Birth of a Beauty

Back at Li Seulbi’s house;

*Tick Tock* *Tick tock*

Li Seulbi who was trying to focus on studying felt the ticking of the clock getting clearer and louder as time passed by. Shaking her leg out of nervousness, she shook her head to dismiss her overwhelming thoughts.

Eventually giving up at last, she closed her textbooks as she exhaled a long sigh. She leaned back, staring at the clock “It’s almost time for dinner. Now, I am not even hungry. I just want to hide or run away. How will I come clean with her like this?”

Then, her eyes landed on the nearby mirror. Looking at her bandaged and swollen face in the reflection, Xi Mei’s voice began to ring in her ears.

“I won’t leave you like this. They are monsters. If I need to I will suffer with you, but please don’t tell me to leave.”

“My friend didn’t even do anything to them. They approached us first and started bullying her. Please, help my friend. She needs treatment.”

A helpless smile crept on her face. The mixed emotions that she was confronting at the same time made her overthink the whole situation. The feeling of happiness from finally getting a true friend, dejection from doing nothing for her, fear thinking that she might end up like her, guilt for making her involve with her in the first place.

*Knock Knock*

Startled by the sudden noise, Li Seulbi realized the main problem lied in front of her.

Feeling her heart thumping in anxiousness, she got up and advanced near the door.

“Seulbi, It’s grandma. I brought dinner with me. Seulbi *Knock Knock*” Voice of Su Yumi rang from the other side.

“Yumi…” Li Seulbi mumbled softly.

‘But I can’t face her right now. I am not prepared at all.’

Should

panicked and hastily opened the

Su Yumi was taken aback

---

*Slurp* *Chomp* *Chomp*

eating the dinner tried her best to

staring at her

probably is waiting for me to finish my dinner so that we could talk. At this rate, I can see myself getting transferred to another school. No, when

so engrossed in her thoughts, that she was shaking

“Seulbi…Seulbi!”

fell in daze again, she bit her

Yumi only to see her staring

Yumi grabbed her hands as she began to speak “Seulbi, You yourself know that I can’t let this slide. *Touching her face* this isn’t something you get when you fall. Even if you make hundreds of excuses, that won’t change the fact that someone is bothering you. When I left earlier, I couldn’t help but think that every time you came home getting hurt, What if

down from Su Yumi’s cheeks. “I c-can’t even imagine h-how

Yumi. Seulbi is extremely sorry. But, I am really okay now. The one who was troubling me

poor granddaughter*Sob*”

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street thug while returning home. She asked for money and since you didn’t have any, she hit you like this. Promise

nodded her head, biting her lips. ‘God, Mom, Yumi please forgive me for lying. But, I don’t

the day I injured my leg and today. However, you don’t have to worry, as I said she was

moment of silence before Su

who did this to you, I

My school is far away and you are not healthy enough