I should like school, but I really hate it. The only reason why I’m going is because I need a degree to be a certified doctor. After eight (or more) years of school I should be qualified enough to go back and intern at the local hospital. My father calls himself an herbal doctor, but he doesn’t have an education in modern medicine.

 

The part of Jeju that I’m from is very rural and no one wants to go to the hospital unless it’s a real emergency. I hope to shed light on my people in hope that they rid of their archaic ways and accept the new, fancy way.

 

“Hi, is anyone sitting here?” a stranger says to me.

 

“No,” I reply back.

 

“My name’s Hara. What’s yours?” she whispers over our math teacher.

 

“Soomi. Nice to meet you.”

 

The teacher rambles on and on as Hara and I get to know each other. Turns out, we have a lot in common and she asks me to join her for lunch.

 

We head to the student union where the lines are way long, but we wait anyway.

 

I’m so hungry.

 

“SOOOOOOMI!!!”

 

I look for the voice over my shoulders and see Nana waving frantically from the corner. She motions me over but I raise my arms in an X. She shrugs, flashes her smile and sits back down.

 

“Do you know her?”

 

“Yeah, she’s my roommate.”

 

Hara shapes in an O and the line keeps moving until we get to the counter and order something. She orders a plate of rice with orange chicken as I ordered a hamburger. We get our food and head over to a group of rowdy kids of boys and girls; she introduces them as her friends.

 

“Everybody, this is Soomi; Soomi, these are my friends.”

 

Is it just me or is everyone so perfect?

 

We make small talk and I find out interesting things about them, especially a boy called AJ. He keeps making small glance at me and I think I know why.

 

I’m not really pretty or really ugly. My hair reaches all the way to my in a straight line across and my eyes are a shade darker than everyone’s light brown hue.

 

Like caramel.

 

I’m not skinny; quite chubby actually. Okay, normal sized.

 

I just love food, and I have big bones.

 

I’m actually quite tall, exactly five feet five.

 

From where I’m from, I’m considered a giant.

 

Here, I blend in just fine. Everyone seems to be just as tall, if not taller.

 

TAP, TAP, TAP.

 

I look to the stranger and see those chocolate eyes again.

 

“Doing okay so far, kid?”

 

“I’m not a kid,” I say defiantly.

 

He chuckles. We exchange eye daggers and he teases me again before heading out of the student union. I don’t watch him go but all my new friends gawk at me like I’m crazy.

 

“Do you know who that is?” a girl-I can’t recall her name- says.

 

I shake my head no.

 

“Better yet, do you know what he is?”

 

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Quick update. DUN DUN DUN. I think you all have a clue what he is but you’ll have to wait. Comment, subscribe, lemme know. OUT.

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