Professor Nam has yet to reach class despite the bell ringing minutes ago.

Chaerin laid her head on the table, in deep thoughts.

A few days back…

“Yah! Lee Chaerin! For once, listen to me. I’m doing this for your own sake.” Ms Ha, Lee Chaerin’s mum screamed after Chaerin slammed her bedroom door.

Chaerin thought to herself. “For my own sake. You are selfish and you only think of yourself.” She smirked.

“How am I supposed to leave everything behind and go to LA just like that?! Begin a new life? How am I supposed to begin it there when I myself find it hard to fit myself in Korea?”

Back to class,

Few minutes later, footsteps are heard. As usual, the students who were scattered around the class get back to their seats.

Chaerin is still staring at the blank wall thinking of the argument that she had with her mom. “I have never fight back against her. This time around, it’s too much to take.”

Professor Nam is standing in front of podium like he always does every time his class starts to do his greetings. This time round, it’s different. There is a man beside him.

“Alright class, we have a new student. You may introduce yourself.”

The class starts to whisper especially the girls. “Omo! He is so good looking!” “I bet now he is the most good looking one in the class.”

“Yah! Heechul ah. I think you are no longer the handsome one.” One of the classmate’s tease Heechul who is staring at the man.

Heechul looked at him while raising his eyebrows.

“Prof, we don’t want to know.” He said confidently.

“Yah! What are you talking about. We want to know!” Few girls raised their voices.

Professor Nam stopped the chaos. “Stop joking around already! Go on… (Referring to the new student)”

Even in the midst of all this chaos, Chaerin is still staring outside of the window thinking about her fate. She turns her attention to the new student.

“Hi! I’m Lee Donghae! I hope you can guide me through the process of me adapting here. Thank you.” Donghae said enthusiastically.

“At least you don’t have to adapt to a foreign country.” Thought Chaerin to herself.

Prof Nam looked at the direction of Lee Chaerin.

“Now, where shall you sit? Hmm…”

Before he could say anything, Chaerin sternly said, “Not here. Never.”

“Okay then! You can sit beside Heechul.” Said Professor Nam.

Before Heechul could decline, Donghae already rushed to sit beside him. “Hello new friend!” he said in his cheerful tone.

“Aigoo. What a bad luck.” Heechul clears his throat.

The second bell rang to signify the start of their break time.

Someone caught Donghae’s attention. The girl who is sitting near the window at the front seat.

“Heechul ah. Who is that girl?” asked Donghae.

“The only thing I can tell you is, don’t even try.” Heechul said seriously.

“Yah! I’m not interested in her.” Donghae said in disbelief.

“I realise that even when the class is so loud, she rarely speaks and other students seems to be ignoring her.” Donghae explained.

“Woah! Good observation.” Heechul said sarcastically while joking around laughing.

Meanwhile, Donghae remained serious.

“She’s like that. She holds a black belt in taekwondo and many don’t dare to get near her. Not only that, people believe the bad rumours about her. That is why she gave up on communicating with people.” Heechul explained.

“Yah! Stop asking already. I’m hungry and I need to go and do my ‘big business’. I go off first.” Heechul said in a rush.

Donghae laughs and nods indicating he understood what Heechul meant.

Few seconds later, he came back.

“Her name is Lee Chaerin by the way.” Heechul whispered hoping he never wakes up the lion who is still staring at the white wall.

“Lee Chaerin? Could it be her?” Donghae thought to himself.

“No. I must investigate myself. Doesn’t mean we share the same family name, she is Lee Soo Hae right?” Donghae tried to convince himself.

Just when Donghae was leaving the classroom, Bom came in to check on Chaerin.

“Oh! New student?” Cheerful Bom casually asked.

Donghae just smiled and nod. Even when he is walking away, his eyes are still looking at Chaerin with full of curiosity.

“Yah! Who is that handsome guy? Why you never introduce him to me?” Bom joked around despite knowing Chaerin barely speaks to anyone in class.

“Chaerin ah… I know something is bothering you. Come! You can tell me about it.” Bom said calmly while facing her ears to Chaerin to show her that she is there to listen.

With their 12 years of friendship, it is not a surprise anymore that Bom is able to recognize when her best friend is feeling down and same goes for Chaerin.

“Bom ah. Remember when you moved out from our house to live independently?”

“Yeah.” Bom frowned unable to grasp Chaerin’s problem.

“Remember when that time mom joked that she will send me to another country to live independently?”

“Omo! Why? You are planning to go overseas?” Bom asked.

“No Bom ah. More like forcing, she is forcing me to go to LA and follow her there because of her US Tour.” Chaerin said with so much frustration.

“Why are you sad? Isn’t it a good thing that you will be able to see mom performed and see how she work?” Bom is still confused.

“Bom ah. You still don’t get it, don’t you? Migrate. We are migrating there.”

“What?!” Bom stood up. Chaerin calmed her down. “Yah! Sit down.”

“You must be joking; please tell me you are joking Lee Chaerin. This cannot happen. This can never happen. You promised me remember?”

Bom is in disbelief at the thought of her own best friend whom she spends half her life with, to be gone just like that.

“No. Bom ah. I will make sure it won’t happen.” Chaerin said comforting Bom who is weeping in her embrace.