"Nobody is born evil. Evil is made"

  “Fat" is usually the first insult a girl throws at another girl when she wants to hurt her.

   I mean, is ‘fat’ really the worst thing a human being can be? Is ‘fat’ worse than ‘vindictive’, ‘jealous’, ‘shallow’, ‘vain’, ‘boring’ or ‘cruel’? Not to me, but it was the kindest or only insult I could muster at the age of 12. It was during a school trip to the Zoo, I said that word to the lovely Choi Jinri, or Sulli as she is called by her peers (because it sounds cute and Choi Jinri is the cutest thing in class). But even the lovely Choi Jinri had a weak point like every other girl, and that was her weight. She was considered a little over-weight. What was funny back then is how fast her 'friends' laughed as I said those words. How they even gave some insults to her; calling her 'Sullicow' or 'Sulliver'. Maybe that was why I didn't feel guilty at all as I was only  pointing the fact that if she ate another cone of ice-cream she will only get fatter, and not directly insulting her. It was her third cone of vanilla ice-cream if you are wondering. But even if it was a mere comment, I was well aware of how sensitive she was when it comes to her weight. 

  It didn't take long until her eyes started to water and she excused herself, saying she needed to go to the restroom. But it didn't take a fool to know she was going there to cry her eyes out. Just like my mother says "Crying is for plain women. Pretty women go shopping".  To my luck I had to go to the restroom because my best friend Ji Eun got dirtied  chocolate ice cream, and as the amazing friend I am I went with her to help her clean up and maybe catch a glimpse a crying Choi Jin-ri. However to Choi Jin-ri's luck and to my despair Kim Jong-in seems to a sort of sensor when it comes to her. Ji Eun and I were met with the sight of Kim Jong-in comforting Choi Jin-Ri like the goodie-two-shoes he was. Like the goodie-two-shoes I liked.

  Back then it took me a lot of self control not to show how much I felt disgusted by the sight. But with Ji eun by my side I had everything I needed. And so I approached them and with the most sincere voice asked Sulli what's wrong. Now, I may have started everything but if there is something one is to know about Choi Jin-ri is how naive she is, she would never doubt me.Too her I was a good friend.  She however didn't respond, which shocked me. I asked Jong-In taking the opportunity to admire him for a second or two like a love struck fool. 

"You shouldn't have said those things to Jin-Ri" he said a little harshly not too much but enough to make me panic.

"What?" It was the only thing I managed to say. Kim Jong-in, was looking down on me, in favor of Choi Jin-ri. I must have lost control of my facial expressions because Ji eun obviously noticed something in my face.

"Jong-in,  I was there and Mira was only looking out for Jin-ri, she never insulted her nor was she being mean. She just didn't choose the right words, you know her Korean isn't as good as some might think" But Ji Eun knew me too well, she knew I was trying to be mean, and she knew I could have used and was capable of using better terms. But I didn't and Jinri may have seen through it.

"She is right Jongin, Mira probably didn't know how to say it in a nicer way, she was just looking out for me. It was my third cone of ice cream after all. And it wasn't her the one to say those names to me" or maybe not. Choi Jin-ri was naive and will probably always be and that is what probably makes me feel guilty in the end.

"Ahhh, I'm so sorry Mira, I shouldn't have accused you like that you more than anyone wouldn't be mean towards another person, I myself should know that better than anyone. You forgive me?" He said it so softly, so warmly as he patted the top of my head but I didn't reply as fast as I would have liked. I still felt afraid, my heart still felt too heavy. The fact that he spoke so differently to me at that moment was still fresh, and would be for some time. But I managed to collect myself and give him a nice smile. 

  Quickly excused me and Ji Eun to go change her shirt. Thanks god, we always brought a spare shirt just in case. To my surprise as we found Jongin and Jinri outside waiting for us. Both of them still felt guilty, Jinri for 'falsely accusing me' and Jong-In for being 'insensitive' when it was clear to Ji eun and me that the victim was obviously not me. but that didn't matter because to Jong-in I was incapable of bullying someone else, because I knew how it felt. Because he comforted me back then just like he always comforted Jin-ri.

  At the age of 8, Hwan Mira considered herself the luckiest girl in the world. Not only she had the most wonderful parents, she had the most wonderful friends, the most wonderful teacher, she even went to the most wonderful school. Of course Hwan Mira was a protected child, she didn't know hardships and troubles, no everything came to her, she only had to ask her mother. It was part of her mother's motto after all "Crying is for plain woman. Pretty women go shopping" (but she was only a girl she thought at first) and her mother considered her a lady. So she it must apply to her too, she thought.

  What Hwan Mira didn't know was that soon everything she thought was wonderful will be taken away from her. In one single sentence.

  "We'll be moving back to our home country next month" had said her father during breakfast. Her mothers face told her she wasn't aware of her father's decision. 
They have been living in the States for as long as she could remember(since she was a baby) and she had only visited her grand-parents (on her father side, since her grand-parents in her mother side lived in the States too) three or four times in her life.

  "But honey this is Mira's home country, you can't expect her to just learn the language and customs the school year is starting soon anyways" said her mother a little angry maybe a little too much angry. "You didn't even consult me, you know our life not only Mira's is in this country" she added.

  "Our social life's in this country but not our family. Mira needs to learn about her background she can't grow up in this country. I won't let her. Our country is a safer place for a child like her. Here she is exposed to too much" his tone implied it was final. 
They were moving back. But Mira's eyes never left her mother, she knows how much her mother dislikes the place. To her mother, her father's hometown was too small for someone like her to Mira it was a pretty big town, not like New York, but it was still a big town or city she didn't knew the difference back then plus her grand-parents practically owned everything there she would be like a little princess. 

"Sylvia!" Called her mother. She didn't need to shout the maid was just behind her. "You heard, prepare everything. Mira and I are going somewhere" Somewhere meant shopping, her mother wasn't going to cry she had never seen her mother crying. She just vented everything on her parent's fortune.

  Days passed and  she bid goodbyes to her wonderful friends and teachers. She wouldn't cry though. Crying was for plain woman. Plus she still had her wonderful parents and her father said he had a surprise for her at home, her new home. What she hated was the long flight 'Why was New York so far from South Korea mom?' She muttered she was in the middle row besides her mom in First class. Her father was in the other side of the aisle his seat had no neighbor sit though.  Her mother heard her question and said a little too softly
but loudly enough but her to hear "Because I wanted to be as far from that place as possible". Mira didn't give it a thought she never did. But maybe it was because slumber soon took over her it was a fourteen hour flight after all.

  She woke up in a bed. Her father must have been nice enough to carry her. Maybe he was starting to care after all. Maybe coming here was a good idea. She woke up in a large room, too large for her. Her bed too was too big for her. Maybe her mom would like the house.

  She was right the house was too big. It was bigger than their penthouse in New York. And it had a large backyard. Yes, she liked the house, she didn't care about anything else now. Just that her room was a little empty but her mom will fix that soon.

  During her expedition around the house. Her stomach growled and she was thankful because a hungry Mira always finds the kitchen no matter where she is. The kitchen was like in the commercials Mira noted there were two woman inside and it wasn't her parents.
They were talking in a strange language. It took Mira a minute or two to decipher it was Korean. She even understood a sentence or two. But her stomach disagreed with her, asking for her attention.

"Excuse me, My name is Hwan Mira and I am hungry" she didn't say it in English. She was able to say that in Korean.

  The two woman bowed to Mira which she found weird. Syvia and Jean never bowed to her. Was she some sort of princess? She thought. Her stomach didn't appreciate the thinking and growled loudly, loudly enough for the women to hear and guide her to the dinning table, where her breakfast was waiting for her.

  While eating Mira decided to ask the two ladies their names.Kyo Soojin and Lee Minjung were their housekeepers. They seemed nice, Miss Kyo was in her late forties and Miss Lee was in her late twenties. She finished her meal and bowed to them asking them to take care of her. Something she had learned from her grand mother. They were amazed since Mira's father had told them, that she was unfamiliar with the country's customs so they had to be extra cautious with her.
Hwan Mira, however, adapted quickly to the changes. She learned a lot from Miss Kyo  and Miss Lee. She sometimes accompanied Miss Lee to the market. Those were really nice days, she she had to stay at home must of the time. Her father had hired a personal tutor for her, to help her learn the language and customs. Because of this she didn't even spend her summer like she normally did in New York.

  Her mother hardly talked the first weeks, but to her surprise the town changed a lot in the two years she didn't visit. They had some fancy shops and all the fancy things her mother liked. But Mira knew something wasn't right, her father's decision to move here even though he said it was for her sake, Mira knew that her father was not that type of person but it was okay to her she loved him just the way he was. So every time she hears a small fight in her parent's room, she doesn't think too much of it. After all her parents had small disputes all the time in New York.

  It was her first day at school, actually the first day she was going to attend. Mira missed the first week since to her she still wasn't ready. She imagined millions of scenarios through her head. Maybe the teacher will be as wonderful as Miss Pradeau. Maybe I will meet some nice friends. Every scenario was a nice one. That was the problem Hwan Mira never thought of a scenario were something went wrong.