Read Minimal Warm: Between Me And The Spotlight

Chapter 1: It Has to Be You

“Tom Kang, Hollywood’s rising star, wins the Artist of the Decade award!”

“What do you think, Tom? It’s your first time receiving such an incredible honor. You're young, talented — both as an actor and a singer. The ladies are absolutely crazy for you.”

“Thank you, Caroline. But honestly, I still feel like I'm missing something. If it weren’t for my fans, I wouldn’t be here.”

Beep!

“What the hell, Lia? Why did you turn off the TV?” Jenny glared at me.

“Because you were watching something boring, Jenny. If you have time for that, maybe you should go home and make up with your parents instead of crashing at my place. Or at least pay me rent.”

“No, you're the one living the boring life. And—”

“Jenny, seriously. You shouldn't be living with me. You should go talk to your mom. She’s just trying to help you.”

“Whatever!”

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

“Jenny... Jenny!”

I sighed. “Why am I in this mess?”

---

Jenny’s been my best friend since we were kids. Unlike me, she’s always had love and support from her parents. She got everything she wanted, and she moved to the U.S. years before I did. Now, somehow, we’re at the same university.

I came to the States just a year ago on a full scholarship. But nothing about life here is easy.

New country, new language, new culture... and I’m juggling three part-time jobs just to stay afloat.

I work as a librarian at the school, waitress at a bar in the evening, and a store clerk on weekends. And still — never enough. Never enough money. Never enough time. Never enough sleep.

Sometimes, I envy Jenny. She never has to think about money. Her problems are always about boys or drama with her parents. She’s so different from me. She has a bright smile, friends everywhere, a pretty face, and a body everyone notices. I’m just… quiet, awkward. Not much to look at.

After the fight, I went to see Mary at the café. Mary was the first friend I made here — sweet, kind, with shiny golden hair and goddess-like eyes behind her glasses. The first time she came to ask for a book at the library, I actually thought she was too beautiful to be real. Without her glasses, she’d look like a Hollywood actress. But she says she prefers glasses because they’re more comfortable.

---

“Hi Lia! How was your day?” she smiled. Everyone calls me Lia, short for Elena Ko — my nickname here.

“It sucked. And today it sucked even more.”

“Here’s your homework book,” she said, handing it over. “You always come to me for homework — I feel so used.” She gave me big puppy eyes. “So, what happened this time? Who made our Lia miserable today?”

“As usual. The redhead witch. Jenny.”

“She still hasn’t gone back home?”

“Nope. We fought again. But she’ll be back tonight.”

I took a long sip of cappuccino. I love the taste of the coffee here. It’s one of the few warm things in my life.

A TV in the corner of the café played the entertainment news:

> “Korean-American artist Tom Kang wins the Artist of the Decade award in his mid-20s. He’ll soon team up with K-pop group AIS for a drama OST and will star in the adaptation of bestselling novel Colors of Sins, directed by Hollywood legend Charles Wayne…”

“Tom Kang is so handsome,” Mary swooned. “I heard he’s dating that new model, Selena.”

But I was thinking about Jenny. Her face, her anger, her loneliness.

“Hmm? Sorry, Mary. What were you saying?”

“Nothing important. Hey… are you Korean, Lia?”

“What the—Mary! I’ve told you, I’m Burmese.”

“Relax! It’s just… your last name, Ko. It sounds Korean.”

“Well, we have Ko in Burmese too. Maybe Google it sometime.”

Suddenly, her phone rang.

(“Oh baby, I think I wanna marry you…") — it was her boyfriend.

“Anyway, I gotta go!”

“What? You said you were free today!”

“I was — to give you the book. Today’s Valentine’s Day, you know.”