Seoul, the center of fashion and trends of Korea. Here, the word ‘Beauty’ is more heard than ‘Hi’. Every woman has uncountable skin products, fancy make up, gorgeous heels, sparkling accessories, any type of fashionable attires and sometimes cute faces made by boundless plastic surgery.

In the heart of Korea, where it is absurd to think about seeing the blue sky due to the modern skyscrapers, people move from a place to another as if it was a choreography and the time doesn’t stop. The only salvation to avoid my ears for being pierced by the mix of cars’ sound and people walking and talking would be my earphones. Even if my words express displeasure, I believe in the infinite advantages of a nasty situation, like watching my surroundings. People strolling as if the street was a catwalk and their colorful outfits around me. In my memorable 16 years, I have been wondering about the reason for women to dress so ostentatiously and my first and final conclusion is that ‘The reason for women to do this is to feel good with themselves and attract attention’. They want to captivate the glances from men, but not any man. A man whose walk attracts people’s attention wherever he goes. A man who has a fair face  which measures of his factions are similar to the Gold Number, a step away from the Perfection.

An extravagant man who emanates the lust and desire of every woman. A charismatic man whose cool expression and smile can convince the most stubborn woman to humiliate herself.

A troublesome man whose eyes can make you sink deep in an eternal pitfall called love.

A man who can switch my life in 180° just in an instant. 

A man…who is just in front of me.

♚

-‘Min-hee ya, Why did you arrive so...late...at school?’ The awareness of being watched by my classmates with amazed and frightened faces can be sensed without having to look , only my friends are showing me worried face - ‘What's with that expression? What happened to your leg and your uniform?’ - I don't blame them. I bet my face is scary but It wasn’t something I wished for.

- ‘Yah! Min-Hee ya, Sooyoung has asked you a question!’ – Hyungoon’s annoying words are only feeding my rage. I just glare at him in the angriest way possible before throwing my bag on the floor and sitting in my desk near them to mentally count from 1 to 10 slowly.

-‘Hey, Want to tell us what happened? It's not normal for you to arrive so late...even though we have like 15 minutes before the class starts’ - Her soothing smile calms me a bit and prevented my anger to affect people who aren’t even involved in my bad day.

-‘ Well...

♚

'Life is like a masquerade. The main characteristic of a human being is the constantly attempt to hide the truth behind a mask of lies and appearances. Just look around you. Everyone have camouflages made of falsehood that contain their truth at the same time. Can’t you see it?'

I quite understand the main protagonist's feelings but isn't that too negative? I just stopped walking to lift up my eyes.  In a cafe with people smiling and taking selcas a girl with a red dress is waiting. Surely, judging by her make up, she is going to confess. In a hair shop with people coloring their hairs and enjoying the manicures a who isn't smiling is having her hair cut, she is divorcing . Colorful smartphones everywhere. It is a lively but lonely place. All is true but all is fake. The truth are in the lies and the lies are in the truth.

I was willing to keep reading my short novel when suddenly someone pushed me in a hurry but keep dashing foward among the people. He was like escaping from someone or something, somehow he looked like a thief. To my surprise, it was not long when another person pushed me more slightly than the other man. In that moment when our eyes met during a second that felt like an eternity, I could notice the time stopping from all this hurries for the first time. It was a well-dressed man with a blonde fluffy hair looking at me. His sharp gaze showed intimidation but kindness at the same time. His face could be compared to an extravagant model in some fashion magazine from London.  That was exactly the man who every woman would wish to have. The troublesome type who can make lies become truth and truth become lies.

Without noticing he swiftly took my book and suddenly hurled it to the other dude. 

-‘Yah! What are you ing doing?!’- I only let down my guard down for a moment and he took advantage of it. I admit it was a good aim as he hit the alleged thief and made him trip but was it necessary to throw my book???? I just looked the man dumbfounded.

-‘Sorry, I acted without thinking’ – I can't fell the ‘sorry’ in his words either in his cool expression. I am sure he doesn’t feel guilty at all. Then I heard a woman running toward us who, I suppose, was the victim of theft. While the blondy looked at her distracted, the bad guy got up to flee again. Since my booked was sacrificed to catch that son of b**ch, it’s foolish to think that I would let him get away that easily. It is the first time I realize that all these years of practicing kung fu wasn’t a waste of time after all.

I took a pose of an athlete who was about to run and I tried to catch up the fellow. I don’t want to give detailed explanations; I just jumped while throwing mt backpack aside and kicked the thief’s back with all my strength. But it was too late to remember the reason why I haven’t practise Kung Fu for half a year. My ankle suffered a twist in a championship and just like that time when that victory cost me my leg I keep going stubbornly without caring about my pain.

‘Once you have your opponent under your control, take his arm and then his leg. Twist them. Don’t let him go. Use strength with your thumb in the pressure point of his neck to let him pass out, and then you pose fabulously’ I can’t believe I did that, all because of seongsaenim’s words which keep resounding in my mind even in this moment….how annoying.

 While panting, I grab the satchel that belonged to that lady just to notice that she was already behind me bowing. Then she thanked that blonde guy (even when his methods didn’t deserved a compliment) before going on her way.

Resigned to the actual situation I searched for my book which I found in a small puddle of water. I kneel down due to the fatigue and hold the ruined book. Damn it.

-‘Hey kiddo, Are you okay?’ - Without having to look to myself I knew my gaze was full of fury as I remained in silence. – ‘Hey, don’t look me like that, I will buy a new book for you.’- Did he just grin? Wahh…his guy doesn’t know how to deal with people who could punch him without mercy.

-‘Don’t even bother because you can’t replace it, look carefully, the author signed it’ - Then he grasped the novel and stared at it curiously and a bit surprised while I grabbed my schoolbag on the ground. – ‘So you don’t have to do anything, you have done enough already’- I snatched my belonging from his hands and I tried to continue my path until his hand gripped me.

-‘Listen, I am sure I can give you the book signed again. I know you won’t give me your phone number, that’s why I will give you mine.’ – He is just saying bulls**t. I just frowned not willing to take his card. After grinning again, he takes my hand and closes my fist with the card inside. – ‘Call me anytime, okay?’ – It is best to leave now before my self-control disappear, but the pain in my leg won’t let me accelerate my footstep. – ‘Hey, sorry for your leg’ – I am not going to look back at him – ‘And smile more unless you want to be single the rest of your life’ – It’s decided. He will become sterile the next time we meet.

I don’t need to glanced back to know that he is smiling. Those type of men are the most troublesome. I don't want to see his face ever again

♚

-‘What an ! But I don’t understand why you didn’t claim compensation!’ – Hyungoon’s voice of indignation is quite funny.

-‘It wasn’t all his fault, I mean he did it for a good reason, even thought he could thought a more efficient way to catch the thief without throwing my book’- I just sighed- ‘Anyways, he can’t get the author’s signed, my aunt said that she had to do unimaginable things to get it. I bet she will be really mad since that book was her favorite.’ – I don’t want to disappoint her. She even lent me her precious book and now it is ruined.

-‘And what about your ankle? You could make him pay for it’-

-‘This injure was already in my leg and I don’t really want to think about it anymore it is just in the pa-

-‘Hey, Minhee yah, was that person really good looking?’- Those sparkling eyes and excitement consistently appear when Soo young thinks about handsome men, which makes Hyungoo angry every time.

-‘Yah! Who cares if he was handsome or not? And could you hide your excitement in front of your boyfriend?’ – I think this is the fifth time I sighed in these last 5 minutes. They are always lovey dovey with this jealousy teasing.

-‘Of course it is important; this can be the opportunity to find a boyfriend for Minhee’-

-‘Ha?!’ – Hyungoon and I said in unison. Then we looked each other and he started to laugh nonstop while I chuckled. Soo young saying nonsenses as usual.

- 'Yah! I am saying seriously' - Pouting is her specialty.

-'Sorry unnie, but I am not planning to find someone now, I next year is our last one in high school maybe then I would try to find a boyfriend. We just need to focus in our studies'- I just laughed at my own words without believing them.

-'That's easy for you, you are the number 1 in our class'- Another pout -'But you know, Love isn't something you plan'- And then a smile.

-'Huuhh~ Love is too complicated for me'- I grinned -'And I wouldn't go out with a person like that. Handsome people are troublesome'-I stretch my arms to relax myself a bit.

-'That's true that's why I love you oppa, you have never been troublesome' - She glasped Hyungoon's arm in a hug.

-'Yah! are you saying I am not handsome?'-

We just chuckled.

At that time I didn't thought that we would meet again the same day. Ha~....What lucky I am....really...

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