I'm honestly not sure where to go, but this will be the beginning of the story. Hopefully you guys will enjoy it. I will be trying to style it a little into a K-Drama. Let me know what you think of it so far. This is just a beginning. My thought is to make this girl into a different person around two guys. And the word mirror is a reflection of sorts.

Kim Min-Jeong
Her picture. On my desk. Her curly brown hair, her large dark eyes. Ray of light, burned out. Dead. The sun sets, darkness returns. I do not turn on the light. I sit in the dark. I would cry, but cannot.

Today. It happened today. The phone call, voice on the other line, telling me she’s dead. Today. My room fades, memories of those times return. Her voice, light as a bubbling creek, her teasing eyes. So much full of life and sparkle. Not anymore.
Who has called? Voice is mysterious, unknown. None know. I asked mine secretary. She does not know. None have called me today, she tells me. If none, then whom have I talked with? She doesn’t know.

The radio, I turn it on. Her song, it plays. Janet Jackson’s someone to call my lover. “Back on the road again, Feeling kinda lonely, And looking for the right guy To be mine…” The song continues. Her song. She always played it. It used to irritate me. But not today. It’s an exception.

I walk over to my CD collection; all sorts of music catching my eye; from popular to unknown, and there I find her CD, lost amidst the pile. I’ll listen to it, just once. Just to remember her, to relive those memories I have.

I slip the CD inside, and close my eyes. She is no longer far away; she is close, very close. My situation is gone, and the past has begun.

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Once you go Asian, you'll never go caucasian

Minimalism?? Works better in films and commercial ads IMO..

.

Very vivid and personal Sveta. I like it

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This is continuation. Hope you guys will enjoy it . Will write more.
Episode One

-Someone to call my Lover: Janet Jackson-

Kim Min-Jung

Twenty Years ago…

Shadows deepened, day is night. Lights weren’t on; they wouldn’t turn on for another few hours. Trees whistle carelessly, the building behind dilapidated and broken down. Home. Orphanage. Small sandbox laid to the side, small children inside. One is a boy of six; small for his age with a mop of black hair and very intense black eyes.

His hands, with unusual control, run over the sand castle he was building, his black eyes scrutinizing every single grain of sand. “Its not right,” he says. “I have to redo it.”

Loud groans are heard. He breaks down his sandcastle, and using a plastic shovel, begins the building process again. Sand grains stick to his shirt, the wind whipping his face. Yet he pays no attention. He continues to build, to perfect. Finally, it is finished. He studies his work, running his hands over the tower, and finds it satisfactory to his standards. He stands up and glances over his peers; two girls and three boys, all Korean like he.

One of the girls, short and slightly portly, wearing two braids, comes over. “Finally,” she tells him. He watches as she turns towards her playmates. “I told you asking him was a good idea!” She shouts. She is six, and is a lot taller than the boy. Her name is Lee June.

“He took too long,” Jang Chae-su, oldest at nine, retorted. Jang Chae-su is tall, slim and muscular. He is known to wear a single baseball cap backwards, along with raggedy jeans and frayed shirt. He is recognized as a leader of the group.

“At least its perfect!” Lee June retorted. “We’re sure to win if it’s perfect.” Jang Chae-su rolls his eyes and leans back. The boy studies his other peers carefully, noting the exhaustion on Oh Hana’s face, a girl too tall for her age with glasses. Her nickname, the boy recalls, is the nerd.

The nerd speaks, treble in her voice. “If we win, do you think they’ll leave us alone?”

“They have to,” Lee June insists. The boy sees her throw a look towards the last two members; brothers Choi Song-Joo and Choi Song-Woo.

“Yeah,” The older, Choi Song-Joo, agrees. He is eight, taller than Jang Chae-su, and almost skeletal.

Choi Song-Woo, at five, is slightly taller than the boy, but way shorter than the girls.

“Yeah,” Choi Song-woo mimics his brother.

“Damn,” the boy hears Jang Chae-su respond. “The weather might blow the sandcastle.”

“What do we do?” Lee June asks. The group got up with urgency, intent on protecting the sand castle.

“Make sure that nothing happens to it! Cover it or something!” Jang Chae-su orders. He stands up as well. “Younger brother,” he addresses the boy. “Get something to cover it.” Jang Chae-su and the boy were not biological brothers. It is a way of addressing someone.

“What can cover the castle without breaking it?” Oh Hana asks. Out of all of them, the boy sees there is no panic on her face, only calm. He wonders why.

Jang Chae-su thinks about it and runs off. The rest of the group tries to protect the castle from the harsh wind. “Think it will rain?” Lee June demands. None answer. The boy knows it will rain; earlier he felt a raindrop fall on his shoulder. Damn Jang Chae-su, he thinks to himself. He’s the one that insisted they all be outside. It’s Jang Chae-su’s entire fault if the sand castle got ruined.

The boy feels the raindrops, at first a few, then gradually more. “We have to get inside!” He shouts to the rest of the group.
“What?” Choi Song-Joo asks, “Kim Min-Jung, what did you say?” He screams.

Kim Min-Jung, the boy’s name. He repeats. “We have to get inside! Else we’ll get sick or something!”
“What about the sand castle?” Oh Hana asks. “Jang Chae-su ordered us to protect it no matter what!”

“I’ll make another one later!” He promises.

“Its all your fault!” Lee June says. “If you weren’t such a perfectionist then we wouldn’t be standing out here!”

“Actually we would.” Kim Min-Jung tells her. “The other group would still not come.”

Sky gets darker, rain becomes never-ending. Kim Min-Jung finds himself shivering and wonders if he’ll have a cold next day. He has a very weak immune system and can catch cold easily. When will Jang Chae-su return? Doesn’t he realize that everyone is cold?

No one is talking; silence swallowed them up. “We have to go now,” Kim Min-Jung insists.

The group groans. “Just give him one minute,” Lee June begs. “Come on, he is our leader after all.”

“What if I’ll get sick tomorrow?” Kim Min-Jung asks.

“Huh?” Lee June asks.

“I catch cold easily, remember?”

“Go get him, rest of us will stay here.” She orders.

“Come with me,” he orders her.

She shakes her head. He rolls his eyes. Lee June is very stubborn, and never listens to him. She does listen to Jang Chae-su and Choi Song-Joo.

He covers his head with hands and begins to run through the pelting rain, the wind that seems to go on forever, the storm itself; deadly. Without warning, the ground gives away, and he wonders if he is flying, when without a warning, hard ground meets his hands and face. He finds himself crying out.

Quiet pain begins to throb in his foot, close to his toes. He tries to stand up, but falls. Damn, he thinks to himself, how is he supposed to get Jang Chae-su and remind him that the group is waiting? Everyone is counting on him.

A shape appears, dark, but he recognizes the shape. A girl. “Over here!” He shouts. He watches as she walks over to him, rushing. “Help me,” he asks her.

He sees that she is not Korean, not even Asian for that matter. He finds himself intrigued. Who is that mystery girl? She leans and stretches out her thin hand. Kim Min-Jung doesn’t pay attention to the details of her. “Can you stand up?” She asks.

He shakes his head.

“Wait here, I’ll get someone,”

“Wait!” He finds himself calling out. No answer. The girl already runs off. He finds himself lying on the cold pavement, still raining, the rain droplets soaking into his large shirt, adding extra weight to carry.

Maybe he can stand up himself, he can just try. Again he raises his head, his intense eyes marking the details, noticing the rain, his palms flat on the asphalt. He tries to move his leg, the pain becomes worse.

It is hopeless! He tells himself. Hopeless! Damn, damn, how could he be so careless as to slip and fall? He wonders what is going with Lee June and others. How are they holding up? Why do they follow Jang Chae-su? Kim Min-Jung doesn’t see Jang Chae-su as a good leader. Jang Chae-su is too careless and sometimes irresponsible. Yet, he is the oldest, and he does have more life experience than anyone else. “If it weren’t for you, I’d be inside!” He screams to the shrieking winds. Just something to do, to keep waiting for the mysterious girl’s return.

No response. Tiny gravel bite into the fleshy areas of palms marks of red. Pressure builds into his hands, then pain. How long does he have to be here? He doesn’t know. Cannot find a response.

Irrelevant thoughts slip in, then out, warmth returned, he no longer shivered. Why? He can’t find reasons to why. Footsteps. “Hey, you there?” Voice from the north. The mysterious girl! It is she!

“Yeah!” He shouts in return. “I am here.” He looks to the north, and he sees her, and next to her is a caretaker of the orphanage.

The orphanage, the girl, everyone and everything begin to fade. Footsteps approach. Two sets.

Everything disappears, it is no longer raining. He feels himself being lifted and carried. Cold blasts him with a frosty breath. “Are you here?” He mumbles.

“Yes,” the girl’s voice. “Be strong.”

Last words he hears. Everything fades, then returns, but not as themselves.

__________________
Once you go Asian, you'll never go caucasian

That's good keep going

Jang Chae-Su

Rain. Never-ending rain. He is lost, without direction, but he has to survive, has to make sure the sandcastle is protected from harm. If not…he would rather not think of consequences.

He stops running. The earth is still, the rain continues. Wetness seeps in, inflaming him inside. He finds himself no longer cold. Where is the door? Vision fades. Think, he orders himself. Think, think, everything depends on you. Finally, it clicks. Vision returns and he runs opposite of where he ran.

The scenery moves again, trees seem to run backwards, their branches clawing at the sky angrily. Damn rain! Spoils everything! If it weren’t for the rain, then he is sure that the older group will visit, and then his group won’t be bullied around anymore.

I wish someone else could be the leader, he thinks to himself. How tired I am of always taking care of everyone and everything. Even at the tender age of nine, Jang Chae-su feels the strain of life.

The wind is much stronger, he notices. A shriek, and Jang Chae-su ducks. What was that? He finds himself thinking. The wind. It has to be the wind. Wait, he orders himself. He stops once again, the fingers traveling to his head. His baseball cap! It is no longer there! Damn! It flew away. His most prized possession!

“Damn!” He screams. He scans each direction, his alert eyes trying to be careful not to miss.

A streak of red flying up, along with the winds. He begins to run after it, his feet leaving the ground briefly to catch it, unsuccessfully. His height can’t help him either. He continues to run, and at that time, the wind dies away slightly.

The baseball cap begins to fall. Jang Chae-su begins to run into the direction, watching as the altitude decreased. Still, it is too high for him.

The wind continues to die away, baseball cap at the mercy of winds. Finally, Jang Chae-su has a chance at catching it. He decides not to pay any attention to the scenery, and jumps up, his fingers grazing it.

Yes! He got it!

The wind still has power, strength. Before Jang Chae-Su knows, the cap is torn away from him. Damn! He thinks to himself. A strange shape appears before him, a really weird girl.

She is shorter than he, her skin as white as snow, her eyes sunny and bright, and her hair a mass of dark curls. Her eyes are large though, and they do not possess double eyelids. She looks like an American.

His beloved baseball cap lands in her hands. “Miss,” he greets. He points to a baseball cap. “That is mine.”

Her lips curve upward, she seems to be part of the sun. “Here,” she says as she outstretches her slender hand and gives him the baseball cap. “I’m sorry. I am new here. Maybe you can help me.”

“Oh?”

“Yes. I am looking for Miss Lee, a caretaker.”

“Do you know her full name?”

She shakes her head, her curls tremble lightly. “I am new here.”

He says nothing, and gently takes his baseball cap from her. What could he tell her, he wonders. How this is the one orphanage that you don’t want to be at? How dark the future will be? He studies her, and gets an impression that he doesn’t need to tell her anything. She already knows.

Where did she come from? He wonders. What is her name? He clears his throat. “Hi,” he says. “I am Jang Chae-Su, and you?”

“Sonya Lightner,” she replies.

His throat constricts. He wonders why, for this has never happened to him before. “Let’s go inside,” he points to the nearest door. He walks quickly, in a hurry; he sees that she is walking leisurely, considering her footsteps carefully. They don’t talk. He wants to though, to talk to her, to find a kindred spirit. The words he uses, they die in front of her, right before his mouth, his lips.

When was the last time I talked with anyone? He questions himself. It has been a long time. Very carefully, he places his baseball cap backwards.

Unbidden, a memory returns, changes the scene, what he can see. Sand covers the whole field, the sun a blazing inferno. He is small; about five years of age. A tall man stands beside him. “Here you go, Jang Chae-su,” the man tells him. Jang Chae-su knows that the man is his dead mother’s boyfriend.

“Thank you Uncle, I’ve had a great time today.”

The two walk, the uncle holding on tight to his hand. Jang Chae-su senses tension in uncle’s hand. “Jang Chae-su,” uncle says. He stops. Jang Chae-su remains silent. Jang Chae-su feels happy in uncle’s presence. “Here,” the uncle hands him a red baseball cap, in front is Korean flag. “Keep this.”

“Wow, where have you gotten this from, uncle?”

No reply. They get inside the car. “Jang Chae-su,” the uncle begins. “You know that both your mother, and your father, you know that they have died.”

He nods his head. Of course he knows it. Why would uncle think he wouldn’t know that?

He opens the car door window, feeling the breeze past him by. What a happy day this is! He likes his uncle, the gifts that uncle buys for him. “Jang Chae-su,” the uncle begins again. “You know that I am getting married, right?”

“I know, uncle.”

“I have talked with my wife to be about you, and she doesn’t think it’s a good idea if I should keep you with me.”

“What? Why not?” Jang Chae-su turns sharply towards him.

“You are not my son, Jang Chae-su. I only take care of you because I promised your mother I would…”

Jang Chae-su doesn’t say a word. He watches the scenery whizzing by. He knows where his uncle is taking him. To an orphanage. He doesn’t protest. What could he do?

He stops reminiscing. Its all part of my past, and past doesn’t matter anymore, he tells himself. He takes a quiet look over Sonya. What pain has she been through? He asks himself.

They continue to walk forward, until they reach the door. He opens the door, and lets her in. She enters. He follows. A caretaker comes over; short, overweight woman. She is taller than Jang Chae-su, but around the orphanage staff she is the shortest. Her name is Caretaker Seo. “Hello,” she greets Jang Chae-su and Sonya.

“Good morning Caretaker Seo.” He greets her back.

“Who is this, Jang Chae-su?” She asks, placing her plump hands on her hips. He looks down on the floor, studying the pattern carefully.

“I found her outside…” he begins. “She is a new ward, Sonya Lightner.”

He watches as the caretaker walks over, and gives Sonya a once-over look. “I see. I am not in charge of her.”

“I know,” he replies. He continues to stand.

“Seek out Caretaker Lee. She is in charge of Sonya.”

“Where shall I find her, Caretaker Seo?”

Caretaker Seo shrugs. “She is probably in a bathroom or elsewhere.”

“Thank you.” He bows, and walks towards the staff room. He hears Sonya’s quick footsteps. Rain droplets become a barrage of bullets against the windows. He hears a gasp and turns towards Sonya. “What’s wrong?” He asks. She doesn’t reply, but runs outside. His eyes follow her path, running up, and then kneeling. Silently, he is behind. He sees where she kneels, and a young boy catches his eye. Kim Min-Jung. Only then he remembers the errand.

He must have gone after me, Jang Chae-su thinks. And here I am, forgetting my responsibility. He hopes that the group will forgive him. They must, he makes up his mind. We all have to get out of here, have to grow up until we can leave.

After a minute, he sees Sonya running towards him. “I-I must help him!” She screams.

“Sonya?”

“That guy, he broke his ankle! Jang Chae-su, do something!”

Jang Chae-su thinks for a minute. “Get Caretaker Lee, she’s in the staff-room. The staff-room is upstairs, room S256”

“How do you know?” Sonya demands. She crosses her hands across her chest, and her right foot is crooked.

“Just trust me,” he insists. Now is not the time to get into details. “I will run to my room. I am needed.”

Stairs are near. Sonya races upstairs. Jang Chae-su runs towards his room, and groans when he sees his room; paper is strewn everywhere, along with clothes and suits. His roommate’s things, crossing the dividing line. Why couldn’t he clean up? Why must he make things more difficult for me? Quickly he begins to throw the clothes over to the other side, and then spots the needed container. He grabs it and runs out.

He sees Sonya trying to calm down Kim Min-Jung; apparently the poor guy sprained his ankle, Jang Chae-su jumps to conclusion. He can tell just by looking at the injury. A gift, of sorts. He waits until the two are gone and then races outside, towards the sandbox.

Oh Hana, Lee June, Choi Song-Joo and Choi Song-Woo are guarding the castle, their expressions grim. “Hey!” He screams. They all see him.

“There you are!” Lee June calls out.

“Here’s the container,” He tosses it towards Lee June and she puts it over the castle. It is safe! At last something is going right. “Let’s run guys!” Five of them run towards the entrance, and they make it.

Jang Chae-su breathes a sigh of relief when he sees everyone inside. He decides to go into his room and change. “Jang Chae-su,” he hears his name called. He sees Lee June following him.

“What is it?”

“I meant to ask you, why were you late? I know your roommate is messy, but still…”

He decides against telling them the truth. “I’ve lost the container, and had to find it.” He lies.

Lee June seems to accept it. “Do you think we can play airplanes today?” Airplanes is one of their favorite games, similar to tag, except you have to catch one another using paper airplanes.

“Its rainy,” he points out. “Anyways, I feel tired. I think I’ll go in for a nap.”

“What about school?” She demands.

“Don’t worry about it,” he calls back. Jang Chae-su knows he has no future. At best he’ll end up working in a grocery store for the rest of his life. At worst, in a prison.

“Jang Chae-su,” Lee June tries to argue. He waves her aside.
He is lost in his thoughts, actions. I can’t think about school, he tells himself. I need to make sure that everyone else survives. Only then I can think of myself.

As he is walking, he sees the weird girl again. “Jang Chae-su,” she calls out, her voice high, without trembling.

“What?” He asks and the stops.

“Thank you. Are you going to eat?”

“I’m going to nap. You’re welcome to come along.”

“I’m going to eat. I’m hungry.”

He finds himself silent once more, words dying at his lips.

“Can you tell me where I can get food?” Maybe I’ll get something to eat with her, he thinks.

“I am hungry as well,” he tells her.

A smile forms her lips. They start to walk towards the lunchroom. White walls pass by, barren, empty. Only doors are drawn. No creativity of pictures or paintings or anything else.

Jang Chae-Su hates living in the orphanage. I will never get used to the life here, he thinks. Never, ever.

Seconds tick; he can’t find words to speak, can’t find words to tell Sonya. Her name isn’t American, he finally decides. If not, then what is she? He studies her carefully, and finally speaks, forcing each word out. “How old are you?”

She jumps, and stops. “What?” She asks.

“How old are you?” He repeats his question. He stops as well. He sees her lowering her head down, her eyelids covering up her eyes.

“I’m seven,” she replies. “You?” She asks boldly.

“Nine.” He replies.

“Nine,” she repeats. She starts to walk again, slowly, and carefully. “Will you be ten?”

No reply from him. Is she serious, or joking? He cannot tell. She remains silent, and follows him to the cafeteria.

How can she be happy? He wonders. She seems to have no troubles, no problems on her spirit; she is cheerful, and bright. How can such a person exist here? What is her secret?

His life is dark, full of mysteries, of holes. I want to bask in that light, he realizes. To know what it is like. Will she let me though? Will she be my friend? What if she won’t? What if she’ll go to another group, and two of us will be enemies? I can’t bear that thought.

“You’re a silent one, aren’t you?”

He turns to her. “What?”

“You’re always silent.” She observes. “Its boring.”

He doesn’t apologize. Why should he apologize for the way he is? He stops then, and watches as she stops as well. “I have to go now,” he tells her.

“Oh? Where to?”

He shrugs. “Don’t worry, if its fate, I will see you.” He turns in opposite direction, and she fades from him.

__________________
Once you go Asian, you'll never go caucasian

*Wonders if anyone is reading the stories*

Jang Chae-Su

Few days later…

Day of beauty, day of calm, the maelstrom is gone. Trees wave their branches calmly, rustle of leaves, twittering and hopping of birds. Tall tree is to the north of sandbox, branches stretch one foot. He sits underneath, eyes darting like deer through trees from hunters, watching out for bullies.

Few feet away he watches as Oh Hana, Choi Song-Joo and Song-Woo, Lee June, and Kim Min-Jung play in the sand. Today. Today would be judgment day. It should have been three days ago, he thinks. Unfair. But they were too busy judging other sand castles. Too busy, yeah right.

They are lying, he thinks to himself. The group that judges the sandcastles, they are known to ruin kids’ chances of leaving the orphanage.

For a while, Jang Chae-Su watched the group, memorized their movements. “You have to know your enemies better than your friends,” he says out loud. Where has he heard that? No idea.

Weather is calm, the sun a welcome respite from the rain. Few clouds of white are in sight, harmless, just passing by. Movement catches his eye; he sees Sonya come out from the building, her hair in a curly ponytail, her hand gripping the pail. She moves her head to the side, and their eyes lock.

“Jang Chae-Su!” She calls out. She waves her hand. He feels light fire burning in his cheeks. He doesn’t respond to her wave. Idiot girl! Why is she calling out his name? Does she want for him to be seen by others? “Hey! Over here!” He raises his hand, and waves backwards, motioning for her to come over.

She begins to skip gaily. He crouches, and shades his eyes from the sunlight. His other hand touches the worn baseball cap. He continues to watch over his charges, to make sure they aren’t being picked on. There’s Lee June, to his right in the sandbox, grand gestures with her small hands. That one is going to be a movie star one day, he thinks to himself. As far as he knows her, she is very bossy and dramatic. Her nickname is ‘liar’. Footsteps are near. Sonya. He stands up. “Hi.” He says.

“Hey,” a smile adorns her face. “What’s up?” She asks. He sees she is clasping her hands, her curly hair lying on her left shoulder. He touches his baseball cap, unable to find words.

“Hi,” he says again.

“Can’t you say something other than hi?” He hears annoyance.

Words cannot exit. She begins to move her feet in different positions. “Sorry.” He finally says. “Why did you call out my name?” He demands.

“Is it against the law?” She asks. He studies her briefly; noting the restlessness, frown on her face.

“No,” he replies. His hands seek pockets, something to hold on to. I don’t feel comfortable talking to her, he realizes. But why?

“Good. I wanted to have lunch with you. I brought you some food.”

“Oh.”

“Aren’t you hungry?” She asks. He looks up, towards the sky, the tall branches shielding it.

“A bit.” He admits.

No words are spoken. Jang Chae-Su doesn’t even try to prolong the conversation with her. I don’t hate her, he thinks. It’s just that, it’s hard for me to talk with anyone, even someone like her.

“I’ll be going,” she tells him. She turns around and leaves him. He watches her walk away; a heavy weight is placed on his heart. He doesn’t try to stop her.

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Once you go Asian, you'll never go caucasian