"Nyah nyah I've got your toys!"

"Ahjumma! Kyuseok was pulling on my braids!"

"This ramyun is cold... I'm going to go dump it in the garden!"

The very bane of my existence is cold and unmeaningful. Every day I wake up in DoIl Orphanage and I hear the shrill cries of the young ones, the teasing of the toddlers, and last but definitely not least the adolescent antics of the preteens. I prank them, I uncover joy from their misery, but it's just the same routine, over and over and over again. Lately, my best pranks don't even elicit a decent response from them. Especially little Hanryu. My epic superglueing prank was ruined when he went straight to Ahjumma to 'tell on me'. Tch, kids these days who don't know a good joke when they see them. On the other side of my bedroom, the clock on the wall seems to be mocking me, telling me that I'm going to be stuck here until I wither away into an old lady. Tick... Tock... Tick... Tock.

My train of thought was abruptly broken when I heard a series of short raps on the door. Heaving myself up from the dingy, tiny bed I trodded over to my door. Krystal stood before me, not even bothering to change out of her Pikachu pyjamas that we shared as a token of our friendship. The story of our friendship goes back a long way, but the crux of it is that Krystal was taking all the crap that the other kids of the orphange were unloading on her without a fight. I jumped in like the hero I am, and bing bang boom we're besties.

Krystal tugged on my arm. "Yah, do you want the kids to take all the kimchi again? You know those little ers can eat."

Feeling lethargic and sluggish, I refused to move. "Serve me breakfast in bed, yeoboooo."

Krystal laughed and started dragging me out the door. "Who said I'm your yeobo? We're divorced as of last week, missy. Now move."

We arrived at the jampacked dining room to see kids flying around, slurping their noodles, and turning the house upside down. A typical Saturday morning.

The smell of black bean noodles hit me full-on and my body sprang into motion. As I pushed through the throng of screaming kids, I saw a little girl running towards me, obviously excited about her breakfast. Just as she was about to pass by me she slipped on the hardwood floor. Her bowl of food went flying into the air and landed smack dab on my jacket. Not to mention my favorite white flowery jacket.

A collective gasp sounded throughout the room and silence hung in the air. Krystal just gaped at the glaring black stain on my jacket. I sighed in defeat and bolted up the stairs. This is my life. My name? Lee Yuet.

- - -

I sat on the rooftop of the orphanage building, letting the bitter winter winds bite my skin. I threw out my ruined jacket to the dump. I mean, who needs cute stuff when you have a whole bunch of annoying little kids to keep you company?

Sooner or later, my stomach started to deceive me as it growled so loudly the whole of Korea might have heard. Curse you, stomach. Just as I was about to descend the ladder back into the house, Krystal popped up at the end holding a bowl of noodles and a piece of paper in her hand. Did I mention how much I love her?

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I grabbed the bowl from her hands and starting scarfing it down. Krystal stared at me quizzically. "Slow down there, Speedy McSpeeder Pants. Oh, and Ahjumma wanted me to give you a letter that you got from the post." She held out a yellow, fading envelope. Struck by the mysteriousness of the letter, I set my food down and snatched it from her hands.

I flipped it over to the back side and ran my fingers over the engraved red seal. It read 'SEA'. Those letters seemed familiar. Ripping open the letter, I read it aloud so I wouldn't have to tell Krystal later.

Dear Ms. Lee Yuet,

Greetings from Star Empire Academy. We have received your application by messenger fairy-post and have reviewed it thoroughly. And we are very proud to announce to you that you have been accepted as a new student for this coming year. We extend our sincere congratulations to you!

Our opening our doors to new students this year has recieved an overwhelming response. Many supernatural beings from all over the world have shown interest in joining our academy. We have chosen you because you possess an enigma and special quality that we believe we can help cultivate.

We await your prescence on the first day school. Please keep in mind that loneliness is not a curse. As they say, coming together has some spectacular results, but sometimes being by yourself is the catalyst for success. The events that tear you down only make you stronger.

-Veni, Vidi, Vici-

Mr. G

a/n Congratulations to xflaminfox ! 'Veni Vidi Vici' is one of my favorite sayings. It means 'I came, I saw, I conquered'. Apply is still open, just a reminder. I have a no homework weekend (thank everything that is holy) so expect some more chosen student chapters. Till Then,

s e i z e t h e d a y < 3