~*~<3~*~Linking Hearts ~*~<3~*~ A tale from the twisted mind of Val ^_^A short teaser for Clair Bear^_^ Special cameo appearances made by: Val & other various gasoos Note: Random facts are credited to Clair, some plagiarization from her original works, and this excerpt is intended for her eyes @_@ only. Permission for reading must come from the source itself, Val might be six feet under by the time a certain individual reads this. oOoInsightoOo Throughout the years, it has often been told that the first impression a person makes are the most important and most memorable. As fate would have had it, the meeting of Lee Sun Ho and Kim So Jung turned out to be very memorable, setting the stage for all future arguments and virtually ruining any chances of friendship they might have had. In this story, thanks to Val's nonexistent life and cold, it made her delusional to create their second chances of a making a first impression again. Read on at your own risk. Also don't scroll down Clair! =D *Comments will be gratified and flames will be laughed off =P -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 1: Unveiled Identities -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- "Sun Ho has the ball. He fakes to the left and catches his man off guard. He pivots and...Oh shit! Is that a sexy babe he sees?" ~wolf whistle~ "Where?!" asked Seung Ho excitedly. He turned to look at whatever Sun Ho was staring at but saw nothing except the barren playground. In the midst of Seung Ho's distraction, Sun Ho continued the game. "Sun Ho shoots! He scores! The crowd goes wild!" Sun Ho cupped his mouth into a megaphone and mimicked the sound of a stadium's encore. Seung Ho, on the other hand, wasn't amused. "Sun Ho, you lame ass cheater. If you hadn't distracted me, you couldn't have sunk in those 2 points." Sun Ho gave his friend a cheesy smile. "Serves you right for being a pervert, Son Oh Gong." Seung Ho snorted at that remark. "I'm 14 years old now and my hormones are raging like wildfire, so what did you expect? I'll ignore that remark since you and your 11-year-old friends aren't old enough to appreciate girls yet." Sun Ho scrunched his face up into a sour expression. "Eww! Cooties! Girls are only good for cooking and cleaning. Maybe once in a while push them off the swings to make them cry a little, but that's it!" "You say that now Sun Ho but wait, one of these days those little aliens that you push around will morph into the girl of your dreams." "Ha ha! Sure, whatever hyung." The sun was starting to set down west and the silver moon was beginning to rise. Both Sun Ho and Seung Ho's shadows were nowhere to be seen and they both decided to head on home. "Hey, it's late. I better go home now or my parents will be worried." Seung Ho nodded as he waved Sun Ho goodbye and went home in the other direction. Sun Ho started running back to his apartment complex before the night gets any darker. He raced up the flight of stairs to his home on the second floor but a big, brown box blocked his path. He tried going around it but another man was standing there, trying to carry it and balance another box in his other hand. "Ahjusee, do you need some help?" Sun Ho asked in Korean. "Ko map sum nida (thank you)," said the stranger and he handed Sun Ho the other box. Sun Ho carried it and followed the man up the stairs. Surprisingly, the man lived next door to him. Sun Ho continued their conversation in Korean as he placed the box down gently. (author's knowledge is very limited) "Did you just move in?" "Yes, I did. You can call me Mr. Kim." "I'm Lee Sun Ho." "Your parents raised a fine boy, Sun Ho." Sun Ho glowed at the appraisal and smiled to himself. Mr. Kim sets down his box and started to look around as if he was searching for something. "Hmm...she was here just a minute ago." "Who Mr. Kim?" "Oh, my daughter So Jung. She's about your age and I believe she'll go to the same school as you do." Sun Ho backed away a few steps as he shuddered at that thought. 'Eww...a girl.' "It's okay Mr. Kim. I'll see her tomorrow," he said, wanting to excuse himself already so he could leave. "I must be going now. Goodbye." Mr. Kim waved him goodbye as Sun Ho went into the house next door. "Omma! Appa! Noona! I'm home!" he announced upon his arrival. (Isn't father also aboji? ^shrugs^) When Sun Ho unlocked the door and peered inside, no one was to be seen. He started to fan himself with this own T-shirt, damp from the sweat he had soaked it with. He inhaled the sour odor he was emitting and went "phew!" "I need to go take a shower," he said to himself. He searched through the closet for a towel and headed towards the bathroom. [Meanwhile, next door] "So Jung, where are you?" "In here appa." Mr. Kim entered the closet-size room and watched his youngest daughter unpack her belongings. "Where's your omma and unnis?" "They went downstairs to get acquainted with our new neighbors." "I see. I guess I'll go join them then. Do you want to go?" "Aniyo, I'd rather stay here and finish unpacking." "Suit yourself," and he was gone. After a few minutes, So Jung stopped unpacking and exhaled. She had just come from Korea and her English was very limited. School was going to start tomorrow for her and she didn't want to think about how dreadful it would be. In her quiet solitude, it gave her time to think. All of a sudden, she began to shudder when she remembered her little bratty neighbor's warning. "Hi noona. Do you live around here?" So Jung paused before she told him. He was just a kid so he did seem innocent enough. "Yes, I live upstairs." The kid flashed her a wide grin, with his two front teeth missing. He seemed to be thinking about something. "I see. Hmm...did anyone warn you about the apartment pervert?" So Jung's eyes grew wide at the news. "What? What apartment pervert?" The kid produced a rather mischievous smile. "Oh, it's nothing really. Just this guy who likes to go around and harass girls. He lives on your floor, you know." "I didn't know that. Thanks for the warning." "No problemo." After that encounter, So Jung headed back upstairs to her house, very cautious of her new surroundings now. She decided not to worry about that matter anymore. As of right now, she started to fold her clothes and placed them neatly in her basket. ~Ding dong~ 'Who could that be?' she wondered. So Jung dropped her clothes into the floor and headed towards the door to answer it. -------------------- "Why isn't anyone answering?" asked brat #1. "How should I know?" asked brat #2. "But I know for sure somebody has to be home." They were playing the annoying game of 'Ghost Knocking', where they would knock on a door and when that person opens, they run away. It's childish but they're only around 8, so what did you expect? "Shit! I hear someone coming! Ring the other door too!" "Hurry up and hide already!" urged brat #2 and pulled brat #1 away. They covered their mouths so their mischievous laughter would not be heard and hid out of sight. Now for the show to begin. -------------------- [Back to Sun Ho] "Aww....shiet!" Someone was ringing his doorbell but Sun Ho was still in the shower. He knew it wasn't any of his family members because they all have a key. The ringing continued and it sounded urgent. He set his showerhead on full blast and rinsed off the remaining suds on his body. He draped a towel around his waist and hurried out of his bath. "Hold on!" he yelled. "I'm coming!� -------------------- "Who is it?" asked So Jung. No response. She opened the door and saw...no one. She stared down the hallways but there was no sign of anybody. Suddenly the apartment next door opened. A boy about her age came out, dripping water from his body and looked around curiously too. Sun Ho looked out from his door and saw no one. 'Those babos Dae and Tommy must have pranked me again,' he thought. When he looked over next door, he saw Mr. Kim's daughter. Something about her made him smile and forget that girls have cooties. "What's up? You must be So Jung. I'm Lee Sun Ho, your new neighbor," he said in his broken English. At this very moment, the earth-shattering recorded event in history occurred. Sun Ho had one hand on the doorknob and the OTHER hand that had been holding his towel, reached out to shake hers. Sun Ho's towel dropped, revealing his bare essentials. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!" A high-pitched shriek came from the small girl and she disappeared back into her house, slamming the door behind her. Sun Ho stuck his finger inside his ear to drown out that piercing sound. "Whoa," he remarked. "She has a loud scream for such a small girl." He picked up his towel and draped it around himself, whistling as he went back into his own home as if nothing did happen. So Jung, on the other hand, was still trying to recover from the sudden shock. Her heart was pounding violently in her ears and she was panting for air. The moment the boy's, whom she now knows as Lee Sun Ho, towel had dropped, she had seen EVERYTHING. She was still trying to recover from the fact that he had seemed so casual about it. 'I guess America really is the land of the free.' -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 2: Trapped together -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- [The Next Day] *pat pat pat* "So Jung, wake up or you'll be late for school." "Hmm...?" So Jung yawned and turned her body the other way. "What time is it?" "Almost seven," said her unni. "I don't go to the same school as you do so I'm leaving first. This is my last call so you better wake up now or you'll be late." So Jung nodded and got herself out of bed. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and marched towards the bathroom in a zombie-like fashion, and did her morning routine. When she was done, she headed out and joined her parents at the table for breakfast. "You do know your way there, don't you?" asked her omma. So Jung nodded sleepily as her mother adjusted the straps of her backpack. She handed So Jung a few dollars for lunch and smoothed out the wrinkles in her daughter's skirt. "Okay, you better hurry along now. You don't want to be late on your first day." -------------------- ~A typical morning at the Lee's residence~ "Shit! Look at the time! Why didn't anybody wake up?" yelled Sun Ho as he hopped into his pair of jeans. "Seung Ho must be pissed off right now waiting for me downstairs." "Tone down with the profanity, young man," said his father. He sipped on his coffee and continued reading the newspaper despite the racket his son was causing. Sun Ho slipped on his shoes and poked his head inside of his sister's room. "Where's Jung Lim?" "She left with 2 of the girls next door already. She knew that you would overslept." "Fuck!" "Sun Ho!" *Slam* Sun Ho dashed out of his apartment with his backpack trailing behind him. Luckily, the elevator door was open and he ran for it. "WAIIIIIT!" -------------------- So Jung hummed a trot to herself as she got into the elevator and pushed '1' for the main floor. Her eyes began to bulge when she saw who was coming her way. Lee Sun Ho. She frantically punched the 'close' button in the elevator. "Close, dammit!" The elevator doors began to close and Sun Ho dived for it. His bag got caught in the middle and the doors reopened. He gave So Jung a cheesy smile of relief as he went in. He was totally oblivious that she had tried to shut him out. [Conversation in Korean] "Whew. Thanks for waiting." So Jung backed away and was at a loss for words. She couldn't believe her bad luck. She was only able to stand there quietly and pray that Sun Ho would leave her alone. She was still feeling embarrassed about yesterday's incident. "Why did you run away yesterday when I tried to say 'hi' to you?" Sun Ho's voice made So Jung look at him. Her eyes were growing wide with fear when she realized how close he was. "M..mianhae..." she stuttered as she backed herself into the corner. A devilish smile crossed Sun Ho's face when he realized how much So Jung was terrified of him. He edged closer to her as his grin grew wider. "That was very naughty of you, So Jung. Do you know what happens to naughty girls?" So Jung's eyes nearly popped out of her sockets when she heard him say that. She shook her head furiously, afraid to answer. She backed up even further, practically merging with the elevator wall. 'Why isn't the elevator stopping yet?' As if on cue, the elevator began to shake violently and the lights started blinking. Earthquake! "What the hell?" Sun Ho started pushing all of the elevator buttons and suddenly the electricity went off, trapping them both in total darkness. "Ommmmmmmmmmma!" So Jung started to hypervenilate. 'Did I just scream that?' she wondered. No, her voice didn't sound that whiny. She was scared though. Everything was pitch black and she was trapped with Sun Ho but she couldn't make out where he was. "Help me! I'm afraid of the dark!" So Jung felt something grab a hold of her. It sent cold shivers down her spine. Something was pressed against her stomach and she felt a pair of arms around her waist. There was only one person that it could possibly be. She screamed. "Ahh!" Sun Ho screamed with her. "Ahhh!" -------------------- "He's late again!" Seung Ho gave an irritable sigh as he paced back and forth in front of the elevator. They had 10 more minutes before the school bell would ring. Seung Ho couldn't afford another day of detention for being late again. "What is taking Sun Ho so long?" Suddenly a cute little Hispanic girl came out from an apartment room and looked at him. It was in Seung Ho's nature to check out all types of girls. He gave her a flirtatious wink and she giggled on impulse. She waved him goodbye as she headed towards the car with her parents. 'Cute girl,' he thought. He waved her goodbye and started to walk backwards, towards the elevator as it was starting to open. -------------------- The elevator began to roar to life and the lights came back on. Sun Ho looked up from his position and saw So Jung holding her backpack right above his head. He started to back away. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to!" *whap* So Jung's hit sent Sun Ho flying towards the doors. He got up and started apologizing again. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to grab you like that!" *ding* The elevator doors opened. Sun Ho gave her a cheesy smile and walked his way out backwards. "I guess I'll be going now." Sun Ho backed up into Seung Ho, both of them walking backwards and didn't see each other. The sudden impact sent Sun Ho catapulting right back at So Jung. "Ahh!" So Jung shrieked as she raised up her backpack to fend herself but it was too late. *smack* Sun Ho gave her a big, wet one on her cheek because she had turned her face away in time. He moved away quickly and his eyes grew bigger. So Jung was holding the cheek that he had kissed and was staring at him. Her eyes looked like they were going to spill tears any minute. "I'm sorry!" Sun Ho grabbed Seung Ho and made a mad dash for school. Immediately after he had left, So Jung pushed the button back for level 2. She rubbed the wetness on her cheek furiously, to get the germs off of her. Slowly, her knees gave out and she slumped to the floor. *ding* Silently, she got up and headed back towards her apartment. She opened the door and her parents were surprised to see her back. "So Jung, why aren't you going to school yet?" "I am NOT going to school today!" Her parents threw their hands up in frustration at their daughter's adamant behavior. They decided to let her stay home today since she looked like she just suffered a severe trauma. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 3: She likes Me? -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- [Dinner, that night] "So how was school today, Ji Hae?" So Jung's two sisters were chatting lively about their new surroundings and the new friends that they had acquainted themselves with. "It was fun, omma. There's all kinds of people going to that school and I made a lot of friends." "What about you, Eun Mi?" "I love it. The best part is we don't have to wear school uniforms." When their conversation ended, all eyes turned to So Jung, who was busy setting the table. She just shrugged it off. "I'll go to school tomorrow," she promised. "So Jung hon, you better set the table for 6 more people." So Jung's eyebrow arched up in curiosity. "We have guests tonight?" ~ding dong~ "Yup," answered her dad. "And there they are. Go ahead and answer the door." So Jung headed towards the door and opened it up, only to receive the shock of her life. Lee Sun Ho was standing there with his family and friends. "Hiya, So Jung. How come I didn't see you at school today?" Instead of an answer, she slammed the door in his face. "Oing?" So Jung's family heard the door slam and came out of the kitchen. "What was that, So Jung?" asked her dad. "Umm..." She was too afraid to answer so she scurried off. Mr. Kim answered the door himself and invited his guests in. "I must apologize for my daughter's behavior." "It's okay," said Mr. Lee. "She must be shy." The Lee's had brought along 2 guests, the two brats from the previous chapter, Dae and Tommy. Dae gave So Jung a knowing grin when Sun Ho sat directly across from her. He sat himself next to Sun Ho while Tommy sat next to her. Everyone was talking and having a lovely time, except for So Jung, she wasn't able to eat with Sun Ho's face in her view. Then suddenly, she felt something like skin brushing against her leg. She stared at Sun Ho. Sun Ho was busy chowing down the kimchi to even look at anyone. "More please!" he said, spitting out some of the food. When he received his 3rd helping, he felt something rubbing against his leg and it nearly made him choke on his food. He looked up for a brief second and he saw So Jung staring at him but she quickly turned her head the other away to avoid eye contact. 'I don't believe this!' he thought incredulously. 'She's playing footsie with me! Wait 'til I tell Seung Ho about this!" Dae and Tommy gave each other thumbs up sign as they giggled. Dae went a little too far and his foot raised up So Jung's skirt a little, making her alarmed. Her first impulse was to kick Sun Ho, which she did. "Ow!" Sun Ho ended up spitting his food all over her. So Jung stared at him and then rung her hands out in disgust. "May I be excused please?" She got up and left the table. Everyone watched her leave and noticed that So Jung didn't return for the rest of the dinner. Sun Ho set down his bowl of food and licked off the remaining sauce at the edge of his lips. 'She must be mad at me now,' he thought worriedly. Women are too difficult to figure out, especially for a guy of his age. He must discuss with Seung Ho issues regarding the opposite sex tomorrow. -------------------- The next morning Sun Ho got up early and waited by the elevator. A couple of minutes passed but So Jung still hadn't come out of her apartment. He grew impatient and went downstairs to meet Seung Ho instead. "You're here early." "Yup. First time." They started to race each other to school but a small figure ahead made Sun Ho slow down. He recognized that small body anywhere. "SO JUNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!" So Jung turned to the voice and she was shocked to see Sun Ho just a mere 10 yards from her. She started to run for it. "Hey So Jung, where are you going? I'll walk you to school!" Sun Ho started to chase after her but So Jung ran fast for a person with short legs. He wasn't able to keep up so he stopped where he was and started to gasp for air. It gave Seung Ho time to catch up with him. "Dammit Sun Ho. Don't run off without me!" "Sorry," said Sun Ho. "I wanted to catch up with So Jung." Seung Ho's ears started to flap when he heard what Sun Ho had just said. His eyes grew wide and he stared at his friend in disbelief. A wide grin spreads across his impish face. "Did you just say that you wanted to chase after that girl?" Sun Ho nodded and looked down sheepishly. "I think she likes me." Seung Ho laughed. "Whoa. I don't believe this! Lee Sun Ho, the girl hater, actually is blushing over a girl." Sun Ho didn't know what to say to Seung Ho then. He started to feel awkward about the situation. "You don't get it, Seung Ho. I think she's mad at me now." "Why?" They continued walking to school as Sun Ho told Seung Ho his version of the story. "So let me get this straight. The first time you met So Jung, you flashed her your naked body, grabbed her in the dark, kissed her cheek, and played footsie...but after all that you ended up spitting food in her face?" Sun Ho nodded vigorously, still ashamed of what had happened last night. "And you wonder why she doesn't like you." Sun Ho shook his head. "I feel bad now, hyung. She was throwing all these signs at me but I didn't catch a single one of them. Now I think she hates me." "Probably. Women are fickle like that Sun Ho. They can never make up their minds whether to love us or hate us. Just give So Jung some time but never EVER let her walk all over you. You have to be the man in the relationship." 'Like you?' thought Sun Ho but he dare not say it. Seung Ho usually acted whupped and followed many of his girlfriend's orders. Sun Ho didn't want to become like his friend. Besides, girls have cooties so why should he care if So Jung likes him? But there is something special about her though. He just couldn't figure out what. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 4: The Footprint -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Sun Ho made it to school by himself, since Seung Ho went to another school. (He's more than 2 years older, remember?) Sun Ho went to look for his other friends and he saw them forming a circle around someone. They seemed to be teasing a new girl. Sun Ho came up closer to the group and recognized the girl in the middle. So Jung. His mind race with frantic thoughts when he knew that his friends all had a habit of picking on the new kids, but if they're a girl, they get the worst end of it. "Hey Sun Ho," said Mark. "Check out the new girl. Why don't you take a stab at teasing her?" Usually Sun Ho would come up with a smart-aleck remark to make girls blush a tomato red. Today he was at a loss for words. So Jung looked up and saw the new member in the crowd. She couldn't believe the nerve of that guy Sun Ho. She pushed her way through the crowd and headed towards class. "Excuse me," she said quietly and nudged Sun Ho aside. "Sure," he replied and moved out of her way. All of his friends stared at him. Sun Ho just shrugged off their accusing glares and headed towards class. He smiled when he realized that he had this class with So Jung and none of his friends are there. He grabbed a seat next to her and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey So Jung!" So Jung turned around, her breath caught in her throat just realizing who was sitting next to her. She gritted her teeth and tried to act nonchalant as possible. "Hi," she replied dully. 'Now what?' thought Sun Ho. 'She just said 'hi' back and now I'm looking like a total idiot. What do girls do when they want a guy to notice them?' He remembered Seung Ho's past many girlfriends and an inspiration sparked to him. Sun Ho leaned closer and batted his eyelashes at So Jung. She scooted way back into her seat and just stared at him. That gesture had totally turned her off. 'What's his problem?' she wondered. 'Damn, she ain't responding,' Sun Ho fumed. 'Playing hard to get now.' The teacher Mrs. Jones came in at that moment and called for their attendance. She read the unfamiliar name off the list and soon So Jung was presented before the class. "Does anyone in here speak Korean would be so kind to help So Jung out?" "ME! ME! Pick MEEEEEEE!!" Sun Ho waved his hand frantically for the teacher's attention while So Jung pounded her forehead with her fist. 'Why me?' "Ah, Sun Ho. So Jung, please take a seat near Sun Ho. He'll be helping you out for the rest of the school year." Sun Ho waved for So Jung to come closer but she had no choice but to concur. She picked up her schoolbag and trudged her way down the aisle. She could hear the other students chanting. "Sun Ho's got a girlfriend!" She wasn't able to understand what they were saying but by the goofy grin that Sun Ho had on his face, she knew it wasn't good. She gritted her teeth and sat down at the desk the teacher assigned for them, just praying that this day will soon be over. -------------------- Sun Ho leaned against the gym doors, waiting for So Jung to come out of her next class. She was trying to explain to the teacher that she didn't speak English well so she wasn't able to leave when the bell rang. Sun Ho decided to wait for her, wanting to walk her home and discuss this crush that she had on him. An obnoxious voice rang in his ear and he had to turn around to see who was calling him. "Sun Ho!" Sun Ho turned to face his friend, also the power-hungry mongrel in the group. Mark always wanted things his way and it annoyed the hell out of Sun Ho. He groaned when Mark came closer. "What Mark?" "This is your last chance to prove to us that you're still one of the guys. That new girl So Jung is going to come out of that door any minute now, it's your turn to make fun of her." So Jung came out from her classroom and wanted to head straight on home. Sun Ho looked at So Jung and then at his group of friends. He had to make a choice right then and there. Of course, people his age chose his buddies over a girl. Sun Ho ran up to So Jung quickly and pulled her to the side out of earshot. "So Jung," he whispers, conspiring a plan. "Listen to me. Those guys want to beat you up. Go along with my plan and everything will be okay." So Jung rolled her eyes and nudged Sun Ho away. "I don't care. They can do whatever they want." Sun Ho stared at So Jung in surprise and pulled her back. "You don't understand!" he yelled at her in both Korean and English. "I have to pretend to kick your ass so the guys won't harass you anymore. Just pretend to fall down when I punch you okay?" So Jung leered at him and her mind was a mass of confusion. She didn't understand a single word that Sun Ho was saying but her eyes grew wide when he punched her shoulder lightly. Was he trying to pick a fight with her? "Are you scared now fob?" Sun Ho taunted, grinning that So Jung was acting very well. She had backed away a little bit and was staring at him in disbelief. "F-f-f-Fob?" she stuttered. "Y-y-Yes," he retorted, mimicking her speech. Sun Ho had gone too far. So Jung could tolerate any word but the word 'fob' had just spurned her anger. He wasn't able to hear it but her knuckles were cracking, anticipating his next move. Sun Ho didn't know that So Jung could fake it so well. He nudged her again with his fist and then the unexpected happen. So Jung grabbed his arm and flipped him over. "What the--!" So Jung hurled Sun Ho into the air and slammed him into the ground. 'What is she doing?' thought Sun Ho frantically. He tried to grab her legs for her to stop but instead she kicked him in the stomach and it made him keel over. All of Sun Ho's friends stared in terror at So Jung's wrath. They had backed away from her and moved aside to let her through. So Jung stepped on Sun Ho as she walked on by, leaving an imprint of the Nike logo across his face. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 5: At first sight -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- So Jung was still running, looking over her shoulder constantly to see if Sun Ho and his gang were behind her or not. She had made it home safe and sound. She ran up the stairs back to her house, now having a fear of elevators. Sun Ho, on the other hand, was still trying to recover from the massive blow. He rolled over on his stomach and lifted himself off the ground. He coughed once and was finally able to breathe again. Takeshi slapped Sun Ho's back. "Sun Ho, are you going to be okay?" He nodded. "I'll be fine." Takeshi swished his bangs to the side and breathed in a sigh of relief. "No wonder you were so nice to her. If I knew that the new girl could kick some ass like that, I'd keep my big mouth shut too." "So?" interrupted a voice. "She's a girl. Sun Ho should have been able to take her." Sun Ho groaned mentally when he heard that imprudent tone. He often wondered why he stayed friends with Mark. He rolled his eyes as he turned his back towards him. "Sor-Ry Mark," he exaggerated on his apology. "What do you want me to do?" "Prove yourself. Hunt So Jung down and kick her ass!" Sun Ho thought long and hard about tracking So Jung down. His pride had been bruised severely. Getting his butt kicked by a miniature girl was not his idea of a good time. He silently nodded and marched straight on home, with the others trailing behind him. -------------------- -ding dong- "Who is it?" So Jung sat still on the couch and waited for that person to answer. No response. She got up slowly and peeked her eye out through the peephole. She wasn't able to see anyone. So Jung gulped as she slowly opened the door, fearing that it was one of Tommy or Dae's pranks again. When the door was fully open, sure enough there was no one in sight. However, there was a note taped to her door. She scanned her eyes through the note briefly and gave a disgusted grunt. 'Sun Ho, that babo. He scripted many of the characters wrong.' When So Jung finished reading it, she tossed the crumpled note to the side. It was a challenge letter from Sun Ho and she was going to accept it since he didn't learn from his previous lesson. 'I'm just going to have to kick that arrogant bastard's ass again.' -------------------- So Jung rolled up the sleeves of her sweater and marched out to designated place Sun Ho wanted to meet her. She came alone, showing that she is not afraid of him. It had been a big mistake. A couple more guys of Sun Ho's clique had shown up and she was outnumbered 6 to 1. "What do you want Sun Ho?" So Jung asked in Korean. "What did she say?" asked Mark as he nudged Sun Ho with his elbow. "She's saying that she wants to call a truce." Mark settled back and aimed a cocky look at the girl before him. He shook his head. "Tell her no way." Sun Ho had an unsettling feeling in his stomach. He wasn't sure what to do now. He didn't want to negotiate with So Jung again, seeing what a violent little vixen she is. He had no choice but to oblige. Sun Ho fronted her and starting spewing out a mouthful of cuss words. So Jung backed away a few steps. Everyone knows English cusswords whether they were American or not. She gritted her teeth and moved up forward. "Leave me alone you apartment pervert!" "I'm the what?!" Sun Ho asked incredulously. His eyes were boggling and he stared at So Jung in disbelief. He knew what she was referring to but he couldn't believe what he was hearing. On impulse Sun Ho gave So Jung a hard shove. It had hurt. Her palms were scraped from the friction she caused when she tried to stop herself from falling. She looked up at him and her lower lip was trembling. She wouldn't cry though, at least not in front of the likes of him. It would only show that he got to her. So Jung tried to lift herself up off the concrete pavement but suddenly her own weight against her felt like a ton. She was having a hard time getting up. Then she felt a pair of arms cupped under her elbows and stood her up straight. So Jung turned to see who had helped her up and then the golden oldie of 'All I Have To Do Is Dream' by the Everly Brothers played in her mind. 'Dream, dream dream dream, dream, dream dream dream When I want you in my arms, when I want you and all your charms Whenever I want you, all I have to do is Dream, dream dream dream When I feel blue in the night, and I need you to hold me tight Whenever I want you, all I have to do, is dream...' (music fades into background) So Jung was still staring as the handsome, young stranger inspected her bruises. "Are you okay?" "Huh?" So Jung snapped out of her trance and then blushed, cursing herself for staring. "Y-yeah, I'm okay," she answered meekly. The stranger smiled and then he glared at Sun Ho and his group of friends. "Sun Ho! What have I taught you about abusing girls?" "But Seung Ho hyung, she beat me up first!" "Stop whining Sun Ho! You make us guys look bad." Sun Ho just stood there cross-armed, while his buddies gawked around sheepishly. They were pretending they didn't know what was going on. They didn't want to mess with a big, mean 9th grader. Seung Ho ignored them for the moment and turned to check on So Jung. "What's your name?" "Kim So Jung," she squeaked out. "Nice name. I'm An Seung Ho," he commented and gave her a smile that almost melted her into a puddle. So Jung blushed and refused to look at him. After a scolding from Seung Ho, Sun Ho and his pals began to leave. Seung Ho said something about having to go as well and he waved So Jung goodbye as he headed off. So Jung stared dreamily after him, still waving although he was out of sight already. She sighed contentedly as the stars twinkle in her eyes. An Seung Ho had been her knight in shining armor, saving her from the village idiot, Lee Sun Ho. Oh how magnificent Seung Ho had looked when the orange sunset highlighted the reddish tones of his bowl-shaped haircut, his ears sticking out so far it could stop traffic, and of course his fashionable sense of style wearing those high-water pants. Sigh. So Jung wondered when she would be able to see him again. Soon, she hoped. So Jung brushed the remaining dust off of her jeans and then skipped all the way home, humming her now favorite tune. -------------------- [Summary of next 4 years] For the next 4 years, Sun Ho and So Jung went to school together, finishing their last year at elementary and moved onto Junior High. So Jung's father had to move to La Palma because his job required him to transfer. Mr. Lee also worked at the same place as Mr. Kim so he had to move as well. They weren't able to find apartments next to each other much to So Jung's joy and Sun Ho's dismay but their homes were fairly closer. Just a few blocks away. So Jung tried to ignore Sun Ho as much as possible but she found it to be impossible. He was always around. As for Sun Ho, his excuse was he was her neighbor and was trying to show some hospitality. But in reality, he wasn't ready to give up on So Jung yet. Not when she had proven to him that she was the first girl ever to have a crush on him. During those times Sun Ho had not been much of a help on improving So Jung's English. He wanted her to speak in Korean, so she would always have to come to him for assistance and wanted her solely for himself. Being in America, So Jung forced herself to speak English at every chance possible by making new friends. Sun Ho somehow felt that it was very obvious So Jung didn't need him anymore when they entered High School. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 6: So Jung meets Val -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- [Fall 1996] Today was So Jung and Sun Ho's first day as a freshman at Kennedy High. She could hear his footsteps behind her but she refused to slow down so he could catch up. The playground incident had been years ago but So Jung did forgive him for it but she did not forget. Their walking to school together had solely been their parents' idea and although she had objected many times. They had blatantly refused to let her go to school alone. So Jung's sisters are now attending college, coming home only during vacation time. She missed them dearly and they were the only people she was able to talk to. She felt utterly lonely at this point in her life. Most of her friends didn't attend the same school and not many have kept in contact since she moved away. Sun Ho mumbled a bye to her as he headed towards his first class. So Jung heaved a tired sigh as she looked for her class as well. She was still a midget, looking up at the taller upperclassmen as they gave her weird stares. She knew what they were thinking. She probably belonged in middle school instead of high school. So Jung went inside her advanced math class and took a seat. Many of the students were already present and she felt awkward amongst them. She was a ninth grader but studying math at a much higher level. Pretty soon, she might even surpass that. The teacher Mrs. Smith called for attendance and then allowed everyone the rest of the time to get acquainted with their classmates. Everyone was moving about except for So Jung and the girl in front of her. She had long darkish brown hair and seemed to be of Asian descent. During roll call, So Jung remembered that the girl's name had been Val. From her side view she saw Val trying to balance her bangs with her upper lip, forming a mustache. She look like she didn't have an IQ high enough to keep her seat warm but at least she was a fellow Korean that So Jung can make friends with. She tapped Val's shoulder so she would turn around. "Annyonghaseyo?" The girl Val blinked her eyes several times and her face registered a blank expression. "Que?" ".........." So Jung's tongue was caught and she wasn't able to utter another word. Val didn't understand her native language. Val sensed the awkwardness and spoke to So Jung slowly. "Can...you...speak...English?" Her phrasing offended So Jung. "Yes, I can speak English!" she snapped back with that hint of accent in her voice. "Whoa!" Val raised her hands up in retaliation. "Then why don't you speak English to me then?" She gave So Jung a friendly smile and her temper began to simmer. She did seem nice enough. "Are you not Korean?" she asked slowly, emphasizing her words. "Nope, but does it matter?" So Jung smiled and shook her head. "No, it does not matter to me. My name is Kim So Jung." "My friends call me Val." So Jung and Val started to talk about everything, then realizing how much they had in common. The bell had started to ring so they gathered up their stuff and walked out the door together. They had been walking not too far before So Jung stopped moving. "Oh damn," she muttered. Val shot her a curious glance. "What is it?" So Jung didn't answer and pointed straight ahead. Val looked at what So Jung was pointing at. It was some cute guy standing next to her ex. She was unsure whom So Jung had pointed to. "Seung Ho?" At the mention of Seung Ho's name, So Jung turned to look. Seung Ho had appeared from out of nowhere and was now talking to Sun Ho. "You know him, Val?" "Sure," she replied. "Seung Ho is well known with the girls around here." So Jung's stomach plummeted at the news. "He is? So did you get to 'know' him as well?" "Sure did," she answered easily. "I was Miss December of 1995. It's okay though, Seung Ho's a nice guy so we stayed good friends." From where Sun Ho was standing, he was able to sense a pair of eyes on him. He tore away from his conversation with Seung Ho and caught So Jung looking his way. He broke his gaze from her immediately and resumed to the sulky mood that he had been in the past 4 years. Seung Ho noticed the change in his friend's behavior and bent down to get a better view of his face. "What's wrong, Sun Ho?" Sun Ho didn't answer and knocked his head to the side, pointing towards the path of So Jung. Seung Ho looked over and smiled as the recognized the two people. He waved at them. "Hey Val, So Jung! Come over here!" So Jung felt her feet glued to the floor. She was paralyzed with fright when hearing that saint calling her name. It was Val who had to drag her along. "Hey Seng Ho," greeted Val warmly. She locked him in a friendship embrace. Seung Ho was affectionate as well but through his clenched teeth, he whispered to her, "It's Seung Ho." "Hee hee...sorry." Val gave him a cheesy smile. She leaned closer to So Jung to introduce her. "Do you know So Jung here?" "Of course I do. I wouldn't forget her." Seung Ho smiled as he stooped down to look directly at the short girl. "Hey So Jung, remember me?" So Jung bit her tongue and didn't make a sound. She just nodded and blushed shyly, feeling excited that he remembered who she was. She finally mustered up the courage to look at Seung Ho directly but she found herself staring into a pair of eyes that were not his. So Jung looked around in search of him, deliberately ignoring Sun Ho. Sun Ho stared at her uncomfortably. He answered the unspoken question written across her face. "Seung Ho left with your friend to their next class already." "Oh." They stood there awkwardly as a couple of silent minutes ticked on by. This was getting to be ridiculous. "So are you-" they both said at once. "You go first, So Jung." "No, you go Sun Ho." Sun Ho twitched one of his legs nervously. He gave a shy smile as he looked at the waxed floor. "Can I walk you to your next class?" So Jung shrugged her shoulders, not seeing the big deal is. "Sure, I guess." Sun Ho smiled triumphantly as he led the way to So Jung's class. He had completed lesson one of Seung Ho's school for understanding women. Lesson one: If a girl lets you walk her to class, you've got her in check. Seung Ho had demonstrated lesson one for Sun Ho with So Jung's friend. Sun Ho glanced over at So Jung to steal a quick look at her. Her eyes were roaming everywhere, not looking at anything in particular and she just walked on silently. So Jung had agreed to his escort so it clearly showed that she still wanted him. He smiled at the thought of that. 'Lee Sun Ho, you are one slick dawg.' -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 7: SM is here -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- One week later... "Sun Ho! You won't believe what I just heard!" Seung Ho had busted into Sun Ho's room without a warning or invitation. Sun Ho had been staring at the picture of So Jung in his wallet. It was an unflattering pose of her but it was the only kind he was able to get. He had made Dae and Tommy prank So Jung again so she would come out of her apartment. The picture had been taken a month after the playground incident. During that time she had refused to even knowledge his existence. So Jung was wearing her Care Bears pajamas, her hair was a ruffled mess, her eyes baggy from the lack of sleep. She was indeed a beautiful creature. "Knock before you enter!" Sun Ho had tried to casually slip the wallet back into his pocket but Seung Ho had seen it. He gave him a wolfish grin. "What's that in your wallet, Sun Ho? What are you trying to hide there?" "Nothing." "Uh huh. Well anyway, I came by to tell you-" Seeing that Sun Ho is being engrossed in their conversation, Seung Ho attacked him and lunged for the wallet. He opened it up and held it away from Sun Ho's reach. "Whoa! These are all pictures of So Jung in her PJ's!" Sun Ho blushed a raging red, it was a wonder it didn't permanently stayed on his skin. He kicked Seung Ho in the shins and it made him drop the wallet. "It's none of your damn business!" Seung Ho blinked several times and raised his hands up in surrender. "Your obsession with her is none of my business. Although I must say, she was one cute little thing." Sun Ho shot him a deadly glare. "You're not touching this one." "Of course not. I never mess with my boy's girl." Sun Ho breathed a sigh of relief and jumped back onto his bed. He tucked his wallet securely back into his front pocket so Seung Ho won't have a chance of snatching it again. "So what's the big news, Seung Ho?" "SM is here." Sun Ho sat there still, his body numb with shock as he tried to register those 3 words. "SM is here? Here in California?" Seung Ho nodded excitedly. "They're having auditions in LA. We can cut class that day and go!" "Oh man, I better check in my closet to see if I have anything decent to wear!" Seung Ho and Sun Ho started to tear through Sun Ho's closet looking for some decent clothes. Seung Ho found a teddy bear among the pile and played keep away with it. Sun Ho grabbed it back, then smiling at what he was about achieve. So Jung would be so proud to know a famous person. -------------------- [Tryout day] Seung Ho was massaging Sun Ho's back to relieve his stress. Sun Ho eyes were bulging and he was hyperventilating from the anxiety. "Come on, breathe Sun Ho. We've come this far already. Don't faint on me." Sun Ho nodded his head and didn't answer. He was even afraid to breathe, he was worried he might pass out from the fright. "Lee Sun Ho." A receptionist called his name and Seung Ho pulled him up. "They're calling you. Good luck!" Sun Ho gave his friend a peace sign and entered the tryout room. He came in quietly and stood in the middle of the room. He saw three judges sitting in front of him. He knew he would have to meet their approval if he wanted to make it. Sun Ho swallowed once and then started to rap and dance, performing the lyrics and moves he and Tony had practiced over those few days. After an agonizing five minutes, it was over. He knew Seung Ho had done well and wondered how the judges perceive him. They had given him encouraging nods and he had the feeling that it had gone well. Now he only had to wait to see if he had made it or not. -------------------- --3 days later- 'Mr. Lee Sun Ho, SM has selected you to be their next leading rapper for their new male group.� "I'm in? I'm in!" Sun Ho whooped with joy at the letter of news in his hand. He dialed Seung Ho's number and apparently, he wasn't home. "Oh my gosh! I have to call somebody and tell them!" He picked up the phone to dial So Jung's but his sister, Jung Lim stopped him. She slammed the phone back down and he stared at her in surprise. "Sun Ho, how dare you gyp school and audition for SM." "But look, noona! I made it! I'm their next leading rapper!" Jung Lim took the letter in Sun Ho's hand and scanned it briefly. She searched for the envelope to see if it really was the SM company's letter and not one of Seung Ho's sick jokes. "Oh my gawd. They do want you! What's wrong with the gayo industry these days?" Sun Ho grabbed the letter back and stuck his tongue out at her. "Ha ha! I'm going to be a superstar!" "No, you're not," she stated back. She hated to crush her brother's spirits but obviously, he didn't know that their parents disapprove of it. "Mom and Dad aren't going to let you drop school and become a short-lived rapper." The note dropped from Sun Ho's hand and he was no longer laughing. He stumbled back a few steps at the news and fell to his seat. "They won't let me go?" "Seung Ho got in as well. Did you know that?" "He did? What did his parents say?" "They let him go." Sun Ho stared at her incredulously. "Then why won't they let me go?" "Sorry, Sun Ho." His sister gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder and then left his room, giving him time to be alone. Sun Ho sat alone in the dark and his eyes drifted back towards the phone. He dialed So Jung's number. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 8: Red Connection -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- So Jung sat down on her street corner, waiting for Sun Ho to pick her up. His family had moved away a few blocks from her and he said he was coming by soon, picking her up with his sister's car. A sound of a bell jingling caused So Jung to look up from her seat. Sun Ho was coming up the path and he was not driving a car. "Hey So Jung," he panted as he braked his bike to a stop. So Jung stared at him wide-eyed. She wasn't able to hold in her question. "I thought you were going to pick me up with Jung Lim's car?" "Sorry, the car wouldn't start." So Jung gave him an unladylike snort. "So we're walking then?" "Nope, even better. I got us a bike." So Jung circled the bike, her face a look of pity. Instead Sun Ho smiled and nodded, motioning for her to get on. With an exasperated expression, So Jung leapt onto the handlebars. When they finally gained balance, Sun Ho started to pedal them to the nearest restaurant. They had settled themselves down in the quaint little restaurant and the waiter had served them, promising to be back with their food in just a few minutes. Sun Ho seemed nervous about something, drinking all of his water and asking for more refills. So Jung didn't want to waste her time anymore and cuts to the chase. "So what did you call me out here for?" "Umm...here." He handed her the SM letter and So Jung started to read its contents. Her eyes grew wide in disbelief. "You're going to be a rapper?" Sun Ho nodded, now feeling embarrassed about his achievements. "Uh huh. And Seung Ho made it too." "Seung Ho? He made it too?" Now So Jung wanted more details. She wanted to know everything that was related to Seung Ho. They continued talking while Sun Ho didn't notice that most of their conversation was about Seung Ho. So Jung had talk to Val about this soon. -------------------- An afternoon in Chinatown... During that past month So Jung and Val had grown to be quite close. So Jung still remained at her short physique while Val towered over her just a tiny bit. Right now the two friends are in downtown L.A. strolling through Chinatown. So Jung followed her friend around the crowded area. Lately Val has been developing a strange passion for love charms. "What exactly are you looking for Val?" "I know it's around here somewhere...my mom took me here last week..." Finally Val stopped right in front of an antique shop and there was a scroll with a large Chinese character hung that in front of the store. "Don't tell me you believe in this stuff." Val paid her friend no mind and went inside. She scanned through the aisles and started to sort through the various bracelets. So Jung stared at her. "You're not Buddhist, Val." "I know..." she said slowly and continued rummaging through the pile. "Hmm...Ah ha! There it is!" Val pulled out the red article from the box slowly. So Jung stared at it and waited for Val to pull out the rest of it. That was it. A piece of string. So Jung took the small item from Val' s hand. "That's it? You've dragged me all the way down here and made me fight through that mob of people for 3 hours just to find this piece of thread?" Val didn't answer her friend and was already walking towards the register to pay for the item. The clerk gave them a knowing smile and rang up the price on the register. "Five dollars for just a piece of thread?!" So Jung asked incredulously. Val clasped a hand over her friend's mouth and ushered her out the store when she threw the bill on the counter. "Shh! It's worth it!" So Jung shook her head. "I can't believe you've been taken in like that. What's so special about that thread?" "So Jung," said Val, scolding her as if she was a little child. "You don't know what kind of mystical powers this 'thread' you just call have." So Jung wanted to fall over laughing. There Val goes again with her sullung philosophy. "Inspire me Val." "This thread you see here," she said, holding it up as if it were some great prize. "Legend has it that this thread binds two soul mates together for eternity. I mean, if one were to depart before the other, this thread would hold them together and make them find each other again. Thus, this string has been called the 'Red thread of Fate'." "What a bunch of bull," said So Jung, rolling her eyes. "Fine then. Don't believe me." So Jung pulled Val back and had to ask her something, a question that had been nagging the edge of her conscience. "Is that thread for Seung Ho?" "Nope. For someone else," she said with a secretive smile. "I already got Seung Ho a goodbye present. What about you? What are you going to get Sun Ho?" So Jung blinked. "What about him? "Aren't you going to get him something?" "And waste my money? Hell no." "Then what about Seung Ho?" So Jung fidgeted. "I don't know what to give him." "How about one of these bracelets?" she teased and So Jung had slapped her hand away. "Please. Only you believe in that stuff." Val huffed as continued walking ahead to browse in the other stores, saying something about finding more love charms. So Jung followed her slowly, still snickering behind her. 'Poor Val. She's so hopeless and gullible. She'll believe anything if it believes that it'll bring her better luck with love.' At that very last thought, So Jung paused for a moment. Then she was starting to walk backwards, right back to that very store. "GIVE ME ALL THE RED THREAD YOU HAVE!!!" -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 9: Sun Ho's goodbye -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Next day... "Hey Val, whatcha doing pal?" Val brought the phone closer to her ear and tried to make out the voice on the other line. It sounded like her friend but today, she sounded kind of perky which is highly unusual for her. "So Jung?" "Yeah, who did you think it was?" "I don't know," she replied, twisting the phone's cord around her finger and then took a sip of her Coke. "You sound pretty peppy right now. What's up?" "Nothing much. So when did you say you were going to the airport to see Seung Ho off?" Val suddenly bolted upright and spewed the Coke out of her mouth, spraying the wall. She wasn't able to believe her ears. So Jung was trying to act casual mentioning Seung Ho but Val was able to caught on. She smiled. "I didn't. Why? Do you wanna come?" "Of course not!" she vehemently denied. "I'm just wondering so I won't come over just to see that you're not home." "Uh huh. Sure...." "I'm serious, Val," So Jung insisted, now making herself less believable. "Mm hmm...I believe you." So Jung rolled her eyes. Now this was going to be harder than she expected. "Can you do me favor please?" "What?" Val was starting to vacuum the house since the place was knee-high in dirt. She cradled the phone on her shoulder, trying to listen what So Jung had to say. Apparently she was pretty deaf when So Jung continued their conversation, unaware of what Val was doing. -vroom vroom- "I already put a box in your backpack. Can you give that box to Seung Ho for me?" Val leaned over and pulled her backpack from the ground. Sure enough, inside was a gold gift box. "Okay sure. What's inside?" "Something. Now don't be nosy and open it. Remember to give it to him." "Sure. No problem." "Thanks. Talk to you later then." Click. Val hung up the phone and finished her vacuuming. She checked the time on the wall and it was time to go. She picked up her present for Seung Ho and the present So Jung had instructed her to take. She paused for a moment before locking the door behind her. "Now who did So Jung say the present was for?" Val shrugged her shoulders and furrowed her eyebrows into a frown. And then it hit her. "Oh yeah, Sun Ho!" She smiled at her cleverness and then looked around once more, checking to see if she had forgotten anything. Apparently Val still haven't quite grasp So Jung's dialect. She was still humming when she headed over to Seung Ho's house. -------------------- Sun Ho was looking around the crowded airport for a familiar face in the crowd. He was surrounded by hundreds of people but yet, he still felt lonely. His family had been against his idea for being a singer from the start and they had not come to the airport to see him off. He glanced over at Seung Ho, who was being mobbed by his family and friends. Sun Ho was only able to envy his friend at this moment, for even a girl had seen him off. He recognized the girl Val, whom had been a close friend of So Jung. 'I wish So Jung could have come,' he thought sadly. He picked up his backpack and sat by himself on one of the seats lined against the wall. He heard the sounds of footsteps coming closer and he looked up to see who it was. "Hi Val." "Hi Sung Ho." "SUN HO," he emphasized, correcting her pronunciation. "Sorry, I mean Sun Ho," she said, smiling. "I came to give you something from So Jung." "What is it?" he queried. She handed him a small gold jewelry box. He lifted up the lid and inside he saw a piece of woven red thread. "What's this?" he asked, picking it up. Val's eyes grew wide and she started to laugh hysterically. Ha ha ha! "Oh my gosh! I don't believe this!" "What? What?" Sun Ho was surprised at Val's reaction. What is so special about this piece of thread? "That piece of thread that you're holding is called, 'The Red Thread of Fate.' Back in the old days, couples give it to their love ones when they're afraid they won't see each other anymore. This red thread has been said to link them together and promise them that one day they will be able to see each other again." Sun Ho was speechless and stared at the thread. He was touched beyond words. His overly inflated ego was about to burst any minute when he came to learn that he had this tremendous effect on So Jung. Why didn't she tell him? Val kept on talking. She had this huge grin on her face. "I think So Jung might be afraid that she won't see you again and she's probably hoping that this thread will ensure the possibility that you will." She paused to shake her head. "That girl. She must have been too shy to give it to you." "Did she tell you to say anything to me?" "Yeah, she did. She says good luck and she'll wait for the day she'll see you again," said Val absentmindedly. She always did have a habit of exaggerating things. Sun Ho slipped on the bracelet around his wrist and admired it from afar. 'So Jung, did you really care for me that much?' he wondered. His heart was singing with elation and he no longer felt lonely. 'I'll never feel lonely again now that I have So Jung's love,' he thought happily. This time boarding the plane Sun Ho produced his first smile of the day and waved to everybody goodbye. Next time he sees them, he swears that he won't let So Jung down and become an international star. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 10: Sun Ho's return -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- --Two months later- Life had continued its natural course, proceeding each day with nothing new in store. It had been a chilly autumn day and suddenly someone's unexpected return changed everything. So Jung wondered at that moment what Seung Ho was doing right now but his effect on her had seemed to fade already. It had been a childhood crush she realized and nothing more. But still, she wondered how he was taking the fame and all. And what about Sun Ho? She cringed when she thought of him but they had been friends off and on these past few years so she wondered about him as well. It was as though nature, but more likely the author, answered her unspoken question of Sun Ho's whereabouts. It had happened the day when So Jung had just came home from the movies with Val and their other friends. There was already a message at home waiting for her. "What is it, Ji Hae?" Her sister clasped a hand over the receiver to drown out the noise. "It's Sun Ho. He called this afternoon and wanted you to meet him at the playground at midnight." So Jung checked the time. Sun Ho did have perfect timing. She had ten minutes before it was the designated time. She slipped back on her jacket and headed out the doors. It had been such a long time since So Jung had been to a playground. This one on their street fairly resembled the one back in their old neighborhood. She had detested it since it always brought back those ugly memories of her earlier youth. She sat down on the park bench and suddenly a hand clasped over her eyes, making her vision a pitch black. "Guess who?" So Jung yanked Sun Ho's hand away from her. She wasn't in the mood for guessing games. "How come you're back in California? I thought you were supposed to be in Korea?" Although it wasn't a very warm welcome, Sun Ho smiled at her as he sat down. His looks had remained the same and he just shrugged his shoulders as he answered her. "Family problems. My mom and dad had been nagging me the whole time and forced me to come home. I had no other choice since they won't sign my release form." So Jung looked at him sympathetically. Sun Ho had wanted to become a gasoo so bad that he even talked about it in his sleep whenever his family spent the night at her house. She sat there in awkward silence until it was Sun Ho who spoke again. "Oh well, I'm glad I came back anyway. There had been someone whom I missed terribly while I was away." So Jung's eyes flew open. 'Oh no, don't tell me what I think it is.' She moved away a little bit but Sun Ho was moving closer. He was giving her this starry-eyed look and frankly, it was scaring the hell out of her. "So Jung, I think I'm in lo-" (Achoo! Someone is speaking ill of the author. Not able to complete that thought.) "You think you're what?" Sun Ho paused for a moment and his face registered a blank expression. "I don't know! I just forgot." Whew. "So did you miss me?" he asked, desperately wanting to know. So Jung suddenly felt herself being closed in, his presence suffocating her. He stood nearly a foot over her, and she was scared. He looked like a giant wanting to crush her. She wanted to leave right now. "No." Sun Ho laughed, thinking that she was just teasing him. "You're so cute. Always playing your little mind games with me." He pulled So Jung closer and was about to give her a kiss but she raised her purse to stop his mouth from coming in contact with hers. "What are you doing?!" Sun Ho opened his eyes and stared right back at her. "What? I'm asking you to be my girlfriend." "That's not asking me!" Sun Ho rolled his eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "So Jung, will you be my girlfriend?" he asked, half-heartedly. Seeing the lousy effort he was putting into it, it disgusted So Jung even more. "Hell no! I'm going home now." Sun Ho grabbed So Jung's arm to stop her. "I don't get you, So Jung! You give me this bracelet and throw me all these signals. What do I have to do to show you that yes, Lee Sun Ho will go out with you?" So Jung's jaw dropped open when she recognized the red bracelet. 'I'm going to murder Val,' she thought over and over. She blurted out the next thing that came to her mind. "That bracelet wasn't for you! I gave it to Val to give it to Seung Ho. She must have messed up." So Jung clasped a hand over her mouth, instantly regretting to ever have said those words. Sun Ho was just looking back at her, his expression beginning to shatter. "It...wasn't...for...me?" So Jung nodded, deciding not to evade the truth anymore. The next minute Sun Ho went on a blazing rage of fury, kicking the monkey bars and screaming. "I don't believe this! Why does Seung Ho get everything? He gets to be a singer and he gets my girlfriend? Why? Why? Why? Can't you tell me why?" So Jung shook her head. She felt bad for Sun Ho but she had to snap him back to reality. "Life isn't always fair Sun Ho. You have to take the bad with the good. That's just how it is. Seung Ho was lucky to have his parents backing him up." Sun Ho was staring at her wildly, his anger has not toning down one bit. He was acting irrationally and he knew it. "So you're on his side now? It's been Seung Ho all along that you like, not me. I would have made a much better addition to SM's group than he would ever have." "No, you wouldn't Sun Ho. I mean, look at all the negative qualities you have against you." So Jung had unconsciously ticked the items off her fingers, not realizing that her every word was a stab at his heart. "Your parents won't let you go, your English isn't too well, your looks aren't that impressive, and most of all, you have no sang guh pool." Sun Ho blinked, his eyes now almost filling with tears. Her words had shred away any ounce of dignity he had left for himself. It was the blunt truth but hearing it from someone you loved was impossible to bear. He didn't want to wait around and hear those words anymore. "I'm sorry So Jung. G-goodbye...." So Jung blinked several times and watched Sun Ho run off into the distance. She bowed her head to the ground and suddenly felt remorseful for her cruel words. Her conscience suddenly spoke to her. You didn't have to say that you know. "I know but I didn't want to give him any ideas. Better let him hate me then think that I'm in love with him or something." But you didn't have to attack his ego. Saying that he has no sang guh pool. That was cold, So Jung. "I know but now it's too late to take those words back." Yup. Way to go, genius. "Why don't you just shut...Oh hell, I'm talking to myself." -------------------- So Jung did come to Sun Ho's house the next day and the day after that. He wouldn't allow her to come in and refused to speak to her. She had even phoned several times and would either receive a hang-up or excuse from his mother that he was in the shower. So Jung gave an exasperated sigh. This continued on for a few more weeks until unexpectedly, one day Sun Ho was gone. His family had moved away without a warning and they left no traces behind. "So, you never apologized to Sung Ho?" "Sun Ho," So Jung corrected her friend for the 1000th time. "Say it right, Val." "I'm sorry. I have a hard time pronouncing your name. You would have a hard time with mine too. That's why I changed it into an American one." So Jung stopped walking and stared at Val. "Does it cost a lot to change your name?" Val chewed on her lips as she tried to remember. "No, not really. It's easy. You just go before the judge and tell him you want to change your name. Or even better, you can just refer to yourself as 'whomever' and then that name will probably stick. Why? Do you want to change your name?" So Jung nodded. "Yeah, so you won't mispronounce it anymore." Val winced. "I said I was sorry. What do you want me to call you from now on?" So Jung had to think about it, deciding the perfect name for herself. Sun Ho's face came into her mind, the way he looked the last time she had seen him. Solemn and grief-stricken. Depression gloomed over her once more and then she realized she probably might never have a chance to apologize. She had to at least keep a memory of him somehow. So Jung remembered what Sun Ho used to call her. They used to watch Saturday morning cartoons together and he would always change the channels in time to watch the Care Bears. That's what he referred to her as. His Care Bear. "From now on, call me Clair." -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 11: No Escape From Fate -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- --Summer 2000-- *ding ding ding* "Please fasten your seatbelt for landing. We have now arrived in Chang Kai Shek Airport. You have now reached Taipei, Taiwan. We hoped that you had a pleasant flight and thank you for using American Airlines." "Val, wake up." Clair looked over at her friend, who was still sleeping with her mouth hanging open. People were already pulling their luggage out of their compartment and were walking by, staring at them both. Her face was flaming hot with embarrassment at her friend's predicament. "Val, wake up!" She shook the girl lightly and Val woke up with a jump. "Huh? What? Are we here?" "No, we're in Taipei, Taiwan right now. This is one of our stops remember?" Val nodded groggily and stood up abruptly, only to bang her head on compartment overhead. "!@#$%^&*" Clair pulled her friend and they started to leave the terminal. Val was still rubbing the top of her head at the bump that was forming. "I can't believe you're that tall and you didn't bang your head." Clair had to hold in her laughter. Over the past 2 years she had sprouted up over a half a foot, now at 5'7 towering over most girls. It was Val who now looked up to her. She didn't respond. Later they resumed talking as hey picked up their luggage and headed out the double doors of the airport. "This was a great idea, Val. Taking some time off before we go to college." Val didn't answer but Clair didn't notice. She started to call for a taxi and Val was being distracted by a passerby. Her eyes grew huge with amazement and her mouth hung open in awe. Oh no, she was being taken in again. "You can foresee the future? Can you tell me if I'm going to be rich and famous with a good-looking husband?" Clair gave an annoyed sigh and ran back to get Val. Some guy just took their taxi. "Val! What are you doing? We have to hurry up and check into the hotel already cuz I'm not sure if the airlines reserved vouchers for us." The ancient-looking woman probed at Clair with her beady eyes. She circled Clair slowly and Clair followed her steps. "What?" "Today is your lucky day, little girl," she said in her fluent English. "You will meet your future soul mate 3 times today." "No shit?" asked Val. "I didn't even know Clair like guys!" That remark received a jab in the stomach. Even with Clair's delicate, svelte figure, she was able to pick up Val over her shoulders to carry her off. She knew that the old lady wanted to swindle money out of naive tourists like Val. "Heed my words, little girl. The third time is a charm." "Yeah yeah," said Clair sarcastically over her shoulder. She placed Val on the ground and pulled her away by the sleeve. If only Clair had listened to that fortuneteller's words, she would have learned how great an impact it had in her upcoming future. -------------------- Andy and Hye Sung walked side by side down the boardwalks of Taipei. Both were wearing baseball caps and sunglasses as disguises so their fans wouldn't recognize them. In two more hours they would have to return to Taipei Stadium to perform their concert. Andy was especially glad to get out of that stuffy stadium. He didn't have a chance to tour the city and today was indeed a beautiful day. He enjoyed the fresh air and nothing was able to spoil his mood. *PLOP* "Hye Sung hyung, is it raining?" Hye Sung lowered his sunglasses to the edge of his nose to get a closer look. His jaw dropped open and his face pinched into a disgusted frown. "No. A pigeon just flew over your head." "What?!" The moment Andy had taken off his baseball cap, it had been a big mistake. The crowded boardwalk consisted mainly of girls, most of them who worshiped Shin Hwa. "Andy! Hye Sung!" Hye Sung and Andy stared straight ahead to see what the commotion was. A mob of girls were rampaging their way like a herd of buffaloes about to run them down. "Run!" yelled Hye Sung and he took off. Andy ran the other way so they wouldn't be caught together. He didn't know his way around Taipei and he knew sooner or later those girls would catch up to them. They were close behind his tail. "Wa ga ei li Andy!" Andy continued running. He was running so fast, he didn't notice that the red stoplight had just turned green. -------------------- "Ahh! Oh my gawd!" "What? What?" "Jimmy Lin merchandise for sale!" Clair knocked Val's forehead to check if it was hollow. "Damn Val. You scared the hell out of me." "Sorry, Clairy. Let me go buy a T-shirt or something first." Val started to take off towards the corner booth and Clair followed her slowly. She didn't know what but something made her look at the street ahead. A large bus was about to hit an unsuspecting pedistrian crossing the street. Clair was already running for him. -------------------- Andy saw the huge vehicle coming closer and he knew he wasn't able to move in time. His fear held him still. Images of his life flashed through his mind like a tiny microfilm the moment he waited for the impact to crush him. It would be all over. He pinched his eyes shut and waited for the hit. It never came. Andy felt his body being tugged backwards. He opened his eyes immediately and found himself staring directly into another pair of shiny brown eyes. It was an attractive girl, very close to his height and she was glaring at him furiously. "Are you freaking crazy? Didn't you see that the light turned green already? You want to play in the traffic and get killed or something?" He began to realize that the girl was yelling at him in fluent English. He just stared at her and wasn't able to respond. He still hasn't gotten over the shock of his near-death situation. Clair stared at the guy before her in disbelief. 'Aigo,' she thought. 'He's Taiwanese, he doesn't understand what I'm saying.' She continued looking at him some more and noticed that there was something vaguely familiar about him. "Just watch where you're going, okay?" she said in a gentler tone. She waved him goodbye and started sprinting the other way. Andy just snapped out of his trance and watched the girl walk away. His eyes were staring at her body. It had been years but he recognized the face and body no matter how much it had changed. "S-So-" he started but then realized the mob of girls were still behind him. "Damn!" he muttered and then started to run again. He had just passed up his chance seeing So Jung again but somehow he had the feeling that this wouldn't be their last encounter before the day was over. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 12: Second Chance -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Clair ran back to the original boardwalk that she had left Val. Her friend was walking around in circles and seemed obviously bored waiting for her. Clair ran up to her and apologized. "I'm sorry that I left." "Where were you? I was so worried!" "No where really. I kind of got lost." "Let's go shopping now since we have a day here. I changed our money into Taiwanese currency already." They were both walking for a while but stopped when they heard a noise behind them. They turned to look at each other. "Psst!" Clair arched an eyebrow and moved a little ways from Val. "Did you just pass gas?" "Hell no! I thought it was you!" "Psst!" They turned around and saw a hobo leaning against the alley wall. He motioned for them to come closer. Val, not being the one to think, came closer. "Yes?" "Are you two girls going to the Shin Hwa concert tonight?" "Cool! You speak English! Shin Hwa? Hmm...what's that?" The hobo stared at Val in disbelief. Clair came up from behind her friend to check out what he was selling. "Oh my gawd, you never heard of Shin Hwa? They're these good-looking, talented singers from Korea. They can rap/sing/dance." Val's eyes began to glitter. "Aww...I want to go," she whined. The hobo produced two tickets and smiled villainously. "I just happen to have 2 tickets right here. I can't go to that concert tonight but I'm willing to sell it to you." "How much?" "For you my dear, a mere 4000 Taiwan dollars." "Okay." Val reached inside her purse for the money but Clair grabbed her hand. "Wait Val. Let me convert the money." While Clair was counting the numbers in her head, Val had already paid the man and he left. "You dumbass, he took from you 130 dollars! At most the section A seats are only 50!" Val blinked several times. "So? I'm going to see Shin Hwa!" Clair checked the purse Val was holding and noticed how familiar it looked. She grabbed it from Val's hand and inspected the stuff inside. "With my money?" Val's eyes grew big and flushed in embarrassment at being caught red-handed. Without any more words, she made a run for it. Clair was right behind her tail. "Val! You come back here!" -------------------- "Thanks a lot, Clair. This bump you gave me matches the one I got on the airplane." Val gingerly touched the second bump forming and winced as the pain shot to her head. Clair ignored her, not wanting to feel sorry at all for her actions and sat back in her seat. "It serves you right for using my money to buy tickets to Shin Hwa. We don't even know who they are." "Oh my gawd, you never heard of Shin Hwa?" said Val, mimicking the guy who sold them the tickets. "They're these good-looking, talented singers from Korea. They can rap/sing/dance." Clair had to suppress her smile at her friend's sullungness. She wasn't able to stay mad for long and shook her head. "Isn't it enough, Clair? Besides, these are front row seats. I could probably rush the lead singer at the end of the concert." The concert starting flashing brilliant colors of light, illuminating the stadium. Many of the fans were screaming as Shin Hwa came out to present themselves. They all bowed courteously while Clair stared at the very last person to be introduced, claiming that his name was Andy Lee. She recognized him from the blank expression he always wore and especially since she had saved his life this morning. No, it couldn't be. The group started performing and strutting their stuff. A couple of fans started to faint and Clair had to edge closer to Val so the girl wouldn't fall on her. Val nudged Clair when she saw the second rapper coming up from behind. "Is it me or does that guy look like Sun Ho?" Clair's eyes were popping out of their sockets and she wasn't able to answer. She continued staring at the guy called 'Andy' and a second later, she caught him staring straight back at her. "Hey Clair! Andy is looking right at you! Wave or something!" Clair sat there dumbfounded like a robot while Val grabbed her arm and waved for her. The resemblance had been uncanny. She had not been able to get a good look at him before and now that Val also recognized him, she knew it had to be him. Lee Sun Ho. A person she hadn't seen since that night she had him out of her life with her venom words. He was staring right back at her, his lips not moving in time with the song. Clair slumped down in her seat, hoping that he wouldn't recognize her. But Andy did. He looked at Clair and smiled, knowing that she was there watching him perform one of the biggest concerts of his life. Eric had just kicked him for missing his cue and he got right back on track. He wanted to show Clair that he was worthy of her. -------------------- At Taipei Hotel "Oh my gawd! I never knew that we have that much fans in Taiwan!" exclaimed Dong Wan as he plopped down on his bed, exhausted from their performance. "I'm glad that it was a success," said Hye Sung. His manner was too polite, he was usually a matter of fact about these things. Eric jumped up from his seat as an idea came to him. "Why don't we go downstairs and celebrate in the hotel's indoor pool? Our hyungs had reserved it for us!" Min Woo gave a mischievous smile. "Wanna go skinny dipping?" Jun Jin shook his head. "No. That's gross. What if girls see us?" "They will not," responded Min Woo. "It's reserved just for us so stop being a sissy Jun Jin. Are you in Andy?" Andy was still thinking about the way Clair looked, her hair growing out a tad longer, accentuating the bone structures of her face. She had grown up quite a bit too, now it'll be more difficult to pick on her but the good quality is he'll be able to stare into those soulful brown eyes of her without straining his neck. "Huh? What did you say?" Min Woo rolled his eyes. "You've been spaced out all day. I said, are you in for skinny dipping?" Andy nodded. "You can count me in but let me go to the bathroom first." They all picked up their belongings while Andy took care of his business in the bathroom. Jun Jin was still nagging them about the skinny-dipping so they decided to give up on that idea. "Geez fine, fine. If you don't want to skinny dip, then let's all just go swimming," responded Eric. Hye Sung looked back at the bathroom door, before closing his own door and leaving. "Should we tell Andy about it?" "Nah," said Dong Wan, shaking his head. "He'll know that we were just joking about it." They all murmured in agreement and headed downstairs to the indoor swimming pool. A totally oblivious Andy came walking out later and found that everyone had already left. "Oh well," he sighed. He pulled off all of his clothes and left the hotel room with nothing on except the towel wrapped around his waist. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 13: Third Charm -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- "That Shin Hwa concert is the bomb!" Val was still jumping with joy, holding onto the Shin Hwa merchandise she bought at the concert. Clair, on the other hand, did not seem as enthusiastic. She appeared to be sick. Her face had turned pale as though she's seen a ghost. Not sensing Clair behind her, Val turned around. Clair was holding onto the banister for support and was staring off into space. "Clairy, are you okay?" Clair shook her head feebly. "I think I'm sick, Val." Val touched Clair's forehead. She didn't have a fever and appeared to be fine to her. She was breaking out in a cold sweat though and they were inside an air-conditioned facility. "Hmm...I don't feel a fever from you but you're sweating. We should go get some sleep now if we want to catch our plane tomorrow." Clair nodded gratefully and leaned on Val for support. Slipping under the covers and taking a nap sounded like heavenly bliss to her right now. They both headed towards the elevator and Val pushed the up arrow for their room floor. The hotel had up to 5 levels and it appeared to be occupied. It will be a little while before it would be down. Suddenly the tick tocking of the clock that hung on the wall caught Clair's attention. Remembering back at the ancient fortune-teller's words, she had to see Sun Ho three times. She had seen him twice today already. It was 11:59 pm. One more minute and this day will be over. There was no way in hell that Sun Ho can appear before her right now. Clair smiled at the thought of that. But then who else could it possibly be? Hmm...possibly someone she didn't notice before. Still that sense of dread pervaded her. Clair counted the seconds on the clock until it reached ten seconds left. The count down began. TEN Clair twirled a strand of her hair nervously, yanking it as she waited for the elevator impatiently. Her nerves were racking as the level numbers started to decrease. NINE Andy was inside the elevator, humming a song to himself. He tapped his foot patiently, waiting for the elevator to bring him to the main floor. EIGHT Val started to fidget, hopping from side to side. The shopping bags she was holding hit Clair and Clair noticed her friend's uncomfort. SEVEN Clair turned to her friend. "Val, is something wrong?" Val shook her head. "It's okay, I can hold it in." SIX "Where's Andy?" asked Dong Wan. "He should be here soon," answered Min Woo. "Yeah," chimed in Hye Sung. "That must be some serious business in the bathroom." They all started laughing when they saw a bare naked Jun Jin chasing after Eric for his shorts. FIVE Val continued hopping and finally she was unable to hold it in any longer. "I can't hold it in anymore! I gotta go pee!" she exclaimed and ran off. FOUR "Val!" Clair screamed after her.. Clair looked at where her friend ran off to and then at the elevator. A trickle of sweat rolled down from the side of Clair's head as she counted the descending numbers. THREE The light stopped blinking and ended at her floor. The elevator had came to a stop. Her heart was pounding wildly in her ears as she swallowed. TWO The elevator doors started to open and Clair backed away, letting it open fully. Only one person was inside the elevator and he was staring right back at her. ONE It was him. 11:59:59. Three times before the day was over. Clair screamed. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" ZERO Andy's towel dropped. -------------------- Clair's knees gave out and she dropped to the ground at the sight before her. It was that sickening sense of deja vu all over again and the screaming was loud and clear in her mind. Andy's senses finally came back and he pulled his towel. He was blushing a crimson red to be caught like this and he stared back at the girl who had seen his privacy. He couldn't believe his eyes when he recognized who it was. "S-So..." Clair had gotten up right away when she heard the sound of a door opening. Val came out of the restroom and Clair ran right past her, grabbing her arm and pulling her up the stairs. "Clair! What's the rush?" Andy slowly came out of the elevator and stared at the two figures whom had disappeared behind the stair doors. "Clair..." he whispered and then smiled. Just like him, she had changed her name into an American one. His Care Bear. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 14: Left Behind -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- "Clairy," Val whined. "Can't you at least carry one of the bags? My arms are four inches longer than they used to be." Clair shook her head sternly and held her ground. "Not after what happened in Taiwan. You deserve it." "But this is cruel and unusual punishment! What did I do to make you so mad?" Clair refused to answer her question. She still wasn't able to get over that incident she had encountered with Sun Ho. Just thinking about it sent cold tremors through her body. She looked down at the piece of scrap paper with Seung Ho's cell number scribbled on it. "There's a telephone right there," Clair pointed and started to walk briskly towards it. Val was trailing behind her, lugging all four of their luggage. "Clair, watch out for that-" Too late. *SPLASH* "-puddle," Val finishes. She dragged along the heavy equipment and came closer to her friend. Clair was frowning and trying to wring out the water in her clothes. "Gross! I'm soaked!" she exclaimed. She stomped in the water some more out of anger and it made her even wetter. The muddy water was dripping from the ends of her hair and she pulled it back from her face. "Give me the bag where I had put my clothes in." Val handed Clair back her backpack and she strode into the women's restroom located nearby to change. Val sat down on their suitcase and wore her other back pack with Clair's other duffel bag by her side. She waited impatiently for Clair to finish changing. Her ears perked up when she heard loud screaming of girls on the streets nearby. Val, being the inquisitive person that she is, came closer to the mob of people to check out what the commotion was. They were screaming "H-O-T" over and over. A few multi-colored hair guys were coming out of a studio and they were being guarded by several men in black. Val stared hard to get a better look at the last guy coming out. Blonde hair, easy grin, and ears like the Keebler's elves. An Seung Ho. "Seung Ho!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. Tony waved to the many adoring female fans that were screaming his name. One voice stood out in particular among the crowd. The female voice was calling his name he knew, but it sounded more like 'Seng Ho' than 'Seung Ho.' He tiptoed up curiously to see who could have made such a mistake when calling his beloved name. Tony's face broke into a huge grin when he saw whom it was. It was his old gal pal Val. "Val!" he exclaimed, without thinking. He waved at her. Many of the fans turned to look at the girl and some were even shooting death glares. A few were even coming closer to claw her to death. Val passed through unknowingly, whacking some of them aside with her suitcase. "Seung Ho!" Tony cringed at the accented voice Val had. Everyone could tell that she was a foreigner. From behind the security guard, Tony leaned over and grabbed Val's arm and pulled her into the H.O.T van. When Val settled in, she started to chat excitedly. "Wow, are those all your fans? I never knew that you were such a big hit in Korea, Seung Ho!" "It's Tony now," he whispered to her. "Oh right. Tony." The 4 other H.O.T members looked at the girl curiously before them. Tony sensed the awkwardness and introduced Val to his friends. They all said hello to her and were about to introduce themselves but she stopped them. "Wait! I want to see how well Tony described you guys in his letter." They all wore amuse grins as they sat back, letting Val guess who they were. Inside the van, although they were all sitting, Val was able to make out who was the tallest and who was the shortest. She pointed to the guy with big eyes and funky hair. "You're Moon Hee Jun." He smiled and nodded at her. The next person was easy to guess. He was the tallest. "You're Lee Jae Won." He gave her a smile as well, but he seemed less confident and shyer. The guy sitting next to Hee Jun had black hair and really delicate, feminine features. He had bone structures to be a model like Clair and his eyes reminded her of Sailor Moon's, always ready to spill tears. "You're Kang Ta." Kang Ta grinned at the recognition and nodded. Val turned to the very last guy, who was sitting in the corner wearing a cold expression and brooding. She tapped him lightly and stated who he was. "You're Woo Huk." "Woo Hyuk," he corrected. His cold expression turned into friendly amusement when he noticed the accent in the girl's voice. Long ago he had an accent as well so he couldn't help but reach out to shake her hand. The moment Woo Hyuk lets go, Val stared at the hand he had just touched. She lets out a squeal of joy and all of them stared at her in surprise. "Is something the matter, Val?" asked Tony. "No, nothing's wrong," she answered quickly. She had to try and suppress that smile wanting to come out. Today had been a perfect day for her, helping her to find Tony and lead to the meeting of Woo Hyuk. Now if only she could remember what she could have possibly forgotten. -------------------- Clair came out of the restroom in her new attire. The spot she had left Val was now vacant. She slung her backpack on her back and started running around in search of Val. "Val?" she called out but no one answered her. Clair zipped open her backpack and mouthed out some cuss words. Val had taken all their money and Clair was left with only her clothes. Clair ran back to the nearest telephone booth and called collect back to her own home. She got an answering machine instead. "You have reached the Kim's residence. All of us are on vacation right now so please leave your name and number so we'll try to get back to you as soon as possible. If this is So Jung, we'll make it back in time to pick you up so don't worry." ~beep~ "Shit!" she cursed as she hung up. Clair sat down on the street corner, unsure of where to go. It's been a long time since she's been back in Korea and she didn't remember any of her relatives or old friends' numbers. She was stranded all alone without any money. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 15: Remember me -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- --Hours later- Clair was chewing on the end of her sleeve out of hunger. Her mind was filled with ideas of how to slowly kill Val. Chop her up into little pieces, dissolve her body with acid, and hurl her into the ocean. Ha ha ha. Those thoughts were cheering Clair up somewhat. She got up off the corner and decided to go anywhere. She didn't want to sit on the corner anymore and started to find Val, although it was a futile search. Male touts were everywhere, scouting out potential customers and Clair was backing away from them. There were some druggies around and she started to notice how dirty the streets were. Just to add more to her bad luck, she soon realized that she was sitting in the worst side of town. She started to run as fast as she could to get out of the area, finding someone who could possibly help her. No one was offering any assistance. When Clair was running, her pace slowing down as her legs felt tired. She had been walking a few more steps when she noticed that there was a restaurant right in front of her. Her stomach began to grumble at the mentioning of food but she didn't have any money at all. She decided to just go in and just get her food to go. It was an evil deed but when you're hungry, you'll end up doing some crazy things. Clair came in and sat down, telling the waiter that it was just her for the evening. She ordered everything from the left side of the menu. She figured, what the heck, since she's gonna run, she's gonna run in a full stomach. She tried to make herself less noticeable as possible so no one would recognize her if they see her in the streets again. But from the other side of the restaurant in the way corner, someone did notice Clair. He stared at her with burning passion and smiled as he recognized her sweet face. Andy looked around for her other double, but Val was nowhere to be seen. 'She isn't on a date, is she?' Andy couldn't believe his dumb luck. Just going out to eat at the restaurant with the guys after their trip home from Taiwan and he had ran into her again. He had been thinking about her the whole entire night and now he wasn't able to do anything but stare. When the food was served, Clair inhaled it, not giving herself time to chew. The food was delicious and she was savoring every morsel. She wondered where Val was at this moment, worrying that her friend might have gotten lost and starving somewhere. She pushed away that thought and then rolled her eyes. Most likely ditzy Val must have found something that kept her occupied for so long. After she finishes eating, she'll just have to look for a place to stay and find Val tomorrow. When Clair finished eating, she looked around conspicuously and ran for it. She collided with someone in her way and to her horror, it was him. Now she had no way of escape. "Excuse me, but you're not thinking of leaving without paying are you?" That snake-like tone wanted Clair to kill him at this very moment. She hadn't seen him in years and it didn't seem like such a bad idea. The steak knife was very close to her fingers. But then she would have to worry about the mess his blood would cause and the unnecessary attention she'll bring to herself. The manager rushed out immediately and pointed an accusing finger at Clair. "Are you thinking of leaving without paying?" There was no way Clair could talk herself out of this one. "I'm sorry. Can't I wash a couple of dishes or something to pay for my meal?" Andy chuckled. "With the way you eat, you'll have to wash a thousand dishes to pay for it all." The manger refused and then headed towards the phone to call the police. Clair ran over to him and stopped him from doing so. "Can't we work something out?" Clair knew she was in deep trouble. She had no proof of identification and her unwanted stealing would cause her to plunge into a deeper mess of trouble. Andy looked at Clair curiously, wondering how she could have gotten herself in such a predicament. He remembered that Val had been with her. Ah, Val. The main reason for this entire mess. Andy smiled when he knew he had the tables turned on her. "Sir, don't worry about this. I'll pay for her debt." Clair stared at Andy dumbfoundedly and tried to mumble a 'thank you' but he stopped her. "It isn't for free, you know." She coughed as she sputtered out her next words. "What do you want from me?" "Just work. You work to earn money. You can work for me to pay me back." "Don't you recog-" Clair stopped herself from continuing. She knew that Andy would get a good laugh out of it if he knew that he had just rescued his childhood friend, Kim So Jung. She had been the one who had mocked him before and she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he got her. "Fine then. I'll work to pay off my debt." Andy smiled as he paid the man. Clair's pride was very much like his own. They rather die than admit that they needed any help. When Clair followed him towards the car, he had a hard time explaining the situation to the guys without letting them know that Clair had been his longtime friend. -------------------- "So what did you say your name was again?" Clair lifted up one of her shapely eyebrows. "I never did say it." "My name is Andy Lee but you should already know that. So what's yours?" "No, I didn't know that. I'm Clair Kim." "You never heard of Shin Hwa?" 'Gawd, that annoying question again.' Clair rolled her eyes. She decided just to let him be proud of something for once. "Yeah, I have. I just wasn't sure." Andy smiled with glee. "Okay, these are your tasks. You have to cook and clean around the house. Vacuum and dust whenever it's needed. Dump the trash. Wash the dishes. Always have my breakfast, lunch, and dinner ready. Fold my clothes. Wash my dirty laundry. Remember to separate the whites from the colors. Write down my messages if I'm not there to answer phone calls. Accept gifts from my fans for me if they leave them on the doorway, etc, etc, blah blah blah...." Clair's mouth hung open in shock at the long list. She only had to practically wait on him hand and feet. "Would you like me to wipe your ass too while we're at it?" "Hey, that's not a bad idea." Clair stared at him. He actually did look serious about it. She gave a frustrated grunt as she looked around and tried to find the couch. "Where's your couch?" "We don't have much furniture cause we tend to evacuate the building a lot. We move constantly, you know." "So where am I going to sleep tonight?" "Well, there's me, Eric, Hye Sung, Dong Wan, Min Woo, and Jun Jin. Eric likes his privacy. Hye Sung stays up all night, usually thinking about something. Dong Wan likes to touch girls and Min Woo rolls around in his sleep. Jun Jin tends to have nightmares in the middle of the night so...." "So you're the prime choice to sleep with then huh?" Andy gave her an easy, toothy grin. "Yup." Clair heaved a heavy sigh as she dragged her backpack to Andy's room. She knew better than to argue with him. He had laid out a comforter on the floor for her and she tried to make herself more comfortable. She nearly choked when Andy took off his shirt, now wearing only his boxers and revealing his bare skin. His body was set out to seduce her but ended up doing nothing except giving her a gagging storm of choked up laughter. He was a pitiful sight. Barely any meat on those bones of his and he was strutting around like a peacock. "If I had known you'd be staring like that, I'd cover myself up more. Do you have any idea how lucky you are to see me like this?" Clair had to contain her laughter. She didn't want to listen to his yapping anymore so she decided to agree just to shut him up. "Yup. You sure are one hot-looking stud." Andy grinned and then plopped on his bed. Mission complete. He turned off the nightlight and rolled his side so he would face Clair when he's sleeping. Clair wanted to turn the other way. The moonlight had flooded the room so Clair had a clear view of Andy stretched out on his bed, with one arm crossed behind his head. The beam illuminated his face and she could see that he was smiling. Smiling? It must be a trick of the light and her eyes were deceiving her. 'Hmm...I'll worry about that tomorrow,' she yawned and then drifted off to sleep. -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Ch. 16: Clair's goodbye -o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o- Clair continued working those hard, grueling hours slaving away for Sun Ho. He appeared to enjoy her attitude. He liked to poke and prod her until her temper would flare up and she would lash out at him. He just stood there like an idiot, taking in all of her demeaning words. He was a strange fellow. But then, all good things must come to an end. One fateful day, Jun Jin had invited Kang Ta over to their suite. "Come in, Kang Ta." Kang Ta entered the house gracefully and sat himself down on the sofa. Jun Jin got out some Pepsi and offered it to Kang Ta. He took a sip and made himself more at ease. "So what brings you here?" Kang Ta lifted up one of his eyebrows and then shrugged. "You wouldn't believe Seung Ho's friend, Val. She's like the Energizer Bunny. She can go on and on and on, talking a lot of nonsense but you can't see her running out of stuff. She kept me up all night, asking me all sorts of questions. Right now she's gluing herself to Woo Hyuk so I had a chance to escape." Jun Jin started to laugh. "That bad, huh?" "Wait until you experience it firsthand." Andy came out from his room and was extremely pleased to see Kang Ta. "Hey, Kang Ta. What brings you here?" "Long story," he sighed. "Clair!" Andy bellowed. "Bring out some cookies and fix us some drinks! We have guests right now!" Kang Ta poked his head towards the kitchen curiously. "You guys have a maid?" Jun Jin rolled his eyes. "Andy's taking advantage of the poor girl when he just paid a few measly won for her dinner." Andy looked at Jun Jin in offensive shock. "I didn't take advantage of her. I'm paying her a decent amount of money." At that moment, a slim figure came out from the kitchen having to wear a 'Kiss the Cook' apron per Andy's instructions. Her face was a mask of anger that was hard to conceal. Kang Ta was staring at her, not just because she was pretty but he recognized her from the late night chats with Val. "By any chance, is your name Clair?" Clair had already perked up when she recognized Kang Ta. So he did know who she was and now, he probably could help her escape. She looked at Andy and then back at him. She nodded her head furiously. "Yes! Yes! I am Clair!" "Your friend Val is staying with us right now." "Can you please PLEASE take me to her?" Clair got on her hands and knees and started to beg him. Kang Ta helped Clair up and smiled in agreement. "Of course I can. It's not too far away." "My, aren't you an eager little beaver," Andy commented sarcastically. He was angry that Clair had been ignoring him for the moment. "And here I treated you so well too. Giving you a place to stay and all of our late night talks..." "You did most of the talking," Clair cuts in. She was already dragging Kang Ta out of the door. "Let's hurry and find Val. I missed her a lot." Kang Ta took Clair out the door and Andy followed, grumbling all the way behind them. -------------------- "Clair!" Val started to run towards her friend, her arms spread wide open to welcome her in a hug. Clair ran to her, instead of hugging her, she had Val in headlock and started to choke her. "Val! I'm going to kill you!" "Ack! Can't breathe!" Andy pulled Clair off of Val, using that as an excuse to touch her. "Is this how you treat your best friend? Hey Val, long time no see." He came closer and smiled. He opened up his arms and gave Val a hug. As they were hugging, Clair stared at him in disbelief. "You remembered Val and not me?" Andy shrugged his shoulders. "I never said that I didn't know who you were, So Jung." "So you knew who I was and you pretended not to the whole time?" Clair's animal instincts took over and she was ready to claw Andy to death. He started running out the door and right towards the park with Clair chasing after him. Val watched the pair run and disappear off into the distance. A vicious smile came to her lips when she realized she was alone with a bunch of guys. "Now that they're gone why don't we---" No one was around. When Val was distracted, they had all run off and found their own hiding places. "Hey, that's not very funny!" -------------------- At the airport, everyone was exchanging good byes. Val seemed to be an expert with farewells, hugging all of the Shin Hwa members although she hardly even knew them. Then it was the H.O.T members' turn to be hugged and the last one had been Woo Hyuk. "Goodbye Woo Hyuk," she whispered, saying his name right this time. Woo Hyuk was hesitant to hug Val at first. He had only meant to hug her briefly but Val was still holding onto him. Clair stared at her friend in amazement at her public display of affection. The poor guy was too chak hae to ask her to let go. Clair had to pry her Val off. "Okay, Val. That's enough of a goodbye." Val reluctantly lets go and soon Andy was coming closer to Clair. He was unsure of how to say goodbye to her, seeing that their time together had not been exactly his idea of an ideal heaven. He wanted to hug her but she was already extending out her hand. "Take care, Andy. You've already achieved your dreams and don't let me or anyone from stopping you to go even further." Andy shook her hand and cast his eyes downward. He nodded his head. "Thanks." He paused for a moment as he lets her hand go. "Sorry, I had to make you go through all that. Your trip to Korea had been spoiled cause of me." Clair gave him a smile, the first one she had ever given him that was truly sincere. "Actually, it was a pretty interesting trip. Next time I just won't take Val with me." Andy nodded and then it was time for her to leave. Everyone waved goodbye as Val and Clair picked up their belongings and headed towards the gate. Andy smiled and continued waving as Clair disappeared behind the door. The moment she was no longer in sight, his smile melted into a frown. She was going back home to the U.S. now and he might never see her again. The possibility of anything happening between them seemed to be mute now. Maybe it wasn't meant to be. *ding ding ding* Everyone was starting to leave but the sound of the intercom caused them to stay. There was something wrong with Flight 1004. "We're sorry but Flight 1004 is now canceled due to undesirable weather conditions. Would the passengers please come to the front desk so we can book you the soonest flight as possible to your destination? We apologize for any inconvenience and hope to correct this matter soon. Thank you." Andy turned and smiled as she came back out again. Maybe not. The End Copyrighted by val HOME