She thought it was odd when she went out and found no Jiyong waiting for her at the bottom of her stairs. She found it odd when she was at the bus stop and he wasn’t there either. There was a strange charge in the air and she had a feeling that something was horribly wrong. And that’s when she saw it. As she passed by a news stand, she saw a headline that caught her eye.

Local Boy Stabbed In A Street Fight

Last night, two boys from rival schools engaged in a fight in the streets at around 7:53 PM. The scuffle had gone on for around 15 minutes before one of the boys, Lee Seunghyun, pulled a knife on the victim, Kwon Jiyong. Lee and his gang have been taken in for questioning. Since they are minors and are claiming self defense, they will most likely get probation.

This was 2 weeks ago.

She hadn’t heard a word from him since then. No calls, no visits, notexts. Not even a smoke signal. For all she knew, he could be gone. It filled her with worry she wished she hadn’t had in the first place. But life had to move on whether or not Jiyong was there to pester her or not. It just moved on at a snail’s pace.

“It’s just not as fun when there isn’t Jiyong’s to grade,” Miss Chung pushed aside the stack of papers in front of her.

“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t get done.”

She pouted. “Be honest. You’re only trying to distract yourself from the fact that he’s not here, right?”

Seul didn’t answer this. But she was right. He’d become such a big part of her life that without him, it was strange. She struggled to remember what it had been like before he’d popped up but the memories were fuzzy.

“Are you alright, Seul?” her friends had asked at lunch.

“Of course not! Look at how quiet she is. Usually she’s smiling and laughing.”

“It must be hard knowing your boyfriend is hurt.”

Her eyes widened. “He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Oh, now she talks?”

“Stop denying it, Seul. We all know!”

“Yeah, why else would you be so torn up about him not being here?”

Her friends were no source of help for her.

“And you’re sure you’re alright?” Seunghyun asked as he watched his sister.

She was angry now. “Why does everyone keep asking me that?”

“You’ve been strange lately,” Seunghyun stated in a calm voice, “I’m just worried about you.”

She sighed. “I know. I’m just tired of hearing that question. There is nothing wrong. I’m perfectly alright. It’s sad that Jiyong got hurt but my world will keep revolving, even if he isn’t here for a few weeks.”

“You’re sure?”

For the first time, she lied to her brother. “Positive. Now if you don’t mind, I’m going to bed.”

He glanced over at the clock on the wall. It was only 7:45. He shook his head as he watched her leave the room. She was denying it but even he could tell that his sister had gotten herself ensnared in the good girl/bad boy cliché. Something he had been scared of since the beginning.

“Jiyong has been out for so long,” Miss Chung stated sadly.

Seul only nodded in response to this statement. “Was there something you needed?”

“Yes, actually, I’d like you to go and give him the work he’s missed. I doubt he’ll do it but at least I can say that I tried.”

Her eyes widened in shock. “W-What? I can’t go to his place!”

Miss Chung frowned in confusion. “Why not?”

“It’s… It’s awkward! I haven’t seen him in almost 3 weeks.”

“Please! You live the closest to him out of all the students. Besides, I’m sure seeing you would give him a speedy recovery.”

So now she’d gotten herself roped into seeing him. She has found herself outside of a rather shady looking club. She finds this odd. Surely she must have the wrong address. There’s no way he could live in a club. But knowing him and all his strangeness, it wouldn’t surprise her. She heads inside, parting a waterfall of stringed beads as she enters the club. It feels as though she’s stepped through a portal to another time. Outside, it’s a cold night in the year 2013 but in here it’s a warm evening in the 70s. 
She wanders around, taking in the decorations and avoiding a collision with several groups of drunk adults before she feels a tap on her shoulder. A couple is staring at her curiously.

“Excuse me,” the man starts, “But what is a minor doing wandering around our club?”

She bows. “Oh, I’m sorry. I’m Choi Seul. I go to Jiyong’s school. They just sent me over to give him some classwork he’s missed.”

“Really? Well we’re his parents,” Mrs. Kwon leaned in to her husband and whispered, “Honey, I think she’s that girl!”

“What girl?” he whispered back in confusion.

“That girl.”

They both smile knowingly at her.

“Um, is there something wrong?”

“It’s so nice to meet you!” Mrs. Kwon hugs her tightly, “You have no idea how much I’ve wanted to thank you.”

“Thank me? For what?”

“You’re that girl, Choi Seul! Ji talks about you all the time. He has always been such an angry child. He would either keep silent or throw a fit. But now all he does is just talk about some girl he met at school with a smile on his face,” another tight hug, “Thank you so much for letting me see that smile of his again before he left home.”

“Seul?”

Her heart skipped a beat as she heard him call her name. She hadn’t heard him say it in almost a month and it made her realize how much she really did miss him. She turned to meet his gaze. He looked the same. Same hair, same expression, same deep, hazel eyes and same penetrating stare.

“Look who came to see you!” his dad said happily.

“We’ll just leave you two alone.”

He stared at her for a while as if trying to confirm she was truly there before taking her hand. “It’s too loud in here. Follow me.”

He led her up the stairs and through the halls before entering a room she assumed belong to him. He sat on the edge of his bed and rubbed his jaw with his right hand as he stared off into the distance.

“Here,” Seul said reaching into her backpack, “Miss Chung asked me to give you the work you’d missed since you’ve been gone.”

“Thanks,” he said absent mindedly throwing the papers onto his desk.

Silence.

“Is that all?” he asked standing in front of her.

“That’s all.”

“Really?”

“What else do you want me to say?”

“Everything you’re holding back.”

She blinked. “What?”

“I know you, Seul. Just let it out.”

She struggled to form the right words before they just started to come out on their own. “Are you alright?”

“I’m fine, actually.”

“Then why haven’t you called? Why haven’t you even tried to let anyone know that?”

“Because no one would particularly care.”

“I care, you bastard!” she yelled.

“I’m glad you do.”

“Stop being so nonchalant about this like it’s all ok.”

“But it is.”

“It’s not! You got hurt and I didn’t even know whether or not you were still even breathing. You didn’t say a word for almost 3 weeks, Jiyong. And now you’re acting as if it’s only been a day? You’re absolutely the worst and I regret even spending a minute of my time worrying about you!”

He sighed. “Seul.”

“What?”

“Shut up.”

She opened to let out string of curses but he closed the gap between them and kissed her with so much passion, she could feel her insides setting on fire. Her eyes widened in shock but soon her eyelids fluttered shut and she melted into him. Jiyong pressed her close to him, cupping her face with his hands, and devoured her as though he'd been starved of her his entire life.

“I have to ask you for an important favor,” he says as he rests his forehead against hers.

“Anything.”

“You have to forget about me.”

Her eyes widened, “What? How could you ask me to do that?”

“Listen,” he kissed her again softly, “You have to forget about a punk like me. Nothing good is coming from getting mixed up in my problems. I can’t let you get hurt just because of me, Seul. I can’t. This is the best way I can protect you.”

“I don’t understand,” she whispered quietly.

He smiled sadly. “Just know that beggars can never be with princesses.”