http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qg6Oo-rAckI&feature=related

Huh Gak- Hello

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“Okay. Good. I’ll be seeing you this Saturday morning with your parents, Jay.” Sohee nodded and marked her agenda. He bowed and left the room.

There was a knock on the door, and she looked up.

Dookyung bowed from the doorway. “Come on in. You’re right on time.” Sohee appreciated the fact that he came on time for his one-on-one conference. Dookyung sat across from her in the empty seat. He seemed nervous and fidgety today.

“So, let me see your profile,” Sohee examined his academic history. *Impressive. Straight A’s except for in physical education. At least he passed that. No delinquencies, tardies, or absences. This is the most perfect academic record I’ve seen in this school.* Satisfied, she shut the folder and smiled brightly at him. “You are good to go, Ahn Dookyung. You have very high marks in all of your classes, and not just history.” He gave her a small, timid smile.

Sohee took out a thick binder that had all the information about the different types of colleges in Seoul. “With your transcript, I’m sure you will be able to get into anywhere. What colleges are you interested in? National Seoul University is the best, of course. However, you always want to have your back-up-“

“Ssem…” Dookyung looked nauseous.

“Or maybe you would like to go out-of-state? Studying abroad is a popular option.” Sohee eagerly took out another thick binder.

“I’m not going to college!” Dookyung blurted.

Her actions waned, and she blinked several times as if she didn’t quite process his outburst. Slowly, she turned her head towards him. His shoulders were drooping low as he kept his shameful gaze on the floor. “I’m not going to college, ssem.” Dookyung whispered. Sohee had a hundred questions to ask him. She wanted to scream, “WHY NOT?!” Of course, her professional instinct wouldn’t let her.

Sohee gently placed the folders on her desk and scooted her chair closer to him. She folded her hands patiently in her lap. “And may I question your decision?”

“I just…right now…it’s impossible for me to do that.” Dookyung miserably mumbled.

Sohee paused then carefully spoke. “Dookyung, tell me the truth. Are you not going to college because you can’t or because you won’t?” She held her breath while she waited for him to answer. “…Can’t.” He finally replied, making her exhale in relief. *Good. So he does want to go to college. Why can’t he go though?*

Before Sohee could interrogate him some more, there was a knock on the door.

Kiwoo tilted his head as he chewed his gum in a belligerent manner. “Am I late?”

Sohee glanced at the time. “No, you’re just on time.” She looked at Dookyung, “I’ll see you this Sunday.” He nodded with sad eyes and left.

“Have a seat, Park Kiwoo.” Sohee motioned to the vacant seat. He sank down and popped his bubble gum. Sohee handed him a trash can right away. Kiwoo smirked and spit his gum into it. Sohee put the trash can down and began to conference. “So let’s look at your records, Park Kiwoo.”

When their session was over, she expected the next student, Song Jaehyuk, to pop in. *Oh yeah. Jaehyuk was not at school today. Or the day before either. In fact...he’s been absent for a week.” Sohee deeply frowned. “Kiwoo.” She called. He turned around, “Eh, ssem?”

“Have you been in contact with Jaehyuk recently?” She asked.

“Song Jaehyuk, you mean?” Kiwoo blinked. Sohee nodded. “Do you know why he isn’t at school?”

Kiwoo shrugged, “Beats me, ssem. I’m actually not closed to that fool. He likes to keep to himself. I don’t think anyone in this school knows anything about him except that he’s a lazy with bright red hair.”

Sohee sighed. “All right. You are dismissed.”

Kiwoo turned around and left the room.

Sohee sank back in her seat and tapped her pen against her bottom lip in deep thought. *Song Jaehyuk, you are a mystery. Where on earth can you have gone?*

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Sunday afternoon, Sohee took a cab to the neighborhood that Dookyung lived in. She had been searching for his address for the past half hour with a fruit basket in one hand. *Is this the house?* Sohee stopped in front of a small, cramped door. She read the number off the side and glanced at the address in her hand. *Yes. This is it.* Sohee rang the doorbell. No one answered. She tilted her head. *Hmm. Did Dookyung forget? He knows I’m coming.*

Sohee rang the doorbell again. She rapped on the door gently and called. “Excuse me? Dookyung? Mrs. Ahn?”

“Teacher.” A voice called from behind her.

Startled, Sohee whirled around. She sighed in relief when she saw Dookyung. “You scared me.”

“I’m sorry.” Dookyung approached her.

“Where have you been?” Sohee asked.

“I went to the market.” Dookyung answered as he sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. “There was nothing to serve you at my house.”

Sohee softened. *Considerate Dookyung.* “I brought fruit.” She held the basket out.

“You didn’t have to bring anything, ssem, but thank you.” He took the basket. “Come on in.” Dookyung unlocked the door with his key. It took a while to pull the stubborn door, but he managed to do so. He glanced back and beckoned her inside.

Sohee stepped inside and halted. Her eyes rounded. She didn’t mean to react that way, but it was impossible not to. Dookyung’s home was tinier than she had expected it to be, and it was a cluttered mess. There was only one room in the house. The kitchen was separate, and shoes had to be worn while cooking. One part of the ceiling was coming off, and a bucket was nearby to collect any raindrops that dripped through the roof. There were several bent pots in the dishwasher, where flies roamed around freely. The one room was strewed with clothes and blankets were pushed into one corner. There was a very old television set that had a dial to turn the channels. Books covered one corner of the room where a very small, untidy desk was placed for his studies.

Dookyung looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry. I meant to clean it up, but I hadn’t realized time had gone so fast…” He quickly took off his shoes and darted into the room. Sohee watched Dookyung try to shove everything in the c