only seems fair that I tell you my name since you told me yours.” Jung Naeul. Jung Naeul. Sounds perfect.