Chapter 03
The Letter of Us
The only sounds heard in the classroom was the teacher giving a lecture and pencil lead being scraped against paper. I was jogging down the notes like told, but my mind was far from what I was writing. It was still on who would frame me on a love letter? Shouldn’t they just use their own name instead of someone else’s? Oh well, people are messed now a days. The bell rang, signalling the end of class and the end of the day. I packed up my things and walked out the door. I left the school and was on the way home when I heard someone shouting my name from behind. I turned around and blinked at Sandeul who was running towards me. “Are you walking home?”,he asked. I nodded,”Yeah.” “Then do you wanna walk together?”,he smiled. “...Sure?”,I warily accepted. The whole way home wasn’t quiet because Sandeul kept the conversations going the whole time. I turned to him,”We’re here. Thanks.”,I smiled and waved as I went in. I entered the house and slipped off my shoes,”I’m home--”,I was cut off with my mom asking questions,”Oh who was that boy?! He was quite the adorable thing.”,she grinned. “The kingka of the school.”,I answered, amused that she would call him ‘Quite the adorable thing’. “Is he your booooyfrieeeeennnddd?~”,my dad sang as he came downstairs.”Gross, no!”,I shouted and ran upstairs before they could ask anymore questions. I changed into my pajamas and began studying when a knock was heard on my door. My mom poked her head in,”Sweetie, we’re all going out for dinner tonight with our close friends! Be sure to look cute!”,she winked and left. “...Is she saying I never look cute?”,I raised my eyebrow. I shrugged it off and went to my closet, pulling out a striped knit dress that went to my thighs. I put on some black boots that went up to my knees and I curled my hair. I put on a hair band that had a bow on it and checked my outfit in the mirror. Satisfied, I grabbed my black purse and went downstairs. I opened the fridge and took out a juice box as I stabbed the straw through the top and began drinking it. My mom came down and gaped at my outfit,”You’re wearing that to dinner?!” I nodded,”What’s wrong with it?” “I left you a fancy dress in your room, though.”,she pouted. I sighed,”Fine I’ll go change into it.” She beamed,”YAY!” I ran upstairs and changed into the turquoise dress that was strapless and seemed shorter than my other dress. I put on matching flats and grabbed a different purse. I came downstairs in the dress she wanted me to wear and squealed,”You look so pretty in it!~”
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We arrived at the restaurant and walked in. We sat down at a table and waited for my parents’ friends to arrive. We ordered first and they told me about they’re friends. “They have a son, too.”,my dad nodded while explaining,”He’s the same age as you.” “Really? What’s his name?”,I tilted my head, curious. “...Mmm, was it Lee Junghwan?”,he looked over to my mom. She nodded,”Yup! But I think he prefers--”,she was cut off by a family coming in. “HI!!!!”,the lady squealed in delight. “HI!!”,my mom squealed along with her as they hugged in a reunion. The parents talked while I stood there awkwardly by the side. “Oppa!~”,the little girl pouted and pulled on her older brother’s arm,”I want an ice cream!” “Hwanha, you have to eat your dinner first.”,he gently took her hands off of his arm. I tilted my head in curiosity,*Who’s that?* “Oh, is this your daughter?”,Mrs. Lee beamed at me. “Yes! Introduce yourself, sweetie.”,my mom smiled encouragingly to me. I bowed and smiled,”Annyeonghaseyo, Shin Hyomin imnida.” “Ah, she’s so cute!”,Mrs. Lee pinched my cheek. I smiled, amused. “She’s beautiful.”,Mr. Lee commented. “Thank you.”,I smiled as I was turning bright red. “Umma!”,the little girl tugged on Mrs. Lee’s skirt,”Oppa won’t let me get ice cream!” “Aigoo, Hwanha. After your meal, araso?”,her mom picked her up,”Oh right, this is my daughter Hwanha. She’s 4.” “Ah, cute!”,my mom squealed as she pinched her cheek. Hwanha squealed in delight. “Oh my son is here, too.”,Mrs. Lee looked around for him. “Where’s Junghwan?”,she questioningly turned to her husband. “I don’t know. He’s probably coming.”,he shrugged. “Well, let’s sit down, shall we?”,my dad smiled.
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I was sitting next to Hwanha and she tugged on my arm,”Unnie, what’s your name?” “Hyomin. Shin Hyomin.”,I smiled. “Really? Do you know my oppa?”,she beamed. “Sorry, I saw one of my friends.”,the boy bowed in apology. I looked up and my eyes widened. “S-Sandeul?!”,I gaped at him. He smiled and looked up, gaping at me too,”H-Hyomin?!” “What’re you doing here?!”,we both asked in unison. “Ah, here’s my son! This is Junghwan.”,Mr. Lee patted his shoulder. He bowed again, with his eyes on me. He looked different with his tuxedo on. “Oh what to do? There’s no more room.”,my dad frowned. “OH! It’s quite alright! Hyomin and Junghwan can just sit together at a different table, right?”,Mrs. Lee winked at me. I blinked, baffled. “Come on, dear!”,my mom excitingly waved me over. I bowed as I stood up,”Excuse me.” Hwanha grabbed onto my arm,”I’m going with Unnie!” “No, Hwanha, stay here.”,her mom gave her a look. “Oh it’s fine. I’ll take her with us.”,I carried Hwanha to the table where me and Sandeul were sitting. I sat her down next to Sandeul and sat across from him. The food came and I thanked the waiter as I awkwardly sipped my water. “So..”,he started. I poked my pasta,”Yeah..” “Why is this so awkward?”,he laughed. “I know, right?!”,I agreed. “I like your dress.”,he commented. “Oh, thanks. I like your tuxedo. Makes you look different.”,I giggled. “Huh, I wonder if that’s a good thing or not.”,he chuckled. We continued talking and Hwanha pouted at her food, not wanting to eat it.
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We arrived at the restaurant and walked in. We sat down at a table and waited for my parents’ friends to arrive. We ordered first and they told me about they’re friends. “They have a son, too.”,my dad nodded while explaining,”He’s the same age as you.” “Really? What’s his name?”,I tilted my head, curious. “...Mmm, was it Lee Junghwan?”,he looked over to my mom. She nodded,”Yup! But I think he prefers--”,she was cut off by a family coming in. “HI!!!!”,the lady squealed in delight. “HI!!”,my mom squealed along with her as they hugged in a reunion. The parents talked while I stood there awkwardly by the side. “Oppa!~”,the little girl pouted and pulled on her older brother’s arm,”I want an ice cream!” “Hwanha, you have to eat your dinner first.”,he gently took her hands off of his arm. I tilted my head in curiosity,*Who’s that?* “Oh, is this your daughter?”,Mrs. Lee beamed at me. “Yes! Introduce yourself, sweetie.”,my mom smiled encouragingly to me. I bowed and smiled,”Annyeonghaseyo, Shin Hyomin imnida.” “Ah, she’s so cute!”,Mrs. Lee pinched my cheek. I smiled, amused. “She’s beautiful.”,Mr. Lee commented. “Thank you.”,I smiled as I was turning bright red. “Umma!”,the little girl tugged on Mrs. Lee’s skirt,”Oppa won’t let me get ice cream!” “Aigoo, Hwanha. After your meal, araso?”,her mom picked her up,”Oh right, this is my daughter Hwanha. She’s 4.” “Ah, cute!”,my mom squealed as she pinched her cheek. Hwanha squealed in delight. “Oh my son is here, too.”,Mrs. Lee looked around for him. “Where’s Junghwan?”,she questioningly turned to her husband. “I don’t know. He’s probably coming.”,he shrugged. “Well, let’s sit down, shall we?”,my dad smiled.
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I was sitting next to Hwanha and she tugged on my arm,”Unnie, what’s your name?” “Hyomin. Shin Hyomin.”,I smiled. “Really? Do you know my oppa?”,she beamed. “Sorry, I saw one of my friends.”,the boy bowed in apology. I looked up and my eyes widened. “S-Sandeul?!”,I gaped at him. He smiled and looked up, gaping at me too,”H-Hyomin?!” “What’re you doing here?!”,we both asked in unison. “Ah, here’s my son! This is Junghwan.”,Mr. Lee patted his shoulder. He bowed again, with his eyes on me. He looked different with his tuxedo on. “Oh what to do? There’s no more room.”,my dad frowned. “OH! It’s quite alright! Hyomin and Junghwan can just sit together at a different table, right?”,Mrs. Lee winked at me. I blinked, baffled. “Come on, dear!”,my mom excitingly waved me over. I bowed as I stood up,”Excuse me.” Hwanha grabbed onto my arm,”I’m going with Unnie!” “No, Hwanha, stay here.”,her mom gave her a look. “Oh it’s fine. I’ll take her with us.”,I carried Hwanha to the table where me and Sandeul were sitting. I sat her down next to Sandeul and sat across from him. The food came and I thanked the waiter as I awkwardly sipped my water. “So..”,he started. I poked my pasta,”Yeah..” “Why is this so awkward?”,he laughed. “I know, right?!”,I agreed. “I like your dress.”,he commented. “Oh, thanks. I like your tuxedo. Makes you look different.”,I giggled. “Huh, I wonder if that’s a good thing or not.”,he chuckled. We continued talking and Hwanha pouted at her food, not wanting to eat it.
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