SET APART

Written by Abby Caymol | Apr 24, 2025

ABRIELLE

I was waiting for the employee bus at Shelter 1 when the heavy rain started. I had hoped for a dry fall day, but the weather had other plans. As I sat inside the shelter, I listened to the birds chirping in the tree by the parking lot. I noticed some employees approaching, but Jeremiah wasn’t among them. He usually parks in either Shelter 2 or 3, mainly in Shelter 3.

Since I developed a crush on Jeremiah, I’ve looked forward to seeing him daily. This daily trip to the employee parking lot has become a habit, and I can’t help but admit that it has become my favorite routine. 

I prayed, “Lord, I’m not sure what to do. I feel like I’m just wasting time not trying to befriend Jeremiah Kim. But I trust that if you want us to be friends, you’ll make it clear to me. Until now, I haven’t heard anything from you. I don’t want to make a move unless you say so.”

I closed my eyes in earnest prayer to the Lord. Suddenly, I heard a hissing sound outside—the bus had arrived. I stepped outside and followed the other employees as we entered the bus. Once I settled into my favorite seat at the back, my heart began to race. Each day is like this: my heart quickens every time the bus moves to the next shelter.

The bus started moving when no more employees boarded. I could see Shelter 2 from a distance but didn’t spot Jeremiah anywhere. More employees climbed aboard, and the bus began moving again. I felt my heart race even more as we approached the next stop, Shelter 3. All the employees had boarded, and as usual, I saw Jeremiah running toward the bus, out of breath, trying to catch it. He was at the end of the line where people entered the bus.

I thanked God that the seat he always occupies was available. It felt like God had made it available for him, just as I could sit in my favorite spot at the back by the window.

As Jeremiah sat down, he checked his phone, as usual. His eyes were glued to the screen while my nose was buried in the book I read. I couldn’t resist glancing over at Jeremiah; I hadn’t seen him all day. When we finally arrived, we found ourselves walking towards the bridge, just the two of us. 

“Oh snap!” a thought struck me. The song playing on my phone was “Because It’s Love” by Ailee, a Korean song. As I listened to the music in my earphones, I soaked in the moment of walking on the bridge with only Jeremiah beside me. He was on the right side of the bridge and a little ahead of me. I noticed him put his phone into his pocket, looking down at the busy street leading to the airport. 

“Should I talk to him?” a thought crossed my mind. “No,” I quickly dismissed it. Yet, I couldn’t help but recognize that the song playing perfectly captured our shared moment.

The song is in Korean, but when translated into English, the lyrics go like this: “When I look into your eyes, I keep getting nervous. I’m next to you, but I feel lonely. My heart only has you, so please stop ignoring me and turning away.” Wow. The song feels so relevant now, as if it perfectly narrates my feelings. The lyrics continue, “My heart is going toward you, from the beginning until now. I couldn’t tell you, so I just turned around. There’s so much I want to say.” I felt so emotional listening to it. Was this a sign from God? How does this song know precisely what’s happening in my heart? 

Earlier, I saw Jeremiah going up the escalator while I was going down. I can’t explain everything happening; maybe only God understands. I turned off the song because I knew listening to it would make me even more curious about Jeremiah. For now, I want to remain still.

Listening to secular love songs makes me want to befriend Jeremiah more and rely less on God to make the first move for me. If I didn’t have a crush on him, I would feel more comfortable talking to him. However, my true feelings prevent me from approaching someone I like due to certain expectations. Friendship is great when your intentions are purely platonic. 

“Abrielle, I saw Eun-Yeong waving at me excitedly. I felt a wave of nervousness wash over me. Did she have a story to share about their recent night out at the Cornelius Lounge? 

“Abrielle, I need to talk to you about Jeremiah. There’s something you should know,” Eun-Yeong said hurriedly. My nerves heightened with worry. 

“Okay, so I spoke to Jeremiah that night,” she continued. “He was busy with his friends, just like I was. I was looking for a good moment to talk to him. When I saw him standing alone by the lounge’s big glass window, it seemed like he wanted some time to himself, so I didn’t want to disturb him. But when he walked away, I seized the opportunity and approached him. I greeted him and introduced myself.”

He responded nicely by saying hi. The first thing I asked him was if he was Korean. He said yes. Then I asked if he spoke Korean, and he replied that he only knew a little bit. He can understand it but is not fluent in speaking it. 

I mentioned that I wanted to say hi and that I had a friend who also wanted to befriend him.” I stopped Eun-Yeong from explaining.

“What?” I exclaimed, feeling alarmed. “Eun-Yeong! Did you tell him my name?” I asked in shock.

“Here’s the thing, Abrielle,” Eun-Yeong said. “I asked you last time what you wanted me to ask him. You said anything, so it was the perfect opportunity to introduce you. Since we don’t get to see or talk to him often, I thought I should tell him everything. But wait, there’s something else you need to know. Jeremiah Kim asked me who this friend was that wanted to befriend him, so I told him the name is Abrielle.” Eun-Yeong sounded confident as she explained.

“What’s his reaction?” I asked excitedly. “He paused momentarily and then just said, ‘Okay,’” Eun-Yeong continued the story. “He asked me why you wanted to befriend him, so I told him the truth: I said you like him.” My mouth dropped open. I had been on the bus all this time, looking at him, and he was occasionally glancing at me. Walking across the bridge with just him probably weirded him out! I realized that he knew I liked him all along! I sat down in dismay and covered my face with my hands in embarrassment. “Do you still want me to finish the story, or is it too much to handle?” Eun-Yeong asked curiously. I told her to go on and finish the story because I wanted to hear more, even after what I had already heard.

“So, when I told him you like him, his only response was…” Eun-Yeong paused for a moment. “I’m leaving the state soon.” At that moment, I couldn’t tell what I felt; all I knew was that I felt a storm brewing inside me. “Abrielle, I told Jeremiah in Korean that you are such a lovely friend with a good heart. That’s true. He didn’t say anything; he just listened. After a pause, he said he needed to go.” 

Eun-Yeong finished her story, wearing a sad expression, and apologized. Jeremiah knew I liked him, yet he responded by saying he was leaving the state. Does that mean I was low-key rejected? No clear answer was given, but it doesn’t bother me as much as Jeremiah Kim is leaving Seattle. I’m heartbroken. Why does it feel like I’m being rejected for wanting to be friends with him? Did it sound pathetic when Eun-Yeong told him I liked him and wanted to be friends?

I’m losing hope and beginning to question myself. What’s wrong with me? Two Bible verses come to mind: Hebrews 10:23 says, “Let’s hold on to the confession of our hope without wavering because the One who made the promises is reliable.” 1 Samuel 16:7b reminds us that “People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” We need to fill our minds and hearts with God’s word, so we should pray for reminders of His promises. The Holy Spirit will guide us to rely on the Lord rather than what the world tells us.

I’m feeling unsettled about Jeremiah leaving without us becoming friends. Does the Lord not want me to be friends with him? My heart speaks to God: “Lord, I know You’re listening. What is Your plan? Will being friends with Jeremiah compromise my faith in You? Am I going to be distracted in my walk with You? What do You see that I can’t? God, why can’t Jeremiah and I be friends?”