Nana's POV

I spent my whole time unpacking and sleeping yesterday. Jet lag was nowhere near gone. I still felt dizzy and my ears are still a bit clogged. My aunt and her friend named Jung Ah helped me and my mom unpacked and settled at home. It turns out my aunt is still single due to trust issues.I hope my mom learned that from her cause if she did, me and mom would be living a simple yet happy life. Aunt Kahi cooked us a delicious american meal; Carbonara and grilled chicken which was too good for my appetite.She also offered us tequilla which my mom gladly accepted. I shook my head at my mom, but I figured this would help her. She's now a single mother of a broken girl and she needs a way out. She needs to be happy again. 

I was more than happy to know that I would be having a room just for myself. My mom and my aunt are going to share a room together and that made me realized how much they missed each other. When I looked at them, I saw two teenagers annoying at each other. I wish I had a sibling to share my quarrels and love stories with just like my mom has her sister. 

"Honey, come down for breakfast or else you're going to be late for school" Yep. It hasn't been a full 24 hours yet and my mom is already nagging at me for school. It to know that I have to go to school wthout a proper rest. I haven't even strolled around Cali for crying out loud. But that could wait I guess.

"Yeah mom. In a bit" I lied. I was busy looking at myself in the mirror. I haven't had a good look at myself for years already. On the mirror, I saw a broken girl. Not a trace of beauty left. Dad always made sure that I felt ugly. With all the scars he gave me, I sure felt nothing but ugliness. But then, I also saw something. I saw strength in her eyes. 

"Honey, you're beautiful already. Why are you staring at yourself? And why are you all covered up in September? It's 90 deg. outside. I'm sure you're going to sweat a lot with that sweater" My mom quickly rummaged through my closet and pulled out a crop top.

"Mom are you insane? I'm not going to wear that" I shoved the crop top back in my closet and pulled out denim blouse instead.

"Honey you need to show your beauty outside"

"By showing some skin? No mom. People here are going to have bad impressions of me" I defensively stated

"It's cali, darling. Girls are walking in bikinis outthere" Mom playfully winked at me. God, how did she manage to be cooler than me. I slightly pushed my mom outside for me to change. I took once last look at myself in the mirror. This would do, I think. I walked downstairs and sat at the bar stool. I watched my mom prepped a bowl of cereal. 

"So, Nana. The school is two blocks away. You don't mind walking do you?" Kahi unnie asked me.

"Ah no. I love walking anyway. Where will I go first, though?" I took a spoonful of my cereal  patiently waiting for unnie to reply as she reads something.

"Hmm. Here's your schedule. Your principal emailed it to me. Perhaps, you can find a friend or two to show you around campus?" She nervously looked at my mom. My mom might have told Kahi unnie that I'm distant when it comes to people.

"I think I can find it myself with no trouble" I smiled. I finished my breakfast and orange juice in a jiffy. I brushed my teeth after and bid my mom and aunt goodbye. 

"Bye mom. Make yourself useful today" I laughed and hugged her at the same time.

"Aish this kid. Ofcourse! I will look for a job today" 

It's nice day to be honest. I've always loved the heat. Korea was never this hot; It was between midcool or too cold, hence the sweaters I have. Mom was right. People here are too provocative, or liberal I would say. Teenage girls are wearing skirts that reveal their butts and blouses that show their cleavage. It's a good thing I grew up in Korea where you hardly find someone dressing up like this eventhough sometimes there were still people who dressed like s. I walked towards the lobby and was greeted by the familir scenario of High school. I pulled out my schedule and found Psychology as my first class at room 210. I scanned the hallways thoroughly for room numbers. I'm in the right building. That's a good start. I made my way upstairs and found room 210. I peeked through the door, and much to my dismay the professor was already there discussing something. Great, Nana. Now you have to disrupt the class and make them look at you. I sighed. I hate being the center of attention, and now I'm about to be one.

I was debating if I would just ditch class instead, but the principal would definitely call mom and mom would endlessly scold me for skipping class. I wouldn't want that. I'd rather suffer an hour than a day. I decided to knock and the professor looked at her watch. She annoyingly opened the door.

"Yes, how may I help you?" Hey missy, you might want to ask me properly. 

"I just got here. From-from Korea. and I think this is my first class?" I was stuttering for God's sake. 

"Ah yes. Ms. Adridge told me there's going to be a new student. You don't look Korean, though. What's your name?" She fakingly smiled. I know when people are just trying to be nice

"Lim Jin Ah. But you can call me Nana" 

She ordered me to go inside and find a vacant seat. It's a good thing that we're skipping introductions because 1.) I hate introductions 2.) I don't want people to know who I am and what are my stupid likes and 3.) I have no plans on befriending anyone. As I entered the room, the students were already looking at me. Some looked interested and some weren't. I scanned the whole classroom for a vacant seat and thank the heavens for an empty seat at the back. I walked to my seat hurriedly and sat down.

"Class, listen. We have a new student from Korea. Her name is Nana. If you would just be nice towards her, please do so" Great. Now my professor made me look like a freak. I mean yeah, it's good to have someone be nice towards you without being told to be nice. 

"I bet she's a stripper in Korea. Look at that body" My thoughts were disrupted when a golden haired boy whispered loudly to his friend. I couldn't help but smile in disbelief. 5 minutes has not passed and yet people are already judging me. But this time, I need to stand up for myself. Dad is no longer here to look down on me, and so I won't let anyone do the honors.

"I speak and understand English you know" I annoyingly smiled at the two boys beside me. The golden hair boy elbowed the black haired guy. The black haired boy looked at me embarassingly.

"Class, excuse me for a minute" the professor announced. 

I was able to breathe for a second and so I fixed my things.It's a good thing that the students didn't care of my existence. It felt like I was actually invicible. I needed that. I don't need another drama.

"So you're from Korea?" the golden haired boy disturbed. I looked at him and nodded. I wasn't going to speak until I feel the need to. I'm not going to be friends to someone who assumed I was a stripper.

"I'm Kris by the way" He extended his hand and I just looked at it. He deserves it for being an . Then the black haired boy burst out in laughter. I looked away and smiled to myself.

"Yah Tao, why are you laughing there!!" the guy named Kris hit the Tao guy's arm.

"No one has refused your introduction like that" Tao said.

"I know right. All the girls here introduced themselves to me. Not the other way around. Something is wrong with this girl" Aish this guy. So full of himself. Yes he might look amazingly good, but his attitude was nowhere nice.

"Yah. Nana, right? It's nice to speak a few words you know. To be polite" Kris was getting on my nerves to be honest. I don't care if you're crazily handsome, .

"It's not nice to assume someone's a stripper based on your body you know" I rolled my eyes. Tao burst out laughing again. 

"Look we're sorry about that. It's just that we rarely see someone as tall and and and as y as you" Tao was not going to impressed me with his words

"Liar. Look at these girls around you. Half of them are dressed almost ly. And will you please just shut it" I said. It's the truth. All the guys have one goal: to get in your pants. And this is their way of making you vulnerable; through their flowery words.

"Huh, You've got some guts going on there Miss" Kris annoyingly stated. I glanced at him, and I still can't deny the beauty he has. For a boy, he's too handsome. His sharp nose and his doll eyes. Ugh. His face is disrupting my thoughts from getting irritated. He possesses this bad boy image that I know I should be avoiding. Bad boys bring no good.

"And what is it to you? Are you used to being worshipped by girls instead?" I cooed at him. And that's where he lost it. He made a fist and hit his armchair. I smirked at myself, a sign of success that I won a battle with a guy. A battle I have never won with my dad. Without knowing the battle isn't finished yet, Kris harshly held my wrist and dragged me outside the classroom. I hate people dragging and bossing me around. The whole class was staring at us with their eyes saying "you're gonna get what you deserved, " And for a minute the scene brought me back to when I first disobeyed my father. He did exactly what Kris did, dragging me and throwing me to the wall. Kris had his arms cornered me against the wall. I saw the anger in his eyes, i saw dad in him. Kris moved his arm and I put my arms up defensively just like how I was protecting myself when dad was hitting me. I waited for Kris' hits but they never came. I realized Kris had no plans on hitting me, thus I lowered my arms. I looked at him and I noticed he was shocked of what I did. His doll eyes stared at me with concern. 

I pushed and shoved past him. I wasn't going to let anyone know that I was abused before, and yet here I am being sentimental over a guy who I just met. I let him know of my fears. I hope he was stupid enough to know what's actually going on. I went inside the classroom and grabbed my stuff. I'm sure the professor won't be coming back anytime soon as it was nearing breaktime already. The whole class was still looking at me. Now, I just made my first day muchworse than I had with my whole stay in Korea.

"Hey Nana I'm really sorry for what Kris did" Tao tried to stop me from getting out. But I successfully shove my way past him. Tao was still trying to get a hold of me until I felt a pair of hands grabbed my wrist again. Ugh what's about these boys and their  wrist grabbing thingy. Is this what makes them worthy of their title?

"What?!" I faced him irritatingly.

"Look I'm really sorry. I wasn't going to-" "Nana??" Kris was cut by someone familiar. He was the guy from the airport. It was Chanyeol.

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