I remember the day I found her. We were doing a stupid assignment for Science class..

 

"Alright everyone! We are going to the Nature Center today! Take your notebooks and other tools you may need!"

 

Geez, what is this 4rth grade? Why do we have to do such a useless assignment? What is even the point of this? I remember thinking as I head out with the rest of the kids. At least we do not have to have partners. Doing something useless with a useless person would be even worse. *sigh* I can not believe I am really doing this right now. I go over to the pond which to me looks more like a bog. I saw something jump and it caught my eye. It jumped again and again.

"Ha! I finally got you!" I grab it and put it in the jar given to me. Maybe this scavenger hunt isn't so bad. I grab my notebook and the jar and head to see the bench nearest to me. Being out here has already ruined my new school shoes. I better get a decent grade for this. I start to right down the characteristics of the toad on my notebook. Until Shinah says

"You just took a frog? The poor thing!"

"I would never kidnap you, why would you even say such a terrible thing?" I respond without even looking at her.

"Just saying it is kind of mean to just take it like that.." she says obviously trying to be the good one.

"You play the victim so well I'm surprised you don't carry your own body chalk. By the way... It's a toad."

"Why are you always so rude?" 

"Because everyone, especially you point me out as the bad guy all the time. You make everything I do sound terrible. Making almost everyone hate me!"

"Oh don't feel so special. EVERYONE hates you." She says once she realizes everyone is out of earshot.

 

I finish writing and put my name on my paper. I pick up all my tools and walk towards the teacher when I saw the flash of a hand and *crash*

"Oops! Sorry didn't see you there... Nobody does." Shinah says with a smirk before walking away. 

*sigh* I start to pick up all my stuff and search for the toad. I walked over to the pond to see if I could maybe find another. But then I see a boy. I must admit a very cute boy kneeling on the ground picking something. He is not in my class for sure. He keeps picking the plant and putting it in his backpack. I give him a weird look and continue to search. But I just realized I don't remember what it is I am searching for! He keeps distracting me! I look up at him one more time and this time he finally notices me. I quick look away and avoid his gaze. But in the process of jerking my head away

*splat*

I have had enough. I am so finished. Nothing can go right. I have dirt all over me I can barely see my skin or my clothing! Ever since the very first day everything that could go wrong, has gone wrong. I start to cry half from embarrassment and half from the realization. The boy just stared for a second. He started to run towards me and he helps me up. He has nice skin and a cute smile. His ears seem kind of goofy but that just seems to make him cuter.

"Stop I don't want to get mud on you." I say trying to hide the fact I was crying.

"Meh, a little mud never hurt anyone." He says with a chuckle. His eyes sparkle when he laughs and they seem to hold mystery.

"Thank you so much! M-My name is Mi-young."

"My name is Chang-hyun. But everyone calls me Ricky. Let's get you back to the teacher." He grabs a toad an puts it in the jar. And I give him a funny look.

On our hike to go see the teacher we start small talk. 

"Yeah I know Shinah. She has a crush on my friend Daniel. Secretly I think he wants to murder her."

I burst out laughing with joy. I am not the only one! As we enter to where the teacher is everyone stopped and stared at me. I blushed thinking about how bad it must look emerging with a boy from the woods. Until I look over and there it is. The pained look of Shinah. Oh, it is the worst and best day of my life. 

The whole school day I was thinking about Ricky. I don't know who this Daniel person is but he is going to be my new best friend! We will be so close we will murder people together. Mwahaha. But then I thought. What was Ricky doing out there in the first place? He was picking something. I keep thinking of the possibilities. Finally during lunch I decide to go look at where he was picking. So I went behind a group of people. What if he was picking drugs or something? 

I head around a couple times until I remember exactly where it was. I head over there and there it is. A whole small area for bamboo? He was picking bamboo shoots? But wh-

I lose my footing and get dragged into a curtain of plants. Before I know it I am in a small cave with someone holding me down. I could feel the person had their hand over my mouth. 

"Mi-young! Shh!" the person hissed.

I did as he said and sat quietly in fear. I could feel the person was quite tall. Seems like twice my size. They finally took their hand off my mouth and pinned me to the cave wall.

"Why did you come here?!" He says as though he is more talking to himself.

"I-I was just wondering about a boy I saw here earlier! I did not see anything I swear! How do you know my name?"

"Shutup you talk too much." I hear echo from the other side of the cave. How many people are in here?

The person let go of me and I could feel their stare left me.

"Don't tell her to shutup! If anyone is going to tell her to shutup I will tell her to shutup. So shutup!"

I giggle a little at the remark. I have never had siblings and this is how I always imagined it would be.

"You think that was funny?" I heard someone say in a softer tone.

"Y-Yeah sorry. I mean no, wait yes.. I don't know."

"She's cute who is she?" I hear another one say.

"Ae Mi-young. She is a freshman." I don't know whether to be flattered or scared.

"Sorry to scare you. My name is Daniel." I hear the one nearest to me say.

"Daniel?" I say a little too familiarly. 

 

Suddenly a light flickered on. And there were 3 boys. A couple recognizable but nobody I knew for sure. 

"Told you she is cute! OW!" I hear one say.

"Don't look so scared we are not going to you or anything." Said the one with the deepest voice.

"Who did you see here?" Daniel asked sounding more like a worried mother than a criminal.

"I don't want to get him in trouble." I say sticking my nose up a little.

"He would be our friend if you saw him here.."

"..."

"Fine. His name was Ricky."

Suddenly everyone rolled their eyes and laughed. 

"Oh ! We are late for class! Mi-young?"

I blushed when Daniel said my name. 

"Y-Yes?"

 "Do not move okay? Stay here until we come back. Do not move an inch! Please understand! We will be back in an hour or so! We will bring you back something to eat." Daniel says

"Yeah don't make me change my mind." said the deep voiced one with a smirk.

"Bye cute Mi-yah! OW!"

 

Finally I heard them leave. Are they being serious? They expect me to jus- *Daniel waves and smiles*

I'll sit here as long as you want. 

 

Suddenly a glimmer of light could be seen from the other side. I stand up and slowly walk towards it. When I push open the vine-curtain of leaves I walk into a paradise. The sun was brighter than in the other world and a mansion stood with the largest deck and patio I have ever seen. A small something is following me. *jump!* *crinkle crinkle*. "Daniel?! Ricky?! guy?!" I say. I laugh at my last words. I can not believe this! This-This is amazing. I swear if a unicorn runs by right now I don't even know...

*jump* *swish swish* *crinkle* I look at where the sound was coming from once more. Finally I pounce at it. I open my cupped hands and-

"AHH!"

"AHH!"

I dropped it and it ran away. What the hell was that? Did it just scream at me?! I start looking for it again as I start showing myself around. Wait.. Am I just walking through a boy's house?!

I hear someone walking over the bridge again and race back to the cave.

"Cute girl we're backk! OW!"

"Hi Mi-young! So so sorry! I know we have explaining to do!" I hear Daniel say as he pushed open the curtains.

"Damnit she didn't move" said guy. "What a disappointment.."

"Hope you don't mind tuna." Daniel handed a sandwich and a milk carton to me. Bloody hell if he gave me a can of lima beans and brussel sprouts I would eat it happily.

Daniel walked towards the light on the other side and winked at me motioning for me to follow. They showed me all around. The one who keeps calling me cute is Chunji. The one who likes is Min-soo. 

"Where is Ricky?" 

"You really like him don't you?" Asked Min-soo.

"NO, I'm just worried about hi- I mea- I don't know. Will you just answer me?"

"Never thought the day would come when someone would get tongue-tied over Ricky" says Chunji smiling at me obviously egging me on.

*sticks tongue out at him* He sticks his tongue out right back at me.

"Can you come back and play tommorrow?" asks Daniel cutely.

"Yeah, can you?" asks Chunji

 

"Sure!" I say grabbing my bag and heading out the cave. 

Chunji and Daniel do a little dance. Making me giggle.

"Come a couple hours before school tommorrow okay?!" they say skipping away. "We have to introduce you to one more person!"

 

I get home and open my bag and

"AHH!" 

"AHH!!"

I throw my bag on the ground and jump back. It crawls out and looks at me. What is that thing?! A little cat-humaniod thing! What is it doing in my bag?! 

"DANIEL!" I yell out of bad habit. Geez I have known him not even a day and I already beg him for help.

*stomp, stomp, stomp* I grab the thing and toss it gently back into my bag.

"Mi-young are you okay?" My Mom asked. Once again reminding me of Daniel and his motherly ways. 

"Who did you yell for?"

I yelled "oh no!" I thought I had more homework but I remembered it is not due in a couple of weeks. She peered at me and walked slowly out the door. My mom is the kind of person who would play along and say they did not hear anything, then use it against you in a couple weeks.

________Back To Today_______

"So you are missing your cat?" Asks Ricky in a suspicious voice.

Suddenly I heard another person come up the stairs and open the door. *tap tap tap* *squeeaakkk*

"Hiya Mi-young-ah! How was school?" 

"Daniel-ssi! I-It was okay! How was yours?"

"Haha it was pretty good! You can call me oppa if you want."

 

Ricky stood looking like he didn't understand what he was hearing.

"You two know eachother?" 

"Yup! If you would stop by more often other than to feed Xiao you would know."

Ricky gives him a very intense glare. "She knows... " I can hear him whisper.

"What one do you have?" asks Ricky sounding angry.

"M-Mine, I named her Miu. Goyangi Miu! I did not know what to do with her I- "

Ricky gives me a look of pure hatred. And it hurts so badly. Why is he so angry?

"YOU JUST LEFT HER OUTSIDE?! ON THE COLDEST NIGHT OF THE SEASON?! YOU IDIOT THEY ARE NOT USED TO THAT KIND OF COLD! ESPECIALLY NOT IN THE OPEN!!" He slams the door and runs and I sit here on the cold cement of the roof. 

"Mi-young-ah! Are you okay?!" Daniel runs towards me and helps me up.

"Don't touch me!" I say through tears. 

"I did not get to tell you today! He is right! I-I should have come to you for help! I left her outside to freeze! I'm so sorry Daniel! I-It's all my fault and now she is gone! I'm so so so sorry!" I start bawling. 

"Mi-young-ah! That was not wise of you to do. But I did something similar when I first got Kumiho. Please do not be so hard on yourself. I will look for her with you. I am sorry Ricky is so hot-headed..."