“Oh. My. God! HyunMi your shoes are sooo cute!!!” Miyata said to me as she took her seat in the lecture hall.

“I know, right?!! I got them on sale!” I replied, pointing my toes so she could examine my new Harajuku Lovers high-tops. It was a bright October Thursday afternoon and the last place I wanted to be sitting was in a stuffy lecture hall talking about computer graphic makeups. I wanted to be out enjoying the day, but I was thankful however that my best friend Miyata Kitamura was also taking this class with me. We were best friends in the true sense of the word. Having grown up together, and our parents being friends, we feel more like sisters. We were even both multicultural, mixed with Korean and Japanese. Except she was also Mexican, and I was also Native American. When we graduated high school, we had made plans beforehand to apply to the same college and be roommates. We’d always stuck by each other through thick and thin and very little threatened to ruin the bond we shared. Miyata picked some lint off her yellow foiled character shirt, and then swiped a strand of her black wavy hair behind her ear.

“Guess what?” she asked me, her voice hinting with a surprise. The professor had arrived and everyone was taking their seats and winding down. I stifled a giggle as I watched our odd professor Mr. Hayes; fumble clumsily with the clasps on his briefcase.

“What?” I said, giving her a smile.

“Well…you know that program we applied for, to teach English in South Korea back in September?” I nodded my head. “Well, I got my letter today in the mail, and they want me to be a part of the program!” She clapped her hands with happiness.

“Are you serious?! That’s such great news Mika!” I said, calling her by her nickname and grabbing her into a warm hug from my seat beside her. When I let go she prattled on about it with excitement. A dream that Mika and I shared was to travel. It didn’t matter where, but I suppose the both of us had been dying to go to Seoul. Mika had just received her most valuable wish. I was incredibly happy for her, but I couldn’t help but realize that I had not yet received my acceptance letter from the program. It was a great program that allowed college students to help teachers in Korea teach English, dance, music, basically all kinds of things. We had applied for the English section. You needed good grades, extracurricular activities, and recommendations from professors. I had gotten all of those, so where was my letter? Mika would go by herself? She was like my little sister, even though I was only older then her by a couple of months. I was constantly looking out for her, being protective of her, spoiling her, making sure she was ok. What would I do with myself without Mika here to fret over? Study? I thought to myself.

“….I’ve dreamt of this for so long.” She continued on. “I saw a picture of the dorm where I’ll be staying and it’s so nice! I wonder what the other accepted applicants will be like. I will be even happier once you get your acceptance letter!” she said grabbing my hand and giving it an affectionate squeeze. I squeezed back.

“What if I don’t though?” I asked letting her hand go and picking up my pen to start jotting down the notes Professor Hayes had started to slide through on the PowerPoint. I glanced quickly at her face, she looked confused.

“Of course you’ll get accepted, why wouldn’t they accept you?!” She said in a frustrated tone a little too loudly.

“Shh!!” I said quickly covering with my hand. I watched with slight embarrassment as a number of students heads turned to look up at us from their seats in the lower section of the lecture hall. I waved to them candidly and then turned back to Mika. “Look, I’m just saying. I might not get accepted, and I want you to prepare for that possibility.” Mika rolled her eyes.

“Are you serious? You will get in! No way am I going without you!” she whispered loudly. She put on a defiant, pouty face. I couldn’t help but giggle. Mika could be so cute sometimes.
~~~~~~~~

A MONTH LATER

“Ugh…..I love college, but the amount of homework kills me!” Mika said slamming her pen down. She looked at me and cracked up. I was doing my best interpretation of Rain’s hip s in his music video “I’m Coming”

“Rain is coming down on the rooftops~” I sang while dancing around our room.

“Wow, you are so goofy, but you’re dancing just like him! Wait, wait! Do Big Bangs “Lies” routine!” She got up quickly, scrolled through my ipod and clicked on the song. It blasted through the speakers and as soon as the chorus hit I executed the moves. Mika cracked up and clapped her hands.

“I’m so sorry but I love you, I just can’t lie~” we sang together. This was common for us, dancing around and acting like idiots. Or actually me dancing and acting like an idiot and Mika just plain acting like an idiot.

“Wow, Chica…you know like every routine or something?!” She said in her refined Mexican accent, as I continued to dance. I stopped, looked at her and thought for a moment.

“Yeah, pretty much” I said nonchalantly. We cracked up. The song went off and shuffle chose to play SHINee’s “Noona is Pretty” next. “OH! I can do this dance too! Watch me!” I said as I started the routine.

“Noona Naul MVP~” we sang together and then cracked up.

“Haha!! Onew has such a great line; you know he’s talking of me right?” I asked her playfully. She went back to sit at her desk and looked at her poster of SHINee right above her lap top and smiled.

“Of course he is HyunMi! Even though you’re only his noona by a few weeks.” she replied laughing and rolling her eyes. I sat on my bed and picked up one of the many stuffed teddy bears I owned and settled it in my lap.

“Well, I’m still his noona,” I said haughtily. “Anyways, I read Onew likes noona’s. Besides what makes you think Key or Minho would like you?” I said raising an eyebrow and smirking.

“Yeah, but what makes you think, Onew would like you specifically? And how could Minho and Key not like me?! I’m much too loveable!” There was silence for a moment, and I picked at the chipping fingernail polish on my fore finger. “Hey! Don’t you like Minho too?” Mika asked while turning her swivel chair around to face me. I made a face and threw a fluffy pillow at her. It hit her dead in her face and she laughed. We loved all types of music, especially K-pop. There was a knock at our door and I reluctantly got up from my comfy bed to go answer it. When I opened it, our Resident Adviser was standing in the doorway with a big smile on his face.

“Hey HyunMi, here is a package for you, it looks pretty urgent, so I’d thought I’d stop by and deliver it to you.” He said while also giving a quick wave to Mika at her desk.

“Ah! Thanks Mike! That was nice of you.” I said to him while taking the package. I examined it, and my heart beat quickened. It looked like it was the package I had been waiting all this time for. Was it really? I broke out of my thoughts and looked up startled because Mike was still standing there grinning at me. Why is he standing here, staring at me like that? I thought impatiently.

“Umm, is there anything else?” I asked him cocking my head. He ran his fingers through his hair and gave me a flustered grin.

“I- “he started slowly “you just look pretty today, is all.” He then said, quickly looking at the floor. I felt a slight tug at my heart, Mike was sweet.

“Awe, thanks Mike, that’s nice of you to say.” I gave him a quick hug. “Ok, seeyah around!” I said, and then lightly pushed him out the doorway and closed the door. It was sort of rude, but I was eager to open my package!

“Ok, seeyah!” I heard him say, his words muffled through the closed door. I quickly ran back to my bed and began hacking open the package with scissors I grabbed from my desk. I was having a bit of trouble at it too and it was frustrating me.

“Freaking, stupid…ugh it won’t…so heavily sealed…what the-” I said, my words being cut off in my efforts. A few seconds later I had finally managed to get a corner open. “Aha!” I said in triumph, holding the package above my head. I looked at Mika. She was staring at me like I was crazy. “What?” I said lowering the package.

“Unnie, why’d you do that to Mike, it was so rude!! You know, I think he likes you and wanted to ask you out. And all you have to do is open that flask thing there.” She said pointing, her bracelets jingling in the process. I looked down and felt stupid.

“Yah, I know that! I just wanted to figure out a faster way.” Mika narrowed her eyes…yeah she wasn’t buying that excuse. Truth was…we both knew I was just stupid. “…and for Mike” I continued “Well, he probably does like me, but I don’t like him and yeah it was rude of me to do that. I’ll apologize later.” I opened the package and a thick glossy magazine fell out including papers and forms. My eyes widened.

Mika walked over to me slowly and leaned against my bed. We looked at the contents of the package, then looked at each other and squealed. I had gotten accepted into the program. I was going to Seoul; I was going to teach English to students next semester.I was going to Seoul with my best friend. I had gotten accepted.

I wonder what the other students who were accepted will be like. I thought as Mika scrolled through my ipod to play Amigo.