Do Not Feed Recklessly - Chapter 1. Part 1

Ethan had been the annoying boy her age living next door ever since Jia’s family first moved to Australia. Jia could still remember that day clearly—the day she first met him.

Their new home was in a small, peaceful suburb, where public transportation wasn’t the best, but the atmosphere was calm and inviting. Living without a car was difficult, yet the lower cost of living compared to the city made it an attractive option for Jia’s parents.

The sight of their new house in Australia made young Jia’s eyes widen in amazement. It was nothing like their cramped apartment in Korea, where she couldn’t run around freely. The yard, with its patches of green grass, felt as big as a school playground to her. And the house itself—a charming two-story wooden home with a small garage—looked like something straight out of a movie.

The thought that they’d be living in a place like this from now on filled Jia with excitement. She could hardly believe it, her heart racing with anticipation.

“Wow, is this really our house?” 

“Of course, it’s our house.” 

“Wow! The yard is huge!”

At that moment, everything seemed perfect. Jia was happily running around the yard, exploring every corner of their new home, her excitement growing with each discovery.

But the noise of the moving trucks must have been quite loud, because the door of the neighboring house, separated only by a wooden fence, suddenly opened. A white couple stepped out and noticed Jia’s family. Smiling brightly, they immediately started talking, and their friendly demeanor put Jia’s parents at ease.

“Oh, you must be our new neighbors!”

Between the couple, a blond boy around Jia’s age peeked out. He wore a scowl, his expression clearly showing that something was seriously bothering him as if the commotion had interrupted his day.

“We were curious when we saw the house next door was sold. It’s great to meet you,” the man said warmly.

“I’m John Taylor, and this is my wife, Linda.”

Thankfully, the neighbors were very friendly. Despite the slightly awkward English exchanged during the introductions, Jia’s mother quickly noticed the blond boy peeking out from between them. His curious yet displeased expression didn’t escape her attention.

“Jia, come here for a moment” she called.

At her mother’s call, Jia, who had been eagerly exploring the inside of the house, quickly ran out into the yard. This was her first meeting with Ethan.

Standing behind the unfamiliar couple at the front gate was a boy with a sulky expression on his face. His arms were crossed, and he seemed completely uninterested in the introductions happening around him.

“How perfect! They’re the same age.” Jia’s mother said.

“Yes, it’d be great if they became friends.” the neighbor replied.

It was the first time Jia had ever seen golden hair and blue eyes, so clear they resembled a lake. Ethan, with his doll-like features, immediately captured Jia’s attention, leaving her momentarily speechless as she stared in fascination.

‘He’s pretty.’ she thought.

At that moment, Jia blushed as if hypnotized as she stared at Ethan, her admiration obvious. Her parents watched with excitement, hoping for a cute first meeting between the two. But as if to shatter those expectations, Ethan suddenly reached out and pulled Jia’s hair, jolting her out of her daze with a sharp sting.

Then, in a clear voice, he said, “Ugly.” 

It was simple enough English for Jia to understand. 

Breathing heavily, stunned by the sudden insult, Jia’s shock quickly turned to anger. Without a second thought, she reached out and grabbed a handful of Ethan’s blonde hair in revenge, her cheeks burning with anger.

“You’re uglier!” she retorted.

It was the beginning of a tiresome rivalry. Little did they know, this frustrating relationship would stretch on for more than a decade, filled with countless arguments and endless bickering that neither of them seemed willing to let go.

***

Despite their disastrous first meeting, their parents’ hopes never wavered. They remained convinced that, with time, Ethan and Jia would eventually get along.

During the hot summers, their parents would set up a large inflatable pool in the garden, making Jia and Ethan play together despite their relentless bickering. And on barbecues, they always made sure that Jia and Ethan sat next to each other, hoping that the forced closeness would eventually resolve the tension between them.

Things got even more complicated when Jia transferred to the same school as Ethan, meaning they had to take the school bus together every day. Their parents thought this would improve their relationship, but it didn’t.

“Move, loser! I’m going first.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! I got here first.”

They fought about everything, even over the smallest things, like who got on the bus first.

“Mom, I want to go back to Korea… Can’t we just move back there?”

For a while, Jia struggled to adjust, constantly pestering her parents every night, begging them to return to Korea.

The excitement she had felt about their spacious two-story house with a big yard faded quickly. Even though she had attended English academies in Korea, living in a foreign country turned out to be much harder than she had imagined.

Adapting to a new place as an outsider was no easy task.

Even after more than a month at her new school, she still hadn’t made any real friends. The only person Jia spoke to regularly was Ethan.

Seeing her struggle, her mother decided to create a small garden for Jia in a corner of the yard. There, Jia was able to plant flowers and lettuce and find a bit of happiness in caring for her own little space.

The only downside? The garden was right next to Ethan’s yard, which meant he was always showing up, peeking over the fence.

“Loser.” he’d call out.

“Yeah, that’s you.” Jia retorted.

Whenever she was tending to her garden, Ethan would appear like clockwork, sticking his face through the gaps in the wooden fence just to annoy her.