Solji POV - Age 11

"Solji, try and make some new friends today okay?" said a beautiful dark haired woman in her mid 30's.

"okay eomma.." young Solji replied reluctantly while slowly stirring her congee.  You see, Heo Solji wasn't that good looking as a child, and she was very shy and couldn't bring herself to talk to anyone. And when she did bring up the courage to say something, Solji was often teased by her classmates, causing everyday to be a continuous struggle of self consciousness and worry of what others might think about anything she said or did. 

Seeing the worried look her daughter's face, Solji's mom walked over to the breakfast table and ruffled little Solji's hair, which was just as dark and beautiful as her mothers. "Ah.. my baby.. saranghae (I love you) okay? Whatever the other kids say to you, eomma (mom) will always love you. You are my smart and beautiful baby girl and don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.  Never let anyone take for granted because you and amazing, and strong and the best gift mommy could have ever asked for. Okay? Heo Solji.. fighting!"    

With that, Solji turned around and gave her mom one last big hug before taking a quick glance at the clock. Oh no!! she was late! Her teacher would kill her for being late to class AGAIN.  Scrambling to pick everything up, Solji rushed off to school.  "Annyeong (goodbye)!" called her mom after her. 

As Solji entered the classroom with a sloppy and quick bow, childrens' snickers and smug smiles could be heard and seen throughout the room.

"Look at her hair.  So messy!" whispered one little boy.

"What is her mom doing letting her out like this?"

"Aish... why is she always so clumsy? It's embarassing."  

Solji looked at her disheveld appearance and immediately felt her face getting redder by the second.  "They're right..." she thought to herself.  "I'm a mess... How could I let myself be late?" With a swift look of disgust, the teacher Mr. Kim put on a fake smile and said "Solji. Please sit next to the new student, Miss Ahn Hyojin over there."  Solji took a glance in the corner and thought "Oh? A new girl? Huh. She's so small. She looks pretty shy and nice.  But... she'll probably hate me too after talking to anyone else in the class..."

Sitting down with a small sigh, Solji opened her books and prepared herself for another crappy day at school. "Everyone, please turn to page 80 in your math books." said the teacher at the front of the classroom.  "Aish! I forgot my book again!! I must have left it at home while I was eating breakfast.." Solij looked around frantically not knowing what to do until the mysterious girl sitting next to her tapped her shoulder and whispered

"Hey.  You needa share books?"  

Solji gave the strange small child a incredulous look.  "Are you tricking me?"  she asked

"What? Why would I do that? Of course not..."  The girl looked slightly disappointed and offended.

"Really?" pressed Solji.

"Really."  the girl replied.

"Okay then.  Thank you very much." "No problem." 

"Wow.. for the first time in my life.. someone at school has been nice to me!" Solji said under her breath, thinking no one would hear. 

"Solji.  Would you like to share something with the class?" asked Mr. Kim in a stern voice.

"No sir, sorry".  Replied Solji, as she sunk back down in her seat.  She looked to her left one more time at the new girl and could've sworn she saw a glimpse of a fleeting smile on her lips. 

After class, the bell rang and hundreds of kids poured out of the school running, whooping and excited to go home for the weekend.  Desperately, Solji looked around the crowd of uniformed students for Ahn Hyojin, who had left the classroom silently and unnoticeably.  Solji waited and waited and waited, searching the mass of bodies for a child as small as Hyojin.  

And there she was, a girl just about 4' 9" tall with long hair so dark it looked black.  While she slowly made her way through the horde, Solji pushed and squeezed in order to reach her.  "Hey Hyojin!" Yelled Solji over the loud cheers of schoolboys and girls.  No repsonse.  "Hyojin!!!" She yelled again, louder this time.  "Can she not hear me?" Solji wondered.  "AHN HYOJIN!" She shouted one last time, with all her might. Solji grabbed the girl's shoulder, who whipped around surprised and angry.  "Yah unnie ! What do you want?????!!"  Crap. It wasn't Hyojin.  Rather it was some other girl that who was known as the bully of the fourth grade.  

"Ah.... Sorry sorry... Wrong person.." said Solji meekly.

"wrong perSON?!  Are you stupid?!!?!?  Who do you think I am?"  steamed the bully, Lee Ji Yoon.  

"I'm sorry.  Really.. I-" Solji was immediately cut off. 

"ExcuSE ME??!! I WAS TALKING.  WhO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!  Screaming around for some Hyojin?! I've never even heard of her! Ugh.  People like you disgust me-" ranted the child.  Frightened and not knowing what to say, Solji stared wordlessly at the ground until another girl came between the two.  

"Is there a problem?" 

Taken aback by a stranger's interruption for a moment, Lee Ji Yoon quickly got back to her senses.  "yah! You want to fight me too?"  pouted Ji Yoon.  

"No." The girl replied coolly and plainly.  

"Ugh. Just.  Come on, Joonhyuk.  Let's go.  I'm tired of these two." Ji Yoon said to her equally mean best friend Jung Joon Hyuk.  

"So.  You were looking for me?" asked the girl who came in to intervene.  

"Huh..?" Solji snapped out of her daze and looked up.  "Hyojin...? Ah.. You shouldn't have done that.. Ji Yoon is scary.. Even though she's two years younger than us... She can make the whole school have a grudge against you for that. Ah.. I'm sorry for putting you in this situation.. Especially on your first day. I-" 

Hyojin cut her off.  "Hey.  Don't worry.  It's what friends do for each other right?" 

"Huh? Friends...?" 

"Yeah! We're friends right?" 

"...Yeah! Friends!"  

"Awesome!  I made my first friend in Korea :).  So.. what's your name? I'm Ahn Hyojin and I just moved here from America."

"I'm Heo Solji, nice to meet you.. And thanks for letting me share that math book earlier! I would've been really dead if it wasn't for you haha."  

"No problem haha.  I'm pretty forgetful sometimes too. Anyways, are you walking home that way too?"

"Yup, I live pretty close over there."

"Hey! No way! I'm staying with my grandparents in that neighborhood! Here, let's walk and keep talking."

"Haha! What a coincidence. So, you're from America?? Your Korean is very good.  Sorry my English isn't that good though, we just started learning last year."

"Yup, I was born in Korea and moved to America for my parents' jobs with my little brother when I was about 3 years old. But my parents both lost their jobs last year and money's been really tight so they sent us both back to Korea to live with my grandparents." said Hyojin with an especially sorrowful look.  

"Oh.. I see, I'm sorry about your parents. Don't worry, I'm sure they'll get back on their feet in no time!"

"Yeah.. I hope so too..." Hyojin said on the verge of crying. 

"Hey, hey.  Are you alright?" Solji asked worriedly 

"Yeah, yeah.  I'm fine."  Hyojin replied, still holding back her tears.   

They walked the rest of the way with an awkward silence until the pair reached Solji's house.  

"Okay, well, I have to go home now,  but I'll see you tomorrow?" asked Solji hopefully.  

"Of course! See you at school :)" Hyojin replied with a small forced smile.  

"Annyeong"

"Annyeong!" Solji replied, with a quick wave of her hand.  She opened the door and proceeded home.  

"Eomma!! Guess what? Guess what??"

"Hm Solji?"

"I made a new friend today!!  Her name is Ahn Hyojin and she's super nice."

"Aw honey, that's great.  Maybe you can invite her over sometime, I'd love to meet her"

"Okay!" Solji grinned.   "I'll talk to her tomorrow about it" she thought.  "But.. I wonder what she was so upset about.. She must really miss her parents.. poor thing."  Already excited at the idea of having a best friend, Solji spent the rest of the day planning their hangout.