Chapter 8 - A new me

Chapter 8 - A new me

"If I see you ever harassing my sister again, I'll make sure that you won't leave this school unharmed" I said and glared at her. "Y-yes mam" she said and bowed. Yeah, you probably guessed it already, I was just threatening someone.

I felt like a bad girl.

I turned around to walk away, but was surprised to see somebody in a disguise in front of me. Even though I could not see his face, I knew, that it was none other than Jonghyun.

"What are you doing here?" I asked shocked. By now, the girl whom I was threatening, had run off. "The question is, what are you doing here? And why are you threatening an innocent person?" he asked shocked. "Look, I can explain" I said "Let's go in a warm place, it's freezing here" I said. We both went to Jonghyuns car and we drove off to my place. Nobody talked and I was damn sure, that Jonghyun was eager to hear my reason.

"So what happened?" he asked as soon as I opened the front door from our house. We walked inside and I decided to tell him everything. "Well, two days ago...." I started off. "Oh, what are you doing here, son?" my mom asked as she walked out her room. "I just came to talk to Soo Min" he said and smiled at my mother. "Go ahead in her room, I will come by to give tea and snacks" she said and we made our way towards my room while I said "Thanks mum"

As we reached my room, Jonghyun sat down on my bed and I sat on the floor, Indian style, and he waited for me to talk. "I am only telling you this, because you are someone I trust, so don't break my trust, alright? Two days ago, I heard some girls fighting outside of our house. As I opened my window, I saw that it was my sister and a random girl. I went outside, took Eun hee inside and told the other girl to go home. After that, I asked Eun hee what the matter was and she told me that this girl has been bulling her for about a year now." I said.

"Well, that's terrible" he said and I nodded. "And it has become worse now. Since some weeks, she is always making fun of her, because she doesn't have any parents" I said as tears were starting to form in my eyes. "What? I don't understand. Aren't your parents her parents too?" he asked shocked. "Actually, Eun hee is adopted. We adopted her 6 years ago, and I met her for the first time when I came to visit 4 years ago." I said and Jonghyun didn't say anything.

"Who said she doesn't have parents? Your family is her family. A family member mustn't be blood related, a family member is someone who is always by your side, mentally or physically." He said and somehow I felt a little bit better.

"But you know, threatening this girl wasn't the right solution for this problem. You could have talked about it with someone and find another solution for this girl to stop bullying Eun hee." he said and I somehow agreed with his opinion.

We looked at each other for some seconds and he laughed. Seeing him laugh made me laugh too. I don't know which effect he has on me, but every time he laughs, I laugh automatically too.

After that, he left. "Don't tell me that Jonghyun already left. I had extra brought this cake for him" my mother said disappointed. "No problem mom, come here" I said and she came towards me. I took the plates from her hand and took a spoonful of the cake. "Say ah" I said and mom laughed. "Silly girl" she said and opened her mouth. I fed her and for a while we just sat there and ate, talked and laughed.

It's only been 14 days since I came back and I could see a drastic change in me.

1) From the "don't touch me" person I've become a skinship maniac. And from the awkward family member, I have developed to be a loving daughter.

2) I never thought that, my feelings for Oliver would slowly start to disappear. It's only been 14 days and I am thinking lesser and lesser about him every day.

3) I've started to not live for others, but for me. I used to live for Hana and Oliver, but after I decided to come back, I realized, that you should be generous, but sometimes it's good to be selfish.

Speaking about change, our lives will surely change in a week. After all, it's Hyorin who is coming. I am always talking a lot about Hyorin, but I never really explained who she is. She is my childhood friend. When I was small, while I lived in Korea, I never knew how to make friends. She approached me first in a party where my parents were invited. Later I found out, that she was the daughter of a close friend of my mom.

Two years later, after I moved to America, I found out that her family is moving to England. We always stay in touch and now, she has told me that she wants to graduate from Korea, and she is coming back. She is a year older than me and is in university.

One week passed in a blink of an eye. Waking up, going to school, goofing around with Minji and Siwon, eating lunch with SHINee, going back home, doing school work, hanging out with Kyungsoo and Eun hee, sleeping and the same circle started again. Actually, I was starting to like my new everyday life.

21st January. The day had finally arrived. I was standing in front of the airport and looked around. I remember when I came back to Korea some weeks ago, this is where I met Jonghyun, this is where my new life started, and this is where I found my new me.

Suddenly, a person tapped on my back and I turned around to see a beautiful girl, with straight black hair and deep brown eyes staring at me. "Can I help you?" I asked and smiled at her. "Yes, do you know if the plane from Japan, Tokyo has landed yet?" she asked.

"Sorry, actually I don't know. I am waiting for someone who will arrive from London." I said and slightly bowed my head. "Doesn't matter. Ah, I see my parents coming from the terminal. Thank you anyway" she said and ran off to her parents. I turned around and saw her running to her parents and hugging them. I don't know why, but she seemed like a person you couldn't hate.

I felt somebody tap my shoulders and turned around to be welcomed by Hyorins bear huge. "Hyorin, welcome to Korea" I said as I hugged her back. "What happened to the Soo Min who hated hugs?" she asked while she laughed. She let me go, but I kept on hugging her, which surprised her pretty much. "Yah, that's a new Soo Min whom I am meeting." She said and we started to walk. I took one of her bag and carried it on my back and was holding another one in my hand.

"Let's take a cab" I said and we both fetched a taxi and drove home. On the way back, we talked about her life in London, friends, what she expects from Korea and my life.

"So, you remember what we were once talking about? We were talking about your feelings but you suddenly hung up" she said. "Oh yeah, that was because of the fight I saw between Eun hee and her bully, remember? I told you about it" I said casually.

"Yes, let's get back to the topic we were talking about then. Do you like Jonghyun?" she said and I chocked on my own spit. "I told you, I do not" I said casually. Actually, I was a damn good liar, but I usually just lied when it was necessary. Wait, I am not lying. I do not like Jonghyun.

"Keep yourself telling that. I haven't met Jonghyun but from the talks, I seem to like him more than Oliver" she said. "By the way, you told me that Hana is coming to Korea in the semester holidays, isn't that in 10 days? And is Oliver coming with her?" she asked curious.

"Yeah, she is coming in 10 days. I haven't talked to her since the last time when she told me that she is coming. I should phone her and ask her about her plans in Korea. I hope that Oliver isn't coming along." I said. I don't want to see Oliver now, I haven't fully forgotten him yet so I am not ready.

We went out of the cab and went inside of our house. There she was welcomed by my family. Did I mention that she was going to stay at our place? She doesn't have anyone in Korea and my mother insisted that she should stay with us.

It was bedtime and I was sitting on my bed, writing a new chapter of my book, when Hyorin came inside of my room. "Oh hey, weren't you going for a walk?" I asked and closed the laptop, giving her my full attention.

"You won't believe what happened" she said and shock her head. "What happened?" I asked curiously. "You remember the arch enemy I had in my primary school?" she asked and I nodded. Even though it was ages ago, I remember it like it was yesterday.

"Why do you come here every single day?" I asked annoyed. "Because I am bored and I need to let out some frustration. Jeez, I am a year older than you, show some respect. You are just like him, a year younger yet so rude" an eight year old Hyorin said and rolled her eyes.

"Who is him?" I asked. "Just my annoying enemy from school, I am lucky enough that he is not in my class or grade" she said and sighed.

"What's with him? You used to complain about him everyday" I said after I got back to reality. "I recognized him right after I saw him and he lives in our neighborhood!" she said annoyed. "I even talked to him. He was as rude as always, some people never change"

"Forget about him. You probably won't see him that often" I assured her.

At that moment the bell from the house door rang. And some seconds later, Eun hee came inside of my room. "Jonghyun is here to meet you, should I let him come to your room?" she asked and I nodded. "Finally, I get to see this 'oh so amazing' Jonghyun" Hyorin said after Eun hee left the room. I rolled my eyes and right then the door opened to reveal Jonghyun coming in. I smiled after I saw him and hoped that Hyorin would like him.

"What are you doing here?" both of them said in unison.

End of Chapter 8