The thing is, I met that one friend that I knew I could get along with, and wouldn’t judge me for nothing. I met him amidst the hate and the isolation that society subjected my family with. I was lucky to have met someone who would find me over and over again. I didn’t know it then. I was too blind. And I left him behind too soon.

Eunhae sat down on the swing, failing to move it on her own. She was used to having her parents do it for her. Who would’ve thought that she had to push herself to move? She watches as the other kids played soccer on the field. Today, the children were suppose to pick their team members. The leaders pretended she did not exist, and so she was left to speculate. A part of herself still wants to prove to the other kids that she is just like them, but she remembers her dad’s advice.

Suddenly, she feels her swing move forward. Eunhae turns her head and notices Baek Jihwan, one of the kids that she rides the bus with. He lost one front tooth, but he smiles very brightly, which also reflects on his eyes. Eunhae doesn’t think him anyone special, and she stares at him, unimpressed. Colorful band-aids decorated his knees, a testimony to how many times his knees met the ground.

“Baek Jihwan,” the boy introduces himself.

“Lee Eunhae,” the girl says.

Jihwan continues to push her swing. “Raise your legs, like you’re pushing something in front of you, then pull it back.”

Eunhae follows Jihwan’s advice, and pretty soon, she was swinging back and forth, gaining momentum, and height. She lets out a burst of laughter, and noticed that Jihwan is not pushing her anymore. He was watching her with a huge grin, holding up a thumbs-up.

“Okay!” Jihwan exclaimed, jumping and celebrating.

Eunhae allows herself to throw her head back with laughter.

~

On the way home, Jihwan sits next to Eunhae. The other kids ignored them, but Eunhae didn’t even notice because she and Jihwan talked nonstop. She was keeling with laughter at something he said, but she quickly sobered up when the bus stops to drop off the first batch of kids. Her mood sours from there, especially when the kids would greet their moms happily. Jihwan babbles on and on about his favorite cartoon, but he senses that Eunhae is no longer feeling the conversation.

Before their stop, Eunhae