Jessica’s bike tilts slightly from the unbalanced weight on the handlebars as she raises a hand to fix her hair. She maneuvers around children running on the sidewalk and peddles her way to school. She glances at her watch and smiles. She is right on time as usual.

When she finally reaches her school, she rides her bike into a gated area specifically for bikes. She hears one of the school securities yell at her to get off of her bike. She knows the rules—no riding bikes inside the school—but who says that she would follow them? Screw rules, she would always think.

The security guard makes his way towards the gated area, panting slightly from running after the rebellious student as Jessica secures her bike with a chain and lock. “Miss Jung, I specifically told you not to ride your bicycle on school premises,” the security huffs.

Jessica smiles and shrugs her shoulders with a light shake of her head. “Live a little, Kangin,” she says.

Kangin frowns and raises his index finger. “I’ll let you off this one time, Miss Jung.”

The student nods, but she knows that she has already been let off the hook more than once. The security guard stalks away, but turns back and says, “And that’s Mr. Kim to you.”

The student nods once more. “Sure thing, Kangin,” she teases with an emphasis on her last word.

Kangin rolls his eyes and turns to walk away. “Just this once, Miss Jung,” he repeats, but knows that it will be more than just this once.

**

Jessica strolls into class with her Linda Farrow Luxe sunglasses still perched on the bridge of her nose.

“Sunglasses off, Miss Jung,” her teacher warns.

Jessica doesn’t answer, but merely smiles and walks to her seat without complying with her teacher’s warning.

The class shrugs and so does her teacher. Rules are suggestions in Jessica’s eyes, so she never feels compelled to obey them.

The lesson starts when the bell rings a few seconds later and the teacher’s monotonous voice drones throughout the walls of the classroom.

As soon as it began, class finally ends and Jessica slides her notes into her binder, making sure it is in the correct divider before closing it.

She readjusts her sunglasses and begins to walk out the door when her teacher calls her back.

“Miss Jung, I would like to have a word with you.”

Jessica pauses in her steps and turns to walk back to her teacher’s desk. “Yes?”

“I’ll cut straight to the point, Jessica,” she says and Jessica nods. “I have a student who used to be one of my best students right next to you, but her grades in my class haven’t been as excellent as they were before.”

Jessica nods, still slightly confused. “And what role do I play in this, Mrs. Shin?”

 “I am asking you to tutor my student,” Mrs. Shin answers. “Think of this as extra credit. I have meetings to attend after school, so I can’t help her, but I’m sure you’re available, aren’t you?”

Jessica stops to think for a moment. She has a job and other important duties to manage. Her priorities in life come first. Jessica opens to reject, but closes it when her teacher speaks.

Mrs. Shin gives off a somewhat desperate expression. “Did I mention that you’ll get paid?”

“Paid?”

Mrs. Shin nods. “Yes, paid by the student’s father. He wants his daughter to excel, but a good tutor is hard to find these days, so I recommended you. Think of it as a job.”

Jessica purses her lips, still deciding whether to take the job or not.

Finally, she answers, “All right. When do I start?”

Her teacher smiles. “You start after school today for one hour.”

“And may I ask who I’ll be tutoring?”

“Tiffany Hwang.”

**

Jessica reaches the lunch line, her lips pulled into a thin line as she mentally curses at each student who bumps into her. From the corner of her eye, she sees a familiar figure hop her way toward her.

“Sica!” the figure yells and slings an arm around Jessica’s shoulder. Jessica shrugs the arm off and slightly grins in response.

“Hey, Yul.”

Yuri grabs a tray and shifts from one foot to the other as she tries to balance her books and binder in one hand. “What’s up?” she asks after she finally has a hold of the items in her hand.

“Nothing much. You?”

“Same old, same old. Say, I was wondering if we can hang out tomorrow after class.”

Jessica gives Yuri an expression of disbelief. “Have you forgotten that I have a job?”

“Yes, but you’re free for like the first forty minutes or so,” Yuri tries to reason.

Jessica’s expression turns cold. “Yeah, but that small portion of my free time is now stripped away.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, my teacher asked me to tutor someone.”

“After school?”

“Yeah,” Jessica replies glumly. She doesn’t even know why she agreed to the job in the first place. Maybe because there is money involved and she is a bit tight on cash.

“Well then why did you agree to it?”

“She said that the student’s dad will pay me.”

“Money? Dude, that’s great!” Yuri smacked Jessica on the shoulder, earning a glare from the latter.

Jessica shrugs. “I guess so, but I don’t even know the student I’m supposed to tutor.”

“Guy or girl?”

“Girl.”

“Do you have a name?”

Jessica pauses to think for a moment. “Tiffany. Tiffany Hwang, I think.”

Yuri nearly drops her tray. “Wait, what? As in the ASB president?”

 “I told you, I don’t have any idea who she is, but apparently so.” ASB president? No wonder why her name sounded so familiar. She’s one of those popular girls.

Yuri clicks her tongue as she reaches the array of meals. “Good luck with that, Jessica.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She’s Tiffany Hwang, Sica. Haven’t you ever heard about her and how she is?”

“No, not exactly.”

“She’s one of those typical popular school girls. How do they always act? Don’t you see the people she hangs out with? School plastics,” Yuri grumbles.

“Are you sure about that?”

“Jessica, if this school was based off of the movie Mean Girls, they’d definitely be the plastics and she would be leading them. She walks around like she owns the damn school.”

Jessica chuckles. “Yeah? Then why did my teacher say that she was one of her top students?”

Yuri pays for her lunch and exits the line and Jessica follows suit. “You know her friend Yoona?”

The shorter of the two racks her memory before answering, “The tall, pretty one?”

“Yeah.”

“What about her?”

“Guys are always falling head over heels for her and she uses them. Tiffany probably has a fair share of those guys and she probably uses them too. I mean, you won’t believe the things these desperate guys will do for them. Homework, projects, you name it.” Yuri sighs and runs a hand through her hair. “I don’t know, Jessica. All I’m saying is that you need to watch your back around her. Like I said, she’s a typical popular schoolgirl.”

“Great. Not only do I have to deal with some of them in my classes, but now I have to deal with another one up close and personal after school. Just great.”

“Best of luck, Sica-yah.”

“I shouldn’t have agreed to take this job.”

**

Throughout the day, Tiffany’s thoughts become clouded by the fact that an hour of her schedule will be taken away because of a tutoring session.

“Tiffany, remember to set up the banners for—”

“Tiffany, don’t forget to attend the soccer tryouts since we need to pick new memb—”

“There is a minor problem with the upcoming assembly, so we need you to—”

“The pamphlets in the auditorium need a bit more work, so—”

Tiffany nods to all of these requests and reminders. Her phone vibrates in her pocket and she fishes it out to see the caller ID.

Daddy.

“Hello? Father?”

“Tiffany, I need you to come to the company at around 4:30 this evening.”

“Yes, Father. Have a nice d—”

The line clicks shut before Tiffany can finish her farewell, but she doesn’t mind. She’s used to it by now.

She walks into her last class for the day and prepares herself for the hour after that.

TBC

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A/N: There. Updated in a week like I said we would. You're welcome.

Thanks for subscribing and commenting. Not like I care, but Sammy probably does, so yeah. Thanks.

Since I'm apparently a (according to our dear Sammy), I'll let her do the replies.

Seriously, she won't let me do the replies.

"Cayden-ah! Sorry, but I'll do the replies okay? (': You can add more to it, but be nice please"

Be nice? Lol, Sammy is stupid. I can't be nice.

Anyway, before I leave, I must say my farewell:

Pyong, es.

<3

- Cayden

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