You turn the torn slip of paper over and over between your fingers.  It was strange, you thought, that he would do that.  Mostly because he never even asked your name.  You sighed and refolded the paper setting it under the little snow globe.  You might call him later if given the opportunity.  He was cute after all, and he was nice....enough.  But more than that he would probably be expecting it, so you decided to do it later towards the end of the day, after the interview. 

You grabbed the purple bag and left the room.  Stopping at a nearby trash can and stuffed it in.  Down stairs Halmeoni was talking to a light haired woman about your height.  Maybe a little taller.  You didn't pay it too much attention and went to Halmeoni. 

"How are we doing to- Min-Hae?" You said gaining more of the girls attention and she gives you a studying look.

"Neh.." She said squinting.

Halmeoni was giving you a strange look too so you hurried on. "It's me, Ae-cha.  Can't you tell?"

The girl let out a short squeal  and jumped up and down holding out her arms.  "OMO, I did not!  You look so different!  So pretty!! What happened!?!" She bounced and bounced with excitement.

You ran around the counter and greeted her with a hug.  "I dyed it!"  You said cheerfully.

"And cut off like, three feet."  She said.  Even in high school your hair had been waist length.

Min-hae was your best friend from high school.  She would always come over to the house whenever your parents were too busy to spend time with you, like they often were.  She would come over and stay for a night, even on school days, and you would go to her house and stay for days on end.  She was one of your only friends aside from Kibum.  You parents never really care what you did of course so he would come over a lot  too.

It took you a while to realize but he was separating you from everyone except for him.  and then when you became too much of an emotional mess for him to handle he just dumped you on the side of the road.  Thinking of it, he was always an abusive ... 

But now you had your best friend back! You couldn't possibly be any happier.  "I know it.  I figured after so long I should at least change up my look some.  I have missed you."

"I've missed you too.  Why didn't you call or come by after graduation?"

The question made you feel bad and remembering everything you wish that you could take back ever having anything to do with Kibum. He was a year older than you so he had graduated first.  After that he even started taking you from school.  In fact the only reason that your parents cared that you married him was that he had "Enough money to make you happy".  But once you graduated too you married almost instantly.  Only about a week after the ceremony.  And with that you were never allowed to make phone calls or go anywhere without him.

"I couldn't" You look away from her to the ground in near shame.

She scrunched up her face for a second and released it still smiling.  "What?  Why not?"

"I...It was Kibum..."  You tell her.

"Ah, see, I told you he was no good.  How is he now? Are ya'll still dating?"  her ignorance made you cringe.

"We haven't been dating for a while...we had gotten married but-"

"Married?! And you didn't invite me, didn't even tell me." she looked beyond pissed

"He controlled all of my life.  I couldn't.  He didn't even want my parents there...but I insisted."  You told her gently and calmly trying to calm her also.

"Yea he controlled your every move, huh? I don't believe it."

Her words hurt you but you nod.  "He did, I didn't have a cell phone, I had to use his.  He followed me every time I left the house."

"Why couldn't you at least have friends?"  Now she seemed hurt.  Betrayed.

Seeing her so hurt made you want to cry, just burst out into tears for her.  "I don't know.  I don't think he loved me.  I think he wanted to own me."

She shook her head and looked away.  "That's sad.  Real sad.  So what happened, are you still with him?"

"No, thank goodness."

"What happened then?"

You took off into the story of how you and Kibum had been trying to have a child because, again you thought he wanted something to simply own, you had always wanted to be a better mother than yours had been.  Then how you so often lost the child or simply couldn't even manage to get one in the first place.  You told her how after a few weeks you had dropped into a depression and eventually he had said  "I'm sick of your sh**."  and threw you out the car on the side walk.   You were nearing the end of the story and broke off, tears suffocating your voice. You couldn't seem to put it in words.  'He gave me the papers and me, in an ally way!  Stole even my dignity and left me stranded!'  You wanted to scream, but no words came out.  You stood shaking your head and crying until a light clicked with Mi-hyun, that or Halmeoni told her while you looked away, and she gasped.  She began shaking her head in unison with you for shock and anger too.  You nodded and stepped closer to her as she reached her arms out for you to hug her. 

You stood there like that for a few minutes eventually stepping back.  "I'm so sorry."  Min-hae chocked out as you stepped away.

"It's fine.  I'm fine now."  You wave over to Halmeoni.  "She adopted me."

"Omo, thank you miss!  Thank you so much for taking care of my friend."

"Oh that's fine, she is helping me too."  Halmeoni winked.

"So you live here too?"  Min-hae asked

"Neh."

"Omo, could I see your room? You'll have to come to my apartment!  It's so great!"

"I don't mind."  You looked to Halmeoni who was propped up against the counter watching you two talk.

"Sure, it's fine.  But what's in it for me?  Do I get to have another pretty girl work for me?"

You and Min-hae laughed at her. "No Halmeoni, I am the only one crazy enough to work with you."  You tell her.

"Oh too bad.  You could have brought in more handsome men for me.  You know I like them handsome."

"Yes, Halmeoni. "  You laughed  "We'll be right back down."  You say dragging Min-hae up stairs by her wrist.  She laughed the way up as her lose tennis shoe fell off and she had to put it back on before climbing up any more. 

"Here we go."  You pushed the door open

*gasp!*"It's so beautiful!  Omo, it looks better than my room!"  she spun around in a slow circle and then faced back to you pouting.  "I am so jealous!"

This makes you laugh and you go to sit on the bed.  "Yea, this is mine.  I was blessed."

"I'll say!"  She walked to the cupboard "May I?"

You shrugged and she began rummaging through your clothes.  She would occasionally pull out a dress and size it up on herself.  "Ooh, I like."  She said and looked in the large mirror "Looks good on me no?" You both laughed and she put it away. 

"Hey what's that?"  She said closing the doors.

You follow her eyes to what she's looking at.  "Oh that's just something that my...new friend got me."  You said referring to the snow globe to your right.

"It's pretty."  She picked it up and shook it. As she shook the globe she noticed the slip of paper under it.  opening it she asked "Oh, so it's a BOY type of friend?"

"Well...yea but-"

"Omo, you have a crush! Already, tell me about him."  She begged.

You sighed and took the globe from her.  "My 'crush' didn't give me this.  Some guy that I met today bought it for me."

"What?! Omo, you have boys crawling all over you!  It's that new hair cut.  Do mine too!"  She pouted

You shook your head.  What would she say if you told her that they were both idols.  Would she freak out more, get more jealous?  Oh well you had to tell someone!

"My crush is Halmeoni's nephew.  He is a star."  You said trying not to sound bragging. 

She gave you a flat look. "You're kidding?"

You shake your head.

"You're delirious."  She guessed

You shake your head.  "He comes over a lot too, min-hae, he is so cute!"

"Omo, your for real!  Who is it?  Do I know the group?  Is it a group?  Or is he alone, or in a unit?  Just tell me who it is woman!"  She blabbed on.

"Wow, calm down."  You lifted your arms and lowered them as if to lower her excitement.  And she intern bulged her eyes out like 'well come on and tell me'  You gave her one final look and said. "You know U-kiss?"

She gasped as if to say something and left wide open thinking "eehh"  She wobbled her hand to say 'not really'

You sighed "okay you know that they have newer members?"

She nodded slowly still thinking it all in slowly.

"Okay, it's the newer one Hoon-min.  Do you know that one?"

She air through her teeth spreading wide. "No."

You sigh again "Okay come here, I think there's a picture in the hall way"  You stand and lead her down the hall a little ways.  You walk past a few pictures of him as a child, which are, in your opinion, completely adorable.  "That was him when he was small."  You point to them as you pass them.

You get a little closer to the living room and on a small table in the corner of the room you notice a fairly current picture.  "There."  You say pointing to it.  You both cross the room to look at it.  once you have a better sight of it Min-hae picks it up and shrieks. 

"Omo, he is so cute!  And he likes you?"

"I-I don't know."

"Omo, you should tell him!  Ask him!"  She insisted.

You shake your head.  "No I haven't known him very long."

'oh'  she mouths and sets the picture down.  "Understandable enough.  So you said he comes around a lot?  Is he coming today?"

"I don't know.  He comes when he can.  He was here for a while yesterday so I'm not sure if he would."  You tell her.

She nods.

"Oh yea, why did you come here?"  You ask

"Yah!  Stupid plumbing in my apartment!  It goes out all the time and they have to come fix it.  They take forever though so I come here every once in a while to take a quick shower."

"Oh okay, so then where do you live?"

"In a little complex on the far side of town.  You really should come over one day ya know. "  she gasped.  "You could come stay with me and we'll be roomies again!!"

You smile "Well that would be great, but Halmeoni needs me here.  Or that's what she told me.  That she needed me to stay here until I could afford to go live on my own."

"Well this is sort of on your own.   You can pay half the rent so that way it's cheaper for both of us and we can even find a better apartment.  Because for real that one needs some help.  By some professionals."

"I-I don't know...I- but if I leave I won't see Hoon all the time..."

"But you could like go to his house and hang out or something.  Or ya'll could still go see a movie or catch lunch or something."  She was begging now with her big pouty face on.

"Ehhh...I don't know...."

POUTY FACE!

"Maybe after I get a job okay?"

"EEEEE"  She jumped and screamed.  "You're so great! Ahh!  This is going to be so great!! EEEEE"  She hugged you and bounced you around. 

"Okay Min-hea, I said maybe!"

"Oh you know that means yes!"  She said

You rolled your eyes and started walking back down the hall.  Min-hae followed close behind talking about everything you would have to do once you lived together.  You got downstairs and Halmeoni was taking a man's money.  He caught eye of the two of you coming closer and winked at you.  That made Min-hae shut up real quick like. You both stood at the counter watching him walk away until he was out of ears shot.

"Omo, did you see the way he winked at you. I told you that you were pretty!"  Min-hae pouted.

"I think he was looking at you"  You told her reassuringly.

"Really, you think so?  He was cute, huh?"

"Girls, girls please.  It was obvious that the handsome young man was flirting with me."  Halmeoni said.

You and min-hae stared at her wide eyed then looked to each other.  You bursted into laughter and Min-hae snorted, which only made you laugh harder.  Halmeoni shook her head leaned back onto the counter watching you two turn bright shades of red and tears of laughter fall slightly off the corner of your eye.

Min-hae stopped laughing first and waved her face with a hand to calm herself.  "Oh yea I almost forgot.  I need to wash up!"  She said looking at her watch.  "I still have a few hours but I have other things to do also."  She looked back up to you "It was good seeing you again, Ae-cha.  I really have missed you.  I gotta go though."  She hugged you tight and pulled out her phone.  "So hey, what's your phone number?"

You shook your head.

She gave you a 'really?' look and closed her phone. "Okay well here." She grabbed one of the coupons sitting on the counter and jotted down her number handing it to you.  "Call or text me whenever you get one."

"Okay, love you."  You hugged her again and she walked off to the girls showering rooms.

"love ya too girly." she sang as she entered the rooms.

Together you and Halmeoni laughed at her and shaking your heads.  You two had been talking for a while it was already 12 o'clock.

____________

Omo!  She met her old high school bestie again! Yay.  And she likes to say Omo a lot... did you notice?  Gosh you are so anxious!  Stop checking that clock!  Time will pass soon enough!

lol well I hope you guys like this chapter! please comment and subscribe... and comment!! <333