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"Class! This is Alice Smith from Miami, Florida. She will be joining us from now on," Ms. Choi ecstatically proclaimed to the class.

It had been a week since I landed in Seoul and I was just entering the 9th grade at Gae Woong Middle School.

"Hello my name is Alice....umm my Korean name is Park Areum if that is easier for everyone. Please take care of me." I replied with a generous bow while subconsciously balling up the hem of my skirt in my hands.

"Okay miss Areum. Please go take a seat."

I tried to smooth out the creases in my skirt as I walked towards the only seat available. It was near the back, next to a young man I didn't know would become one of the most important people in my life. He sat with his head resting on his hand as he scribbled some messy Korean characters in his notebook. I turned slightly to bow when I noticed tearbudbud laced up the arm of his uniform blazer. I softly chuckled to myself at his poor attempt of listening to music duriinstructionion. Throughout the class, I periodically watched his hands slightly move in the distinct mannerism of a rapper. His eyebrows furrowed as he aggressively scratched out line after line of sprawling Korean characters.

It wasn't until the lunch time when he noticed I was sitting next to him. He lifted up his chin and greeted me with his famous gummy smile.

"Anneyonghaseyo! Bang Yong Guk imnida."

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I snapped out of my flashback when the sub