Life in Busan.....there was really nothing like it. The serene beaches, the quiet neighborhoods, people went by on mopeds and bikes, not fancy cars. There wasn't as much hustle and bustle like in Seoul. Things move at such a calm pace here. Eun Kyo thought as she stared out of the bus window, watching the scenery. It was a regular Saturday afternoon, and there wasn't much that Halmeoni needed help with, and the convenience store owner was out of town, so she had the weekend to herself. Eun Kyo decided to go to a new hair salon that was all the way on the outskirts of Busan. It was owned by an immigrant family from Ghana, and they specialized in African hair. They were the only ones in the whole city who did. Just so happened they were handing out flyers for their grand opening near a store that she was just coming out of it. What a blessing! The ladies there were so kind, they even braided her hair in one of those American girl styles that Eun Kyo had read about in magazines. Just think, in a whole other country, there were girls who looked like her, and they were cool and stylish and elegant. She couldn't wait to show Halmeoni when she got home; she would be so surprised!

After a few minutes, the bus finally returned to the city, in one of the rural areas not far from where Eun Kyo lived. The teenage girl got off near a rice farm. It was a nice day; she could do for a walk. It would be a good chance to clear her head and think. It had been a few weeks since she was at Dong Hoon's house. The incident where she had burned her hand was still fresh in her mind. The way the boy had looked at her; no boy had ever looked at her that way before. Most of the guys at school mistook her for an exchange student; they assumed she didn't speak Korean and didn't bother talking to her. Most of the time, the young girl tried to avoid men altogether. She and Halmeoni got on so well with just the two of them, they certainly never needed a man for help.

After walking for a few blocks, Eun Kyo came by a convenience store and decided to pick up a few things before going home. Ramen, bottled water, rice cakes, and fruit snacks...her grandmother loved those. She always found where Eun Kyo was keeping her stash, and would sneak and eat a few. She didn't realize that her granddaughter was on to her. The cashier gave her a funny look as she was checking out, but the 17 year old didn't notice. She got a few more stares and glances from passersby as she walked through the alley. There was a group of three, in particular, that were especially taken by her sudden appearance, and there's was not a mere curiosity.

"Ya! Ige mwoya? (Hey, what is this?)" came a man's voice, "Wigukin iya? (A foreigner)"

Eun Kyo turned to see a tall blonde man,followed by two other men, one short, with light brown hair and another with an eyebrow ring. 

"Eodieseo wasseo? (Where are you from)" asked the short one, walking closer.

Eun Kyo was hesitant to answer. In a low mumble, she said, "Jeo hanguk saramieyo." (I'm Korean.) She tried to walk another way, but the tallest one, presumably the leader, blocked her path.

"Mwo? Korean?? I don't believe it! You don't look Korean to me!" he exclaimed, "Why is your skin so dark, and mine isn't?"

The one with the eyebrow ring laughed. "Yeah, why is your hair like that? No Korean girl I've ever seen has hair like that."

"Hey, check this out you guys." The blonde haired one reached out and held up one of Eun Kyo's braids with two fingers."Jinja moori? (Real hair)"

"Hajima!" Eun Kyo shouted, violently pushing the thug away.

"Wae? What, you don't like me? And just when I thought we were becoming good friends," the obnoxious thug said, "you're actually kinda cute. What do you think guys? Aint she a cutie?" His friends murmured their agreement. He reached out again, this time lifting her chin up toward his. By now the group had cornered completely surrounded her, with nowhere to run to. 

"Hajimallagu! (I said stop!)" she shouted at the top of her lungs. The cornered girl tried to yank away but the tall boy left her no room. There she was, pinned up against a stone alley wall, tears were welling up in her eyes as she tried to fight the stranger's advances, when all of a sudden, out of nowhere, she heard a deep, husky voice yell.

"Ya! Gae ddong-ah! Neo jugeullae??"

The three hoodlums turned around. "What? Dog feces?!"

To the girl's surprise, it was Dong Hoon standing there menacingly, with a baseball bat pointed at her attackers. 

"Niga mwonde? (Who are you supposed to be?)" The one with the piercings asked.

"I'm her boyfriend! Which one of you losers was messing with my girl?"

His girl? Eun Kyo thought. She wasted no time in dashing over to hide behind her rescuer. The thugs looked at each other sheepishly. They immediately recognized who this was they were dealing with. Dong Hoon may nto have been the tallest guy, but he certainly was one of the toughest. There was once a time where he was nearly expelled for getting into fights every week. He certainly looked the scary part, what wit a black and white bandana, and a black tank top and baggy black jeans. He actually looked, manly.

"W- we didn't mean anything by it, hyung."

"Yeah, we didn't know she was your girl," the now frightened leader stammered,"we were only teasing, just having a little fun, that's all. We really didn't mean any harm hyung."

Dong Hoon took a few steps closer. In a low threatening tone he said, "Apologize." 

One word was all it took for them to bow at 40 degree angle to Eun Kyo, mumbling "mianhae" and keeping their eyes low.

"Good, now get lost! And don't let me find you anywhere near her again!"

And just like that, the girl's attackers ran away, scrambling out of the stone alley. Before Eun Kyo could say thank you, her rescuer pulled her out of the alley and back unto the mainstreet, holding her by the hand. Once they got toward her neighborhood, Dong Hoon stopped to scold her.

"Why did you come down this ratty street?" he fussed, turning towards her, "Don't you know how many low-lives there are in this part of town? What if I hadn't gotten there in time?! I can't always be around to--"  The words faded in his throat as long tears began to pour down Eun Kyo's brown face. She hurried to wipe them away, but they just kept coming. Dong Hoon didn't know what to do; he immediately regretted yelling.

"Waeyo?" he said, standing directly over her.

"People are always staring at me!" she sobbed, "All i wanted was to look nice. It's not my fault that my skin is darker than everyone else's, and my hair isn't straight! Why is everyone like this to me? What did I ever do wrong?" 

Dong Hoon's heart felt like it was breaking. He remembered all of those times in elementary and middle school, when the other kids would pull Eun Kyo's hair and call her Ddong Pibu (poop skin). How he hated that he had been one of them! Although his teasing was just out of affection, the others' had come from a place of ignorance and malice. He even remembered how his own aunts had gossiped about the girl's parentage. If such memories were uncomfortable for him, they must have been unbearable for Eun Kyo.

"Uljima. Ulijimallagu," the boy murmured, wrapping his arms around the girl and pulling her tightly to his chest, "Hoonie's here; don't cry anymore. Everything is gonna be okay." Eun Kyo buried her face into his chest for a few moments, her sobs growing quieter. After a while, the two kept on util they were only a few yards away from her grandmother's gardens. They continued walking for a few yards before Dong Hoon broke the silence. 

"Eun Kyo-ya, about what I said in the alley, about you being my girlfriend. I---"

"It's okay, sunbae," she exclaimed, wiping away the last few tears, "I understand. You just got caught up in the moment. I know you didn't really mean anything by it."

Dong Hoon swallowed hard.

"You know, I owe you an apology. I misjudged you," Eun Kyo smiled. "I thought you were just some arrogant, loud playboy, but I was wrong. You're really sweet and kind, and hilarious, and fun to be with. You're a really great guy. I guess I should be the one offering you an apology apple now, huh?" At that moment, the pretty teenager leaned forward on her tiptoes, pulling him into a hug, and then she gave him a quick peck on the cheek. The boy placed his hand on the spot where she had kissed him, his face turning bright red.

"Thanks for being such a good friend," she said, before heading inside.

Dong Hoon sighed. He had meant what he said, every word of it. If only she knew how he really felt about her. It was at that exact moment that he decided to confess his true feelings to Eun Kyo, and he knew just how to do it.