Just as he walked away, I heard his stomach
grumble. I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t
laugh. Since he didn’t take charity, I
said, “Um, hey. I just made some food
and I don’t know if it’s good or
not. I need a guinea pig because I don’t
want to serve it to my parents if it isn’t
and besides, you did save my life.
Ji Won looked at her. ‘Why is she being
so nice to me?’ he thought. He knew she
was just saying that because she heard him say
he doesn’t want charity. Ji Won’s
stomach was growling like crazy. He hasn’t
eaten for 2 days already and the mention of
food was killing him.
“Uh, okay. I guess I’ll be your
guinea pig since I have nothing to do.”
He studied her face as she smiled at him. ‘She’s
pretty,’ he thought as he smiled back.
I let the boy wait outside as I got some of
the leftover mee-yuk-gook for him. He finished
it in less than a minute. Then he leaned back
and sighed. Out of nowhere, he let out a burp.
I had to giggle. He looked at me and smiled.
“Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.”
I hesitated before I asked him the next question.
“Umm…so what’s your name?”
He glanced at me and then stared at the ground.
I could tell he was debating to tell me his
real name or not. I didn’t want him to
feel obligated to telling me his name. “It’s
okay. You don’t have to tell me if you
don’t want to.”
Ji Won looked at her surprised. “No! It
isn’t that!” he yelled. She stared
back at him surprised too. Then he lowered his
voice. “I’m sorry. Please don’t
misunderstand.”
She nodded her head slowly and Ji Won can tell
that she was confused. Ji Won felt that he could
trust her and he wanted her to be his friend.
“My name is Eun Ji Won and you are?”
“Nam Mi-Na, but call me Mina. It’s
easier to remember.”
Then she gave him the sweetest smile. Ji Won
felt his heart beat a little faster when she
smiled at him. He blushed and looks away.
“So uh, how old are you?”
“13,” she replied. “And you
Ji Wonee?”
He smiled when she called him that. “I’m
15,” he said turning back to look at her.
“15?” I asked in disbelief.
Ji Won nodded.
“Where are your parents oppa? You’re
too young to be living in the streets.”
He shrugged his shoulders. “I can take
care of myself.” I gave him a doubting
look because he was trying to pull that tough
guy act on me. “It’s okay though,”
he told me. “I have a family. It’s
just that things are bad at home so I’m
just getting away from it for a while.”
‘So he ran away,’ I figured out.
I could tell that Ji Won was a good person.
“Do you have a place to stay tonight?”
He shook his head. “How about staying
in my room then,” I offered.
