I don't even know anymore...not proofreaded...

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A group of third graders were on the school playground while one of the kids was on the ground.

“Loser.” The bigger boy stomps a few more times onto a dark blue backpack before walking away with his group of friends.

Byunghun rubs his eyes to dry his tears and then pats his clothes to rid the dirt. He picks up his backpack that was dirtied as well and trudges home.

The next day, Byunghun quietly seats himself at his desk trying to remain invisible.

“Hey it’s the loser.” The bully stalks up to Byunghun’s desk and picks up his pencil. His group of friends follows close behind.

“Oh colorful pencil we got here.” The bigger kid picks it up and inspects it. He lets out a little laugh before breaking it in half. “Now we got two. You’re welcome.”

Byunghun looks at his pencil trying to refrain from crying. The bully walks off looking for another prey to pick on.

It happened every day at school. He should be able to get used to it but he just couldn’t. Why did they pick on him just because he was different in their ual orientation? What’s wrong with being biual?

During lunch, Byunghun always brought lunch and ate in his classroom. He did not want to experience what it would be like to be bullied in the cafeteria. He takes a bite of lunch his dejectedly. No one wanted to be friends with him.

As the school bell rang signaling the end of class, all the students ran out excitedly. Byunghun included. Before he could get to the gate, he was pushed down and kicked by a few other kids.

“You’re in the way!” They snicker and ran off. Byunghun watches their disappearing figures and tries to fight back the stinging feeling in his nose.

Out of nowhere, Byunghun sees an extended hand in front of his eyes. He looks up teary eyed and is met with another pair of doe eyes looking at him innocently.

“Here.” He urges to take whatever was in his chubby fist.

Byunghun takes it uncertainly. “Clover?”

The boy stoops down so they were eye level. “Not just any clover. A four leaf clover. It’s lucky.” The kid smiles, his eyes becoming little slits.

“Oh…” Byunghun looks at it expectantly as if it would suddenly change his life.

“I hope it brings you luck!”

“Un! Thank you!” Byunghun smiles at the boy who returns it. The kid gets up quickly and runs away. He stops to wave a little before heading off again.

From that day on, they became friends. Maybe it worked.

Chanhee was always the quiet kid in the room because everyone found him odd. He was an orphan and he occupied himself with weird hobbies. Growing and collecting four-leaf clovers was one of them.

Byunghun had gone to where he lived and seen that his room was decorated with clovers like it was St. Patrick’s Day.

“Don’t they look pretty? They are so rare and it makes them special.” Chanhee didn’t care how others looked at him and no one really bothered to notice him. Byunghun found the other 8 year old brave to be so independent and really admired his friend.

Byunghun didn’t know how he missed getting to know Chanhee from the very beginning.

They became super good friends, glued from the hips (almost). Chanhee seemed like he was a permanent resident of Byunghun’s house. Even though they were just 8 and they didn’t know what love really was, they were really fond of each other.

“Chanhee Chanhee!! Guess what!! You were right~!” Byunghun bursts into Chanhee’s bedroom.

“I was right?” Chanhee stares at his friend shocked when Byunghun gave him a big hug upon entering his room. He blushes and smiles inwardly.

“Yeah it changed my luck! The clover!”

“Huh?”

“You know? The clover you gave me? I kept it with me all this time!!” Byunghun opens a small pouch hung around his neck. “See?”

“You kept it with you all this time?”

“Of course! It’s a present from my first friend.”

Chanhee bites his bottom lip to hold in his smile. His happiness was short lived however.

“I’m going to the US!”

“What?” The corner of Chanhee’s lips fell as he looks up at Byunghun.

“I’m moving!”

“M-moving..?”

“Yeah…my dad’s job needs us to travel there.”

Chanhee doesn’t respond but Byunghun continued.

“I’ve always dreamed of being in the US! I’m so excited!”

Chanhee does not know how to respond except smiling and listening to his friend’s babbling.

Chanhee was a good friend so he still went to see Byunghun off at the airport.

Byunghun looked very excited and Chanhee did not want to ruin his friend’s happiness. They waited at the chairs and Chanhee found them rather uncomfortable especially due to how antsy he’s being.

When Byunghun’s flight was announced, Chanhee bids farewell to Byunghun’s parents before saying bye to Byunghun.

“We were only friends for 2 months…” Chanhee states sadly in which Byunghun doesn’t hear.

“Don’t forget me…” Chanhee sobs choking out his sentence. “Don’t forget me!!” He screams after Byunghun who was already walking towards the automatic doors.

Byunghun quickly stops and turns around. He leaves his luggage behind and runs to Chanhee.

Chanhee rubs his eyes but cannot seem to stop the tears. He feels himself being pulled into Byunghun’s embrace in the next second. “I won’t. We can keep in touch right? Stupid. It’s not like I’m leaving forever.”

During the first 2 months, Byunghun and Chanhee kept in contact but after that, Byunghun responded less saying he was busy. Then the responses just never came.

Although Chanhee was heartbroken, he didn’t show it and told himself that Byunghun was just busy. He knew he was just lying to himself but it made him at ease thinking Byunghun was doing well. But America was so far away for an 8 year old and it scared him knowing his friend was there.

What if he never came back? Chanhee didn’t want to think about it.

He never came back and he’s not coming back. That’s what Chanhee determined after years. It has been years and he’s already in senior in high school.

“Oh my god. Oh my god. Oh my god~! Isn’t that him?” one of the girl students asked her friend with a whisper.

Byunghun slowly walks into the classroom to the front of the room with a nervous heart. He was studying back in Korea again. He doesn’t even know if he knew Korean that well anymore. What if they didn’t like him…?

“Are you sure it’s him?” her friend nods.

“Please introduce yourself.” The teacher says trying to the hush the students.

“I’m Lee Byunghun but you can call me L.Joe. Please take care of me.” He bows his head quickly and then looks at the teacher.

“Alright. You can sit next to Niel over there.” She points at the empty chair next to a hyper looking student who was looking at him.

“Thank you.” Byunghun takes a seat.

“Alright. Let’s start class!” the teacher turns around picking up the chalk ready to write on the board.

“Positive. Lee Byunghun. It’s definitely him.” The girl confirms to her friend.

“I can’t believe it. It’s really him!” A few girls ran away when Byunghun walked down the hall.

“He changed so much.”

“And he’s gotten hotter.”

“Can you believe it? He’s that kid who always got picked on!”

“No one’s going to pick on him now. He’s super hot!”

“Are hot guys the only thing you think about?”

“They are the best to gossip about.” They giggle and plan on when they should talk to him.

“L.Joe hurry!!” Niel yells already up ahead.

“Alright I’m coming!!” Byunghun huffs picking up his student ID.

Byunghun pushes through the mob of students crowding in the hallway.

“Can’t you walk any faster?”

“What the hell. You’re running.” Byunghun says in English in which Niel only rolls his eyes.

“Thanks for that showoff.” Niel responds sarcastically.

Byunghun sticks his tongue out when they stopped running.

“Why do we have to rush to get to lunch?”

“Cause the best may run out duh?”

“What?” Byunghun makes a face. He really hope he made the right decision to come back to Korea to study again. Living in the US was fun but he felt he should finish his schooling where he is actually from.

The entire hall was crowded and Byunghun was barely following Niel who was squeezing through everyone.

Still trying to push past everyone to reach to Niel, he accidently pushes a student down who was walking the opposite way of everyone else.

Books and paper flew everywhere. “I’m sorry,” The student mutters and immediately bends down to organize his papers in the midst of the huge crowd.

“No, I should be sorry!” Byunghun grabs a few stray papers that flew away further hoping no one steps on them and puts it on top of the deck. He reaches for a notebook and carelessly throws it on top as well. Not expecting it, everything tucked between the pages came out.

“God, I’m sorry. I think I’m making this worse.” He starts picking up the little pieces of paper and realizes they were laminated clovers.

Four-leaf clovers.

He picks one up and examines it. “Chanhee…”

The student immediately looks up and blinks staring straight into Byunghun’s eyes.

“You…are…”

“L.Joe! There you are! God you are so slow.” Niel huffs stomping his feet. “You made me lose my place in line just to find you.”

Chanhee directs his attention to Niel and immediately back to picking up all his paper. Byunghun however was seized by realization and he was just watching as Chanhee stacked his things. He was only put out his trance when he sees Chanhee stand up.

He whispers a quiet “thank you” before disappearing down at the corner of the hallway.

“Who was that?” Byunghun asks as casually as possible.

“Who? Oh..that’s Lee Chanhee.”