Mina stood tray in hands plated with food and scanned the busy lunch room. Wheein had said she would meet her in the cafeteria after class was over, but it seemed the young woman may have been delayed. Sighing Mina began to meander slowly through the crowd looking for an empty table or at the very least a minimally occupied one. The low den of the students made it hard to concentrate and she was sure she heard a murmured word or two in her direction.

“Hey you’re the new girl right,” a young woman suddenly grabbed her elbow not waiting for an answer to the question before tugging her along, “You can come sit with us.”

Despite her slender frame the girl was surprisingly strong and had little trouble pushing Mina down into one of the empty chairs at a table occupied by two other women.

“Who the hell are you?” One of the two already present asked as she popped the gum she was chewing in annoyance.

“Easy Bom, this is the new girl everyone’s been talking about…um…Miran or something,” The girl gestured with a wave of her hand and she sat down squeezing between the girl she had referred to as Bom and the one currently staring at her with an unreadable expression.

“Actually my name is Mina,” she forced a polite smile and watched the woman with cat eyes who had yet to speak.

“Nice to meet you Mina, I’m Chaerin, this is Dara and Bomi,” her eyes narrowed as she gestured at the other two women without looking at them.

“I love your jacket it’s very…” Bomi smirked, “Country chic.”

Mina frowned as Dara suppressed a snicker and Bomi’s eyes glimmered suspiciously. Mina glanced down at her denim jacket and suddenly felt a shade of embarrassment color her cheeks.

“Mina,” a voice interrupted the trio currently looking at Mina like hungry jackals, “There you are, I’ve been looking for you come on.”

“Wheein,” Mina felt a small rush of relief as the dimpled young woman approached, but her deep frown told the young woman all she needed to know.

Mina began to stand up sudden grip on her elbow and a sharp tug had her seated again.

“Wheein,” Chaerin sneered, “We were just getting to know our new classmate.”

“Save it, I know exactly what you were trying to do,” Wheein pulled Mina up from her seat and free of Chaerin’s grasp.

Dara stood up abruptly sending her chair to skid backward along the floor. Chaerin stood slowly and held up her hand causing Dara to bite back the words she was about to spit like venom.

“There a problem here?” another voice joined them and Mina recognized the young woman approaching as Wheein's friend Seungwan. Wheein had introduced them excitedly before their English class.

“Not yet,” Bomi almost hissed as she eyed the new arrivals.

“We’ll see you around ladies,” Chaerin gave a sickeningly sweet smile, “And Wheein give my best to Yongsun I’m sure she won’t have to wait too much longer in the unemployment line.”

Wheein growled and took a step forward but Seugnwan grabbed her shoulder holding her back with a shake of her head.

“Wheein don’t,” Seungwan added softly, “Remember what happened last time.”

Wheein jerked away from Seungwan as her face contorted in unadultered anger. She stalked off toward an empty table and the other two girls followed in her wake.

“I don’t ever want to catch you sitting with them again,” Wheein growled once Mina had seated herself, “They’re bad news you should stay away from them.”

“Who was that?” Mina asked watching Wheein continue to stab at her salad in irritation.

“Chaerin likes to think she owns this school and everyone in it,” Seungwan supplied.

“Who are we talking about?” a female voice asked plopping down beside Seungwan.

“Oh hey Chungha,” Seungwan greeted, “Chungha this is Mina, Mina Chungha, she’s on the dance team too.”

“Nice to meet you,” Chungha bowed politely, “What’d I miss?”

“Chaerin trying to get her claws into the new meat,” Wheein snarked before sighing, “No offense Mina.”

“None taken,” Mina smirked.

“Oh,” Chungha nodded, “Did you tell her what happened to….”

“Yah!” Seungwan interrupted throwing a french fry at her face, “Don’t be rude that’s Wheein’s business.”

Chungha flinched and gave a sheepish grin, “Sorry.”

“What happened?” Mina looked between the young women curiously as they turned their gazes to Wheein who had since left her salad alone.

“Chaerin only cares about who’s useful to her, she uses people up and spits them out,” Wheein began, “I was dating a T.A. last year, secretly of course, somehow Chaerin found out about it, she tried to blackmail me into getting the answers for the finals coming up, I told her to go to hell.”

Wheein sighed before picking up her fork and beginning to stab at the ruffage on her tray once more, “She had pictures of Yongsun and I together and sent them around to the whole school. Yongsun was fired and brought up on charges of misconduct, the school board dropped the charges, but now no school will hire her.”

Mina was at a loss for words with the information and it was written on her face the way her eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

“Uh-oh I think we sent her brain into arrest,” Chungha muttered earning another French fry to the face, this one she happily caught and ate.

“Are you still with her?” Mina managed after a moment to digest.

“Please like I would give this up,” Wheein smiled proudly as she pulled out her phone and flipped open her lock screen.

The woman on Wheein’s phone was nothing short of beautiful, in fact exceeding it with her exuberant smile and adorable round cheeks.

“Wow,” Mina breathed in awe, “No wonder you signed up for extra credit.”

Seungwan and Chungha began laughing as Wheein blushed slightly pulling her phone back.

“I like the new girl she’s got you pegged already,” Chungha laughed lightly stealing a few more fries from Seungwan’s tray.

“Hey, get your own,” Seungwan glared trying to pull her food out of reach.

“Aww…but unnie you’re supposed to take care of me,” Chungha pouted laying it on thick with the aegyo and watching Seungwan cringe.

“Ugh…here take them all just stop doing that,” Seungwan quickly surrendered her plate.

“She hates that,” Wheein smiled widely with a mischevious twinkle to her eyes, “Its her weakness.”

“Oh,” Chungha quickly swallowed the morsel of food she was chewing, “Momo wanted me to warn you that Sinbi is in rare form today so don’t expect practice to go smoothly.”

“That girl is so uptight,” Seungwan rolled her eyes.

“Be nice she’s not that bad,” Wheein nudged her shoulder, “And you don’t want to give Mina the wrong impression.”

“Chungha stop rotating your hips so much,” Chungha imitated the girl in question, “Wheein-ah if the dance calls for your hand and wrist to be at a 45 degree angle then do a 45 degree angle not a 46 degree…nag nag nag.”

“Stop it, you know she just wants it to be perfect and for us to be at our best,” Wheein smirked.

Mina chuckled lightly at the banter and was reminded of her friends back home. Home, she thought with a small frown as the bell rang again signaling the end of lunch and the beginning of her last class. Taking a seat closest to the window she stared out at the gray sky twirling her pen idly in between her fingers.

‘Beautiful as always…” a soft voice entered her mind as her eyes became unfocused.

‘You don’t have to say that just because I’m your daughter,’ Mina sighed.

‘You’re too hard on yourself,’ Mirai admonished, ‘You’ll do fine.’

‘I don’t want to do fine. Fine doesn’t stand out. Fine doesn’t get noticed,’ Mina huffed beginning to pace, ‘My free form is still a mess.’

‘Mina, come here and sit down,’ Mirai patted the cushion on the worn sofa, ‘You are talented, graceful, beautiful and I believe in you, the only thing you’re missing is the belief in yourself.’

Mina sat silently lips pressed together tightly as she let her mother’s words settle over her.

‘Now close your eyes,’ Mirai smiled as Mina opened to protest, ‘Shush, just close them.’

Mina rolled her eyes with a huff before doing as she was told. She felt her mother’s weight shift slightly next to her and the silence made her skin prickle in anticipation.

‘I got this for you for the audition, but I figure you can use it now,’ Mirai explained gently, ‘Open your eyes.’

Mina’s eyes fluttered open and were instantly drawn to the simple silver chain draped over her mother’s calloused fingers; watching as a small penguin pendant swayed slightly from the end.

‘Mom…’ Mina gasped in surprise.

Mirai slid the delicate chain around Mina’s neck and fastened the clasp as Mina’s fingers caressed the pendant, ‘It’s for luck.’

‘You’re all the luck I need,’ Mina felt tears sting her eyes as she lurched forward and hugged her mother tightly.

Mirai’s sweater had smelled clean like their laundry detergent mingling with the warm smell of cinnamon from the cookies she had just baked and the sweet smell of lavender from her shampoo. Mina wished she had been able to bottle that smell to take with her wherever she went. Now she only had the memory of scent and it made her chest ache.

Mina was jostled from the memory as a body dropped into the seat next to her causing her to drop her pen. She instantly leaned down for it and felt a pain in her head hearing a harshly whispered curse that did not come from her own lips. The intruder into her reverie had reached for the dropped object as well causing their heads to collide. She rubbed her forehead and looked up from the slender fingers that held her pen and blushed fiercely. Sitting beside her was the blonde from her first class. ‘Gong Minzy,’ Wheein’s words popped into her slightly aching skull.

“You know I can think of more pleasurable ways for us to see stars,” came the low voice followed by a smug smirk.

Mina’s eyes narrowed as she plucked her pen out of the blonde’s fingers, “I bet you can.”

“Wheein says you dance,” Minzy raked her eyes over Mina’s body taking her time when she reached her toned thighs and slender legs.

“Not anymore,” Mina pulled her textbook out of her bag along with her notebook.

“Just as well, our style isn’t what you’re used to,” Minzy drawled almost in thought as if she were gauging the other woman for a reaction.

“How would you know?” Mina rolled her eyes.

“You have the legs of a ballerina,” Minzy watched her in amusement as Mina’s fingers tensed around her pen and she looked away.

“So what made you quit?” the blonde continued.

The fingers of Mina’s free hand instantly moved up to fondle the penguin pendant resting on her chest, “I just did.”

Mina blinked rapidly before looking at the other woman and letting go of her necklace, “Why don’t you have your text book or anything?”

Minzy grinned, “I usually borrow what I need from whatever pretty girl I’m sitting next to.”

Mina visibly cringed at the greasy comment, “I’ll give you whatever you need if you just stop talking to me.”

Minzy held a look of surprise before chuckling softly and shaking her head, “Careful I might take you up on that offer.”

Mina huffed and began scrawling notes on her paper as Minzy shifted her focus back to the professor and his lecture. Mina stole glances at her from time to time out of the corner of her eye. The overall disinterest in the lecture was palpable coming from the other woman. Minzy yawned openly and rested her elbow on the table, chin in her hand as she drummed her fingers in boredom against her cheek.

“Shouldn’t you at least try to pay attention?” Mina whispered.

“Why?” Minzy replied, “I’m carrying the whole class with my grade average, besides Mr. Liu is a pompous old windbag that just likes to hear himself talk.”

Mina was quickly losing the awe-inspiring view of Minzy she had when she first saw the young woman. The girl was arrogant, greasy, and for all appearances seemed to be lazy too.

“Aren’t you the dance captain, you should be setting a good example for your peers,” Mina whispered harshly to which Minzy rolled her eyes before leaning closer to her face.

“Are all Japanese girls as uptight as you?” Minzy smirked raising an eyebrow.

“I’m not…”

“I thought you wanted me to stop talking to you?” Minzy interrupted her indignant response.

Mina shut tightly and turned back to her notes hearing a light chuckle as Minzy reclined once more in her seat.

“For the next assignment I’d like you to work in partners with the person you’re sitting with. It will be a presentation on a subject of your choosing that has historical significance,” the professor caught Mina’s attention with the words and she groaned inwardly.

‘Just great now I’m stuck with her and I’ll probably end up doing all of the work,’ Mina huffed and it seemed she would be Minzy’s endless amusement.

“Well look at that, now we have no choice but to talk to each other,” Minzy grinned as the students began packing up their books and filing out of the classroom.

“You just better hold up your end of the assignment,” Mina replied flatly as she stood up slinging her satchel over her arm.

“No worries I guarantee you an easy A,” Minzy winked causing the other woman to roll her eyes.