How It All Started

Some girls want to be swept off their feet by prince charming, a tall, mysterious prince; a rich handsome prince to bring them out of poverty. While I would rather save myself from the evil that is being poor.

I personally wouldn't want to be that girl who has to rely on a man to pay for her bills, only to have that man leave her later on in life. My mother was one of those women who relied on a man (my father) to pay our bills and bring home the cash, only in the end to have her heart broken and have no higher education than grade nine. My mother had to lie and cheat her way to the top to pay for our bills and bring home food. I dread that one day an older man will stroll into my life and buy my heart only to abandon me with a baby.

So instead of dropping out of highschool to get pregnant with an older man; I try my best to pile on my education so I can support myself and my mother. I take internship at a big company owned by one of the richest men in Korea Mr.Kim soohan. I am Mr.Kim soohan's assistant after school, I juggle being a senior at a local highschool and serving Mr.SooHan's wishes all to follow his prestigious footsteps. Aside from assisting the wise Mr.SooHan who is the closest thing I have had to a father this whole year; I've casually had to help out with his 24 year old son' one of the most wanted men in Korea, Kim Suho.

Suho can be a handful he can get lost easily in shopping centers and he acts like a child. After almost a year of knowing Suho It's easy to understand why women want him. Suho is handsome, charming and over all; Rich.

This morning was a mess, I woke up just in time to throw on my uniform and run out the door. Last night I was texting with Suho. Nothing personal, we just talk like brother and sister (I think) sometimes it feels like more than a platonic relationship, But i push past it. I have no time for a man like him, and he probably can't date a girl like me. 

After school I ran down through alley ways and streets to get to the big building of SooHan Insurance. Mr.Soohan's secretary (also my closest friend Myung-hee) had sent me a text during study time at school saying It was urgent that I come as quickly as possible.

as I brushed my uniform off I oppened the fancy wooden doors too Mr.SooHan's office only to find him smiling at me from behind his big desk.

"Baby Minah! I'm glad you came quickly, come sit in front of my desk."

I did as told and sat totally clueless in a small chair seeing this happy old man smile at me. "Minah, I'm so happy you have given your time to me, Its almost a year since that little girl came to me so shy asking for internship. You have helped so much around here and I'm thinking of offering you a permanent full time job here after you graduate this year." 

"well thats nice sir, but-"

"I see," He sighed like he always seemed to do when someone said something he didn't like, before he put on another smile, "Minah you're always welcome here, and i'd love to see more of you. heck you should think of marring my son!" Mr.SooHan let out a cackle as he turned the subject around once again seeing I didn't like the words he was saying, instead of the normal separation of papers he asked me to see if secratary MyungHee had anything for me to do.

I walked out of the wooden doors to see Myung-hee talking on her phone as always, as she stuck a finger in the air asking me to hang on. After Myung-hee hung up she gave out a small shriek;

"Minah, have you heard of the contest Mr.Soohan is holding?!"

I shook my head "no, what is it?"

"Minnie, You can win a date with your crush; Delicious Suho! Its been going on for almost a week and it ends tommorow! how could you not know?!"

"S-suho? Delicious? are you thirsty let me bring you water, I'm not attracted to him..."

"Don't lie you , you wish you had Suho all to yourself!"

"T-that is really unnessasary for you to say, and I want to get a good high paying job before I take chances. you know how many boys i have turned down?"

"that's because they aren't as hot as Suho, but anyways...If you don't want the second prize you might as well go for the first prize of full paid university."

"wow...I honestly really wanted the first prize, but what if I get second place?" 

"Don't worry just write your information on the paper and hand it in, if you get second place you can give the ticket away."

The more i thought about entering the contest the more MyungHee egged me on about it, I finally decided to begin writing my information on the paper after 3 hours of working on paper work and thinking. I slowly wrote down my information when a voice rung behind my ear,

"Hey Minah..." The voice vibrated in my ear as I covered my entry paper 

"!" I laid my head on the desk as Myunghee giggled.

"Minah is entering the con-"

I cut MyungHee off as I let out a cry, "ouccchh... My tummy." my false stomach ache gave me the chance to slip the paper down to my stomach.

"Minah are you okay?" Suho asked patting my head "I think you should go home and rest, I'll tell dad that you were helping me out."

"She's fine, I'll help her get home, and its almost time for me to get going anyways."

Suho left and I got the time to tell Myunghee not to mention it to Suho;

"What if he thinks i like him, It would ruin our friendship..."

"fine just give me the entry and I'll place it in the contest raffle, I mean the chances of you winning is one in like all of korea."

later that night I went home to my mother who was already asleep. I kissed her on the forehead and patted her black hair and joined her in bed. 

That night I slept early and kept having flashbacks of Suho. I honestly did sort of like Suho, but I don't want to end up like everyother woman on earth; alone and poor. But suho was nice to me, we talk like best friends when we are alone. I remember the first time I met him he was stuck up and really didn't pay much attention to me, Suho would smoke pot before he met me but I convinced him to quit because sooner or later he would get caught and ruin his reputation. since that day I walked in on him smoking to the day i convinced him to flush the remains down the toilet He has become closer to me. I think all my talking has been helping him avoid doing it again. Suho has been almost six months sober since christmas break when I helped him say good-bye to the substance.Suho always jokes around with me in the office by calling me names and pushing me but Since the day I found out about his problem he has become more open to me emotionally, once he cried on my shoulder while he was drunk; that was when I started seeing him differently, I started seeing him in a bit more romantic light...but it can never happen. I can't let my feelings get the best of me. 

I love Suho, but as an older brother. I've been seeing Suho as a polite man with a couple problems.

The next morning after school was when my world turned upside down.

I made my way to the building after Myunghee sent out that It was urgent once again but this time I walked a bit slower, since last time it was urgent, I just worked with Myunghee all day.

When I walked into the building Myunghee hugged me and threw colored confetti in my hair; I wondered what she was doing but then it hit me-

"I won the full paid scholarship!!!"

Myunghee chuckled, "even better, full paid vacation! With Suho!!"

I lost all my breath, 

"what."

I turned to see a contest poster, the poster had no scholarship at all. The first place was a date with Suho overseas... I couldn't show my face around here, I couldn't let my feelings show. a panic attack was slowly creeping in, I couldn't think. I left the building and ran home.

I felt so childish.