Episode 46

This episode is part three of **"His Past"** and a continuation of a flashback of Yohan's childhood. After receiving advice from Oscar, Yohan slowly began to learn how to interact with his peers and establish a presence in the classroom.

## Synopsis

As Oscar sat on the edge of the dock, fishing, Yohan asked how to meet new friends. Timidly, Yohan explained that he felt there was an invisible line separating him from the rest of his classmates at school. Oscar kindly informed Yohan that this was a common occurrence. In order to cross this line, or step out of his comfort zone, Yohan would need to build up his courage and interact with his peers. Just as how Oscar and Yohan became friends over time, Yohan needed to understand others and open up to them.

Determined, Yohan decided to follow Oscar's advice. The next day at school, he noticed several classmates struggling to solve a Rubik's cube. As inspiration struck, Yohan shyly approached them and offered to help. His classmates watched in awe as Yohan effortlessly solved the cube. As his peers gushed in fascination over his skills, Yohan blushed and began to teach them tricks on how to easily solve it.

The next week, Yohan reported his progress to Oscar. As Oscar congratulated him for making new friends, Yohan admitted that though he was exhausted from socializing, he was happy to have bonded with his classmates. As the days passed, Yohan continued to implement Oscar's advice. He greeted his peers each morning and often offered to help his peers with errands. His efforts did not go unnoticed; several of his classmates began to pay more attention to his kind and helpful personality.

Several weeks later, Yohan volunteered to help Oscar crush aluminum cans at a park. As the worked, Yohan asked Oscar how to improve his confidence. He admitted that he was still struggling to open up about himself despite successfully interacting with his peers. After contemplating, Oscar suggested Yohan to demonstrate his strength. As Yohan showed him several sketches, Oscar praised him for his artistic ability and recommended him to use this to bond with others. Yohan attempted to brush off the compliment, but Oscar encouraged him to have more self-esteem. He reminded Yohan to accept compliments with an appropriate "thank you" and a smile. The next day, Yohan was approached by several female classmates who were captivated by his sketches.

     As they commended him for his art, Yohan thanked them with a bright, stunning smile, unintentionally charming them.

One night, Yohan's father returned home from work. Noticing Yohan cheerfully playing with his cat, he decided to approach Yohan and ask about his day. Before Yohan could respond, he heard Yojoong returning home and dashed out of the room. As Yohan excitedly greeted his uncle, Yojoong handed him a newly-purchased box of cat toys.

At the dinner table, Yohan's mother noted how late Yojoong had been returning home the past few weeks. Yojoong explained that there had been a rise in crime activities near Yohan's school district. Since the precinct was so close to Yohan's school, Yojoong offered to pick Yohan up on Tuesdays after school and take him back to the precinct. He explained that it was better to have Yohan with him at the station than leaving him at school unsupervised while Yohan's mother was held up at the hospital. Yohan realized in a panic that this would prevent him from meeting with Oscar and blurted without thinking that he refused to go. Taken aback by his outburst, Yohan's family stared at him. As Yohan scrambled to come up with an excuse for his behavior, Yohan's father asked if Yohan wished to spend time with his friends after school. Yohan quickly agreed, deciding it was not a lie because he considered Oscar as a friend. Though he wondered whether his family will become angry upon learning the truth, Yohan reassured himself that nothing bad would happen.

## Characters

*Characters are listed in order of appearance. Character first appearances are **bolded**.*

* Yohan Lee
* Oscar
* Yohan's Mother
* Yohan's Father
* Yojoong Lee

## Trivia

* Author's note: Once Yohan learned how to smile at his peers, he unintentionally began to generate his own fan club of female classmates.