The last bell for school rang throughout the whole building. Quickly, I grabbed my bag and left school to get to my second part time job; tutoring. English came in handy here in Seoul. Moms go crazy to get their child the right english tutor. Luckily, the kids I tutored were either in elementary school or starting their middle school year. I wait impatiently at the bus near the school. With my phone in my hand ready to scan my bus fee, I notice Vernon going into a large black van just across the street. Before I could think about it more, the bus arrived and I entered swiftly grabbing onto the handgrip. 

The boy that I tutor lives in one of those really nice apartments in Seoul. He'll probably realize that he is very privilaged in life, receiving benefits that other people rarely get. I press the 22nd floor on the elevator and wait as the elevator calls out each floor. The elevator door opens and I walk down the long hallway that lights up when movement is present. 234 the door read. I press the doorbell and look into the camera giving a small wave to the parent. They unlock the door and let me inside their nice home. 

"Hyun-Woo yah! Your tutor is here!" I hear the mom say as I take off my shoes. I greet her with a bow and she gives me a small nod and a smile. 

"He'll be out it a minute," she said. I hear him coming closer to the living room, each step making a small vibration. I look up at him and smile. He bows to me and I pat the floor for him to sit. 

"How have you been?" I asked him in English hoping he would remember what it meant from the last session. 

"I am doing well," he said. I gave him a thumbs up and patted his head. 

"You remembered!" I said. "Alright then. What did you learn in school today? Maybe we could start with that." 

We went through his English work book and we practiced speaking. For 3 hours I am with this kid. He depends on me to teach him the necessary information that might help him with his future. I depend on him to have me continue to teach him since I need the money to make my life easier. I need him more than he needs me for now. I need to tutor more kids...Maybe I'll tutor some kids near me. But when will I have time to work at the convience store....Maybe I'll have to work only one shift....All these thoughts fill my head as he reads aloud the sample conversation in the book. 

Three hours pass by and I say my goodbyes. I remind him to do his homework and never skip studying. It's what all Korean parents expect the tutors to say. I leave the apartment and catch another bus to the convience store 20 minutes away from here. Looking at my phone the time is 10:00 P.M and I still have to work 5 hours till I get to go home. I arrive at the convience store and see the ahjussin waiting outside for me. 

"I'm sorry I'm late. I got back from tutoring," I said. He gave me a 'it's okay' nod and handed me a white envelope full of money. 

"What is this?" I ask him. 

"I'm paying you in advanced. Use this to pay your rent." he said as he looked up at the sky. Overwhelmed with relief, I thanked him several times till he told me to go in and start working. I went behind the cash register and counted the money. $300. Perfect. I tucked the money away inside my bag and pulled out my notebook. I wrote in the money that ahjussi gave me and checked off the rent fee that was now fullfilled. I didn't have to worry anymore.

It is now 2 in the morning and I start to refill the shelves with food. I head to the back to get the boxes of shipment that came in today. While carry the box out to the front I hear the door chime. 

"Welcome," I said as I lowered the box on the the ground and looked up. Wiping the hair out of my face I see a handsome group of guys. One face I recognized right away. I noticed him before he could notice me and so I squatted back down on the ground to avoid him. 

"Aww man. What do I do?" I whispered to myself. 

"Umm. Can someone ring us up?" I heard one of the guys say. 

"Yes I'm coming." I scurried to the cash register and rung up their drinks. As I scanned their items I looked up to see if he was still there and sure enough he was. His eyes matched up with mine. 

"Hey it's you! You work here?" he said as he came up to the counter. 

"Yeah..." I said quietly. "That'll be $6.75." Vernon handed me cash and I gave him his reciept. 

"Hey you guys go on without me. I'll catch up with you," he said as he handed his friend the plastic bag. 

No. No. Don't stay behind. I thought to myself. 

"Why are you working so late?" he asked me. 

"Why are you up so late?" I asked him back to avoid answering his question. "And why are you so sweaty?" I noticed his face glistened with sweat as if he has been running before he got here. 

"Well...You see..." he said as he scratched his head. "Don't tell anybody at school but I'm an idol." 

I leaned against the counter and stared at him closely. I could tell he was taken aback by how close I am to him. 

"You're an idol?" 

"Yeah. Haven't you heard of the group Seventeen?" 

"Not really." I said unable to believe his words. "I mean I barely know any group out there so..." 

"So that's why you weren't freaking out at school." He let out a little chuckle. 

"What?" I said taking offense to his laugh. This time he leaned closer to be and I was taken aback by it. He smelled sweet despite the sweat that was still on his face. 

"You're the first girl that was unimpressed with me being an idol." he backed off and gave out a smile. "I'll be back. Do you usually work at this hour? If so, I'll be back everyday." Before I could say anything he left and ran off to look for his friends. 

My shift was up and I walked back home. The walk home was only 5 minutes but it felt like forever. I go through the door and right there was my matress that laid on the floor with a few blankets and pillows scattered across. I struggle out of my shirt and tore off the plaid skirt that stuck onto me. Only with my bra and my underwear, I plopped on the matress and snuggled up against one of the pillows. 

"Why does he even talk to me?" I asked myself. "I mean there are so many girls that actually like him but why me?" His face and his every feature linger in my mind before sleep won me over. 

~~~~

The next day I come to school and saw a bouquet of lollipops on my desk. I lift it up and saw that there was about 13 of them in the bundle. I look at my desk again and saw a little note with a drawing on it. 

'Rooftop right now.' it wrote. I heard murmurs around me and I looked up to see girls glaring at me and pointing their fingers. I shove the boquet of candy into my bag,and I run up to the roof to see him on one. 

"Did you like my present?" he asked.

"Why did you give this to me?" I said as I took it out of my bag.

"Hmmm....I thought you would like it...." he said with a confused look on his face.

"It's not that I don't like it. I just don't understand why you gave this to me right where everyone could see." 

"I like you," he said. My eyes widened and his words rushed into my ear and left out of the other. 

"What did you say?" I asked trying to capture his words this time. 

"I said I like you. Ever since I saw you listening to music on the roof the other day, I couldn't take my mind off of you." 

I backed up away from him. "Vernon. We met like two days ago. I don't even know you very well and you sure don't know me....I'm sorry." I gave the bouquet of candy back to him and turned around to leave. Before I took a step forward to leave he grabbed my arm. 

"Then...can we be friends?" his face was lowered and he avoided my eyes. He was embarressed. I felt bad. He was the first person that reminded me of the past. He was also the first person that wanted to be with me. 

"Yeah. Let's be friends." His head lifted and he looked at me with a smile.