"Aigoo, that poor girl."

"Is Teacher Jung really going to make her sit next to Oh Jung Ho?"

"What a cruel and unspeakable punishment!"

"I bet she won't survive a week then."

"What's up with her hair though?"

"Maybe it's the latest hair trend in Japan."

"Pfft, I doubt it."

"I heard she was part of a gang back in Japan."

"Wow! You really think so?"

"That would explain the combat boots."

"True."

Rumors are already spreading, Joo Young snorts mentally at the comments. It was one sentence after another, little bits and pieces that Joo Young could hear clearly. The kids were talking over each other, commenting, laughing and glancing back at the transfer student frequently. She had already taken her seat, her back slouched against the chair as she tried to ignore their own ignorance. Joo Young took a quick glance down the back row to find three desk unoccupied. She perceived that the three missing students were probably the school gang and from the way the students spit their names like poison, she could tell they'd pretty much made their mark. She wonders what they might be like seeing as the students are stricken with fear.

"Class settle down!" The call of a teacher is heard over the commotion but the students continue with their business, growing louder. The noise was becoming a nuisance as voice after voice beat against Joo Young's ear and added to her already brewing headache. She nibbles on her bottom lip in annoyance, cursing them underneath her breath just as a loud bang could be heard from the front. The kids are startled and their voices lower to a murmur. Suddenly they all settle down, quietly taking their seats. Joo Young could see now that it was in fact Teacher Jung who was calling them to attention. She was a petite woman and it seemed she could easily be taken advantage of, a pushover. Yet there was an unexplainable bubbly aura that emitted off her person. She stood at the desk, her eyes looking over the students and a smile on her lips as she spoke. "Now that I have your attention, we can begin today's lesson."

She picks up a book and heads to the chalkboard. Before writing, she stutters for a moment, looking back with her eyes fixed on Joo Young. "Oh, Joo Young you can share a book with someone as we go along since you haven't acquired your school materials yet."

Joo Young is listening but she doesn't respond and looks off to the side absently, breathing out a small sigh. She wasn't going to ask.

"Ah, okay. Everyone, we will begin from where we left off yesterday. So let's turn to page—

Bang! Suddenly the class comes to attention and directs it towards the back.

"Oh . . .  Oh  Jung Ho," Teacher Jung says.

Oh Jung Ho? Before Joo Young can even take a glance, her desk is moved and pushed out-of-the-way while being knocked against her knees. The pain didn't last too long.

"Oh! Check this out, we got a new student," announces one of the boys as he eyes her up and down, "Is she even Korean?" The boy dips in a little towards Joo Young as if to get a good look at her while the other two trudge by to take their seats. Joo young begins to bite on the inside of her cheek in annoyance. She looks the punk directly in his eyes and he smirks. "Hey, think she'll understand what I'm saying?"

"S-s-she just transferred from Japan," one student pipes up. It turns out it's from the nerd with the glasses who wears his uniform backwards.

"Is that so?"

"Lee Yi Kyung! That's enough," Teacher Jung states firmly. "Please take your seat."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Yi Kyung groans as he begins to turn and head to his desk. But just as he takes his first step, a foot is shoot out in his path and Yi Kyung trips over it. He catches himself against someone's desk, just barely before his face could meet the floor. There's a chorus of gasps as Joo Young stands up from her seat. Yi Kyung is on his feet, growling out through gritted teeth, "Why you little—

"You know," Joo Young cuts him off, "what you did was rude. You didn't even have the common courtesy to say excuse me." She glances towards him and smirks with a bounce of her eyebrows. She could take him.

"Ooooooh," some of her classmates go as they witness the event. She figures that having the guts to cross even Yi Kyung was taboo, let alone Oh Jung Ho. But Joo Young, she was just getting started and was already wondering just how far she could push her luck. Yi Kyung was basically fuming with anger and just when she thought he was about to face her, he pauses when someone else spoke up.

"Hey new girl," Oh Jung Ho said. She looks down towards him sitting in his desk chair, slouched against the classroom lockers. He turns his head slightly so that he can look her dead in the eye with a straight face. "Since you clearly don't know what you're getting into, I suggest you back off."

A spark of anger shot through Joo Young at his words, daring her to defy him. It's just the way he spoke to her, like he was the boss, she didn't like it. Yet no matter how much she wanted to say something back, she resisted the urge. She resists because her mother comes to mind suddenly. reminding that this is only the first day of school and the last thing she needed was trouble. Snorting at the gang of bullies with a disbelieving smile and a roll of her eyes, she drags her desk back and takes a seat again.

"You're lucky he let you off with a warning," Yi Kyung spits before taking his seat. Joo Young wants to spit something back but she holds her tongue and balls her hands into tight fist to control the anger surging underneath her skin.

"Lee Yi Kyung," Teacher Jung calls, "See me after class." She then resumes with the lesson, trying to make it seem as if nothing had happened but the kids have already lost interest. They whispering to each other and glancing back at the back row. It's like the tension could already be felt, seeming to make the talkative students nervous and excited to have some conflict. Her headache is suddenly brewing again. She her teeth lightly as she tosses one leg on top of her desk and lets the other rest on top of the other so that her ankles tap together. Some of the students notice and look flabbergasted by her display. Girls whispers about how shameless it was but Joo Young doesn't give a damn because she had already taken the initiative to wear black leggings that day. At least she was making a good first impression.