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2014
Hye-Ji had spent the whole day at school alone. She was used to it but it didn't make the feeling any better. She never enjoyed school. Never. She found her lessons boring, and to be honest a waste of time. Everyone had always told her that school was important but she didn't think so. She wanted to be an idol not a doctor or lawyer. She would much rather be in the practice room, that was what was important to her, not math or science.
Hye-ji had left the school building, putting her headphones on as she organised her thoughts. she played her playlist and started walking to the bus stop. On her way she stopped at a convenience store and got her favorite snack "Thank you" she said to the worker while she walked out the door. Within a few minutes she arrived at her usual bus stop. She looked up from the floor and saw a boy she recognized sitting on the bench. He was in her grade at school but they'd never spoken before. However Hye-Ji had always wanted to talk to him. He looked really nice, but she was always too scared.
After a few minutes of trying to work up the courage to go up to him, she finally did it. Slowly, she walked up to him and sat beside him. She noticed that he was wearing ear phones so she put the snack she had just bought in front of him. He looked up with a smile and took his ear phones out "Do you want one?" she asked, holding the bag out. "Yes please" He nodded, taking one of the sweets out "Thank you" he smiled, looking at her "Oh wait!" he exclaimed "You're Kim Hye-Ji, aren't you?" Hye-Ji was taken back for a second "Yeah" she said, chuckling awkwardly "I am" He nodded "That must of sounded really weird" he said quickly "It's just that you're in my grade, and i always see you around" "Oh, really?" she said, looking at the ground with a small smile "I'm Yang Jung-won" He said, turning to her with a warm smile "I've wanted to talk to you for a while" After a second she responded "So have i" She admitted, picking a sweet up and eating it "For a long time actually" "That's so weird, that we've wanted to speak to each other for ages but we just haven't" he laughed "Maybe if we had spoken sooner we could've already been really close" She nodded "maybe" she said "when's your birthday?" She asked, attempting to carry on the conversation "9th of February" he answered "when's yours?" She took a breath "November" she told him "I'm older" she smiled, turning to him He nodded and laughed "do you have many friends? I always see you alone" he said She swallowed and looked forward "nope" that was hard for her to admit, especially to someone she didn't know "Oh" he sighed "what about friends from your childhood?" He asked, obviously upset by her lack of friendships "Like from where you used to live, since you just moved here?" Hye-ji didn't know why she felt comfortable enough to tell him everything, but she did "nope, no one. I moved here alone " she explained with a deep breath "I'm a trainee at JYPE" "Oh wow!" He exclaimed with a smile "I'm a trainee too! Not at JYPE though" "Oh my God!" She exclaimed with a smile "That's so cool!" She beamed. Hye-ji was glad she had met another trainee, even if they weren't at the same company, it was still a relief. After a few seconds of both of them smiling at each other Jungwon said "I'm going to sit with you tomorrow" with a decisive look in his eyes "Really, why?" She asked, looking at the ground quickly. "You seem nice" he answered "I know we'll get along well, I can feel it" he said with a warm smile She nodded with a small smile "there's my bus" she said, noticing the bus driving towards them "I'll see you tomorrow" He nodded and thought for a second "wait!" He exclaimed "here's my number" he said, giving her a piece of paper She was in shock for a second but she took the piece despite that "oh, um thank you" "I'm sorry if that was a bit direct" he said quickly "but I really want to be friends" Hye-ji smiled and nodded "I really want to be friends as well. I'll see you tomorrow, Jungwon" she said, waving to him as she walked to the bus "See you soon, Hye-Ji" he smiled, waving with both hands and a bright smile with even brighter eyes.
Hye-ji thought of the boy the whole journey home. They had spoken for maximum 10 minutes and her life already seemed brighter. She had made a friend. Her first friend in Korea. He was so kind to her even though they had just met. He seemed perfect. She hoped that they would be friends for a long time.
