Be the best and absolute perfect you can be. Talk perfectly, walk perfectly, work perfectly, and live perfectly. For everything you do, give it all that you have and more- falling below 100% is not an option. Have no marring weaknesses, only unbeatable strengths. No matter how much it kills you on the inside, never let your pain and struggles show through.

Simply be  p e r f e c t i o n .

The sky was still dark when I left my house that morning, a bleak stretch of nothingness that stood between the earth and the heavens. In front of me, the streets were as silent as a sleeping graveyard. Very rarely did a car zip by, the only sign of life in this quiet hour. This wasn't surprising, however, as it was still much too early for the sun to rise and for the day to officially begin. Dawn wouldn't come for another three hours, which was typical for a late November morning.

Ignoring the chill of the crisp, cold air, I slowly made my way to school, one small step after another bringing me closer to the prestigious academy of Woollim High. Why I was going so early at the lethargic hour of 4AM, I hadn't the slightest clue. It wasn't a particularly special day- I didn't have morning volleyball practice or a student council meeting to attend to. But I hadn't felt like staying in bed after I'd woken up, restless in sleep, and I never stopped once in my journey forward to head back home.

I turned the corner and stepped out into the open town centre square. Here, it was a little more lively than my home area. Shops were lined up neatly along the road, open with bright fluorescent lights shining through windows. I guess it helped clear some of the darkness away. The occasional pedestrian would walk by, giving me a sidelong glance as if wondering what a high school student could be doing out at such an unusual hour.

Be the best and absolute perfect you can be...

Ignoring their curious stares, I turned another corner and found myself in a shadier area of the square. Graffitied brick buildings and abandoned warehouses loomed over me from either side of the road. Garbage littered the scuffed sidewalks, defying the faded "DO NOT LITTER" signs posted on telephone poles. It was completely deserted here- there were no other people, cars, or even stray animals to be seen, giving the impression of a modernized, trashy, wasteland of a ghost town. Other girls would have been too nervous or afraid to pass through this area by themselves, but not me. I only steadily made my way forward, not knowing why I was taking this path but moving onward anyways.

Just as I was passing by a small, dingy entrance to an alleyway, a sudden movement caught my eye. I instinctively turned my head to see what it was. My eyes, already used to the darkness of the early morning, easily peered through the murky shadows of the alley. I was surprised to spot a slender male figure just a few feet away. He had on grey jeans and a black jacket, which almost blended him into the dark background, but the stark paleness of his skin contrasted so brilliantly with his surroundings that there was no mistaking he was there.

'Who...?'

I jerked to a stop in my walk. This street wasn't exactly where one would expect to see people in. All alone in this suspicious place, I couldn't help but wonder what he was doing here.

Hearing my halted footsteps, the male slowly turned to my direction, eyes narrowing at the sound of other life in this empty street. His glare met my unwavering gaze. For what seemed like forever, he stared at me with sharp, guarded eyes, the only emotion in his otherwise expressionless face.

Talk perfectly, walk perfectly, work perfectly, and live perfectly...

Then as quickly as his attention had been caught, he broke our little staring contest, looking away with a disinterested shrug. I watched in silence as he slowly loped away, further and further until the quiet echoes of his steps were the only thing left in proof of his existence.

Giving a dismissive shrug of my own, I hoisted my bag on my shoulder and made my own walk away. It was as if the meeting of two strangers in the alley had never happened in the first place.

--------

"Omigosh! Am I seeing this right?! Choi Sooyun is in fourth place?!"

I looked up from the school lobby bulletin board and glanced at the group of students next to me, who were alternating between ogling at a large list which I was reading and gaping with unhinged jaws at yours truly.

The girl who had shrieked aloud continued, mouth forming an 'O' shape and eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. Her reddish-blonde dyed hair and thick make-up only added to her resemblance to a goldfish caught playing in its mother's cosmetics. "I can't believe it! The Choi Sooyun, in fourth place! Fourth! How hard was last year's exam that you slipped three places, Sooyun?!" Her friends nodded and murmured their agreement.

"This is unbelievable..."

"She always came in first before... What happened this time?"

"I wonder how smart these other three people are to have beaten Choi Sooyun..."

For everything you do, give it all that you have and more...

I automatically opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say anything, a familiar male voice interjected loudly from behind.

"Hey, leave her alone!" I half-turned to see my best friend, Lee Sungyeol. He appeared out of nowhere by my side, hair sticking up in messy locks and an irritated expression crossing his face. Scowling, he stuck his chin out at the students who were still staring at me, puffing out his chest as if to defend my honour. "So what if she didn't come in first this time? It's not like the rankings make you who you are; she's still Sooyun. Besides, nobody's perfect." He glared, as if daring them to contradict what he was saying.

One of the boys felt brave enough to. He pointed an almost accusing finger in my direction. "Sooyun is," he stated bluntly. Sungyeol looked pissed off at this blatant reply. He was about to step forward to snap back when I suddenly grabbed him by the sleeve, forcing him to stay put like a good boy next to me.

"Yeol, calm down. Don't make a big deal out of this," I told him. He shot me a disbelieving look. Plastering on a vague little smile, I faced the group of teenagers standing with me in front of the board. "I know that you're surprised with my results, and to be honest, I am too. I'm sorry that I disappointed you this time, but I'll make sure to work harder next year, okay?"

I didn't stick around to hear their answer. Spinning on the heel of my foot, I calmly walked away, steadily increasing the distance between me and my stunned classmates. When I heard them start to chatter as I turned around, I snorted. They couldn't even wait until I was out of earshot to gossip about this latest piece of scandalous news.

'And it hasn't even been first period yet... I wonder how long it'll be until the whole school finds out?'

Sungyeol caught up to me just as I was turning around the corner. "Hey, Choi Sooyun! What was that all about?" he demanded, catching hold of my wrist. "Why the heck did you apologize? It's like you were saying sorry for not meeting up to their expectations!"

The same bland smile still stuck on my face, I looked at the fuming male and shrugged. "Because I am sorry, Yeol. They had so much faith in me, and I let them down by coming in fourth."

"You let them down? Sooyun, the only person you should be trying hard for is yourself, not that bunch of losers. Who cares about what they think? Don't let their expectations weigh you down!"

Shaking my head, I gently tugged my wrist free and carried on as if he'd never spoken. "And it's not just them who were expecting a lot from me. I'm going to have to tell my parents about this when I get home today... I wonder what they're going to say when they find out?" I mused, more curious than apprehensive as most students would be. Indeed, others would have been feeling quite frantic at the moment, perhaps even distraught, to learn that their secured first place had suddenly slipped down three ranks. They would be disappointed, and even determined to get back to first the next year. But me? I was only thinking about my mom and what her reaction would be when I told her of the exam placements. Maybe I should have been appearing more concerned, and be putting more effort into caring about it, but quite frankly, at that moment, I just couldn't find the strength to do so.

Falling below 100% is not an option...

The taller male let out a noise of frustration and grabbed me by the shoulders. He stared into my eyes with a seriousness I seldom saw in him. Most of the time, he was either joking around or goofing off, so I was surprised to see the rare solemnness in his gaze. "Stop it. Just stop it all, Sooyun. Stop caring about what others will say, stop acting like what you think isn't important, and stop pretending that you're completely fine with everything! I'm not an idiot, you know. I've known you for way too long to believe that you're actually cool about this and not bothered. Quit lying for once and tell me the truth: How do you really feel right now?"

I looked back at him evenly, not even blinking to meet his unwavering gaze. "I," I said quietly, yet every single word seemed to echo loudly in the still of the hallway, "Am perfectly fine right now."

Stepping back, I twisted out of his hold and turned around again, marking my exit once more. "I'd better go see Himchan before class starts," I called over my shoulder. With one last smile, I walked away, leaving an incredulous Sungyeol staring after me.

[*][*][*]

Fun fact of the day!  Did you know that this is the author's fifth time re-writing this chapter before finally coming up with this version? Yes, you read right: Fifth time!

And let me tell you, it was a real -CENSORED- doing it. It may have been worth it, but it. Was. A. -CENSORED- ;A;

*reads over chapter* Okay, some of you are probably wondering why everything's getting so hyped up over some dumb exam results. Well, in Korea, Japan, or any other Asian country, exam placements are pretty important (from what I've read in mangas/ seen in dramas XD). Like grades, they're a whole ranking system in a way- you know, figuring out who's the smart kids, and I think universities look at them when you apply or something. I don't know. We don't have those here, so I'm pretty much just making it up as I go (& why do I always make Sungyeol the best friend in my stories? LOL)