So Eun’s POV

“….So, if I’m able to handle this problem, it does not only prove that I can take care of myself, but it also shows that I am a step nearer to a better me. To a better Kim So Eun. This is how I want to return my love for my family,” I end my explanation.

I feel relieved after telling him all these. I feel like my burden have becomes slightly lighter. I admit that actually there are still some worries left in my heart after letting him know my secrets. But at the same time I feel thankful. I am thankful that he asked what happened. I am thankful that he’s so persistent to know everything until I finally open my mouth. I am thankful that he cares.

We both fall into a long silence. I look at him and he’s having his serious face again. Why? I already told him everything. What still makes him unhappy? Did I say anything wrong?

Then, I remember something.

The hug.

I didn’t explain about the hug.

But Junho Oppa doesn’t seem like he needs to know about it any longer. He doesn’t bring it up so why should I bother myself to explain?

Andwae, andwae. I must not wait until he becomes suspicious of me again. Look at how he misunderstood me when I didn’t explain my situation at him earlier. It was scary. After all, I have told everything I initially wanted to keep as secret from him, so why don’t I just continue till the end? Yes, proceed till the end until there’s nothing left to be misunderstood and explained anymore.

 “Oppa, about the hug…” I pick up my courage.

He looks at me as I break our long silence. His face... I can sense curiosity from his expression but at the same time I can also sense uneasiness, confusion and blurriness. I can’t tell the meaning of his expression at all. I can’t interpret or detect his actual feeling. But still, I continue with my explanation about the hug.

“It happened because…” I pause for a while as I recall a particular event in my mind.

“Emm…during the incident….”

---------------------[ Flashback (still in So Eun’s POV) ]---------------------

“You still have the gut to lie? Stupid !” Yelled the girl before she pushes me and I fall down.

Everything I see then becomes all blurry as my tears start to fill my eyes. This is the first time ever I cry for being bullied. I’ve been bullied worse than this before, more “brutal” than just being pushed and cussed at. But not a single drop of tears has ever fall from my eyes. I kept telling myself that I’m a strong girl, there’s nothing I should be crying about. But today... I just can’t take it anymore. I have enough of this bullying thing. I have lost my strength and will to endure, let alone to fight back. My “you can do it” spirit slowly fades away.

I feel so helpless. I don’t want this thing to end this way. I don’t want them to see me as a weak person. But there’s nothing I can do.

‘God, help me,’ I close my eyes and prayed.

‘Help me with this hardship. I need You. Help me…’ tears finally rolling down my cheeks.

I shut my eyes tighter.

“Hey!” Suddenly I hear a man yells from afar.

“What are you doing? Let her go!” I hear the unknown man speak.

Who is he? Why is he helping me?

Time is like being stopped. I don’t even realize how, why or when he ends up standing in front of me with my arm in his hand. All those girls who bullied me have already disappeared. The unknown man helps me to get up as he asks, “Are you okay?”

I left his question unanswered. I am in still shocked state.  What is this? What happened to me? How did all these happen? How did he get here? Why he’s here?

To be honest, to say I am shocked is an understatement. I am beyond surprise. God actually answered my prayer.

“You don’t want to go to the clinic? Emm want me to send you home then? Where do you live?” the unknown man keeps asking.

 “Or do you want to see your teacher right now? If you want then I ca-” I hugged him and immediately he stopped talking.

I may not get a magical fairy godmother like Cinderella. I may not get seven cute understanding dwarfs like Snow White. But with this unknown man keep asking me whether I’m okay or not just to show how concern he is towards me, it is more than enough. I am more than grateful. Hugging him makes me feel safe and secure, and it gives me somehow a familiar feeling. It is the feeling when Appa stays by my side and reads me bedtime stories until I fall asleep. It is the feeling when Umma feeds me porridge and puts wet towel on my forehead whenever I fall sick. It is the feeling when Minjung Unnie combs my hair and teaches me new trendy hairdo every morning after shower. I feel like I’m in my safety zone. Warm, comfortable, being loved, being watched over, being protected.

This man is indeed my miracle, undoubtedly my guardian angel. He is here to protect me. He is… my answered prayer.

 ‘God, I am truly grateful with this blessing. I really am,’ I am so touched. I can’t handle my tears from flowing out. I start to sob.

“J-just for a moment…lend...lend me…y-your shoulder,” I said to him as I tighten my hug.

 ‘Today is the hardest day to me. It’s my most terrible day of all time. But thank you for changing it. Thank you for saving me and thus make this day as the most beautiful and most memorable day ever. Thank you for being there when I need someone the most. Thank you for being my miracle. Thank you for being my guardian angel,’

I cry harder and unintentionally make his shirt wet so bad. He doesn’t say anything. He just taps my back slowly to comfort me. If I can, I want to stay this way forever. I don’t want to lose this blessing. This is weird, I know, but I want this stranger to stay by my side forever.

-------------------------- [End of flashback ] ------------------------

“Yes, Oppa, you’re like a guardian angel for me. After you helped me in the incident, I feel like there’s a natural connection between you and me. I don’t know why when I’m with you, I do not feel shy or embarrassed, unlike when I’m with another boy. Oppa is just like a bestfriend or a family member for me,” I say, after I tell him my story.

Junho Oppa doesn’t say anything. He keeps staring at me with unreadable expression on his face.

“Oppa,” I call him.

“Oppa,” I call him again. But his expression is the same. He’s still looking at me indifferently.

“Junho Oppa!” I call him loudly this time, a bit pissed off.

“Huh? Ne?” he responds finally, with his blur and half-shocked face.

I pout. Did he even listening? It took me lots of courage to explain about the hug. “You weren’t even listening, were you?” I ask, with sour face.

“I was listening, don’t worry. Let’s just end this here,” he replies before walking away coldly.

What? Why does he behave this way? His reaction is a bit… Is it because he doesn’t believe in what I said? I quickly follow him from behind.

“Oppa, I was telling the truth. It’s really because I feel thankful and blessed with your help during the incident. You’re really like a guardian angel to me. For me you’re different from other guy. Junho Oppa you’re jjang!!” I exclaimed excitedly. I hope it convinces him.

Junho Oppa suddenly stops walking and turn to me with sharp glare. “Stop it! I told you to end this already, right?!” he yelled at me without I even know why. I was so surprised. I don’t know what to say. I just look at him with my confused face.

“Let’s just stop this and go home,” he says with a less stiff tone before continue walking.

I obey and follow him closely from behind. What’s wrong with this guy, actually? Did I say anything wrong about the hug? He doesn’t believe in me, does he? Ah, this is all my fault. I should have told him with more sincerity and honesty. The way I tell the story…. With guardian angel, answered prayer and all… It’s cheesy and sounds sooooo kindergarten-like! Even kindergarten kids won’t believe it. Aigoo stupid Kim So Eun…What should I do to fix this situation? Junho Oppa is now mad at me. Aigoo…weird guardian angel...

“Walk faster, can you?” shouts Junho Oppa suddenly and I’m snapped back into reality. He’s already far in front.

“Ne~!” I answered and walked quickly towards him, who is waiting for me to walk together.

******

The anticipated weekend has come again. As usual, Junho and his friends use the time to hang-out and have fun together around Seoul. That weekend they chose Hongdae as their destination. To be honest, that weekend was the most awaited weekend for Junho as he couldn’t wait to meet his friends and have fun so that he could loosen up and forget about all complicated thoughts that kept haunting his mind.

Half of the day has passed and they already done quite number of activites such as playing bowling, snooker, go to karaoke and watching action movie. However, for Junho’s frustration, all those activities didn’t help erasing his problem from his thought at all. He thought by hanging out with his friend he would be able to chase away his problem but he was wrong.

‘Kim So Eun, what have you done to me?’ he said to himself before letting out a heavy sigh.

His friends wanted to go to a game center but he decided to skip the activity. He has no mood and to be honest, he’s already tired of trying to get into “the mood” for half of the day. He decided to take some air alone. Luckily his friends understood him and didn’t ask further. They promised to meet again at a restaurant for dinner and then going back to university together.

Junho bought himself a can of cola and sat on a bench. Not far from where he was sitting, a group of street artists was performing an acapella. The acapella was quite good and people started to build a crowd around them but Junho was not interested at all. All he kept thinking about was So Eun.

“Oppa, I was telling the truth. You’re really like a guardian angel to me...”

He recalled what So Eun told him.

Guardian angel…

He hated those two silly words. He hated them very much because the words kept making his heart fluttered and beat crazily. Damn. His heart was not supposed to be doing this. His heart was not supposed to thump furiously for his crush’s sister. Damn. His lips were not supposed to curve into a wide smile whenever he thinks about So Eun. He was not supposed to feel very proud and happy to know that the only man in this world that So Eun’s not feeling shy with is him. Damn! Damn! Damn! All these things were not supposed to occur.

What happen to him? He has never felt as messed up as this. He tried to make himself believe that all these “madness” about So Eun happened because he was too curious and too eager to “solve” her. Yes, didn’t he mention that Kim So Eun was the most mysterious and interesting puzzle in his life? He believed that his obsession towards the puzzle has turned him that way. Yes, his obsession the puzzle itself, not Kim So Eun.

He convinced himself that, his feeling for So Eun was just curiosity. Nothing more, nothing less. That’s why when So Eun was explaining about the hug and how she saw him as a guardian angel, he firmly told her to stop. He didn’t want to be confused. And he’s actually afraid that So Eun told him all those cheesy things just because she wanted to “distract and disturb” him from making judgment about all her explanation. To be honest, until now, Junho was still not sure whether everything So Eun told him, was really the truth or not.

“Junho-ah,” suddenly Junho heard someone called his name.

Junho lifted his head up. A young y lady in her mini-dress was looking at him with a charming smile on her face. She waved at him.

“What are you doing here? Are you alone?” She asked while walking towards him.

“Aniyo. Everyone has gone into that game center,” he replied while pointing to a game center not far from them.

“I have no mood to play game so I stay outside. What about you? What are you doing here? And who’s that?” added Junho while asking about a girl who followed Hyorin from behind.

“Ah, this is my dongsaeng, Min. I’m more beautiful, right?” answered Hyorin, introducing her sister. Min just shook her head in irritation after hearing her sister’s last sentence.

“Yah, what are you doing standing there? Palli greet my classmate,” said Hyorin to her sister.

Min didn’t look pleased being commanded like that by her unnie. But since she’s older, she knew she should listen to her.

“Anneyonghaseyo,” greeted Min while bowing.

“Anneyonghaseyo,” Junho returned the bow.

“18 years old student from XXX High School, Min imnida. Nice to meet you,” added Min with a bright smile.

‘XXX High School? Same school as So Eu then,” thought Junho.

“Nice to meet you too. You’re so polite. You Unnie need to learn from you,” says Junho, purposely say it out loud to tease Hyorin. Min was so glad to hear it and quickly turn to her sister with her tongue out.

“Mehrong~” she said. Hyorin just rolled her eyes.

“So Hyorin, what are you doing here with your…sister??” asked Junho, emphasizing the word “sister” with sarcastic tone.

Everyone knows that Hyorin is the top-est hot stuff of all hot stuff in the university. The definition of weekend and free time in Hyorin’s life is “dating with another equally hot stuff guys” and those guys are rarely the same person. She has been seen going out with young rich businessmen, famous A-class models, actors, sportsmen etc. So, to see her spend her weekend with her sister while she can easily date any hot man she wanted was indeed weird and questioning.

“Hahaha. You’re sharp, Lee Junho. Sharp and smart as always. Hahaha,” Junho’s question was answered with non-stop giggles from Hyorin.

Indeed, Hyorin has a date on that day. But her parents have somehow discovered her unhealthy habit and she’s not allowed to go out without their permission. She couldn’t do anything about it because her parents would disable her credit card if she disobeys. So, she used her little sister as excuse. Min didn’t like the idea at first. Why should her help her evil unnie? But thinking how boring it would be to spend her weekend studying non-stop, she eventually agreed with Hyorin’s idea. After all, it’s been awhile since she last hang-out with her friends.

Hyorin left as soon as her date arrived. As expected, it was a hot rich young guy in a luxurious car. Min’s friends haven’t arrived yet so she was left alone there with Junho. Junho took this opportunity have some talk with her and ask her about So Eun. He introduced himself as So Eun’s tutor beforehand so that Min won’t find it strange.

“I know Kim So Eun but we are actually not that close because she’s not my classmate. I only know her because we are in the same Art Club,” she said, left Junho in disappointment.

“Oh….” Responded Junho reluctantly at first but then he quickly remembered, ‘In the same Art Club? Hey, it’s better! So she must know about the…’

But before Junho could ask anything, Min suddenly continued, “I really pity So Eun. Because of the school’s head student, many girls hate her. Calling her , cheap, seducer, playgirl and fake… Poor her, she doesn’t deserved all the hates at all. It’s not her fault that the head student likes her. She doesn’t even ask for it,”

Junho gained back his interest. He pretended to never knew anything about it.

“Why? What happen? What’s with So Eun and the head student? Why many girls hate her?”

Min let out a sigh. “It all started since last year’s Teacher’s Day. Basically So Eun did something very nice to the head student and other Student Board members to cheer them up and help reducing their tension. Her kindness made the head student likes her. He’s been acting very obvious about it throughout the year,”

‘So far the story is the same as So Eun’s. So, it means that…So Eun was being honest. She was not lying to me,’ thought Junho. He felt so relieved and happy to know that So Eun was being honest towards him. He was smiling from ear to ear.

But the story didn’t end there. Min added, “Because he is the head student, he’s so famous. Many girls like her and he even has his own fanclub. After these girls know that he likes So Eun, they couldn’t help but feel jealous and start to do nasty things towards her. What they do towards her…is just…oh my god I can’t even…it’s so terrible! They put frog in her lunchbox, they throw her PE attire into the dustbin and the even scheme her during exam to make her looks like cheating. It’s just soooo terrible. I witness it with my own eyes,”

Junho’s mouth fell wide open in disbelief. “T-they…they WHAT?!” he’s almost screamed.

“I know right. It’s so horrible, cruel and inhumane. But for me it’s the head student’s fault too. I know he’s aware of his “fans” at school so he should know that his action could harm So Eun. I already long knew that he’s actually a bad person. My bestfriend was once his girlfriend, his victim to be precise. She was his fans and she’s shy and innocent just like So Eun too. He just played around with her and then dumped her for no reason. He’s actually loves to take girls for granted. He likes shy and innocent girls because for him this type of girls is easier to be tricked. In front of teachers and other students, he seems nice and kind. He comes from an influential family. His father and brother are politicians. He speaks eloquently and his debating skill is amazing. Wherever he goes, he would be flooded with compliments for his manner and how he’s raised in a very good family. But in reality, he hates shaking hand with poor people because for him they’re dirty and he thought giving seat to handicapped people in public transport is annoying. I’ll never be fooled, he’s a two faced person. When I told this story to other students, they didn’t believe me. So, I can’t really do anything to help So Eun when people bully her. If I help her, I would be the target too. It’s so unfair and mean,” Min ended her long speech.

 Junho was so shocked that he couldn’t even utter a word. He never thought what So Eun has been facing all this while was actually that big and that bad. He felt a stinging pain in his heart. ‘How hard must it be for So Eun to through all these alone without telling her family… Yes, I know inside she’s a strong person but this thing is too much. This has gone beyond the limit. That stupid cocky head student boy! This is all because of you! The next time I meet you you’ll be dead, trust me. Gosh, poor So Eun. I feel like going to her house right at now, hug her and tell her that everything’s gonna be okay’

Looking at Junho’s anxious face made Min felt worried.

“But do not worry much. Things are getting better lately. I heard that teachers have looked into the matter more seriously after So Eun performance in academics declined. I didn’t see her being bullied nowadays… well, at least not as serious and as frequent as before. When I meet her during the Art Club activities, she looks fine. I think she’ll back to her normal self soon and her grades would be okay again,” said Min.

Junho only smiled bitterly.