Byeol dreaded weekends, and here it was once again. She laid there staring at the ceiling, hoping that the day would end quickly. Another day full of disappointment she thought; my mom is off with her latest sugar daddy, I'm stuck with 3 guys who hate my guts and the person I want to see thinks I'm a monster.

"Are you still in bed?" Byeol's mother swung her bedroom door wide open. "Get up!"

Perplexed with the surprise she quickly sat up in bed. Byeol's mother was up early or she just got home without sleeping a wink. 

"I have a surprise," Byeol's mother's voice was unfamiliar. She actually sounded happy, almost singing and she was no longer walking but gliding along the floor towards Byeol. Before Byeol could say anything, "I want to introduce you to Mr. Kim," Byeol's mother began to start clapping.

Still unsure of what was going on Byeol rubbed her eyes and saw an older male walk in with teeth as white as snow and they were so big she wasn't able to look anywhere else.

"Haaaaai," Mr. Kim walked in Byeol's room like he was running for a political office. When he smiled his teeth doubled in size, his eyes practically closed and the overwhelming smell of garlic attacked Byeol's nostrils. "Haaa-ow are youuu?" Mr. Kim casually strutted towards Byeol and looked her up and down.

Byeol felt uncomfortable but got out of bed and greeted him. "Hi. My name is Byeol, nice to meet you."

"Yeeesh," Mr Kim began, his voice reminded Byeol of a snake, it didn't help when she noticed his loafers were snake skin with a plum colored suit that seemed one size too big for him. His shirt that looked like it was supposed to be white was ed halfway down to his chest with gaudy gold chains. "It'sss niice to meet you my darling or sshould I sssay daughter?" 

Byeol's mother began to cackle and reached towards Mr. Kim's arm, "Now Byeol, your stepfather wants to celebrate this good news by taking you clothes shopping!"

Byeol looks at her mother and Mr. Kim then back to her mother.

"Well, don't just stand there, get ready!" More claps from Byeol's mother, "We don't have all day."

"Yeeesh," Mr Kim started to adjust his gold chains. "Get ready and we can ssh-tart sshopping, you need clothes from this generation." Before leaving Byeol's room Mr Kim winked and out he walked.

"Huuuunny," Byeol's mother began to giggle, starting to lead Mr Kim out she stopped at the door. Looking at Byeol eye to eye the twinkle in her eyes were gone and all that was there were her resentful eyes, "Don't embarrass me!" 

Trying her best to absorb everything that happened, she began to take some deep breaths. 

"Step... dad?" Sae muttered. Before he could appear before Byeol she stopped him.

"Don't... not today. You heard my mother don't embarrass her," Byeol couldn't help but sound heartless.

"Rude," Joon snapped back,

"I said don't..." before anything else was said she slammed the bathroom door behind her to get ready for shopping.

Shopping started off horrible, all the stores Byeol's mother dragged her into were not her style, and it was like one extreme to another. From Bean Pole to ASK, it was nothing that Byeol would really wear. She was liked wearing layers, but according to Mr Kim; 'shhoophisticated girls wear close that fit and unlike amateurs.' It was pointless to argue with the two, her arms were loaded with bags full of polos, khakis, loafers, striped shirts, a few sundresses and 2 handbags. By the time Byeol's mother called it a day, Byeol's feet were throbbing and she could have sworn she felt a blister on her baby toe. 

"Okay Byeol, what do you say to your stepfather?" Byeol's mother clapped her hand once, to cue Byeol on when to pay attention.

"Thanks Mister... Thanks dad," the words still felt foreign to her. She tried her best to smile while looking at Mr Kim in the eyes.

Mr Kim's smile was so big it stretched from one side of his face to the other, his teeth were overpowering. "You're welcome," Mr Kim reached his hand out to pat Byeol's head. "You just remember to listen to me and your mom and be a good little girl."

It all felt too greasy Byeol tried not to show her disgust, "Yes... dad."

Usually going anywhere with Byeol's mom meant to use public transportation, but since Mr Kim was there Byeol road in his 1998 Firebird, the car was so compact that she barely slide in the backseat and instead of placing each bag in nicely, Byeol's mother shoved them in the back to Byeol who was still trying to adjust to the cramped seat. 

"We don't have all day," her mother began again. It was always the same thing with her mother, she was so worried about time, and that it never occurred to her mother that time was never spent with her. Byeol grabbed her bags and sat quietly in the back of the car. It was best for her to stay quiet, otherwise she would embarrass her mother. The two up front talked about what to eat for dinner and Byeol's stomach began to growl herself. 

"Byeol what do you think issh better, chicken with beer or pizza with beer?" Mr Kim was now asking Byeol.

"Chicken!" Byeol couldn't help to sound happy. It was the first time Ramyun wasn't mentioned, "but instead of beer I was some cola!"

"Cola?" Mr Kim made a slight frown and began nodding his head.

Off they went to Louie's Chicken Shack and ordered the family meal with three bottles of beer, when the cashier asked if that was all Mr Kim began nodding his head. Byeol smiled and thought its okay if there's no cola, there's enough chicken for everyone to eat.

"Wait... One cola," Mr Kim told the cashier before he cashed out the order. Mr Kim quickly gave Byeol a side glance and took his receipt.

Byeol's heart felt lighter, "Thanks Mis... Thanks dad!" It was a start she thought maybe things did change for the best.

Mr Kim patted Byeol's head again and gave her the receipt, "We'll be in the car." Byeol looked over the receipt and began to feel water. 12 piece chicken meal, large side of mashed potatoes, large side of coleslaw, 6 biscuits, 3 bottles of beer and one cola - total price $41.89. It was a first that Byeol ever remember seeing her family pay this much for dinner. Byeol playing with her receipt, occasionally looked out to Mr Kim's car and saw her mother lean over and kiss Mr Kim, then 10 minutes came and her family's order was done. Two bags later, she was walking out the door of Louie's and made her way to the dark blue Firebird that was parked in front, she squeezed herself through the front seat to get to the back. The steam of the chicken stabbed Byeol's hunger, she was so tempted to sneak a piece of chicken out of the box and eat it on the way home but she held her ground. 

When they finally arrived home, her mother got out of the vehicle and started to make her way into the apartment, not even folding the front seat for Byeol to carry all the bags out. Mr Kim quickly followed Byeol's mother into the apartment.

"Heeeey," Byeol didn't know how to function the seat to make it move."

"Yeessh," Mr Kim looked back at Byeol and hopped over to the passenger door that was left open and pushed the front seat down. 

As soon as Byeol got out Mr Kim grabbed the family meal and Byeol was glad, carrying all the bags was hard enough but to carry the meal was almost impossible. Trying to keep up with Mr Kim, Byeol began to sweat, making it closer to the door Byeol was already imagining eating a drumstick. Mr Kim made it to the door and quickly turned around to close the door. Just before Byeol could step in Mr Kim grabbed Byeol's shopping bags.

"Your mother and I were thinking that we needed shum alone time," Mr Kim was smiling again. "You understand, right?"

"But..." Byeol couldn't think of what to say.

Mr Kim sighed, "okay, heresh shum money, go buy shumthing to eat. What do the kids like, ramyun?"

Why did he have to do this now, Byeol looked Mr Kim in the eyes. Ramyun?

"Heeey," Mr Kim's voice changed to a greasy slime ball. "Heeey, come on now. Just take the money and hang out with some friends, you can even come home late. Okay?" Mr Kim handed Byeol $40 and closed the door, before reaching the door she heard the click of the door lock.

Byeol leaned against the door and tried to think of what to do, she looked at the money in her hands.

"Eat something," it was Joon. He must have been there the whole time.

Byeol felt like the biggest turd, for being such a jerk to him earlier. "Let's go," Byeol stuffed her money in her pocket and began to search for food and this time it was going to be something other than ramyum.

Byeol passed all the nearest restaurants in her area and headed to the nearest pojanmacha. Walking closer to the food stalls her stomach was now grumbling so loud the old lady selling hoddeok was practically shoving it into . The crispy sweet pancakes were just the start to her food escapade, she found lines of carts that sold everything she could think of. Way in the back of the pojanmacha, she found a dish that reminded her of her father, her biological father. Soondae, she ordered a side and sat in the back, it must have been the excessive amount of food she ate that made her a little buzz. Where she sat in the back she didn't notice there was someone already sitting there.

"Hey," a voice came from the dark shadows. "You blind?" 

The aroma of soju invaded the empty space between the two. 

Byeol looked to see whose drunken spirit greeted her that night.

"Are you deaf too?!?" his voice began to roar, leaning in closer to Byeol. "I'm taaaalking to youuuu..." 

Unable to make a sound, Ghost Boy exhaled his intoxicated sigh and leaned in closer.