Chapter One
A Scrapbook Full Of Short Stories
I stood at the base of the rusty Iron Gate. My back, which was more exposed from the tank top I wore, felt cool against
the fragrant breeze behind me. My arms that hung by my sides blistered from the heat coming from behind the gate.
What is this place? I placed my palm on the rusting metal. I pulled away sharply, shaking my hand. The heat hit my face,
and I felt like I would melt there and then. But then I heard a booming voice. "Welcome, human."
As soon as I saw him my jaw dropped and I passed out.
My alarm clock bleeped in my ear, signalling that it was time to get up for school.
I sat up, stretching my arms out. I paused. Something felt strange. My legs were boiling hot. I pulled the covers away and the
cool air stung on them. I took a quick cold shower to cool myself down and got dressed in my uniform in record speed.
I clambered downstairs noisily, just about beating my sister. "Now you two, you walk together, alright?" My mum looked at my sister.
My sister, who was older than me by just over a year, mumbled a yes. Me and my sister had a complicated relationship.
We kept out of each other's way and she would rarely talk to me, especially in public, but I found comfort in her when I
was sad, and she always protected me. Somehow I knew she loved me, though it was hard to see it.
Occasionally I felt sadness when I saw my friends and their siblings playing and fighting. I knew I shouldn't really complain
since my sister and I were good to each other, but I felt detached. Detached from my family altogether.
My family had paid top prices to get us both in our school so that we could earn bigger jobs than anyone else.
Originally, my father had insisted we both work for him in his business, but then my mother convinced him that he can't
expect us to work in a business after we get married, something my mother talked regularly of. My father had then given in
to her and let my sister do what she likes, as long as she gets a good job. When it came to me, though, my father laughed
nd ruffled my hair, saying that I was too choosy and that he'd be long gone by the time I married. And there's my aunt.
She was a weird character in herself. My aunt lived in the countryside with her three pet mice who she claimed she
could talk to. Yeah. She liked books, but only ones about meditation and astrology.
I always thought of my aunt as some wacky scientist, though most of her beliefs were just wacky.
My grandpa and grandma are the two members of my family that I rarely see.
Whenever I see my grandparents, it’s mostly at chuseok, when the whole family gets together.
My grandpa is a funny old man who likes to tickle my sister, since she is the most ticklish.
He’s also prone to falling asleep in the middle of talking, which means me and my family often have to wake him
up, usually by putting on his favourite show on the television.
Me and my sister, Sowon reached our classes just before the bell rang signalling the start of lessons. I took my
seat next to the devil, I mean Seyeon. Seyeon was plain annoying; always having a comeback to everything
and always having to be right. She loved to gossip to anyone who would listen, but everyone knew she just made all
the stories up. No one cared about that though. I scribbled down notes in my book as the teacher explained the Pythagoras
theorem. I squinted at the page, wishing that I could understand it all. I raised my hand.
Everyone fell silent. “Yes Miss Gong?” the teacher asked. I cleared my throat.
“Why is it that you have to square the sides?” I asked, a blush rising on my cheeks.
Seyeon and her friends snickered. The other students whispered amongst themselves.
The teacher sighed. “I suppose I will have to keep you behind again to explain?”
I hung my head, letting my hair cover my face. If only I didn’t exist right now.
I was awoken early by the same blistering heat I felt in my dream the night before. I sat up in bed, rubbing my
eyes and throwing the covers off my body, but the heat still burned me like I was on a sun bed. I stood up, my
skin hot and sticky, to open my bedroom window. I closed my eyes. “It’s just a dream, Soeun. Snap out of it.” I heard
the sound of something moving, so I looked down at my desk to find a note pinned beneath my pen holder. I squinted,
reading the note cautiously. There were two reasons why I dropped the note; it was also hot, and it read ‘Welcome, human’.
I got ready for school as quickly as I could, wanting to get away from the house.
“Oh, Soeun. You’re up earlier. Have you got homework? Your teacher was talking to me about your maths.
It seems you’re failing.” My mother sighed, pushing a bowl of cereal in front of me.
I dug in, munching on the cereal while I watched my father fuss over his tie.
I was about to get up to help him when Sowon went over to him, fixing his tie.
I slumped in my seat and finished off my cereal. “I forgot to tell you both that we are visiting your aunt tonight, so you can’t
stay too late to study, Soeun.” I mentally groaned. Another hour of my aunt rattling on about clearing the negativity from
our bodies and giving us advice based on the stars? No thanks. If I wanted to hear that stuff, I’d go to a psychic.
I slung my bag over my shoulder and set off with my sister beside me. As always, she had her ear buds in her ears,
blasting her music out. Was she dreading tonight’s visit, too? The walk to our school was one of the quietest we’d ever
had. Sowon was looking down at her phone, texting, when I looked up to see a motorbike heading straight for her.
I pulled on her arm to pull her out of the road. I sighed when the motorbike went by without hitting her. She raised an
eyebrow at me and continued walking. I ran after her, catching up with her. I turned back to face the person who had
nearly collided with my sister. I stared at the boy as he took off his helmet, revealing his handsome face. His jet black
hair was styled neatly and I could just about make out a tattoo on the back of his neck before my view was blocked by
four more boys arriving on motorbikes and parking next to his motorbike. I turned away from the boys before they looked
my way and noticed that my sister had already gone to her class.
I took one last glance back before I found my way to my first classroom, too. Luckily, I might survive today.
I sat in my usual seat beside Seyeon, keeping my head down as not to embarrass myself again.
My concentration was interrupted when the door banged open. Everyone was startled, and moments later the girls started
squealing. I rolled my eyes and lifted my head from my book. Oh, I see the boy who nearly hit my sister is joining
our school. The boy caught my gaze and I broke eye contact, hopefully before anyone noticed. “You’re late, new boy.”
The new boy shrugged. So you’re the bad boy type, huh? “Yeah. I’m Jinyoung. Can I sit now?” he asked out of boredom.
The teacher nodded quickly, pointing to me. “You can sit in that seat. Miss Gong, please move up.”
I moved up without a fuss, knowing that the new boy may get grouchy with me if I don’t.
Jinyoung sat in between me and Seyeon. Thank god. I can’t stand sitting next to her.
I only hope he will be a lot nicer to me than she is. I stared at him from the corner of my eye, wanting to ask him how to
work the answers out, but not wanting to make a fool of myself. After a few minutes, I looked over at him again,
to find him fast asleep. Seyeon sniggered. I looked at her in confusion. “No chance, weasel. Do you think any guy would
want to go for you, let alone the school’s new heartthrob?” I turned away from her, trying to block out her words.
Her insults swam around my head until I was about to snap. That was until all of a sudden, I heard nothing.
was moving but I heard nothing of what she was saying.
Jinyoung slyly slid over a piece of paper to me. ‘Do I get a thank you or what?’ it read.
A thank you for what? What has he done? I didn’t reply. He slid the paper over to me again.
This time, he had explained how to work out the answers. It’s like he read my mind.
Me and Sowon sat at our aunt’s house. Cups of tea and coffee sat in front of the five of us and there was a plate piled
high with biscuits. I shuffled around in my seat, trying to ignore the itchiness of the old dress my mother had insisted
I wore. I just wanted to be back home and have the chance to sleep, despite knowing that my skin would most likely
be burning by the morning. My aunt narrowed her eyes, rubbing her temples. My mother placed her hand on my aunt’s arm.
“Soeun.” My aunt called out. I froze. “Whatever you do, stay away from him.”
I widened my eyes. Who is she talking about? “W-who?” I asked, feeling uncomfortable.
“I think you know who. Let me warn you now, honey, hell has come to town.”
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