Hyomin's POV

Our nearest town, Jongamno, was only a mile from the house, but Hwayoung in front of me meant it took forever. When we finally got on to the main street -- what my mother called 'civilisation' -- Hwayoung's bottom was aching.

"Told you it was the painful route." I grinned at her. "Was that fun for you?"

Hwayoung screwed up her nose and stuck her tongue out. "We need a milkshake," she said, looking hopefully down the street.

Jongamno was abit like one of those towns you see in old Wild West films starring Clint Eastwood. Just one wide road, flanked by mismatched buildings. No supermarket. No fancy shops. Just the essentials. A local grocer's, selling everything from needle and thread to caviar; a cobbler's, a tiny junk shop -- optimistically known as the Town Antiques Emporium -- a tiny post office and a cafe: Fabio's.

It used to belong to an Italian family, who'd disappeared before i was born, but Eunjung and her husband Jangwoo had kept the name. It was a friendly, old-fashioned place, laid out like a diner. I'd been coming to Fabio's since I was able to pronounce 'vanilla chocolate'. I'd outgrown the milkshake now, but it was Hwayoung's favorite place in the world.

She rushed along the pavement towards it, leaving me locking up the bike by the defunct petrol station. As I straightened up again, a figure crossing the road caught my eye. Tall, checked shirt and long legs in dark blue jeans. He was about my age, maybe a little older, with a fair face and sun-streaked, short, messy hair. Even from this distance I could see he was one of those intimidating, good-looking, alpha-male types, and we didn't get many of those round here. I saw him glance my way and I sniffed, indifferently, and moved to follow Hwayoung into the cafe.

I watched as the boy reached the entrance of Fabio's at the same time as my sister and performed a comical bow, holding the door open for her. I heard her shriek, delighted, and slowed right down. Suddenly I wished I'd worn something less androgynous than my shabby old grey hoodie and ancient dungarees that were too short for me.

"Do you have to dress like a ragamuffin, Hyomin?" was my mother's familiar refrain. "You're a young woman, not a car mechanic."

Just for today I conceded, she had a point.

I quickly ped my hoodie and tied it round my waist. As I passed the windows to get to the door and glimpsed my reflection I realised this was not an improvement. Irritated, I untied it and bunched it under one arm.

As I walked into the cafe I saw that Hwayoung was already perched on a stool by the counter. The boy was sitting next to her, still making her laugh. I dug my purse out of my front pocket and stood at the other end of the counter.

Eunjung sashayed over, beaming at me. "She's already got her order in," she said, cocking her head in Hwayoung's direction. "And she's got an admirer."

"Who is that boy?" I asked casually, emptying my change on the counter. "Never seen him before."

"Joon?" She shrugged, then leaned closer to me. "He's got a family around here apparently -- step-family, I think." She pursed her lips in concentration. "He was the one in the paper ... you know. The boy who went missing in Australia -- turned up on his dad's doorstep. I can't for the life of me think of his surname."

"I don't remember that." I frowned.

Eunjung shook her head. "You must walk round with a blindfold on and earplugs in," she said, with a smile, "That boy was the talk of the town a few weeks ago."

"Interesting," I said, sneaking a look over at him.

"Very interesting," she said with a wink. "And a looker too."

"Hmmm." I wrinkled my nose and pushed over seven hundred won in coins. "Guess I'd better rescue him from Hwayoung. She's the clingy type."

Eunjung chuckled. "She's adorable and you know it," she said, waving away the money. "Which is why you girls get your milkshakes on the house."

"Thanks, Eunjung," I said gruffly. "I think i'll have a coffe today."

Even though i hate coffee.

"Okey-dokey," Eunjung winked at me. "Much more sophisticated."

I blushed what must have been crimson pink and shuffled over to Hwayoung and Joon.

"This is Joon," announced Hwayoung, as I approached. "He's looking for some company. Joon, this is Hyomin."

Joon turned, smiling. His eyes were incredibly brown. And though they were bright and friendly, there was something else there too. Something sharp, clever.

"Hi Hyomin." His voice was deep, but quiet.

I nodded rudely, looking away quickly. Up close he was unnervingly beautiful. Every feature moulded to perfection. Practically inhuman.

We need to leave as soon as possible, I told myself. I couldn't hold a conversation with anyone my own age, let alone this vision.

"We haven't got much time," I told Hwayoung, who narrowed her eyes.

"We've only just got here," she said, kicking her legs out and catching Joon's knee with her boot. He smiled gracefully.

"I've got Maths, remember?" I picked up the menu, to occupy my awkward hands.

Hwayoung threw a look over at the Beautiful One.

"Hyomin is home-schooled," she told him matter-of-factly.

"You don't go to school?" he asked, and I was forced to engage with him.

"Yeah... No ... I used to ..." His mouth tilted into a half-smile, puzzled. "But -- it's a long story." I looked at Hwayoung, willing her to keep shut, and her eyes grew big. But Eunjung was setting down a cup and saucer and Hwayoung's milkshake, and my sister swivelled round to pick it up, taking a long, noisy slurp through the straw. I rolled my eyes and caught Joon's and then we were both smiling.

"You can tell me all about your secret past another time, then," he said, studying my face. "You look like a girl with a story to tell."

"Not me," I said. "Nothing much goes on in my life."

Unlike yours, I wanted to add. But didn't. Because I am socially retarded.

"Eunjung said you had a family here?" I said instead.

Joon picked up a napkin from the box and started folding it. "Yep," he said. "My dad. Jung Jihoon and his family. I was living with my mum in Japan for a long time."

As i tried to think of who Jihoon was -- the surname seemed familiar -- Joon's fingers were moving quickly and my eyes fell on what he was doing. Origami?

"I'm staying with my Dad over the summer -- maybe longer," he went on, and he looked up at me through his eyelashes, "If i can find something to keep me busy." He dropped his head again to concentrate on folding quickly. All of a sudden, there in his hands was a white, tissue swan.

"Cool!" said Hwayoung, pushing away her drink and grabbing a hold of it.

"Hwayoung, don't break it," I said quickly. I looked at Joon. "You realise you have to teach her how to do that now?"

"Any time," he said, winking at my sister. "Told you I need to make myself useful."

"Can you do odd jobs?" asked Hwayoung, putting the swan in her pocket before scraping the last of her shake out of her glass with a long spoon. "My dad needs someone for odd jobs."

"No he doesn't," I said. "When did he say that?"

She shook her head. "I heard him telling Eomma," She poked Joon's arm. "How old are you?"

"Eighteen," said Joon. "Just."

"It's Hyomin's birthday today," Hwayoung told him proudly. "She's sixteen."

"Is that right?" I noticed his taut cheekbones and his eyes flicker over me subtly as a slow grin spread across his face. "Sweet sixteen."

Before i had a chance to colour up, Eunjung called from across the room.

"Sixteen already." She shook her head and put two clean cups back on the shelf above the coffee machine. "I'm getting old." She smiled at the three of us. "You've got yourself a little party at least. Happy birthday."

"Thanks, Eunjung." I took a sip of my drink, feeling Joon's eyes on me.

"So," he said, adding some sugar to his coffee. "What's the birthday girl doing to celebrate?"

"Oh, nothing." I finally looked across at him. "It's no big deal."

"We're playing Scrabble later," Hwayoung said, fiddling with her straw. "And Mum will cook a special dinner."

I nodded at Joon. "Sadly, she's right. We don't make a fuss in our house."

"What about your friends?" Joon drank some coffee, not taking his eyes off me.

"I..."

"She doesn't have any," Hwayoung supplied. "She likes her own company."

There was a small silence, as I fought the urge to strangle my sister.

Joon finished his coffee and smiled at me. "Well, I bet it's excellent company," he said.

This time the blush crept into my cheeks and though I tried to smile back, I ended up grimacing weirdly.

"I'm sure you could come for dinner," Hwayoung told him. "Mum always makes too much food."

"Don't be silly," I said quickly, a little sharply. "He's not interested in coming to dinner with a bunch of strangers."

"How do you know?"

Hwayoung wouldn't let up, so I shot her warning look.

"We've got to get going. It'll take us half and hour and it's uphill."

Joon looked from one to the other of us."Where do you two live anyway?"

"Up the road--" I began

"We live on the mountain," Hwayoung interrupted me. "The house nearest to the top. You can't miss it."

"Come on," I dragged her off the stool and smiled tightly st Joon. "Nice meeting you. See you around."

"Hope so." He was staring at me, and as he lifted his head I noticed a small, faint, disc-shaped scar on one side of his neck. "I'll be here tomorrow."

"Right."

"At the same time."

"Okay." I started pushing Hwayoung towards the door before she could answer on my behalf. "Bye Eunjung," I called, and she waved a cloth at me.

As we reached the door, I glanced back quickly to see Joon watching.

"He's cuuuuuute," said Hwayoung, dancing about on the pavement.

"Shut up."

"I don't think he really noticed your weird dungarees either," she went on, tugging at them. "He was too desperately in love."

I grunted and made to wallop her. "You're insane, you know that."

"You should see him again," she said, ignoring me. "He's very good-looking."

"Stop right there, Park Hwayoung. It's not your business and I'm not interested in having a boyfriend." I gave her a stern look. "Besides, he's not someone Mum would approve of."

"Why?" She frowned.

"Because ... because he's been in trouble." I paused before deciding to go on. "He was in the paper apparently ... He went missing in Japan and turned up here three months later."

"He's that boy?!" Hwayoung was saucer-eyed. "Appa was talking about hiim the other day. Eomma went all soppy over it."

"Yup. So he must be pretty mixed-up."

"They're the cute ones. That's what Soyeon's sister says. The mixed-up ones are always the ones girls want."

"Yeah, well," I said, rolling my eyes. "Soyeon's sister doesn't know everything."

Hwayoung gave me one of her shrewd, appraising looks.

"By the way, we're walking home," I said. "Or Mum will send out a search party."

I'd read enough bad romances to know that boys flirt and it doesn't mean a thing. And it was a matter of time before Joon would find out that I was the freak around here. The girl who dressed like a boy and had no friends.

But as I wheeled the bike home, with Hwayoung chattering to me perched on the saddle, I couldn't help feeling that something had rolled away from in front of me.

Everything was a little brighter now.

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Two chapters in a day. Hmm.

Whatcha guys think? :B