Jae Hwa leaned on his elbow at the large table in the school's library. Before him laid books and papers with his scribbled writing showing very detailed notes and assignments. He was nearing his second wind of the study session as he felt the fatigue beginning to retreat.

     " Hey..."

    Jae Hwa's head tilted forward as his eyes began to close.

   " James. Hey."

   His eyes lost focus of the words on the pages before him. Just five minutes...five minutes and he could go for another hour.

   Just when his breathing slowed, and his head began to lower, the harsh sound of a book being slammed down on the table top startled him, chasing away any hopes of a cat nap.

    His brow was furrowed, ready to kill whoever it was being so rude.

   " Hi." Any ill intent he had before vanished the moment he saw that it was Lisa who had disturbed him. Suddenly, he wasn't as upset that he lost his five minutes of rest, but happy that he had gained five minutes of her company.

     Moving his books aside, he made room for her to sit with him. It had become a regular part of their lives now, inviting each other in. Jae Hwa had found that sitting with her in class had not given him any problems as far as learning wise. If anything, he had to work even harder to stay focused as her scent drifted into his nose, or whenever her elbow brushed against his as the wrote. He was left handed, and she right handed

    He had never been so happy about this fact before in his life.

    " You're late." He whispered to her. Lisa nodded her head knowing that she had managed to do this one too many times now. She had made a promise to meet at the right times with Jae Hwa, but some days she had to stay longer for dance practices.

     " I'll buy you the best burger in town. Huh? How's that sound? I haven't had one in ages, and I'm sure I can work it off." Though she was a lean dancer, she wasn't afraid to eat what her heart desired every once in a while.

      Jae Hwa contemplated on her offer.

     " I want a strawberry milkshake to go along with it. No skipping out on it this time." He poked Lisa in her forehead as she pouted.

    " I'm offended you would say such a thing." Mumbling, she picked up where she had left off on previous homework, working quietly alongside Jae Hwa.

     He watched her hand move rapidly across the paper as she worked hard. It had been four weeks since they began hanging out together like this. Nothing had gotten old yet, and he figured that was a good sign.

  He had the chance to phone his mother just last week. She had asked how everything was going....if he was enjoying himself.

      "Are you eating well? Studying often? Please get enough rest Jae Hwa. You need to keep up your strength."

      He let her know that everything was fine-more than fine.

     He was studying well.

      Even had time to hang out and live life outside of school, of course he told her this didn't happen too often.

      The one thing that he hadn't found the courage to talk about was the new light he had found in Lisa.

    For one, he knew his parents would discourage getting involved with girls at the moment, and though they had never really faced a situation like this, he didn't know how they would react to finding out she wasn't a nice Korean girl, or a "typical" American girl. She was black, and he had no idea how they would deal with that.

    Even mentioning that what they had-so far-was a fresh friendship could make them worry.

    He promised that he would never give them a reason to do that, so for now, he enjoyed the time he was spending with Lisa, and hoped that one day with a little more insight, and he would talk about her to his parents.

ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

   " So how is Korea? Do you like being here?"

    Lisa and Jae Hwa sat at a booth in the busy diner. It was a hotspot for the college town, and was constantly filled. They had both been nursing their meal as they had begun talking more about their lives. Jae Hwa had found out that Lisa had come from a prominent family.

   Her father was a business owner, her mother a professor, and her grandfather a very influential pastor in the area. He preached at one of the largest well known churches in town. Growing up, she had been an only child, and was admittedly spoiled.  As a girl, her mother had placed her into ballet classes where she had flown to the top of her class the same way that Jae Hwa had in school. In that, he saw something admirable in her. They both had worked hard for what they held closest to their hearts in hopes that one day they will live out their dreams.

    " Korea is ...home I guess. I don't know how to explain it. Of course it's different, but it's the same to me as the place you call home is to you."

     " Say something in Korean." She asked enthusiastically.

    " Why?"  Lisa tapped the table at the sound of his voice.

    " I love languages. I know a French and Spanish, but that sounds a lot more fun." Lisa wrapped her lips around the long stripped straw as she enjoyed the last bit of her shake. Seeing her suck in air, Jae Hwa took her cup from her as he poured some of what he had left into hers.

   " Thanks." She winked.

    Smiling, he dipped his head hoping that he could wait out the blush that would surely reach his ears. It was a feature of his that Lisa had picked up on, and she began to notice just what could make him all giddy. Was she doing it on purpose just for the laughs?

    At first, yes.

   But soon she had found herself enjoying his little habits. Wanting to see him in those little moments more and more.

    " You're so cute." The statement had left before she realized what she had done, and this time, it was her turn to look away abashedly as Jae Hwa's eyes flew open.

   " So...Jae Hwa. That's your real name?" Clearing her throat, Lisa tried to take away the attention quickly.

    " Yeah. Kwon Jae Hwa. James isn't too hard, so I chose that for my American name."

    " They both fit you well. Though, James gives you a more mature feel."

     "Lisa! Oh my God I haven't seen you in forever!" A tall blonde girl nearly jumped into their booth as she bombarded Lisa with a hug. They both began to scream, making Jae Hwa wince from the high pitched sound.

    " Sara! It's been a day or two at the most! Here, this is my friend James. James, this is Sara, remember the one I had told you about?"

    He remembered hearing a story of how they had met in dance class long ago. They had been rivals until grade school when Lisa had come to Sara's help during recess as girls from an older grade teased her for being so tall and lanky.

    " Hi Sara." He waved with a friendly smile as she gasped opened mouth at Lisa.

   " Oh my God. Is he from China?" Sara threw back her head laughing." He's so cute with his accent."

    " He isn't a dog Sara. And no, he's from Korea, not China."

   " North Korea??"

    Lisa wasn't as amused by Sara's words. In fact, she had found herself becoming very irritated with the way she was acting.

    " No not the north. I'm from South Korea." Jae Hwa wasn't ignorant of preconceived notions people had of Koreans or Asians. There were preconceived notions about foreigners in Korea too. It wasn't a topic that was new to him, but he had never really had any real interaction with others that may have held ignorance about who he was, and where he came from.

      Sara's laughter died down, and her eyes became wide.

    " Oh. Oh...you're English is good."

     Mentally, Jae Hwa rolled his eyes.

     He looked to see Lisa, and noticed that her demeanor had changed since Sara's arrival. She wore a frown, but it was soon replaced by a tight smile.

    " Sorry to split so soon, but we have to be somewhere." Looking at her white watch for emphasis, Lisa began to force Sara from the booth so that she could get out as well. Grabbing Jae Hwa's hand, she pulled him to his feet also.

     " But we haven't even hung out yet! I know you don't have anything to do-"

    "Bye now...." Digging in her pocket, Lisa left a tip on the table as she headed to the cashier to pay for their food.

     " Oh no. But I was just starting to like her...."

    " Ha. Ha. I'm sorry for that. There's a reason I've been trying to avoid her lately. Looking over her shoulder, Lisa saw Sara being absorbed into a group of people, completely forgetting about them. "Now, she's given me a good reason."

    The two of them emerged into the daylight once again. Lisa jogged ahead and struck a pose as she turned around to Jae Hwa.

    " I'm dancing for my grandpa's church Sunday. Will you come to watch?"

   "Sunday?"

   " Unless you have something planned..." She said a little dejectedly as she pointed her toes, and raised her arms above her head.

   " Would that really be okay?"

" Of course, what do you mean?"

   " I mean..." Jae Hwa wondered if it would be awkward to be in a place where he would stick out. " I don't want to be a bother or anything."

   "James, it's a church. Everyone is welcomed in the house of God." Lisa stopped her movements and walked closer to him. "You can get a taste of some southern cooking too. My grandpa is from South Carolina..."

   Jae Hwa waited for the significance of what she was saying.

   " Southern cooking is the best. It's bad and good for you at the same time. Don't worry, you'll get a taste of a little bit of everything with me."

Ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

    Jae Hwa pulled at the neck of his button down shirt. His parents had been Buddhists, and he had not been all that into religion before, so attending a church where everyone was so well dressed while he looked like he barely tried was a little unsettling. He was experiencing just what he had feared. Many eyes had lingered on his face, but no one necessarily engaged in anything with him.

    On the bus ride across town, Lisa had given him pointers for being in a new place like this.

    "Don't act nervous or scared because there is nothing to be frightened about at all. I promise. They are just as harmless and curious as you sometimes. Okay?"

      He had tried to do what she suggested, but combined with the heat, he found it to be just a bit difficult.

     At the front of the church stood a short round man, whose glasses rested on the tip of his nose. He was decked out in a full suit, even in the heat. You could see the proof of the rising temperature in the church as he constantly wiped at the pools of sweat making its way down his entire face. If he looked hard enough, Jae Hwa could have sworn that he saw large stains soaking the suit jacket.

      The voices in the building were strong as they all agreed with something that had been said. Jae Hwa watched as many people shot their hands into the sky, and bowed their heads to the words before them.

     This was something definitely different.

    He remembered visiting a catholic church as a child. It was the only interaction he had with Western religion, and it was completely different from what he saw now.

   " I would like to give thanks to the Lord for blessing me with the family I have. For the love and joy they have given me throughout the years. Y'all know my granddaughter Lisa. She's here to praise Him through dance, a talent he has most definitely blessed her with. If y'all can welcome her up here today..."

       Jae Hwa applauded along with the rest of the church as they watched Lisa appear from the left side of the preacher's stand. She wore a white flowing ensemble. When she raised her hands above her head in her beginning stance, it reminded Jae Hwa of the clouds in the sky. Of how large and powerful they looked as the crept across the sky slowly. Their ability to appear larger than life, yet be so delicate in reality reminded him much of Lisa.

      And as he watched her move in time with the choir's singing, he realized that he may have just fallen for her.