Summer break has always been a heavenly pleasure for Yerim, probably more than it has for any other kids in her school. She has no reason not to be happy to stay away from school and the other students, because unlike those girls who sat in the back seat of the bus she took everyday to school, she has no one in particular to say "aw, I'm going to miss you!" to. So when the school bell was rung and all the kids in her classroom cheered out loud with papers tossed here and there, Yerim had a big smile curved on her face.

No one seemed to realize the sudden mood-change she had compared to her daily expression, everyone was too busy being happy. Her fingers clenched hard onto her skirt, and her feet would stomp repeatedly on the floor. It was hard to suppress her own feeling, the overwhelming happiness to finally be free from the uncomfortable surrounding.

As soon as the teacher permitted the students to go home early that very last day, Yerim quickly gathered her belongings and stuffed them all into her red backpack. Her shoulders would bump onto others' as she made her way out of the school building. Usually, it would make her nervous to have even an accidental physical contact with people. But that day, she didn't care, for she was too, too busy being happy.

The bus wasn't that crowded since it was only a few hours after lunch break, other students from different schools were probbaly still in their classes, while the adults who went to work were on their desks. Finally, after what seemed like a life time for Yerim, her day went all okay.

She even hummed to her favorite song along the way, La Vie en Rose, a song her Dad used to sing for her to sleep. The atmosphere was nice, and her mood was good. Some neighbors she passed by sensed the difference and decided to greet the young woman, "Kim Yerim, good afternoon! School's finished early?" said Mr Cho, one of her neighbors.

Usually, Yerim would only reply him with a nod and a light smile. But today, she gave him a good bow and a wide grin. "Yes, Mr. Cho! It's summer break!"

"Well, you have a good day, young miss," he said.

The other neighbors who happened to be outside their houses when she passed by, looked at each other with confusions in their eyes, more like surprised. "What just happened?" An old woman asked.

"Our little Yerim just got a summer break from school. Maybe that's why she looks so happy today." Mr. Cho answered the lady.

"Ah, maybe she just needs to stay away from school to be okay, that's all. I heard she is mistreated by the kids in her school." Her voice turned down into a low whisper, afraid that Yerim was still in a range where she could hear them talking.

Mr. Cho nodded, his eyes looked tired out of sudden. "Indeed. Poor, poor Yerim. I hope Mr. Kim could go home soon. She really needs her Dad."

By the time the conversation ended, Yerim has arrived at the old little house of hers, with her Mom right in front of the fences, doing the same thing the elders earlier did: talking with a neighbor.

"Oh, and this is my daughter, Kim Yerim. Yerim, say hello to Mrs. Min." Yerim's Mom said as she made a gesture toward her daughter to give the other woman a bow. It looked like her presence had cut the adults' conversation.

Yerim didn't feel like she had ever seen this woman before, and judging from the fact that the house next to hers used to be empty, she had come to a conclusion that Mrs. Min must be their new neighbor. Obeying her Mom, Yerim leaned her upper body down until her hairs fell from her shoulders and slightly touched her knees.

"Good afternoon. I'm Kim Yerim, nice too meet you," she greeted with a voice as low as a whisper.

Assuming that the girl was a very shy teenager, Mrs. Min answered her with a soft smile. Yerim could see that the woman next to her mother was very gentle and kind, but that too, wouldn't break the awkward feeling Yerim had been having toward people outside the family. Since last year, Yerim had gotten this anxiety whenever she talks with people, moreover a stranger.

Knowing how uncomfortable her daughter was by that time, Mrs. Kim gestured Yerim to go inside the house and leave the adults alone again. "She had just turned 17 earlier this month, the youngest among the other senior year students in her school," she said to Mrs. Min, tried to break the silence as her daughter passed them by.

Yerim's eyes caught Mrs. Min's as she walked toward the entrance door, those were a pair filled with sadness and longing, a pair that reminded her of her own each time she thinks about her Dad. "My son too, is 17 years old. Should have been in the senior year too by now." Should have been, the words repeated itself in her head. Feeling more and more uneasy, she quickly went inside.

*****

Whatever happened to her son isn't my business, Yerim thought to herself. Seeing anyone else's eyes as dim as hers wasn't an everyday scene for her, people around her usually smile and laugh a lot, totally unaware of what she really felt inside. Not forget to mention her own Mom, who looked way stronger than she was despite of what happened last year. She was surprised, at how much someone else's sadness affected her own.

She insisted her mind to wander elsewhere, to anything but the upsetting things that made her uncomfortable. Probably weather? And there she went, she thought about the weather, which realized her of what a sunny day it was that day. Maybe the sun too, was being happy that it shined so bright the whole day.

The thought made her sweat, and all that she wanted to do was to change her school uniform to her loose oversize t-shirt and shorts. Her fingers moved down as she ed her white shirt, revealed a white tanktop right underneath, but before she could proceed, a boy's voice intterupted from a window right in front of hers.

"Oi. You might want to shut that window of yours first before you continue," said the voice.

Yerim was so surprised that her shoulders jolted up as a loud gasp from was heard. "What are you doing?!" She quickly wrapped each side of her shirt together, turned it into a small kimono with her grips.

"I was just sorting things out in my new bedroom until you gave me a better view," he laughed a little.

His voice was plain-deep, and he has very small eyes that would disappear everytime he smiles. Besides his pale-white skin, what terrified Yerim more than the fact that a boy her age lived just right next to her bedroom was that he wore the exact same uniform as hers.

Yerim didn't say anything, neither move an inch from where she was standing, but her shaking hands were visible, and it made the boy's laughter stopped. The lines above his cheeks disappeared and she could see that his eyes were dark brown. Somehow, they looked even darker compared to his skin tone.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shock you or anything. Kim Yerim, right? Been your schoolmate for years but never knew your name until earlier when our Moms talked and you came."

Schoolmate? Nice. "Guess you don't talk that much, eh? Well, nice to finally know your name, Yerim. The name's Min Yoongi, and you can call me whatever you want, just don't be formal."

Yerim stood still, her lips were trembling, she tried hard to say something, something like, "get away from me" and "don't talk to me ever again" but no words came out. How can he acts so natural when he was watching me stripping my clothes off earlier?! She could feel her blood raised toward her face, for it felt boiling-hot.

"Ah, okay then, if you still don't want to talk. I'll give it another shot next time. I'm going to change my clothes too now so," Yoongi's hand reached out toward his window before he swang it shut. Just like that, he disappeared.

Just when she thought she would be far away from those kids in her school for the rest of the summer break, her schoolmate just moved right next to her house. His bedroom's right next to mine, she told herself. She then too, reach out her hand toward her windows to shut it, while silently, she declared the boy next door, Min Yoongi, as her Summer Beast.