Snow White and the Beast

Fourteen Years Ago…

“I hope to God someone BREAKS your heart so bad you never recover from it and you GROW OLD looking like a DERELICT CRIPPLE!” Sohee screamed at him and walked away.

Ji heaved a sigh and watched her leave, not even attempting to stop her.

He knew it would end ugly since they always do but he still thanked God because this time he didn’t get slapped. He was growing tired of these girls slapping him as though they had a right when he never promised any of them anything in the first place.

Supposedly, a lot of these girls should know better by now than flirt with him but on they would still go. Young Bae, his closest buddy, is no help at all as he always laughed about it because the girls who would try to “conquer the dragon” – as everybody seems to fondly call the process of being able to hang with him – always brought along their friends when they’re trying to bait Ji.

“Why should Young Bae tell you to say no to these girls hyung?” Seungri, his youngest cousin who had just entered first year, once asked him “We’re in high school and being with girls is a part of the only perks in this hell. Let’s just enjoy it while it’s there.”

“And it’s not as if we’re going to marry any of them” Young Bae added “This is high school. I’m sure none of them expects a ring.”

So he just went out with whoever came to him. And if he was honest with himself, he would admit that being with these girls provided an escape for him and helped in building up the reputation he already had – which was something that was more than ok with him.

He liked being called the Island’s Bad Boy because he could get away with anything. The Islanders might not tolerate it but they’re unable to do anything because of who his father is – a thing he uses to his full advantage. And he’d gotten so used to all the punishments and the constant nagging at home that he’d already developed immunity to it. To be the only son of the Island’s Head Magistrate was a big responsibility that he hated. And with the best of his abilities, he did everything he can to make sure that none of those who knew their family would dream of him following in his father’s footsteps. He didn’t want to be a judge. He didn’t want to be like his father.

“Ow!” a small voice exclaimed and Ji turned around to find their High School Principal’s geeky granddaughter coming out from behind a tree “I – I – I’m sorry. I tho-thought that you – you’d gone already be-because its become so – so silent. I – I –“

“It’s ok” he cut short her stuttery speech “I know this is where you always hang out. I actually didn’t want to go here but  Sohee insisted. You can sit on your bench now.”

“Ah – Uhmmm… Th – Thank you” she answered and with a gulp, headed for the bench under the sycamore.

Ji didn’t want to leave just yet as he wanted to make sure that he wouldn’t bump into Sohee or any of her friends. “Can I stay here for thirty more minutes?” he asked.

The girl, who was a year younger than him, looked at him wide-eyed as though he was doing more to her than just asking her permission.“I’m not going to do anything to you” he told her in irritation.

He was used to seeing fear in other people’s eyes and actually reveled in it but there was something about the way that this girl with glasses almost eating up her whole face looked at him that made him defensive.Instead of answering, the girl just bowed her head and took out a book from her bag – seeming to say to Ji Yong that he could do whatever he wanted.

Ji shrugged his shoulders and sat at the grass – not wanting to share the bench with her.

From afar, he saw some of the students walking out of the building and onto the field where the soccer team was practicing. Classes had been over thirty minutes ago but some students liked staying in school to hang-out with their buddies until the sun set. He did the same too but Sohee’s outbursts ruined that plan for today.

He lied down and saw the girl buried deep in the book which he now saw was entitled “The Count of Monte Cristo”.

He smiled because this was one of the few novels other than science books that he really liked. It was the one book from his father’s library that he hid away in his bed stand.

“That’s you’re first time reading that?” he asked.

The girl fidgeted in surprise and slowly put down the book. She shook her head.

“You’ve read that how many times then?”

The mousy girl blushed to the roots of her hair before answering “Fi – fifty maybe…”

“Fifty times!” Ji exclaimed and focused his eyes on the sky instead of her “Good for you.”

Unsure of his actions, the girl was unsure whether to go back to reading or wait if he still was going to ask other questions.

After five minutes of silence, she looked around her before resuming reading.Ji didn’t know how the granddaughter of their very tough Principal could be this shy.

Ji remembered her because the first time that she went to their school, she came down her grandfather’s sedan and slipped up the school stairs.

Young Bae had helped her up but instead of thanking him, she run off like a mountain rabbit being hunted by wolves.The only things he remembered of her were she was too white to be an islander and she had surprisingly large glasses.

“Sandara” an authorative voice called out and Ji looked to see their principal standing a few feet away from him.

He immediately stood up.“Principal Park” he greeted and bowed in respect.

“Mr. Kwon Ji Yong” the old man greeted back then looked past him and at his granddaughter.

The young girl had already stood up, clutching the novel she was reading. She walked slowly towards her grandfather, not sparing him a glance, when a small dream catcher fell from the open pocket of her bag.

Ji instinctively reached for it.

“Your dream catcher fell” the old man told his granddaughter.Turning around, she saw Ji’s hands holding out the dream catcher for her – which he noted, is actually an earring.

Taking it from him, she bowed her head and uttered “Th – Thank you.”

He bowed back and noticed up close that she was not just white, her wrists which were showing through her uniform were celestial white.

“Go home before it gets dark young man” the Principal told him as the young girl walked towards his direction.

“Yes Sir” he replied and watched them leave. She seemed very precarious and genuinely scared of him with a fear that was not born out of his reputation but just because she didn’t seem to know how to interact with strangers.

He’d heard from somewhere that she grew up in New York and had been bullied quite a lot. She had returned to Jeju because both of her parents perished in a fire in their home. Her father had rescued her and had gone back to rescue her mother when their home’s foundations collapsed.

“She’ll need that dream catcher to block out all those night mares” he murmured to himself and saw Young Bae headed towards him.“What are you doing in the home of the seven dwarfs?” his best friend asked.

“What are you talking about?” Ji asked, not getting what YB was implying.

“They call this place the home of the seven dwarfs because this is Dara’s hang-out.”

“Why? Is she a dwarf?”Young Bae laughed at that “That’s a good one but no man. Everyone calls her snow white.”

That made sense, Ji thought to himself and looked as the principal’s sedan passed by them. “I hope Snow White indeed finds Seven Dwarfs to take care of her” he whispered to the wind.