'You are my most beautiful someone.' ----------------
Currently, my family and I are seated in the waiting area, eagerly anticipating our flight from Australia back to Korea. This trip was prompted by my dad's business commitments, and now, we find ourselves returning to Korea for similar reasons.
The mix of emotions I'm experiencing is hard to put into words. On one hand, I'm thrilled to reunite with Yeji after seven long years. Yet, there's a pang of sadness as I bid farewell to the friends I've made during our stay in Australia.
"I'm so excited to be back in Korea and see my friends," Jake exclaimed, echoing my sentiments. His excitement stems from reconnecting with the six friends he left behind in Korea. Like me, he's also reuniting with them after seven years.
---
The exhaustion from the lengthy flight has settled in as I finally arrive in Korea. It's a peculiar feeling, returning to a place I haven't been in so long, and I can't help but feel my Korean language skills have suffered from disuse. As I enter my room, it appears unchanged since I left for Australia, except for the noticeable layer of dust that has settled everywhere. My fatigue is overwhelming, and all I desire is a good night's sleep. However, the state of my bed demands a thorough cleaning before I can rest.
---
At breakfast with my parents and Jake, a rare occurrence, Jake praises the meal. I nod in agreement as we share this family moment.
"Now both of you need to start speaking in Korean, as you'll be starting school next Monday," Dad asserts sternly.
Following breakfast, Jake and I find ourselves on the couch, pondering how to pass the time on this rather dull day. Meeting our friends is not an option at the moment as they are most likely in school.
"Will you be meeting Yeji in the evening when she finishes school?" Jake inquired.
"Yeah, probably. What about you?" I respond.
"Same, but you and Yeji could also hang out with us."
"What are you thinking? It's our first day back in Korea after so long, and nothing's properly arranged yet. I'll definitely be spending time with you all," I say to Jake, my tone conveying a touch of annoyance, which elicits a laugh from him.
---
"Finally, you're here, Lia!" Yeji exclaims, enveloping me in a tight hug. I return the smile, looking at the excited girl before me. As she releases me from the embrace, I glance behind me to see six handsome and tall boys welcoming Jake. They've all changed over the years, becoming even more handsome. However, one of them captures my attention more than the others, even though I don't know his name. In fact, I'm not familiar with any of their names; we've only met briefly a few times in passing.
"Lia, these are the friends I mentioned to you." I bow politely and offer my greetings.
"Hi, Lia, I'm Lee Heeseung," a boy towering over me introduces himself. I suddenly feel quite short, despite being 168cm tall. "Nice to meet you, Heeseung Oppa," I reply with a smile. The others also introduce themselves.
"I'm Park Sunghoon," he says, his tone somewhat cold. Ah, so his name is Sunghoon. That's the boy who caught my attention the most. It dawns on me that he is Yeji's older brother.
"Oppa, could you at least introduce yourself a bit more kindly to her?" Yeji interjects, slightly annoyed. Sunghoon responds with a scoff and tells her to be quiet.
Afterwards, we all decide to go out for dinner, led by the boy I remember as Niki. We spend nearly three hours together, chatting and having a great time before parting ways to head home.
"It was so much fun hanging out with the boys. Don't you think, Jake?"
"Absolutely," Jake agrees as we walk home together.
"Jake, aren't you worried about starting school?"
"Why should I be scared? Don't worry; everything will work out."
"But what if we struggle with the lessons in Korean and end up failing? Dad will be really upset."
"I know, but we don't have any other choice. We'll do our best to maintain our grades." The fear of failing exams looms over both of us. Our parents take our academic performance very seriously, and they can be quite strict. Sometimes, they resort to using physical discipline if we don't meet their expectations.
Nevertheless, we both hope for the best as we prepare to start school on Monday.
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