Second grade. Homeroom.

Teacher Kwon went inside the classroom with a wide smile on her face. Just like any other enthusiastic grade school teacher at the beginning of the school year, Teacher Kwon greeted the class with a "good morning" as bright as the summer sun. She placed her books and her pencil case on the table and proceeded to write something on the board.

"Class," she spoke after facing the students again, "Today, you're going to meet a new addition to our section. Please be kind to him!"

The students went on with a soft "ooooh"; pretty much excited to meet the new kid who would become a part of their section "Strawberry".

Teacher Kwon raised her left hand, pointing at the door, and with an even wider smile on her face, she instructed, "Jun, please come in!"

Everyone in the class almost broke their necks just looking at the tall, lean boy who had an unfashionable bowl cut but still made it work for him. His eyes were too piercing for someone who would become a part of second grade, section Strawberry, but he was good-looking. That should make up for his lack of cheerfulness to meet the class.

"Children, he is Wen Junhui, he is from China!" Teacher Kwon held the young boy's shoulders as he introduced him to a group of half-dumbfounded, half-astonished second graders who seemed like they had not seen a foreign student before. "Please introduce yourself, Jun."

The young boy glanced at the teacher before proceeding with his introduction. His voice was tiny and soft, but it had a hint of unfriendliness and coldness from it. The other students already knew that their new classmate was not a force to reckon with.

"Good morning. I am Wen Junhui. I can speak Korean quite well, aside from Mandarin and English, so if you ever think of saying rude things behind my back, don't even try."

Silence.

Teacher Kwon's aghast expression was enough to show how shocked she was to hear such thing from an eight-year-old. Even the students were shocked too; they stayed still on their seats with their mouths agape.

Wen Junhui was not there for kid's play. He was serious. He was there to study. And he was ready to send kids who would to the deepest pits of hell once he got annoyed.

"Don't worry! Strawberry kids are not mean kids!"

In the midst of an austere atmosphere because of Junhui's introduction, a cheerful voice broke the silence of the class.

"Strawberry kids would love to be friends with you, Jun!" a bright, bubbly young girl who wore pigtails stood up to make her point, "Let's be friends!" she smiled.

Teacher Kwon chuckled, "Ah yes, Yerin-ah. I know you can help Jun become familiar with our school," she said before turning to look at the young boy beside her, "Jun, I think you should sit next to Yerin. She is a nice girl and she will be a good friend of yours, I'm sure of it."

Junhui did not respond, though he did follow what his homeroom teacher told him to do. He might be a bit full of himself, but he still recognized Teacher Kwon's authority inside the classroom.

The other kids' eyes followed him as he walked past them to sit beside Yerin, who was already in all smiles when Junhui approached him.

"Nice to meet you!" she beamed.

But Junhui was not interested to be friends with her. He only glared at her before placing his backpack on the table and sit beside her.

Teacher Kwon saw everything, "Maybe he is just having a hard time adjusting his life here. Kids these days," she thought to herself.

"I'm Yerin!" the cheery girl beside him tilted her head just to get the attention of her new snobby seatmate, "Do you like sweet potatoes?"

Junhui took a quick look at her before answering, "No. What I like is a quiet seatmate."

"Ah," an embarrassed Yerin lowered her head, "Um, but do you want to eat lunch with us later?" she added. She was not giving up the fight to gain another Strawberry kid friend.

Junhui just let out a deep sigh. He decided that Yerin was too annoying for him to handle, and he must make it clear to her that he did not want anything to do with her for the whole school year. High pigtails secured with pink ribbons, eyes full of curiosity, white shirt inside a blue jumper, pink backpack--Yerin was indeed the type who could annoy Junhui just by inhaling oxygen.

Yerin was a hopeful child who only wanted to be friends with their foreign classmate, but second grade was full of surprises, and one day, during recess, Junhui did something she would never forget.

"Teacher Kwon! Junhui cut Yerin's hair!"

The children who were playing around the classroom suddenly rushed to see the commotion happening in the corner of their room. A crying Yerin was kneeling on the floor, holding strands of he