aurum | ko kyung-jun

[5]

As a child, Misun was one of those babies who got praised for her cute appearance at every stage- from newborn to infant to toddler. Over the years her facial features would beginn to form and reveal a face identical to her mother's.

Her mother, who had left her family when Misun was only one year old, leaving behind a singular picture featuring a woman.

Ebony hair, pin straight pulled to the from of her shoulders. A small face, big eyes, plump lips, straight nose. Cold eyes. The women's figure was petite as she sat on a small chair, posing for the picture.

So familiar, yet so strange.

No one could deny the resemblance between mother and daughter.

But looks can be deceiving. How can someone so beautiful have such a disgusting personality as to abandon their infant at 10 months and never look back? Is that really what beauty is about?

Misun doesn't think so.

Beauty is staying home with your children when they are bedridden with fever. Beauty was forcing yourself to watch the whole barbie series with your child, though you certainly have better things to do. Beauty was listening your childrens concerns and letting them cry into your shoulder after a particularly bad fight with their friends. Beauty was checking up on your childrens wellbeing. Beauty was making sure your children know to come to you in times of need.

Beauty was Mi-Sun's father, who never made her feel as though she was missing out on having a mother.

And so, from a young age Mi-Sun stopped judging people by their appearance and started judging them by their actions.

***

The day's seemed to pass in slow-motion as Mi-Sun kept her focus on studying and training for the nationals and it wasn't long before White day arrived.

While women would gift men flowers and chocolate on valentines day, white day was the day when the men would return the favor by giving gifts to the women.

Mi-Sun was no stranger to receiving gifts from strange boys, however she wasn't impressed by boys who had never talked to her proclaiming to like -or even love- her, making her politely reject the gifts.

The one gift she would always accept were her Dads; whenever white day would fall onto a weekday, the Military Captain wouldn't miss sending flower home to show his appreciation for her. Mi-Sun felt truly loved on days like these.

School, however didn't care about the holiday, leading to a normal school day being planned.

"For the following project, i expect for you guys to prepare a presentation in groups of two. I've assigned your topics and partners already, so listen carefully."

Different reactions could be heard from the classroom as the history teacher read out the project partners and their assigned topics.

"...And lastly; Kim Mi-Sun and Ko Kyung-Jun with 'Impact of propaganda on WWII'"

Kyung-Jun looked at the teacher like a deer caught in headlights when he heard his name being called.

"Do you have a problem with that, Kyung-Jun?" The teacher instantly caught the look on the boys face, expecting for the boy to rebel against her choices.

"No, ma'am," the boy meekly answered avoiding her eyes, staring at his hands positioned on his table.

***

The students flocked out of the school entrance, tightly packed in their winter coats as the cold winter sun shone onto them. Mi-Sun turned around waving goodbye to Na-Hee as she broke into a jog to catch up with the raven-haired boy accompanied by his friends.