Jiwoo. 

I still had my doubts about Sooyoung, I'll admit it. 

Her attitude towards me was too sweet after that altercation with the female. It was as if, she was too grateful for me stepping in like that. And, she truly wanted to be my girlfriend again. My question for myself was whether or not I could handle dating someone like her again. Someone very flashy and wealthy. Would her father even accept me again? What could have possibly went down after I left that I don't know? 

We were driving on the way back to the apartment. I told Sooyoung I had a paper to finish, so we couldn't go out to eat. But, Sooyoung insisted we got takeout from this wonderful place her father scoped out. This was just so casual to her. Talking about how her father just simply invested in places, held stocks here, owned the deed there. It was as if being rich was just nothing to her. Once upon a time, she was not used to the idea though. As much as her father tried to get to know her, she would be so unsure. She would sort of talk down on the rich, calling them superficial and socially awkward. Maybe, she had become one with them? 

On the radio, there was a low buzz of the news in I'm guessing Italian because she was using satellite radio. She seemed not too enthused about it, though as she was focused on the road. I looked at her for more changes. There were a few extra piercings on her ear. Her eyes were a lot less brighter than they were in high school. She wore some chic natural makeup that made her eye color pop, though. Her hands were the same. Nails trimmed and clear, unlike how short and polish-less they looked in high school. She must have caught me looking because she started smiling really hard. It irked my soul. "See anything you like?" 

"I see nothing of the sort," I say. Okay, maybe that was a lie. Sooyoung looked like a panda bear puppy, if that made sense. Tired, but very preppy and relaxed simultaneously. Her chill personality was something that would always be there. It was what made me draw towards her. 

"Could have fooled me. You're looking so intently," Sooyoung chirps. "I don't mind it at all." 

"Oh hush up," I laugh. 

She grins and it makes me smile back. She stops the car. Before I know it, we're in the parking lot of the apartment complex. She takes the keys out of the ignition. "It's been so long since I've seen you smile like that, Jiwoo." 

I purse my lips, trying to hide my smile. She starts laughing wildly as she gets out of the car. I step out too, following her to the apartment. She unlocks it and holds the door open for me, like a gentleman. I blush as I walk in. She turns on the television and it's some cartoon. I start giggling instantly because I haven't seen anything so sweet and soothing on television in a while. I collapse onto the couch and take out my notebooks and pens. I pull out my laptop that was slightly broken because They-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named "accidentally" threw it across the room when they were in one of their fits when I was attempting to study. Sooyoung is over my shoulder, taking a good glance at it. "I can't have you working on a computer like that." She furrows her brow. "You need one? I have a new laptop in my bedroom." 

"Do you rich people just have something for every scenario?" I ask, as she walks down the hallway to her room. 

"I think you can say something like that!" Sooyoung yells. 

I roll my eyes. She walks back in with a tiny little notebook that is peach. I started to squeal and took it from her hands, thanking her in my own little language. "IT'S SO CUTE!" I open it and log into it. "Why didn't you use it?" 

"Do I look like the peach type of person?" Sooyoung cackles. "I personally prefer burgundy." She saunters into the kitchen. "I'll make us some coffee and you can get started on your paper." 

I watch as Sooyoung makes coffee while the computer loads. She was quite the distraction. I can't believe I actually forgot that. Her side profile was just so pretty and I couldn't take my eyes off of her. Her suitjacket was off, her blazer, ed. Her hair was freshly taken out of the bun, falling messily below her shoulders. God, I really found her so beautiful. The biggest turn off that she was ....a play girl! She unfolded her arms and poured some coffee into two cups. Then, she began working on the coffee like a barista. I was quite captivated until I saw my whole essay, sitting at a simple 1,500 words. Six pages. I needed 10 more, to be honest. I cracked open my pre-owned textbook and dusted off the page I had to focus on. Sooyoung places the cup of coffee beside me. There was a snowflake shape in the coffee. I looked up at Sooyoung. "How did you do that?" 

"For the first year, I studied in England. I worked as a barista. I told my dad not to give me any money for my first year of study abroad, besides plane fees," Sooyoung explains. I looked at her, wondering what class she sat in. As if she read my mind, she clicked her tongue. "It was not first class, though. I wanted economic. I'm a humble human being after all." 

"Did these new riches change you in any way?" I ask. Of course you wouldn't hear it from the horse's mouth, but Sooyoung answered me in a way I didn't expect her to. 

"I walked into old money, aware of everything. I didn't want to be a brat like the people in the Ha family. I wanted to be me. So, when my dad promised me this position, I silently promised to be my own individual. Don't be his daughter or her granddaughter. You're Sooyoung...or Yves...or whatever."

I cocked my head to the side. "So...you didn't live like a rich kid in a European country?" 

"I mean...I acted recklessly," Sooyoung says. "I was put in the middle of a beautiful city with tons of women. I took out money from my savings to host like...1 party. And that was when my network of...endless women came." 

I bit my lip, sort of interested. But, I knew I had to get this essay done. "I'm fascinated by you." 

"I'm more interested in you," Sooyoung says. "I hate talking about me, in case you hadn't noticed." She sat across from me on the other sofa. She placed her cup up to her lips and the lipstick stained the mug. "What were you like when...you know.." 

"Well, you see that I started my life on the wrong foot. I stayed with Heejin and she basically tended to me for a while," I say. "I haven't had the chance to like...explore life?" 

Sooyoung nodded. "I kind of knew. No one told you this, but I never stopped asking about you. Whether it be from Heejin or Jungeun...I just couldn't stop asking about you." I widened my eyes and then went to typing on my paper, instantly trying to challenge my French. I was using crazy vocabulary I heard in lectures that my professors insisted that I watched. After a long beep of silence, Sooyoung breaks it again, like a knife slicing cheese before a fine bottle of wine. "Did you ever ask or think about me?" 

Everyday I thought about you. I just couldn't bring myself to truly say your name out loud. I nibbled on my lip, not responding. Sooyoung snapped her fingers and I immediately came out of my zone. I snapped my head towards her direction. "I never asked, but you came in my head from time to time." 

Sooyoung looked down at her cup of coffee. "Well...I heard how bad it got when you got kicked out..."

I didn't want to remember that, so I just nodded, knowing that it was true. But, then the memory decided to pop up anyway. There was a disgusted look on my parents faces, followed by my brother taking my stuff out. The front porch seemed less welcoming now, our plants dying out, ornaments damp and dirty. It was very unkempt, now that I thought about it. My father told me to never come back here, until "I got fixed". My mother looked away in shame. When they closed the door, my brother sat outside. 

"You know where people like you will end up?" he asked. 

"Let me guess," I retort angrily. "Hell."

"Ha." He grins a sneering smile. "Besides, that, you'll end up in a place somewhere in Itaewon, drunk, unmarried, no kids, nobody. Just drunk. And you'll sell yourself to people on the streets, looking for acceptance that you thought you found in this lifestyle." 

I look down at my shoes. "I'll be better than that." 

"As if! You know what jobs will do if they found out about you....what schools will do?" 

After that, I began walking to Heejin's house aimlessly. I kept hearing him scream swears and calling me out of my name. When I landed on her doorstep, I had 4 giant trash bags of clothes. She immediately helped me take the clothes inside, her mother calling my family only for them to hang up. At my graduation, I received an anonymous lump sum of cash from my family. I didn't see any of them there, just Heejin's family. A text message from the person who I thought had my back more than anyone telling me to never contact them again. 

Sooyoung looked down at her phone. "Hey. Food's here. Hungry?" She sounded a little melancholic. I nodded. She retrieved the food from the driver and she sat it on the table. It was pizza. Something simple for once. 

I took a slice and waited for her to eat first before I did. "It's good." 

"I thought you would want something a little less...fancy." Sooyoung grinned. 

I swallow. "You know...I never truly apologized to you for pushing you to the side like that." I sat my pizza down on the paper plate. "I never wanted to look back when you told them. It just jeopardized me. And I know you meant to do something else, but the outcome you wanted...it never came. And, I just completely cut you from my life...and I shouldn't have done that." 

Sooyoung nodded. "I guess, we live and learn?" 

"Maybe." I smile a little, only for it to go into a frown. "But, things just got so complicated for me. I should not have let you go that easily." 

Sooyoung broke into that cute smile. "I mean...if that never happened, we wouldn't have the second opportunity to meet again and get a chance to establish something entirely new, right?" 

I savored the taste of the pizza. "Something new?" 

"Yeah. We're adults now," Sooyoung says. "We're different. Holding ourselves differently. But I want to see if we could have the chance to fall in love again."