Someone pushes me as I walk over to the student store. They start laughing as they walk away from me. I sigh and just stay in line.

 

"Hey! JaeEun!" I hear someone shout. I turn around and see both ChaeMin and JiHye running towards me. They both pull me into a tight hug, having others cut in front of me.

 

"Oh my gosh! I was so worried about you! I saw TaeHyung back in school and I asked him if he knew what happened to you, and he said you came back as well!" JiHye shouts, squishing me tighter. I chuckle and hug them back, they then pull away.

 

"Are you okay? How's everything?" ChaeMin asks.

 

"I'm good. I was just a mess." I answer.

 

"At least tell us that you needed a break. We were so worried because you just disappeared without saying anything." JiHye argues. I chuckle. I see ChaeMin looking behind me and I raise an eyebrow. She nods her head, telling me to turn around, so I did.

 

"Hi." TaeHyung says, slightly smiling. I hug him and he hugs me back.

 

"You okay?" He asks, pulling away. I nod and he moves my hair back and smiles.

 

"Let's hang out right now." He says.

 

"But what about the foster care people?"

 

"It's okay. I can just tell them that I studied at school or something."

 

I nod and say goodbye to ChaeMin and JiHye.

 

***

 

We're down on the grass, at an empty area in a park that's near where he's staying for foster care. He's laying down and I'm sitting beside him, my back against a tree. We stayed quiet for a few minutes. It actually felt nice. It's nice being with him, without anyone else around to say something that'll ruin one of our days.

 

I always wonder to myself, how would life be like if I never met him at the mall. Would my dad still be living with us? Would I be beaten worse and worse every day? Would he be in foster care right now? Would his mom still be verbally abusing him and his sister? Would MinKyu still be slightly rude to me like before or as rude as he is now? I keep wondering these things.

 

"Lay down with me." TaeHyung says, pulling my arm and making me lay down next to him. I chuckle and look at his face. He gives me a cheeky smile.

 

"I'm glad I met you." he caresses my cheek with his thumb. "Even though you almost spilled food on me the day we met."

 

I roll my eyes and he chuckles.

 

"Hey, you're not going to wear those nice clothes?" he says. I glare at him.

 

"Why? You don't like me dressing like this?" I say. He rolls his eyes.

 

"Hey. You know what I mean. I haven't seen you wear them even though your dad is gone."

 

I shrug and he pulls me closer. I try to push him a bit more away from me, but he holds on to me tight.

 

"No one's around if that's what you're concerned about." he says, a chuckle following after. I let out a breathe.

 

We just lay there for a while in each other's arms. It feels nice. I've never felt something like this, not even with my mother or father as a child. They never held me, besides when I was a baby who needed to be held onto. I feel safe with him and I feel like life is so much better when we're like this. Maybe he is the best thing that has happened to my life. He did help me get rid of my father.

 

He gets a phone call. We release from each other and both sit up. He answers.

 

"Hello? Yes, I'm on the way back. I was just studying for a while. Oh, really? Thank you! Do you know when I can? Alright, thank you!" TaeHyung hangs up the phone and immediately pulls me in for a tight hug.

 

"What is it?" I ask.

 

"They're allowing me to meet up with the parents who want to take care of her! I'm going to meet up with them tomorrow. I still have no idea when they're going to take her but, I get to see how they are." he says super excited. He stands up and helps me up.

 

"I'll walk you home first." he tells me. I reject and offer to walk him.

 

"No. If they see me walking with you, they'll know I'm lying and was just with you." he says. I nod and we walk to my house.

 

***

 

After he left, I walk in my home to see my mom sitting down, her back hunched forward on the couch. As soon as I closed the door, she sits up and looks over at me. I hear her sigh.

 

"JaeEun. Come here." she says, her voice quiet. I walk over and sit down next to her. She places her hand on my knees and pats it slowly.

 

"I have bad news." she starts off. "I can't afford to pay for this house alone. Even working double, I can't pay off the rent and have extra money for the bills. We're moving. Ever since your father was, you know, I thought I'd be able to raise you alone. But I couldn't. A few days ago I went out and looked for an apartment and I couldn't find one that I could pay for. So I went online and actually found one that's cheap but decent enough to live in."

 

I look at her and couldn't really see the bad news in this. I mean a downgrade with a house isn't really bad, at least we're still under a roof. But then I remembered...where.

 

"Where Mom?" I ask her. She sighs and removes her hand from my knee.

 

"Busan." She says. My eyes widen and I can feel tears forming.

 

"Mom, we can't leave Seoul. We can't leave now. I'm about to graduate Mom, can we just live here a little while more. I can get a job. I'll help!" I beg. She just sighs again and says that with the money she has right now, we can live one more month in this house.

 

I graduate in about 3 1/2 months. But, it's enough time for me to get a job and earn money for this house, or at least a cheaper place here in Seoul. I can't leave ChaeMin or JiHye. I can't leave TaeHyung.

 

"I'll get a job Mom. I'll help you find a place cheaper around here. Just until I graduate!" I tell her. She slowly nods and then pats my shoulder, a tear falls from my eye.

 

"Don't tell me you quit your second job." I say to her. She shakes her head and sighs in relief.

 

"I was but I decided to keep working double. I thought that the extra money wouldn't be bad if we do go to Busan." she says. I wipe my tear.

 

Is this life getting better? Is this life getting worse? What exactly is a better life? My dad leaves and I'm happy for once. Now I might move away from everyone I love. Hours away from them.

 

I get up from the couch and hug her. Then I go up to my room and text TaeHyung.

 

Me: "TaeHyung..."

 

TaeHyung: "Yeah babe?"

 

Me: "So I might be moving to Busan....next month."

 

There's not reply for a few minutes.

 

TaeHyung: "What?! Really? Why?!"

 

Me: "Not enough money to pay for this house. But, I'm going to try and get a job and help her find some place cheaper in Seoul. I want to at least graduate here and I can't leave you or my friends."

 

We kept texting and he called me a few minutes later. He kept telling me that he'll try and help. I asked how and he said that he'll look deeper for apts. that are cheap enough for us to get. I really don't want to leave Seoul. I really don't want to leave TaeHyung.