The streets of Gangnam-gu were set alight; the shop windows that were adorned with this season's clothes, a fashionable woman swinging an oversized handbag and the imported cars rolling on the smooth tarmac. Jung Soojung was born into this world, and she turned from the sight with great disinterest, picking at her crumpled dress. "How much further Dasom?"

 Her chauffeur glanced at her at the rear view mirror. "Almost there ma'am. I'm sorry we take so long."

 "It's fine," she said curtly, waving a hand and looking back at the candy-coloured streets. She wonders if the people knew of the places outside of their silk cocoon; where others rationed and stored their money, counted their food and split it between their family members. The driver said nothing further, sensing Soojung's detachment as she thought about the years she had to spend. Alone.
 Just as her parents had always intended. Her hand tightened on her dress.

 The apartment was still. Soojung's eyes weren't focused on the television's animated cereal commercial, but she kept her eyes trained on it anyway. Tomorrow she begins a new chapter in her life; her senior year in a different school. She didn't have many friends; Soojung preferred solitude rather than companionship. In a new town with new faces, nothing will change for her. She was still going to be the quiet Miss Jung, daughter of the two business tycoons and only heiress to the fortune. Her jaw tightened as she walked down the stairs, keeping her emotions in rigid control. Soojung has not cried in years, not even when her parents discarded her and left her in Korea. She knew she should be angry with them, but she felt so... hollow. 

 She climbed into the car, her chauffeur silently driving her to her new high school. As soon as Soojung saw it, she wanted to run back to her apartment and stay under the cover. Her parents have chosen the best; beautiful architecture, perfectly manicured lawns with students that are just as polished. It was almost like her parents were silently daring her to defy them, to turn her back on this glittering world and run. They knew she didn't approve of their luxurious choices in life, and they were silently mocking her. This place with its perfect and unrealistic views on the world suffocated her, and she wanted nothing more than to hide from it all. Then her door was open, and her driver stepped aside, exposing her to the world her parents chose. She took a hesitant step towards the cobbled floor, then finally dragged herself out of the car.

 She went through the olden doors, held open for her by two uniformed doormen who uttered a 'Good morning'. She took two more steps and was greeted almost immediately by a chirpy woman with an enormous bosom. "Good morning, young mistress!" she exclaimed, her heavily made up face crinkling slightly to accommodate her wide smile. "You have our uniform on. That must be you are one of our new students!"

 "If you're asking, then I wouldn't be here," Soojung replied coldly, looking straight into the woman's eyes. Her huge smile faded slightly; clearly she didn't come across anyone like her before. But she kept her smile wide and ushered Soojung to the reception area. She was sat upon the plush cream sofa, while the woman bustled around looking for her information. A short while later, Soojung was handed a set of stationary complete with the school's crest, an ID and a lunch token. She was deposited into a large room, filled with individual chairs and round tables. As soon as the woman gave her a wink that made Soojung's spine crawl, she was out of the room with the slide of the door. 

 She heaved her stuff into the nearest table and sat down; grateful her maid prepared a bag. She stuffed her belongings into the bag, praying the other kids wouldn't talk to her. Their curiosity only went as far as glances, but no one bothered to talk to her. The teacher came in, a pretty young thing with a side bun and a sweet smile. The other students all stood and bowed ninety degrees, then neatly arranged themselves before sitting back down. Soojung didn't bother to stand, and opened her book to start doodling. An hour and thirty minutes later, the class bowed their ninety-degree angle once again and started to head towards the door. Soojung slammed her book shut and practically ran outside, desperate to find some sort of isolated area. She decided to head to the school's library, hoping that it would be half empty. 

 She was wrong however. This was no ordinary library; it was a hang out spot. It was almost crowded with people, all milling around and laughing. Some even have tea and cakes served for them. Soojung frowned at this, but found an isolated place beside a window. It wasn't as empty as she hoped, but at least she got to be around books. She chose one quickly and started to read, ignoring the whispering of everyone around her. She sensed that someone was approaching and looked up, inwardly groaning as a girl with a wide smile and a few friends trailing behind her. Before she knew it, she was stuck with a conversation with the girl. "Hi!" the girl said chirpily. Soojung ignored her, continuing to read.

 The girl didn't realize she was unwanted, so she sat down opposite her. "I'm Sulli! It's nice to meet you. You're the new girl right?" This Sulli girl needs to know that she's not wanted. Soojung looked up from her book, her eyes burning a hole into Sulli's head. Her smile faltered a bit, as if unsure of what to do next. When she hesitated, Soojung went in for the kill.

 "I don't want to talk to you," she said coolly. "Maybe you can find another new girl to annoy."

 "Ugh Sulli give up!" one of the girls Sulli said, clearly annoyed at both girls. Soojung didn't move her head but trained her eyes on the one who spoke. Her bright blonde hair was obviously not natural, her roots were starting to show and she had an unlady-like scowl on her face. "I knew she'd be like this. All the Jung heiresses are the same ty, greedy and infinitely-"

 She didn't have time to finish her sentence, as Soojung had slammed the book in her hands straight into the girl's face. Her friends squealed as they took steps away from Soojung, her eyes burning with hate as she stared at the girl she just struck. "Don't you ever," she raised a hand and found that it was shaking. "Ever judge me when you don't personally know me." She crouched and grabbed the girl by the scruff of the neck. She let out a terrified whimper. "Or else you're going to find yourself outside, tied to a post and used as target practice." Soojung released the girl and stalked out of the finally quiet library. It was only a few seconds before the whispers spread like wildfire.

 Jung Soojung has found herself a new reason to hate life.

 The hours passed at a snail's pace, but she was finally released to go home. She was meant to meet the principal, as the girl she had hit with the book had come in crying. Apparently she kicked up a large fuss, and demanded that she be punished. Soojung avoided him like a plague, and headed to her homeroom. She found her stuff and was about to grab them, when the door slid open. She turned around sharply, hoping that it was the girl again. She wanted to give her a good beating, just because she could, when she found a boy standing at the door. 

 He was staring at her, his stance tall and with one hand on the door's handle. His uniform was impeccable, but Soojung was caught off hand by his face. He was beautiful by society's standards; full lips set on a porcelain pale face, dark sweeping hair that grazed his forehead. And eyes that seemed to see straight into her soul. She was unnerved by him, and started to gather her things. "Hello Soojung-ssi."

 Oh, so the boy can talk. "Hello." she replied in a monotone. Eager to be away from the boy and his pending questions, she quickly bundled her bag and hauled it over her shoulder. He had shifted from the doorway, as if he was letting her through easily. "My name is Kim Jongin."

 "How nice for you," Soojung said sarcastically, dropping her pencil case in her haste. "."

"They call me Kai," he said pleasantly, his hands behind his back. "I was to show you around the premises..." he noticed that he had already lost her, and she was gathering her things from the floor to leave. He cocked his head to one side and watched her, her movement frantic as she prepared to go home. She must've sensed him watching her, because she turned her sharp eyes at him and stared hard. 

 Then she pushed off the floor, and swung her bag over her shoulder. Kai sidestepped it to avoid getting hit. As she slid the door open, she threw him an icy glare. "I don't trust people who don't use their real name," she said. Then she walked away, not bothering to close the door.

 Kai slowly stepped towards the doorframe, and watched her some more. Her outline was of a strong and proud woman, her shoulders straightened and her back rigid...  so why were her eyes so empty?

"Krystal!" Soojung giggled, placing a fake tiara on her head. "Because it's pretty!"

"I agree with you, it is pretty," she smiled in turn. She re-arranged Soojung's hair around her face and smiled sweetly.

"But you must never take a fake name, okay?"

"Why not?" Soojung pouted.

"Because Jung Soojung is much prettier than Krystal Jung."