Choi Yuna is almost perfect. She has that perfect body proportions that make her every movement stand out with poise and confidence, and a charming personality and attitude that matches her innocent vibe which makes her glow and easy to approach. She’s a jack of all trades, a fast learner, and has the brain to be the consistent top student ever since she entered school. Sure, she’s grateful for receiving all these which she considers as God-given blessings but, Yuna never seemed to like the idea of her being blessed with good looks. For her, it’s better if she’s just someone ordinary: someone who looks like an average school girl just like her classmates. 

No, she’s not saying that they don’t look pretty nor she’s degrading or judging them by the way they look. In fact, what she feels was sort of an envy rather than that thing called judgment. At least they’re not as noticeable as her (not to mention her brown and chocolate-like locks that make her stand out literally). And most especially, they don’t experience the same thing as what she deals with everyday. 

Every morning as soon as she steps on the school’s main gate, she’ll hear different voices voicing out millions of ‘good mornings’. Most of them are from the boys but no one never denies that a part of them are also from the girls who admit to have some sort of girl crush on her. Some of them go overboard, showering her with gifts she knows she doesn’t deserve. She hates receiving anything for free without exerting her effort as much as she hates attention. And today, like what she has expected the moment she woke up, is another day of dealing with them again with endless smiles and thank you’s.

“Miss Yuna, accept these please. I baked them myself.” She flashed her ever charming smile but with a little hint of awkwardness accompanied with a small bow to show gratitude as she received the box of muffins from her senior. For her, he doesn’t have to do that. It’s probably hard to manage learning how to bake amidst their busy schedule. Or does he already know how to? No one knows, but he never really had to exert such effort.

“Yuna-sunbae, I stayed late at night just to write this letter. I even endured Mom’s nagging. I told her that she’ll never have to nag me if I already have you as my girlfriend.” That was bold, but being an angel that she is, she smiled despite finding his statement.. well, honestly, cringe-worthy. And yes, she accepted that tenth or eleventh letter for today. She wasn’t sure though, ‘cause she lost count while reciprocating the same smiles that she has been receiving.

“Yuna-unnie, you were so good yesterday! I hope I can be as good as you. And you’re so pretty! I’m sure I’ll never be on your level.” Unlike the usual smile she’ll flash with every confession, she frowned upon hearing what the girl who obviously looks younger than her (and that honorific says it all) has stated. Is she really that good for others to be not confident with themselves? Is she really in that level that others’ self-esteem seemed to sag down? 

Sometimes, she questions herself. If she’s in other student’s position, would she ‘waste’ time just to greet the pretty girl who won awards and made the school known because of quiz bees, piano competitions, figure skating, rhythmic gymnastics, running, singing, dancing, and give her presents each morning?

She was about to speak when she was cut off by the school bell. Everyone around her stopped trying to give her what they had readied, and as if they’re a flash mob who practiced the same choreography, their shoulders went down at the same time and their feet went to the same direction which was opposite of her upon hearing their cue. Yuna sighed in relief after hearing that sound. Maybe, being saved by the bell has always been the best thing that will ever happen to her each morning.

...

“Okay! Be quiet, be quiet!” 

The teacher’s voice stood out despite the noise that impregnated the room. As usual, Yuna has just entered the classroom with all the presents she received from a while ago. Some of them were already on her poor bag that has turned bulky from enduring that much. 

“Ms. Choi Yuna, you may take your seat.” The teacher said with an obvious hint of irritation. Mrs. Song is known to be a calm and warm-hearted person when you ask her colleagues, but when it comes to her students especially on the issue of being punctual, it’s like she’s turning into a different person and experiences the disorder of having split personalities. Yuna flashed a small smile and didn’t mind the glare that she had just received from the former. She knows she deserve it and on top of that, it’s always that way except those once in a blue moon times when she arrive at school before the others. It must have been hard for their teacher to go through stress and minimize the noise of her students at the same time, then there she is being late and all.

The class has started which turned out comparable to a lullaby just like what they had expected. It was not because the way the teacher speaks sounded like one but the whole class is plain boring. All you can hear aside from the woman’s voice is the sound of the marker along with the breeze of the air conditioner. Some students were already asleep, some fighting their sleep, and there are few who doesn’t care at all. If you’re thinking that Yuna is an exception, you’re totally wrong. Our model student isn’t always living up to her name. Who wouldn’t be bored to death if it’s still early in the morning and you’ll be greeted by some sort of torture called Mathematics?

She is listening- no, she was listening until she had understood the first example. She’s Choi Yuna, after all. She can reserve learning that lesson for later. Then after that, that strong magnet called sleep attracted her sleep-deprived self. She doesn’t usually sleep late or stay awake ‘til next morning but last night was an exception. 

It was because she was contemplating whether to wait for her parents to arrive or just let her hopes die that they’ll ever come home before her birthday ends. Yes, it was her birthday yesterday, and just like the usual, she can’t even get to hear them greet her personally. Of course, being the angel that she is, she always understands them but, she knows that even her goodness has its own limits. She knows she’s tired of getting their greetings over the phone as her present every year as she gets older accompanied by all those expensive material things (which she gets through her driver) that she knows she doesn’t need. She can’t even see them as much as their driver did. All she ever wanted to receive is a simple hug or even just to see their smiles. Even without a greeting will do as long as it’ll be either of the two. And that is one reason why she was labeled as ‘almost’ perfect. One can’t really get it all. 

But, the absence of her parents were filled by her friends. Most of the time, girls would be with girls, but Yuna doesn’t wanna go with the stereotype. Ironically, it was because she stereotypically thinks that having companions who have just the same interest as her is no fun at all. So, she has her Taehyung-oppa, Jimin-oppa, and Yoongi-oppa whom she treats as her older brothers, and she, of course, is treated as their little sister. The three had been asking her since weekends to join their girlfriends even once to experience what it’s like to hang out with girls their age, and they had been telling her that she might like it. But just with the idea, she knows she won’t. 

Aside from a ‘perfect’ family, there’s also one thing that she knows she would never get.

...

The school bell rang which indicates the end of their first subject, meaning, they have a half an hour break. She almost liked their schedule, but that boring Math as the class opening just had to ruin it. Yuna could see the other students started to vanish into thin air. It’s like they had been dying to get off their seats, as if that wasn’t the case. She bowed her head down her desk and blinked for a thousand times, hoping that the little action would decrease her drowsiness and boredom. 

Without a warning, Yewon, Yoongi’s girlfriend and the ‘sweetest’ and the ‘most innocent’ among her three oppas’ girlfriends, approached her much to her surprise. 

“What brings you here?” She asked with her calm tone. Even though she doesn’t like hanging out with the girls, the younger has done nothing wrong for her to treat her plainly. And besides, she always use that tone when talking to everyone. So, there’s no issue at all. 

“Unnie, Mrs. Min told me to call you. She wants you to go down and meet her.” Yewon said while playing with her fingers, not wanting an eye contact with the older. Yuna smiled a little as she find her actions cute. If she was just closer to her, she would’ve squealed and pinch her cheeks. 

“Yewon, there’s nothing wrong with eye contact.” She stifled a little chuckle upon seeing the younger being shy and flustered. Yes, she isn’t that close with her but being with her three oppas sometimes means being with their girlfriends, and that has somehow developed her to remove the possiblity of an awkward atmosphere with the three girls despite the invisible distance and the times they talk to each other that she can count with her bare hands. “Mrs. Min? You mean, your Yoongi-oppa’s mom?”

Yewon’s cheek turned bright red upon hearing Yuna’s question. With every sentence related to her that has Yoongi’s name with it, her cheeks would turn that way without her consent. The older decided to let herself show some emotions so she smiled. 

“Y-yes.” Yuna somehow regretted the fact that she has been denying their ‘friendship offer’. Maybe, it’s time to get to know the girls. They seem nice though, and she thought that maybe it isn’t bad to try hanging out with them even once.

“Yewon.. At my house, after school? Are you in?” Yewon’s eyes can be now compared to ping pong balls after hearing Yuna’s request. But soon enough, her expression has turned into a pleasant one.

“I’m okay with it. I’d better go now and tell Yerin-unnie and Eunha-unnie.” She quickly bid a goodbye to the older and jumped her way to the door with glee. 

‘That was cute.’ She thought.

Yerin is Taehyung’s girlfriend while Eunha is Jimin’s.