“Yah! JoRi, go back to America! Nobody wants you here! You’re a joke!” Shin HaeRa screeched and cackled.

JoRi ignored her yells and walked away slowly trying to hide her feelings even from herself. I will not cry.

She took quick shallow breaths and shook her head to help toss away any thoughts of crying, until she hit something solid.

“Aish! My head…” She said rubbing her head and squeezing her eyes shut.

She felt firm hands on her shoulders suddenly and her eyes fluttered open. JoRi looked up as her eyes slowly adjusted to the bright lights behind the figure. It was Dong Young Bae. The Kingka of the school. The fluorescent lights shown on his delicate face and his features were tainted with a worried look. His dark eyes narrowed in on her face.

“Yah! Yudongsaeng, are you alright?”

JoRi tensed up and she couldn’t feel her face, her arms, her legs, all she could feel was a squeezing in her stomach. He inched his face closer and examined her spaced out eyes.

“Waaa, you…uh…have pretty eyes. Hope you’re okay,” he stumbled quickly over his words and turned quickly on his heel to run off.

Wha-what did he say? She shook her head and walked into the common area where there was a wide spread of grass, benches were scattered about surrounded by beautiful gardens filled with lilies and tulips. JoRi had transferred to a Korean university to experience it for a year and her mom fully supported her, being that she was Korean and her father was white. After the year was over she would return to America, but for now she would enjoy the beauty and deal with the difficulty, after all, there was less than a month left. She sat on a bench under a blossom tree. JoRi leaned her head back and closed her eyes, taking deep breaths. Sometimes she wondered why life couldn’t just be like in her books. Filled with downfalls that were always soon followed by romances that could shatter all rules of reality. She wondered if she’d ever be loved again…for real this time. She let him flood her mind. Then pushed away those memories as quickly as possible with all the strength she could muster. He had ruined her life. Her outlook on love. Jeremy was her boyfriend back in America and he had broken her heart. Cheated on her with another woman. When she found them kissing her heart had nearly stopped, nothing could erase that image from her mind.

JoRi was convinced that he had ruined her for any future love, but she was still eager to find out. She wanted so badly to love and be loved. Then an image of YoungBae entered her mind. Aish! Go away…what am I thinking?! Stop! She flipped her head back and forth hoping to shake out any thoughts of him. Nothing could ever happen with him. Everyone wants him. No one wants JoRi. But I can try to be someone who’s worth his time, if not him then someone like him. Someone worth working hard for.

She stood up swiftly with her new confidence buzzing in her ears. She looked around the common area and her confidence sank from her ears into the pit of her stomach. She saw YoungBae surrounded by a crowd of girls. Beautiful girls. JoRi looked down at her black, worn-out converse and sighed deeply. She felt an intense crushing feeling in her chest and looked back up to see YoungBae backed up against a tree with a panicked look on his face. JoRi looked at him, concerned. She walked in his direction, maybe she would just take a quick glance over and see if he was okay. As she walked by

him, she heard groans of want and inappropriate comments directed at him. He looked sweaty and slighty frightened as he whipped his head from side to side avoiding the girls’ grabbing hands. JoRi gasped. She dropped her things and started to hyperventilate. She was upset with herself for not thinking fast enough. She ran into the group of girls, elbowing her way through the mob. Once she reached the middle she began to make obnoxious hurling sounds. The girls immediately split and some even ran off but some stayed. Oh gawd, oh gawd, oh gawd! She picked her head up and made the dizziest, sickest face should could make.

“Oh I’m fine now…uuuuggggghhhhh…,” she wheezed out. She then looked straight at the last 3 or 4 girls there and covered making the barfing sound again. The girls screamed and ran off. Mission accomplished.

“Oh, dongsaeng…gamsabnida…I thought they would eat me alive.”

“Uh…you don’t have to apologize, Sunbae…”

“Weeeeeell you don’t need to be formal, dongsaeng…you can call me YoungBae or oppa if you want. What is your name?”

“I-I’m…My name is Eun JoRi. Thank you o-oppa.”

“Well I will see you later JoRi,” he gave a gorgeous smile and pushed his hands deep into his pockets as he turned and walked away.

JoRi smiled and slid down with her back against the tree. She couldn’t help but smile. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep.

Suddenly she felt herself being shook from side to side and her eyelids jolted open and her body stiffened.

“Yah! Commoner! Wake up, you can’t sleep here stupid girl!”

HaeRa was shaking her. JoRi felt a sudden hot pain on her cheek and realized that HaeRa had slapped her. She stood up and began to laugh at JoRi. Her friends joined in, yelling mean things and kicking at her as she covered her face and began to cry.

“Yah! Get away from her! Now!”

JoRi sniffled and looked through her fingers to see YoungBae staring angrily at HaeRa and her vile friends.

“Oh oppa, we were just playing around with our new best friend, JoRi,” she smiled what looked like a painful smile, her jaw clenching tight. Her friends looked down and kicked at the dirt.

“Do not be so informal, Miss HaeRa. If I see you hurting JoRi again I can not be held responsible for what I might do. Leave now.”

HaeRa’s lips trembled as her eyes teared up, “Yes Sunbae.”

She turned and walked off, her friends following close behind. YoungBae watched them walk away with a disgusted look on his face. He then turned to look at JoRi with soft eyes and a sweet smile. He squatted next to her and lifted her chin with his finger. He tilted his head and reached up to wipe her tears away.

“Do not cry JoRi. You are too beautiful to cry.”

She felt the blood rush to her cheeks, her face hot and her hands sweaty.

“Angels don’t cry,” he said smiling bigger and pushing her hair back behind her ear.

She felt her heart race and she couldn’t form any words. She couldn’t even complete a thought. She remembered this feeling, feeling safe, like she could let her guard down and let him in. Not yet. Not now.

She pulled away, “Um…I-I really have to go…now.” She scurried to get up and ran off

before she let herself slip up and trust someone she barely knew.

She ran all the way back to her dorm and she lay in her bed with pictures of YoungBae dancing behind her eyelids. His beautiful face, encircled in light. His bright pink lips concealing that innocent and warm smile. His eyes, staring so sweetly. JoRi shook her head. You hardly know him. Stop now. You’re being foolish. Remember what happens when you trust people with your heart.

-----One week later-----

“JoRi!”

JoRi turned to see YoungBae running towards her. She clutched her books tight to her chest, “Yes Sunbae?”

He rolled his eyes and smirked, “Don’t call me that. How are you? I have not seen you in a while. Where have you been?”

His expression was one filled with concern and wonder.

“I…uh…I’ve been…around,” the truth was that she had been hiding. Only going out of her dorm to go to class and taking secret routes to get back to her room. She couldn’t stop dreaming of him. It was driving her insane. But she just couldn’t let herself love again, she knew love would only lead to heartache and betrayal.

“Oh…well I haven’t seen you. Are you okay? You look tired…or sick.”

“Yes oppa. I am fine. I just haven’t gotten a lot of sleep lately. I keep waking up.”

“Hmm. Drink milk!”

“Whaa?”

“Haha, drink milk, it’ll help you get to sleep and stay asleep. I don’t want the angel to be tired.”

She blushed. She couldn’t help it, he always seemed so sincere when he talked with his honey-sweet voice.

“Thank you oppa. I will remember to do that.”

She bowed her head and began to walk by him when he grabbed her arm, “Dongsaeng, why are you running from me?”

“Running? I’m not running. Who’s running??” She stumbled over her words.

“You’re running…or hiding…or something. You don’t like me. You can just tell me to go away.” His face fell into this expression that looked so awkward on his lovely face. A look of pure sadness like an abandoned puppy. JoRi couldn’t bear it. She had to let the walls come down.

“I do! I like you. I like you a lot. It hurts though, I’ve been hurt before and I have too much pride to put myself in the position to let it happen again. I am sorry you ever thought I didn’t like you. You’re like a prince charming. How could I not like you?” JoRi dropped her head quickly, held her books closer to her chest and sprinted back to her room, so embarrassed it was hard to breathe right.

How could I be so stupid? One boy walks into my life and changes my views on everything. Is this…is this what love really is?

JoRi felt so lost. She got on her laptop and decided to e-mail her friend back home, Kaylee.

Dear Kaylee,

I have missed you so much. I think I’m falling in love. I am so lost. Please help me. You have my number. It is too hard to type all that’s happened or all the

things I am feeling. Please call me when you get this. I don’t care about the time difference.

All my love,

JoRi

She hit send. She felt so much better and lay down to drift into a dreamless sleep. The first dreamless sleep in at least a week. She woke to the sound of a loud buzzing. Her phone was going off so she reached for it and answered, “Yoboseo?”

“Huh?! JoRi?”

“Oh! Kaylee, hello. You got my message?” JoRi shot up in her bed shaking from joy.

“Yes pretty girl. Now what’s this about you falling in love?? Who is he? Tell me everything.”

JoRi told her everything that she knew about YoungBae and everything that had happened and everything that she felt for him.

“You love him JoRi! Stop being so blocked off from everyone, Jeremy was a bad person. Everyone warned you. I’m sorry but all the signs were there. He was horrible to you from the start and this YoungBae guy sounds like he cares and honestly couldn’t sound any more perfect for you. If you don’t go for it with him, I will fly there and force you on him!!”

JoRi giggled with tears in her eyes, Kaylee was always her voice of reason, “Thank you so much Kaylee, you won’t have to fly here. I’m willing to give this a chance.”

“Good! Now! If he does hurt you…which I don’t think he will…then I really will have to fly over there. But for now, you apologize for running and hiding and let yourself be happy for once. Get some sleep JoRi, goodnight.”

“Night,” she hung up the phone and let herself fall asleep again. She began to dream of YoungBae again but this time was different. This time she was there too, not just flashes of his beautiful face, but images of him and her…together…in love.

JoRi woke up with a brilliant smile on her face and her heart was sputtering with excitement. She put on her uniform and walked to her first class. On the way she saw a mob of girls and knew immediately who was the center of attention. She once again pushed her way through the crowd and found YoungBae at it’s center.

“Come with me,” she grabbed his hand and they ran to an empty classroom, shutting the door behind them.

They watched the swarm of girls go by and she noticed he was still holding her hand. She was blushing…hard.

“Ah, dongsaeng, you are my savior. Thanks.”

“You’re welcome oppa,” she grinned big at him and he returned with one even brighter.

“JoRi…what you said yesterday. You like me?”

“I do. I just…I was scared to be vulnerable.”

“Wow. I…uh…would never hurt you JoRi. Actually I really want to ask something, I am taking a chance so if you say no, I understand. Will you please accept my heart?”

“Oh…but…why me?”

“Dongsaeng, you make my heart race. I cannot imagine a day without you. Please?”

Her hands started shaking. Omo…what do I say? Say something…anything. Her breaths became shorter and quicker. Anything…

She quickly calmed herself enough to say, “Yes, but only if you accept mine in return.”

His mouth turned up into a beautiful smile and he placed his hands on her cheeks and stared in her eyes.

“Thank you. I will never hurt you Angel,” he kissed her forehead and pulled her in a tight and comforting hug. A smile broke out on her lips and she sighed a breath of relief and let herself feel safe in his sweet embrace.

----One week later----

I miss him so much. JoRi was now back in America. She had just gotten back and she already missed him like crazy. But he promised. He said, “Angel, only one more year of university and I will come to America for you. I love you JoRi.”

The words still rang in her ears and brought tears of joy to her eyes.

“I love you too YoungBae,” she whispered to herself.

Weeks went by and every night he called. He sang her songs with his honey-like voice and she listened, wishing he was by her side. One night as he sang, she held a picture of him that he’d given her and traced his face with her fingertips. When he was finished singing he told her, “This long distance is killing me. I cannot wait to be with you again my Angel.”

“Me either. There’s no place I’d rather be than in your arms.”

For the rest of the conversation she could hear his smile hidden behind senseless chatter to fill the silence.

A year went by and he was finally coming to America. It was the toughest year of her life, but with video chat and constant phone calls he never felt too far out of her reach. JoRi spent hours in front of the mirror already today and was putting on some finishing touches before his arrival.

She heard a knock on the door and her heart was racing instantly. She brushed her hair behind her ears and took a deep breath. JoRi opened the door and saw him. Her YoungBae. On her doorstep. She lunged forward and hugged him. YoungBae dropped all his luggage and wrapped his arms around her tightly as he swung her from side to side.

“JoRi, we will never be apart again,” he pulled his head away from the crook of her neck and gave her a sweet and unexpected peck on the lips.

“Never again oppa, I love you.”

“I love you too,” he set her down gently and knelt on one knee, “JoRi, my Angel, will you marry me?”

He pulled a small box out of his pocket and it revealed a gorgeous diamond ring. JoRi felt her heartbeat pounding under her skin, in her ears and in her stomach. Her face flushed hot pink and she barely stuttered out, “O-o-of course I will!”

She smiled the biggest smile of her life and he did too. He pulled the gem out of the box and placed it on her delicate finger. YoungBae stood and again embraced his now fiancé.

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One Shot Writer: ChoiDaeJi