KIM YERIM 

       ​​​​​I'm sitting at the very corner in front of my math class, writing down the formula that Miss Jung is currently explaining. The subtle exchange of whisper and laughter at the back annoys me so much, but I kept focus on my instructor. It's a fine, chilly Monday morning, the soft knock gathered our attention including Miss Jung's. 

       Principal Kim, leisurely stands by the door with you beside him. You're a transfer student I could tell, but unlike any typical transferees, you have your head up high, you're not smiling but I could sense your confidence from my sit, I don't know if it's possible but I do.

           The two professionals greet each other politely, before Miss Jung asked if you're the one. Principal Kim accompanied you inside but left as soon as Miss Jung got a hold of you. You have a long, brown hair cascading softly to your back, kind eyes that smile together with your rose tinted lips.

           "Hi, I'm Park Sooyoung, I think I'm all your unnie here. I hope we can be friends" apparently Miss Jung asked you to introduced yourself, and I assumed that you said you're our unnie because you're a year older and you had to transfer here, that's why you're a year late on your program. And it won't take a genius to know that you are also exceptionally tall for our year or I'm just really small, we're by the end of middle school anyway.

        You were told to sit beside me, actually behind me but you asked if you can just sit beside me instead. And being this close to you, I inhaled a faint fruity scent as you run your fingers to your hair and settled it at the left side of your shoulder.

        There were no exhange of words between the two of us through the whole class except that time right after you settle beside me, you smiled and I raised my hand, just a little above my shoulder and merely waved. You are undeniably beautiful, and even if it's your first day here, you got yourself involved in recitations and you answered the questions gracefully, your beauty and confidence leaves an impression not only to the murmuring boys at the back but also to me. 

         I was getting ready to leave when I heard your voice, it was quite loud and directed at me.

         "I'm from the same neighborhood"

         I looked up to see if you're speaking to me, to my surprise you are, the sunlight hitting your face, giving your eyes a lighter shade of brown and you didn't seem to mind it. My eyes widen in confusion.

         "I saw you earlier, walking your way to the bus station"

         I nodded, putting my backpack on my shoulder, before walking passed you, I was inches away when I realized you're steady as a rock from where you are previously situated before I walked away. 

         "Are you not gonna tag along?" I asked, you turned your head unbelievably quick, you got this huge, silly smile plastered to your face. 

          And on our way home you started talking, introducing yourself, I learned that you're from Jeju and your family needed to move to Seoul because of the job offer that your father got, that's why you're a year late and you're supposed to be in High school now. You tell your stories way too animatedly that it oddly draws my attention. We have an obvious gap between us as we sit on the bus, I'm not fond of skinship anyway. 

      Your house if only a few blocks away from mine, it was a red gate and I don't think I could easily take that image off of my mind before you got inside, I was about to continue walking to my way home, when you called my name, you're waving your hand up above your head, I have to laugh, I can't contain it, you're being such a fool, showing your enormous toothy grin as your eyes smile with it. 

        "Bye Yerim, let's go to school together tomorrow, okay?" 

         I was 13 years old when I learned a few things about me, it's funny because since I was in primary school I had a huge crush with some girl, she's loud and smiles a lot, I thought it was weird because she effortlessly makes me happy and im always excited to see her, and so one night as my mother tucks me in to my bed, I told her about this girl and how she makes me feel, mom smiled softly then I felt her arms enveloped me into a warm embrace. We never talked about her again, until im 13, I remember her words. 

    "Yerimie, love knows no boundaries, it sees no appearance or gender, I want you to know that we can love whoever our heart desires to" 

         I was perplexed, I didn't know what my mom was talking about, she gave me a peck on my forehead and reminded me that they will love me no matter what and that I will always be their precious Yerim. I had a long night trying to figure out what my mother meant, before I came to a realization that all those years, I only got my eyes on girls and never on some loud, lousy boys on our class. 

      I had few more crushes over the years, that one from the salon where my mom would always bring me, she's always with her mother, I think my mom and hers are pretty close friends. A classmate from middle school, on my first year, we often compete for the top position on our class, the grey-haired woman that used to live in your place, I think she's a lot older than me, but we got to talk every once in a while, and this girl on my art class who likes abstract painting, she likes to hold hands when our lecturer is teaching. They are all different person but all have similarities, their smiles, I think it attracts me the most, whenever they smile at me it almost feels like im in another dimension with them.

       And I know that the moment I saw your smile across the classroom, you are one of those girls I admire and will admire from afar. I will surely not forget how you smiled at me as the spring breeze slightly messed up your hair. I chuckled watching you wave your hand continuously telling me to wait for you for tomorrow and I think you will never stop until you get your answer. 

          "Alright, Sooyoung unnie, go inside, aigoo" I motioned my hands to pursue you to go inside your house. You could be so hard headed, I could tell. 

           Our encounter is inevitable, we go to school together and we go home together, for the very first time I have someone I can really call my friend, you're not that kind of person who talks highly about themself, you ask about my day, how my sisters are doing, you listen to my stories, stories I didn't intend to tell anybody, and you are an exception. You make me wanna talk about everything, it almost feels easy as talking to my family especially to my mom. Almost.

**

        Tonight is one of those nights, where you insists of going directly at my place without changing from your uniform, you have made yourself known from your family before coming here, and I guess one of my favorite version of you is when you're cozily lounging into my bed wearing your long sleeves, two buttons are ed, and a cycling. You really made yourself at home. You even asked me to do one of your math problem in exchange