The Prize

                                    

                                          
YEJI
*flashbacks*
"HELLO! I'M HWANG YEJI! PLEASE! HELP ME ANSWER MY MATH ASSIGNMENT!"
That is how i approached Lia when we're still a Kid, yes, i'm only a Grade 4 Student and yet that is how i approached her. Lia smiled at me then she laughed, "No one approached me this way." She said.
We became Friends after that day since the other Kids thought she's not approachable but that's the opposite. She's a smart Student that's why people tend to compare her to me, they say what if Lia became like me, a no good Student. Lia, she's a A  straight Student while i'm always the D or mostly F Student, no matter how hard i studied i always ended up getting a low grades and i know that it's all on me.
Lia accepted and treated me no different, she's treating me like her Sister, she's studying with me and teaching me all the time. I may not get the Score she expect since she's teaching me and giving  me her notes all the times, she never stopped and get tired of me. I remember one time, she stand for me when my Teacher was making fun of my grades.
"You're a Professional license Teacher and yet you're acting unprofessional, i don't think you deserves that license."
She never leave besides me and yet, it was me who left her, when Ryujin and I ran away, i forgot to tell her about that and she just told me, "Don't worry, i know one day we'll meet again". Then i saw her in Ryujin's University, i told her to visit our house and she was mad at me at first because i ran away and stopped studying for Ryujin.
That time when she confronted me, that is the first she called me, 
"Stupid".
Lia followed me all the day and night, i didn't know that, she watched me where i worked. She saw me working at a restaurant in day and she saw me working in a convenience store for the whole night, she also figured out that i'm also selling products and when there's a chance to work again, i'm getting that chance.
"What are you doing in your life, Yeji?" Lia confronted me in Ryujin and I's small apartment under the big building.
"I'm working." I said.
"DON'T BE STUPID! YEJI! YOU'RE WORKING FOR SOMEONE ELSE'S DREAMS! YOU'RE LIKE A STEPPING LADDER AND YOU'RE MAKING IT EASY FOR SOMEONE ELSE!"
"No, that's not it. Ryujin and I, this is our dream together and it's all fine with m--"
"YOU'RE STUPID! YOU LIFE WAS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS! LOOK AT YOUR HAND! IT WAS SO ROUGH! LOOK AT YOUR EYES! YOU'RE NOT SLEEPING ANYMORE! LOOK AT YOUR FEET! IT WAS FULL OF DIRT! LOOK AT YOUR WEIGHT! ARE YOU STILL EATING?"
I know how much she loves me, she cares for me, i understand her that she's mad seeing me this way but what she said next degraded me.
"YOU'RE LIVING A LOW LIFE NOW WITH NO FUTURE JUST LIKE WHAT THE OTHER PEOPLE TOLD YOU WHEN WERE STILL A KID! I'M ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU TO HELP YOU BUT WHY DID IT FEELS LIKE IT ALL GOES TO NOTHING? I WANT YOU TO PROVE THEM THEY'RE WRONG BUT WHY DID YOU JUST SHOWED THAT THEY WERE RIGHT?"
I sit on the bed and i just let her say things with me, "ARE YOU SURE RYUJIN WILL NOT CHEAT ON YOU? ARE YOU SURE AFTER ALL OF YOUR SACRIFICES SHE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU? AND IF THAT HAPPENS THEN HOW ABOUT YOUR LIFE? DO YOU THINK YOUR MOM WILL STILL ACCEPT YOU?".
"Stop it now, Lia. You're hurting me now, i know i'm stupid but i trust Ryujin, i love her and she loves me. If you feel disgrace about me, it's all fine, you can just forget me and i will understand that."  Lia started crying then she left.
While i'm sitting on the bed, my mind was still spacing like i can't process in my mind what just happened. The door suddenly opened and Ryujin put her bag on the table, she gets some towel and washed it, she slowly walked closer to me and bended her knees, she take off my slippers and she's wiping the dirt off my feet.