03

All I ever expected was for his hand to land in my face or shout at me or even kick me

'well, that is quite a violent act'

After the staring competition inside the room, the atmosphere was weird and nerve racking at the same time, the moment he stepped forward and continued taking his steps towards me, I could feel the slight squeaks of his sneakers that caused from the glazed tiles below me, my sweats are racing down to the side of my cheek, my mind is blowing and my heart just skipped a beat.

Do you know how near are we? I could feel his breath brushing to every side of my faces' skin, that made all the atom of my body to come alive and to feel this sensation, I want to push him.

He was getting nearer and nearer and only I realized I could feel my back aching caused by the edge of the table, I bit my lower lip and let the pain be gone. "Who is this woman!" he yelled as he landed his fist over the table that could break the table anytime soon, my heart was beating so fast, I could feel my body weakening at this state, I was shocked too much and I don't know what to do.

"Ms. Choi what's the meaning of this?" I couldn't hear the vivid tone of Mr. Ford's voice, it wasn't clear for me to hear, all I could hear is my heart throbbing inside my chest, it gave me cold sweats and my palms are getting cold and sweaty, my shoulders dropped when that guy named 'Luke' grabbed my arm held it tightly and made me whimper in pain

"Who are you!"

He repeated and pointing me with his index finger

My world started turning and I could feel my legs wobbling in nervousness, just then I felt light, my sight was getting darker and darker each second, and that's all I remember.

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I suddenly woke up in the verge of, wait?! Where am I? My eyes couldn't focus the brightness of the light that is above me, the scent of the air has a cold breeze in it, the ceiling is white.

I got up and sat down, I'm in a hospital?!

My eyes searched for someone that I know, there are nurses and doctors, I believe this is an emergency room. I heard a really familiar voice from outside the door, that loud voice of hers.

"How could this happen! I even packed her 25 inhalers!" she exclaimed with worries in her voice that made my heart sank "Well, Mr. Jung said that s-she just collapsed and" I could hear their voices echoing towards the door.

"Nash dear!" she squealed while running towards my bed, I smiled faintly when I saw the woman of my life, I missed her more than ever, "Eomma" [translation: Mom]

I breathed out that word, before I could even continue she cupped my face, "Goodness, gracious! My baby girl!" she said that made my heart warm, "How are you now? Are you hungry?" the tone of her voice pinned inside my heart as she placed a strand of my hair behind my ear,

"You were just gone for a minute then you came here, how great!" Azel entered the conversation "Sorry, and Mom I'm sorry, I should've been more careful, but I'm okay and no need-"

I didn't finish my sentence when Mom continued her words "You're going back young lady!" she calmly said and I couldn't believe it "What did you say?"

I gestured my mom to say it again, "Don't be rude dear, you heard it? Yeah you heard it" she sarcastically said, I looked at Azel first then to my mom, "Mom, I've got a quiz, I'll waste all my tuition just for this? Jesus!" I raised my two hands at the air and then crossed my arms

'yeah! I'm annoyed!'

Who would not be annoyed if you just enrolled at a university for only 2 weeks and now your mom tells you to go back to town? Stupid!

"Azel dear, your parents are coming here too, you too are going back and continue college there" my mom stated happily while Azel and I are both hanging our guts on position, yeah right how confident!

"Okay, after you discharge, go pack your stuff and get ready for the flight" after she said those words, Azel and I are now speechless, both of us can't release a word, I tried to get out from the bed and I succeeded, Mom was talking to a doctor

"So what's your plan?" I asked Azel this time, she looked at me and paused for a second, "Plan? What do you mean plan?! There's no way I'm going back!" she yelled in disappointment, and I feel her side too, even myself, I don't wanna go back

Our tuition here costs such fortune and we're going to go back just like that?! No frickity frackity way! I would lose my sanity than going back there. For the reason that, I've been here for only two weeks! So much surprises for just few days, I might scream and collapse again if we were in Florida, then we're going back to Seoul? That's a no no for me. I was still wondering about what happened previously, well all I remembered was, that Luke Hale was yelling at me at Mr. Ford's office then my back hit the edge of the table then?

I needed help to answer all my questions for today.

"Azel, let me ask" I called her name and she immediately turned her head to face me, "Yes madam?" she said with a tone of 'I'm-your-maid' kind of tone, and it doesn't fit her voice, "Really? How many times do I have to tell you?" I seriously exclaimed, "I don't know? Ask the nurse" she giggled that made her slightly grab her tummy and laugh like witch she is, "Stop your dad jokes, you got no fun" I rolled my eyes playfully at her, "Okay, what is it?" she said calmly but still chuckling but at last I spoke.

"How'd I get here?" I calmly asked Azel not showing any interest but just asking, "Girl! You won't believe what happened!" she squealed excitedly and that made me want to lend some ears, "Tell me? Did superman bought me here?" I said jokingly and was laughing hard, I couldn't stop laughing, my stomach even ached hard too, "Got ya!" I patted her back lightly and came back to my senses when her face was serious already and didn't notice an inch, "What? Was it a joke or not?" I raised an eyebrow and chuckled, and this time, I knew she was being serious and it's an important topic, "Finish? Because if not? I would leave you here and go back to America"

She hissed and crossed her arms and turned her back on me, "Hey, look I'm sorry and I promise I'll listen and you know just, just look at me" I grabbed both of her shoulders and made her to face me and I expected a disappointed or angry face from her but instead a smiling face,

"You're weird" I looked at her disgusted but not that long she spoke, "Look! That's it, Look!" her voice was like a chipmunk that has found food in the grocery for free, "What Look?" my face tilted to the side awkwardly, "He's Luke!" Azel cupped my cheeks and and shook it from side to side, "Who's Luke?" I asked again, "The guy who carried you up to here!"

'The guy who carried you up to here!'

"Carried? Me? Here? Shut the crap up!" I yelled that made all the other person inside the room to look at us, and also mom, "Why are you yelling?" Azel whispered, and I was shrugged from my thoughts

'That nuisance carried me? How great!'

"I'm asking you here, hello? I'm not the wind" Azel asked questioningly as she was waving her hand near my face, I immediately got back to my senses, "I was yelling because I was shocked, that's all" I calmly said but deep inside my heart it was throbbing fast, "Okay, continue. Well, Mr. Ford was calling an ambulance but the plot twist is the guy named Luke? That guy that yelled at you? cannot wait any longer, so he got outside the office while carrying you in his arms, most of Koreans don't do that actually, they usually carry the patient at their back but instead he carried you in his arms! Isn't that sweet?"

her long explanation has lost my appetite to listen, "How about the meeting Principal Zinnia said?" I cut her off, "That? It started 25 minutes ago, we are excused, okay let me continue the story" she said, "No thank you, but we must go to the meeting" I exclaimed while tying my hair and drank a bottle of water, "Tell me the story when we arrived, okay?"

I smiled at her and she smiled back, probably annoyed because she didn't have the chance to continue her story tsk.

I still can't believe that we are going back and it's no fun! I wanna at least enjoy the city, the Han river and everything in Seoul's culture. I got up from my seat and luckily my bag was here, while Azel was somewhere.

That's when I get to think again, 'How do I say sorry to that guy?' He's mad at me of course! Because I pissed him this morning, what time is it? I looked at my wrist and of course there's a watch and--

'Where's my watch?!' Nani? Maldo Andwae! [translation: What? No way!]

I searched through my bag, in each and every corner of the bed and I even asked the nurse that assisted me earlier, but there's no sign of it, maldo andwae!!!!

That wrist watch was given to me by my grandpa, and he passed away some years ago, and up 'till now, that wrist watch is still in good condition, it was the only thing that he left for me, I even promised him that when I have kids in the future, I'll pass it to them also.

"Hey! Aunt Rene talked to your doctor already, you're discharged and so that we can leave Seoul" Azel claimed out of the blue, it even made me jump a little because I get frightened so easily, "Don't do that again Azel! I might die because of your habit of frightening me" I pleaded and she immediately asked for forgiveness, having a best friend like her is really the best! Azel is like a sister to me because we bonded as best friends for how many years, in such ways I trust her.

"My watch"

I gasped, "What watch? Oh my gosh! Are you even serious?" her eyes widened and it made her cover her mouth of what she heard, "Your wrist watch Nash!" when her worried voice escaped her lips, it made me worry even more! "Don't panic okay? We'll find it, I promise" she stroke my hair and smiled faintly.

Just some seconds, Mom came near us and by the look on her eyes, she's worried too, "What is it honey?" Mom asked with sincerity in her voice, "My wrist watch-" I didn't finish my words but she spoke immediately, "Broken? We can by another-" she didn't finish her words too, when her eyes landed on my wrist, you're right Mom, it's missing

"You can buy another watch with the same brand dear, it's not a big deal so-" I cut her off,

"Mom, that watch is way older than me, I won't give up until I find it" I replied calmly, not raising a pitch in my voice, it was just calm and normal.

Minutes later, I asked Mom to let Azel come with me to find my watch, and we are now in front of the school gate, luckily she said yes, "Don't be late okay? We'll come back at 5 o'clock to get the both of you, anything you want to eat at the plane?" she asked and Azel raised her hand "I want four packs of potato chips, two cups of Greek yogurt, and a box of cereal, oh and one plate of apple pie"

'what a greedy pig!'

"Is that all dear?" Mom asked her while staring at me, Azel just nodded and Mom's eyes were still on me, "How about you honey?" I smiled, "Two bottles of flavored water, one meal set, a cup of jjangmyeon and just you know, my favorite" Mom also smiled because she already knows my favorite, "Grilled chicken!" Mom squealed and gave me a high five, "Azel, watch my daughter and you too be safe"

We both waved at her goodbye and we went inside the campus, we first went to Mr. Ford's office, where it all happened. Azel and I parted ways, I'll be going to the office then she will be going to the classroom.

When I was walking across the quadrangle, I spotted a sophomore and she was facing the basketball playing ground, the wind that passed through me had a weird sensation, it's like I'm encountering something, the distance between me and that sophomore girl was a meter, it didn't last long when she,

"You yelled the wrong person" the sophomore said in straight English, she said it all of a sudden, she was a Korean but she can speak English, I gathered all my strength to avoid and ignore her, maybe she was talking to someone else but she has no one with her, "You'll regret every breath you take if you're still bothering him Choi Nash" she calmly said, but it's really enough for me to hear, "Yongseo?" [translation: Pardon?]

"Stop pretending!" she raised her voice but not turning to face me, shivers started running down my spine, the tiny hairs in my arms started to rise, as if electricity controlled me, I shrugged the feeling and did not listen to her words afterwards, I walked away as fast as I could

But suddenly a hand grabbed my upper arm, her nails dug into my skin, I could feel a bit pain

'boy! her nails are sharp!'

I didn't purchase any time to guess that person, because in fact I knew she would follow me. Her shaky breath is all I could hear, my heart was thumping wild and all I could think of was to kick her if she brought a knife to stab me, God knows how much I want to live my life the longest possible.

"Move an inch, or you'll disappear from this world"

she warned me but it didn't scared me, I actually chuckled a bit because 'is that how you joke unnie?' [translation: Unnie- Older sister]

"For my first 2 weeks here? This is how a sophomore welcomes me? Unbelievable!" I shrieked still not moving an inch, she said.

We were standing there for like 2 minutes now and my thighs getting numb

"Could you do your dramas fast? I've got a plane to catch and so that I'll get out of your hair" I exclaimed heaving a deep sigh, her hand was still attached to my skin, I could feel the warmth inside her palm in my skin.

"Let go!"