Dear Diary,

     I was skeptical about moving to Korea after spending basically, my whole life in California. My parents raved about how much better off I'd be if we lived in my hometown, Busan. They said I would lose weight, become more social, learn actual manners, and break free from the shell I bury myself in. It was a joke to me. It wasn't California that molded me into the person I am today. It was the bullies at my old high school, and the y girls, who swore they were better than every single person who dared to cross their paths.  They sicken me. The world sickens me. Being alone is the only way I knew how to cope. Today, would mark the first day back in my hometown on the calendar. 

No longer would we live in our beautiful condo in Los Angeles, now we would live at my aunt sorin's house where I would share a room with my cousin ,Hanari, who I remember absolutely nothing about. My parents spoke fondly of her, they hoped her personality and good looks would rub off on me. Their usual insults. 

"Yah! Sujinah! Look! This is the house you and little Nari played in. Isn't it gorgeous?" My mother chirped as we pulled into the driveway of the tacky place. I scowled before in my teeth. This was just the beginning of the nightmare.

"Sujin? Are you listening to me?" She reached into the back seat to slap my head, before I rubbed the stinging sensation away.

"Listen to your mother, you brat! This is going to be our new home now, you better behave." my father grumbled, slowly parking into the driveway.

"I'm sorry, I was writing." my voice was wise of course.

"Writing? What were you writing? Is it a best selling novel? Are you an author?" He spat.

"It's entertaining." I mumbled in reply now closing the journal.

"What seventeen year old carries around a journal everywhere she goes? If that's not a disorder then, what is? While you're here you're going to put that stupid thing down and actually socialize, make friends, live a little, got it?" He argued now turning off the engine and I sighed in aggravation.

"Yah! No arguing, we just got here. You're going to embarrass me in front of my sister." My mother whined .

"So, what you're saying is you want us to put on a charade of being a happy non dysfunctional family? Oh, and also pretend that I actually want to be here and wasn't dragged, right?" I retorted with my arms crossed.

"Sujin, I'm not going to ask you to watch your mouth again. Grab your bags, ring the doorbell and say hello to your aunt." She scolded before getting out the car slamming the door behind her my father followed suit. I sat for a few more seconds knowing it would be my last time for peace and quiet. 

The house looked...Okay. A beige two story house, big tree on the lawn with a tire swing hanging from the branch, flowers in the front entrance. It wasn't a ridiculously huge place at all, not like our condo in LA, but it wasn't tiny either. I guess you could call this place average.  Yeah, that was the perfect word to describe it. As our footsteps approached the door my mother thought it was the perfect time to insult us and point out our flaws. So much for the 'Happy Family' Charade. 

"Fix your tie!" She told my father while smoothing down any fly away hairs on her head. My father did as told. Now it was my turn.

"There is dry drool on your mouth! Let me clean it for you!" She gasped before her thumb and smearing her spit at the corner of my mouth in attempt to wipe it away. Being the germophobe I am, I could feel the breakfast trying to break loose from my stomach.

"Hajima! Don't touch me!" I fanned her away from me while screaming which, apparently blew our cover. The front door opened revealing Aunt Sorin. Not remembering anything about her I didn't recognize a change.

"Eonni! Wau! You look so pretty! Yeppeoyo!" My mother exaggerrated going in for an embrace instantly, now dropping her suitcase on my big toe. I in air and whimpered slightly at the pressure weighing down on my foot. What the hell did she have in this bag?

"Ahh! Jingja? I've been on this diet for a while. I want slimmer thighs and----." Sorin gushed at all of the atention and compliments.

"Diet?!? But, you're already so thin, Sorin~ah!" My father interjected pushing me out of the way forcefully causing me to fall into the shrubs on the side of us.

"Ani! Komawo! You guys are too kind...Where's Sujin?" Sorin asked. 

My parents looked over their shoulders obliviously, spotting me laying in the grass.

"Yah! Sujin! What are you doing there? Get up! You'll kill the flowers!" My mother hissed clearly embarrassed at my introduction. 

"I think the flowers killed me." I whined and she lifted me up from the ground. I spit grass out of my mouth and dusted my clothes before walking towards my aunt.

"Sorry, I just like to fall into shrubs for fun. It's a whole new kind of hobby and way to enjoy nature. You should try it." I said sarcastically  feeling my mother's hand meet the back of my head shortly after.

"Sujin, you've gotten so....Tan. " my aunt said in astonishment.

"Yeah, it's all of that california sun. She does alot of photography of nature especially at the beach. She loves wild life." My mother laughed it off, while I scowled. 

"Nice to meet you too, Sorin. Orenmaniya." I rolled my eyes and pushed past her in the door way to enter the house, tired of being scrutinized. Now hearing my parents apologize for my behaviour as I stalked up the flight of stairs with my suitcase as their insults were thrown into my back like daggers.

"We're so sorry for her foul behaviour. She's not use to socializing and we're jet lagged." My mother began. 

"Ani. Don't apologize. I know how teenagers are rebelious, stubborn, confused. We've all been there." Sorin smiled.

"Not your little Nari. She sounds like an angel. Where is she anyway?" I heard my father ask as I met the door knob to Nari & my room.

"She's probably out with friends. She's very popular." Sorin chirped now heading to the kitchen to pour tea into mugs.

"Maybe Sujin can learn a thing or two from her." My father hollered from downstairs making sure I could hear. Less than twenty minutes and I'm already being bashed for my personality...Nice. 

I plopped down onto the bed on my side of the room, shutting my eyes tight and sighing. I'd give anything to breathe LA air, to see LA beach, to hear LA street traffic. The last one was horrendous, but I missed it all already. With nothing else but, unpacking to do my body was in need of a long nap and that's what it was going to get.

It wasn't until late afternoon my eyes opened. Everyone was gathered around the dinner table eating chinese kimchi.

"Ah, you're awake? How did you sleep?" Sorin asked. Was she now playing good cop, because the only thing I wanted to do was slap her big fat pretty face.

"Fine." I mumbled before sitting down at the dining table.

"Chinese Kimchi was your favorite when you were six so, I thought I should make it." She attempted to build conversation with me as I stuffed my mouth with the delicious meal.

"Do you still like it?" Sorin picked at her plate while staring at me.

"Eung." I nodded stuffing more into my mouth like a hungry pig that was when I felt another slap to the back of my head. 

"You didn't say hi to your cousin, Nari." I turned my head to face a long haired brunette. 

Her hair light brown, straight but slightly curled at the ends. She has pale skin, yet her cheeks were a shade of rosy pink. Eyes dark brown, almost black. Lips thin and pink. Her figure slender & tall. My parents weren't lying when they said she was beautiful now, it wasn't exaggerrated in the slightest. She is stunning. No wonder she's popular.

"Annyeonghaseyo!" She bowed her head down to me with a smile on her face turning her black eyes into slits. Her teeth perfectly straight and white. The envy I felt. I mirrored my cousin bowing slightly.

"It's so nice to see you again. It's been a while." She continued.

"Yep, eleven years exactly."

"Ne. Eomma told me all about you. I was very excited to see how beautiful you've become." I scoffed at her unconvincing statement. She's too buttery, batting her eyelashes every five seconds like a camel. 

"I'm sure she has." I rolled my eyes now placing the utensils on the table. Suddenly, my appetite vanished and I just wanted to find an excuse to leave the table.

"She told me that you love scenery. Korea has a lot of beautiful places to see. One beautiful sight is in our neighbourhood.  In fact, we should go now. Eomma bought bikes last week for us to ride together."

"Yes, take her outside for some fresh air. Help her socialize, she's very shy." my father encouraged earning a scowl from my direction, before I could even refuse Nari's hand gripped around my wrist and pulled me out of the chair, grabbing my sneakers for me before flying out the door. 

"Yah! Apayo!" I shouted pulling her bony hand off once our slippers met the front porch.

"Sorry, I just need to get out of the house. Your parents have been asking me a million questions and showering me with awkward compliments, you were my only ticket out." She exhaled in relief. She just wanted to get away?  Well, at least we have one thing in common already.

"Well, I don't go anywhere without my journal or camera."

"You mean this?" She lift up her uniform jacket pulling out my diary from behind.

"How did you get that?" I gasped.

"It was laying next to you while you slept, I was curious." She shrugged.

"So, you went through my stuff?"

"Yep." She nodded nonchalantly, not acknowledging my frustration.

"you have alot of interesting stories in there especially the ones about Brandon. Who is he anyway?" Nari continued to pry while digging at the non-existent dirt underneath her nails, most likely a nervous habit. My cheeks were a tint of red. 

"Why do you ask?" my voice was a stutter.

"Well, you seemed to have a deep connection with him. It sounded like you were in love."  Nari picked a flower from the shrub now pulling off the petals.

I'm guessing she didn't get to the page of our horrible break up.

"He's my ex... Just give me the book, don't touch it again, arasso?" I snatched the journal away.

"Ne."

     We walked to the park together, where she decided to abandon me for her friends. 

"Are you sure it's okay? I won't leave if you don't want me to." She asked sympathetically.

"Gwenchana. Just have fun." I said whilst sitting on the bench, my camera around my neck as I prepared to take pictures. 

"I put my number in your phone, just call me if you need anything." Nari ran away to catch up with her friends, while I began to focus on my unfinished poetry. Across from me boys played soccer on the field, which got pretty interesting. Their clothes soaked in sweat as they ran across the field shouting. The opposite team made a goal after stealing the ball from the weakest player, who appeared to have a sprained ankle. 

    One boy stood out to me the most. He was the fastest, the strongest, and the most attractive. My eyes stayed trained on him the whole time.  I even snapped a few pictures...For my photography of course and he certainly looked photogenic, they all did.  He took off his shirt, his abs glistened with sweat as he wiped away remaining sweat on his forehead with his shirt. His blonde hair was drenched when he brushed it back slowly. He took a sip of gatorade before heading back to the field. They were passing the soccer back and forth until the soccer came hurdling towards me and knocked the journal out of my hand. I watched the notebook quickly dive into the mud. This was a nightmare.

     I kneeled down immediately shaking off, the soil blowing a bit away. My pages were ruined. All of my poetry and stories smudged, destroyed. This couldn't have been real.

"Yah! Are you stupid? Why did you just sit there?" The blonde yelled angrily at me while retrieving his ball.

"Why did you kick the ball at me like some wild monkey?" I matched his tone, now rising to my feet to face the stranger. He looked even more attractive up close. I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, before looking down and biting my bottom lip. My cheeks were a tint of pink now as I thought about this terrible first impression. A girl sitting alone on a bench obsessed with writing in her journal and calling him a monkey. Geesh. Way to make friends, Sujin.

"Why were you sitting there in the first place?" He asked haughtily.

I furrowed my eyebrows at his question. Was this not a public park? Am I not allowed to sit? Was there a sign or his name written on it? Nope! So why on earth did he act like he owned the place? 

"I was writing in my book, which you've destroyed." I gestured to the pages covered in mud. My handwriting now appeared blurred and smudged. He kicked the ball back to his friends on the field before pulling out a cigarette lighting it right in front of me. He stared at me like the mafia before inhaling the cancer stick and blowing the smoke in my face.

"That's not my fault." He replied in disdain whilst puffing out the smoke. I scoffed in disbelief at his ignorance before snatching the cigarette out of his mouth throwing it into the mud.

"Ige mwo ya! You just put out my cig!"

"That's not my fault!" I retorted with a smirk.  He clenched his fists in attempt to intimidate me.

"You are so dead!" He shouted. A few seconds later a boy stepped in between  us.

"Namjoon, hyung, come on let's go. You can't afford to get in trouble again." the youngest one of the group said.

"Yeah, listen to your friend, go!" I sneered while doing a 'shoo' gesture. He scowled clenching his jaw.

"We will meet again." he left with the six other boys. 

     When I arrived home Nari was sitting on the porch with her arms folded across her chest. She was pouting like a four year old.

"Now you show up! Didn't you get my texts?" She complained. I reached into my jean pocket pulling the cell phone out.

"I did now."

"What happened to you? You're covered in dirt." She acknowledged now eating a lollipop.

"I tripped." I shrugged not wanting to tell her the full story.

"Hmm. You're so clumsy. Come on, let's get you cleaned up. We have school tomorrow." Nari pulled me into the house.