V O I C E

1.1 P L A N [Q1]

Every year, another person at my school has found their soulmate. I checked my wrist again, "You know I'll see you again!" I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned to my best friend, Hwang Hyunjin.

"You've got to stop thinking about who it might be. I mean, at least you have your words." He chuckled. I nodded and tried to avoid eye contact. Hyunjin and I became friends as kids. A few years later, my words appeared. My classmates called me Cinderella, trying to make fun of me. Hyunjin was the only person to reassure me that it's a normal thing. After the young age bullying, I chose not to talk that much, except to Hyunjin, of course.

I developed a small crush on him, and I was hoping he was the one who said it. So far, I don't have any proof of that. We walked quietly to our next class, gym. 'I hate gym so much. It's going to be the death of me.' I thought, slumping my shoulders and grimacing.

"I hate it too, but it's good for our health. Besides, you're super good at sports and stuff. So it really is a cakewalk for you." He tapped my nose as we neared the locker rooms. After separating, I sighed.

"Look who it is! Mute Cinderella is with us this semester!" One of the girls in the room teased. I turned to my locker and ignored them, starting to change.

Another girl walked up to me. "What? Are you suddenly afraid because your 'Prince Charming' isn't here to save you?" I just shook my head no and continued putting on my gym clothes. This happens almost every day. They'll get bored soon and leave me alone. "Just leave already." The same girl said before pushing me and walking away.

She didn't push me hard, but I still stumbled a bit. I heard them all leave, and I slumped on the bench. 'I should ask to move.'

♢◆♢

After getting through my front door, Hyunjin and I flopped on my couch. "Mrs. Lim! We're home!" He yelled. My mom walked in and plopped next to us.

"Y/n, thank goodness you're home! Your father left me all alone while he worked in the attic!" She dramatically fell on top of me.

"Mama..." she smiled and got up.

"Was today any better?" She asked. I shook my head 'no'. "Same girls?" I nodded 'yes'. Hyunjin jumped up.

"You're being bullied and not telling me? What the hell? I told you I'll be your voice." He said, making a heroic pose, trying to be funny. I did laugh, but only slightly.

"That's why they made fun of me." Hyunjin sat back down and looked as if he were about to apologize. My mom then stood and made her way to the kitchen, and I followed her.

At that moment, my father entered the room. "Oh! You guys are home now, good. I got a letter in the mail." He said as he grabbed the stack of envelopes on the counter, flipping through them silently. He quickly found the letter he was talking about and led us back into the living room.

"What's that? Honor roll or something? Oh my gosh- DID REPORT CARDS GO OUT?" Hyunjin asking, jumping up at his last statement.

"No, Hyunjin, it's a boarding school opportunity for Y/n. So... kinda like an honor roll card." My dad replied, unfolding the paper and putting his glasses on. "They're offering a full ride for the rest of your high school career because of your grades. Says here that someone applied for you, and they chose your submission out of 10 from different schools around the area."

My mom held my hands and turned me to face her, "Isn't that just amazing? This could be a fresh start for you! What do you think?"

I thought about it. On one hand, I get a fresh start, new friends, and possibly my soulmate. However, on the other hand, I'd be leaving Hyunjin, my family, and I'd have to actually meet new people. I glanced from Hyunjin to my parents, and I nodded, "I'll do it. It seems fun."

"WHAT? No! What am I gonna do without you? You're my best friend, and you're just going to up and leave me for some boarding school? This is unbelievable!" He paced around the room, throwing his hands in the air and throwing a fit. "I need to call my mom." He said, calmly, as he walked out my front door.

"That boy has such a flair for dramatics." My dad said as he stared at the door, "I'm gonna miss him." My dad stands to leave, but I block his path.

"What do you mean you'll miss him? Where is he going?"

My mom chuckled, "Honey, who do you think applied for you? He's calling his mom to let her know you got in. He's putting on a show to surprise you, but your father just spoiled it." My mom stared daggers at my dad, but he just shrugged it off and went back upstairs. "He's going to come back in and tell you everything."

I nodded and watched her follow my dad to the attic. As soon as I looked away, Hyunjin burst back into the room. "Y/n, there's something I've got to tell you."

"Hyunjin, I know you applied for me." His eyes widened, so I told him what my parents and I talked about.

"I knew I shouldn't have told your dad. Anyway, do you know why?" I shook my head as a 'no' to his question, and he pulled me to sit with him. "I have family around there, and with everything between my parents..." He started to trail off thinking about it.

His parents have been going through a nasty split recently, and it's very hard on Hyunjin. He's struggling with school and using my house to get away from it all. I placed my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "It's alright, Hyunjin. Did your mom say something about going to school there?"

"Yeah. She used her connections to get me a spot, and I used mine to bring you with me. I knew you could get in yourself. You just needed... a forceful push."

I laughed at his comment, and shortly after, Hyunjin joined. We sat on my couch laughing over nothing until we both felt sick. Once we calmed down, Hyunjin got ready to leave. "When do we go to this new school anyway?"

"Tomorrow. I'll be here in the morning to pick you up at the normal time." He winked and fled my house.

"Thanks for the notice in advance, genius." I thought to myself, heading to my room to pack essentials.

[chapter part finished: May 26, 2020]

[chapter part edited: May 26, 2023 🤨]

So excited for this story. I have so many ideas!!