Your POV

First day at my new school… new school branch. I hope my new outfit looks good. I want to make good impression on everyone. I even spent three hours last night listening to Hannah unnie’s rant on what’s “on” and what’s good for me. Eventually, she told me to wear a white, sleeveless button-up collar shirt dress (the skirt has the color of baby pink), a sleeveless camel coat, white lace tights and a pair of camel suede ballet flats. She said it’s very “summer 2010” I think.

Looks like this school is exactly like my old school. Guess all branch have the same design. Well, I think the principal’s room this… way… Hm… According to this map, this is the where principal’s office is. But how come this building looks like an abandoned storehouse? Moreover, it feels like I’m the only person here… Maybe it’s just its design. Let see… The third room in from the left… Oh, here it is.

“Uhm… Hello?” Strange… there’s nobody here. This room doesn’t even have any desk or chair. Maybe I should ask someone about this…

“What are you doing here?”

“AHHHHH!” I shout and fall down due to the shock. Maybe I did overreact but… Come on, I was in an empty, a bit dark room and someone suddenly whispered in my ears. Of course I should be shocked.

Now I’m finally over the shock, I take a good look on the person earlier… No, there are eleven people, six boys and five girls.

“Honestly, stop whispering in people’s ears Jia! It’s really creepy.”

“Sorry about that. Are you ok?”

“Eh… I’m fine. I’m just too surprised. That’s all.”

“Kay… What are you doing here? Only few people have gone here ever since 1992, when this building was closed.”

“Wait… Closed. You mean this building was closed? But this map shows that the Principal’s office is here.”

“Wait, let me borrow that.” A girl asks me. “… This map was drawn a long time ago. Look, it even has that forest which used to be next to our school. I think this was drawn even before… 1968. Where did you get this?”

“My unnies”

***Flashback***

“Dollie-ah, tomorrow you’ll go to school along ok? Your Na Young unnie is having a bad cold.”

“Sure Sica unnie.”

“And here, this is the map of the school. We got this when we were on a mission. You don’t have to ask for direction with this.”

“Thank you Tae unnie!”

“… Anyway, I bet you’re one of the exchange students. Only exchange students start school this late.”

“Yes. I’m from Seoul branch. My name’s Kim Jang Mi.”

“Oh... The name’s Ashley, but people just call me Ash.”

Then the rest takes turn introducing themselves. So there are Fei, Jia, Min and Suzy and they’re in a group called Miss A. The other boys are Teen Top (I wonder what will people call them when then grow up) which consists of C.A.P, Chun Ji, L.Joe, Niel, Ricky, Chang Jo. Just from their looks, they’re definitely all in the popular groups. Teen Top would be in the “cute boys” category while Miss A would be the rebellious girls. They are many sub-categories our school’s students made up in the popular students group. Of course the other groups also have sub-categories as well. And Ash… I don’t think she’s very popular. I mean, I can tell she’s nice but she looks like the type that stays hidden. Most students would find her too ordinary.

“So Jang Mi-ssi. You are in eleventh grade, right? Students have to be at least in that grade to be in the exchange program.”

“Yes, I am. Eh… Why?”

“So you are younger than me. Call me unnie. We’re friends, right?”

“Uh… Sure, we are friends. We’re in a same school so we are all friends anyway. Oh, you can also drop the “ssi” thing too.”

“Cool. Call me C.A.P oppa. I’m one year older than you. And those kids” He gestures all Miss A except Fei and Niel, Ricky and Chang Jo. “are younger than you.”

Why do I feel something is wrong here?

“Jangmi, what’s you birthday.” Chunji asks me.

“January 19^th. Wh-“

“So you are older than all of use, except C.A.P hyung and Ash noona!”

“Wait… What’s your birth year?”

“We’re 94-liners!” Niel and Chunji shout, while Fei and L. Joe just nod. 94-liners? But I was born… Oh that’s right.

“Uhm… Sorry but I’m not older than you. It’s the other way. You guys are all older than me.”

“Huh?” All of them shout. Even the ones who seem calm. I can understand their surprise. It’s not the first time anyway,

“I skipped two grades. Actually, I was born in 1995.”

“Wait,” Jia says “So you skipped two grades and was chosen to be in the exchange program?” I casually nod. So what?

“Daebak!”

Ok… What’s so great about that?

“Guys! What time is it now?” I suddenly remember why I was here. I need to see the principal. I purposely arrive one hour early for that but I’m afraid too much time has passed when we talked.

“Nearly 7:30. Why?”

I sign in relief. It’s not as late as I thought. At least I have half an hour. Maybe it’s enough.

“I have to see Song Young Il seonsaengnim.”

“Oh… The principal.” Suzy unnie says. “If so, you don’t need to see him.”

“Huh?”

Suddenly, they all sigh. Is there something wrong?

“Well. Our principal is really special. He’s not the usual calm, mature, responsible type of principal. He’s actually the opposite of that.”

How do they all nod at the same time?

“Yeah… Actually, he always arrives at least two hours later than students. So don’t bother finding him.”

Wow. That’s really something. But again, my old principal is not exactly normal either.

---------

In the end, they showed me the way to the vice principal’s office, right next to the principal’s room. I take a deep breathe and knock the door.

“Please come in.”

“Hello?”

“Ah… Ms. Kim Jang Mi. Please come in. We’re all waiting for you.”

I quickly bow and close the door. There are many students in the room (the office is quite big). I recognize some of them from my school. They must be in the exchange program.

We say hello to each other. Seonsaengnim then gives each of us a file. I open mine. I find my profile, my class timetable inside.

“Please check the lines in the front of the file. It includes your name and the student group that will show you around the school. They’ll be here in a minute.” Oh, how nice. So... INFINITE will be my guide.

---------

“Excuse me?”

“Yes?” I turn my head and see a boy with chubby cheeks and small but fierce eyes. Somehow, he seems familiar… The other boys behind him are also familiar.

Why do they look like they’re frozen?

“Uh… Hello?”

“Oh, hello. Are you Kim Jang Mi-ssi?”

“Yes. Is there any problem?”

“We’re INFINITE , your guide. Sorry for being late. We’re in the student council and lately, there’s so much work around.”

“No problem. You’re not that late anyway.” Can’t tell them I’ve waited for fifteen minutes.

“Thank Jang Mi-ssi. You’re too polite.”

Suddenly, the school bell rang, saying that there’s still five minutes left before classes start. INFINITE sigh.

“Sorry Jang Mi-ssi. Looks like we can’t give you a tour now… How about we continue at break?”

“Sure. I don’t think there would be any problem.” I smile politely at them. A boy suddenly asks me about my class. I show him my timetable. He then stands close to me to see it. Seeing my first class is 11-A, he talks to two boys in the group.

“Her class is next to yours. You should take her there.”

“Of course, it’s our job isn’t it?”

Somehow, the way they talk to each other make is rather cold, unfriendly. In fact, it almost likes they’re enemies. But they do look normal. Maybe I’m just thinking too much.

---------

“Oh my god. Jang Mi”

“Hyun Ah unnie!”

I can’t believe it. Hyun Ah unnie is my classmate. She was very close to me, well, 4Minute is very close to me. It was very sad when they move to Incheon… Oh, so that’s why Hyun Ah unnie is here.

She signals me to take the empty seat near hers. I almost run to it, but I remember something.

“Oh, thank you…”

“L. My name’s L. And you’re welcome.” He coldly says and walks to his seat at the front line. L? Strange name. Never mind, probably is his nickname. It’s pretty common nowadays. Even some of SNSD unnies have one.

“Jangmi, why did you talk with L-ssi.”

“INFINITE is my guide. He’s in it.”

“Oh…”

Remember that I’ll have them show me around later, I should at least know their names. Seeing the teacher isn’t here yet, I ask unnie.

“Unnie. Who are in INFINITE?”

“You don’t know?”

“No, we didn’t have time. They were late with something.”

“Oh I see. Well, INFINITE members are brothers. Blood-related brothers I mean. Oh, did you know they’re Ji Hyun unnie’s cousins.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, from their mother’s, well one of their mothers, side. Anyway, from their birth order, there would be Lee Sung Gyu, Dong Woo, Woo Hyun, Ho Ya, whose real name is Ho Won, Myung Soo, or L like you know, and Sung Jong.”

Oh… WHAT!?