TEENAGE PROBLEMS (III)- MÍA'S FEELINGS

{Last night I had to go out to do some work, and I just got free, so I won't be able to make it to school. I'll talk to the teachers later}

"Wow... looks like he won't be coming to class today either" - Mia Woo muttered as she walked back to her classroom, checking the text message our protagonist had just sent her.

Today Robert hadn't come to class, something that had been happening several times over the past couple of weeks. And while this might not matter much to others, for Mia it was completely different.

"I hope you're okay... take care" - Mia typed a short reply on her smartphone. Though it seemed like a simple message, it meant more to her.

She tucked away her smartphone and continued walking back to her classroom, her mind reverberating with the recent events in her life. It had been almost a month since that strange meeting on the rooftop of the high school where Mia had talked with him. 

A meeting where she recounted all the problems plaguing her, where she told him the reason behind her stupid behavior. 

Looking back, she knew it was foolish to believe that someone she had never met before would heed such absurd propositions just because she thought her appearance would be reason enough.

But what she didn't expect back then was Robert's proposal. When he proposed that deal to help her with her problem almost a month ago, Mia didn't know if he was serious or mocking her.

At first, Mia thought he would start mocking and teasing her too; she felt foolish for telling him her problems and what was happening to her... she thought he would take advantage of it to make her life as impossible as Eunice did.

But she was wrong.

I don't have to waste my time talking to convince you; actions speak louder than words

Those were the words Robert said when he saw Mia's confused and incredulous face.

At that moment, Robert took out a small notebook from his pocket, wrote something on it, and then handed the paper to the girl. Just as Mia reached out to take the paper, her gaze met Robert's, and for a moment, she could see that our protagonist's eyes showed no signs of mockery or mockery.

He had a calm and confident look, a look that made her feel... safe?

As I said, I'll solve the root of all your problems, but that won't be for free. I see potential in you to become the best in the entertainment world, and I'll exploit everything you have to get the most benefits possible. If you accept, there's no turning back

For a moment Mia doubted the words she heard, not because they sounded unbelievable, but because Robert said it so convincingly.

How could a brat like him, with no background or power, make such claims?

That's what crossed the girl's mind fleetingly.

If it had been anyone else telling Mia this, she would have told them off for spouting so much nonsense. However, after a moment of hesitation, she took that paper.

That's my phone number, and there's also an address. On Saturday at ten in the morning, you'll go to that place, and we'll talk about what's needed to fix your problem

Robert turned around and started walking toward the rooftop door.

From that moment until the weekend, Mia didn't speak to him again, while in her mind a debate raged on whether everything that happened there was something that would truly help her or just the delusions of a crazy teenager.

But when the weekend came, she took the risk and went to the mentioned address. After all, what did she have to lose, right? It's not like he would harm her.

And it's not because Mia was a very confident girl, having grown up in a very poor and dangerous neighborhood, but because there was something about that boy that made her feel secure again.

'Maybe he works or knows people in a modeling or acting agency?'

Mia thought of that possibility. Although she had never been to Hannam-dong, the address on the paper, Mia knew it was an area of the city where many of those businesses were located.

However, when she finally arrived at that address, she couldn't help but be surprised, as it wasn't the address of a modeling agency or business.

Was it the address of a residential apartment complex? Mia didn't think that the address written on that sheet was the home of our protagonist. Starting with the residential area, where Robert lived was already a place Mia only dreamed of living.

Hannam-dong, an exclusive area north of the Han River, is a place where most Korean music and television stars live!

it is also a cultural center, where you can find many museums known for their contemporary art exhibitions. However, what stood out most about this area is that it housed the best acting and modeling academies in the city.

Did Robert's family have money?

Mia knew that the vast majority of students studying at Shinan High School were children of politicians, businessmen, or influential people who moved in a world of money, and only a few students were there thanks to scholarships and government grants for low-income people, like herself.

However, the children of wealthy families always stand out for demonstrating who they are, as was the case with Hee-Jin and Ki-soo, siblings who tormented many students previously.

But Robert was a different case. He seemed so simple in his mannerisms that he didn't appear to have been born into a wealthy family.

And since he set foot in the place, things completely changed in his life! At the meeting place, not only was Robert there, but two women caught the girl's attention. Not because of their looks or age, but because of how they were dressed.

It was very obvious that the formal and elegant clothing they wore was not something any woman could wear. But all of this was put aside when the two women began to talk to Mia about her family's situation.

At that moment, the girl learned that one of these women worked in the offices of the military hospital belonging to the central headquarters of the Korean Army, while the other was part of an NGO responsible for assisting people with alcoholism problems.

The more these women talked, the girl's mind wandered amid various feelings that assaulted her chaotic heart, as the things they said made Mia believe for a moment that all this was a dream.

They began to talk about taking her father to a rehabilitation center, about admitting her uncle to a special center for mental health in facilities subsidized by the army, as well as having her mother undergo a comprehensive medical check-up to assess her health.

These words sounded too good to be true as if all the prayers Mia had ever silently prayed were coming true, so she didn't want to get excited too quickly.

Even though Robert had promised to help her, she still found it hard to believe that all this was true. He never participated in the meeting; he only acted as a host, but Mia knew that the words of these two women reflected what the boy had promised her.

As reluctant as Mia was to believe, it seemed that reality was determined to make her trust this strange and now enigmatic schoolmate more.

To top it all off, when the conversations ended, these two women accompanied Mia to the buildings of both the military hospital and the NGO, where both her uncle and father would be undergoing treatment.

Seeing this, the girl knew that Robert had never lied, she knew that everything he promised was true. Looking for a moment alone, Mia cried silently, her tears couldn't be contained, and her emotions burst forth abruptly.

Almost always in the past, she had cried over unpleasant things or out of helplessness for not being able to change the situation in her life. However, this time she cried not out of sorrow, but out of gratitude, a true feeling of gratitude.

If she weren't in the middle of all the paperwork with the two women helping her, she would return to Robert's apartment to hug him tightly. So, holding back her complex emotions, she finished all the paperwork and agreed with the two women to carry out the process of admitting her family members to the mentioned facilities.

Just as this happened, a message came to her smartphone.

Do you see? I told you everything would be fine, your family will be safe. See you at school on Monday, you can thank me if you want, then we'll talk about your part of the deal. Be careful on your way back~

Mia just stood there, in the middle of the street, in silence. She wasn't sad, she wasn't helpless, she was simply at peace, she was happy. She hugged her smartphone tightly and smiled at the thought of the person who had managed to make this dream come true.

The following week, gathered on the same rooftop, Mia hugged Robert tightly in gratitude, and right there she promised to do everything in her power to become the best actress in the industry.

Since then, Mia had been by Robert's side almost every day, accompanying him during breaks and after school.

During these moments, Robert talked with her about many things that initially seemed unimportant, but Mia began to understand later on.

Things like history, art, food, politics, technology—topics that were almost daily occurrences, but when narrated by Robert, they held great significance for Mia.

Mia didn't understand why he did it, but without questioning, she always listened. It wasn't until a few days ago, after watching an interview with two scholars on television, that she realized she could understand many of the things mentioned and form her own opinions.

It was then that Mia realized Robert wasn't wasting time talking about these things; rather, it was a sort of training she was undergoing with him.

And while this might sound tedious to some, for her, it was quite the opposite, as she began to enjoy Robert's company.

These days were the best Mia had had in a long time.

Eunice's harassment had ceased overnight, her father and uncle were undergoing treatment, her mother had received timely medical attention to alleviate her issues, and the financial burden had slightly eased for her family… Everything began to improve.

This made Mia's grateful heart even more appreciative of Robert than ever before, and slowly, that feeling of gratitude was turning into something more, something she didn't yet understand.

Yes, he was a bit peculiar and proud, but not vain or boastful. He was mature and had a mysterious past.

However, things had changed a bit in the last few days, as Robert started missing school several days, which worried her a lot. Whenever she asked him about it, he would just smile and say he would tell her soon, leaving her with doubts.

She didn't know what he could be going through, but she wanted to know if she could help in any way, as she felt indebted to him.

But what Mia didn't know was that her concern for Robert wasn't just out of gratitude; it was a feeling she had never experienced before, something that would take her heart by surprise.