"My name is Jessica Jung Sooyeon, it's nice to meet you all."

She bows to her new classmates in the first day of her new school. Everyone starts to murmur about this new student who just came from the other half of the world. Not just because she speaks Korean fluently despite she lived in a completely different language country most of her life, it's also because of her looks. Unlike some other Cali girls with their skins tanning obsession under the sun, this new girl keeps her skin white and bright. It's not a bad thing though, her eyes are big enough for asian people, tall nose, thin plum lips, perfect shape of jaw and a long waving brown hair. She looks insanely stunning.

"That's the introduction, class. I hope you guys get along well." Says Mrs Kim, their homeroom teacher.

The class fills with wonderful excitement around the boys adding full glares of jealousy from the girls, but this little chaos doesn't seem to interest the new girl. She doesn't like this new school of hers, an elite high school where people's eyes can only see status and reputations, just like her old school in California. After all, they are just same different names. She just wanted to graduate quickly which in just a few months soon.

"We are moving to Korea since we have bigger business to take there."

She was told by her father when they were still in America. It was a big surprise for her cause finally her parents decided taking along their daughters with them. Should she feel happy?

"Trust me, it won't be any difference."

That was what Krystal, her younger sister retorted which was later proved when her driver said Mr and Mrs Jung already took plane to Jeju island for some business meetings. It was just their second day after arrived in Seoul and her parents already nowhere to be seen in that big luxury Jung mansion.

They never care, do they?

"Choose an empty seat back there Jessica, we'll start our lesson now." Mrs Kim points a finger following Jessica nodding her head. Her eyes lock to a seat behind in a corner next by window, her feet starting to move without hesitation, but a hand grabs her wrist stopping when she was near.

"This one is taken." The hand belongs to a pretty girl with long black hair. She has very beautiful face but isn't looking friendly judging by her sharp tone.

Jessica isn't that easy either, she wasn't called Ice Princess for no reason in her old school. No one touches her in this manner. Her deep brown eyes confidently challenging, she pulls her wrist off the girl's hand harshly.

"I see someone is absent again today." Mrs Kim shakes her head. "You can have that one beside, Jessica. And Gyuri, watch your attitude, you don't talk like that to your new classmate in her first day of new school, understand?"

"I'm sorry Mrs Kim." Gyuri lowers her voice apologizing, though her eyes still glaring at the brunette.

"I believe you're aware who is the right person you should apologize to, Miss Park." Again Mrs Kim reminds.

It is not a big deal, but the atmosphere in the class changed instantly. Of course Jessica isn't the one to blame since she is new and their homeroom teacher isn't pleased by Gyuri's overreacting.

"Joesonghamnida Jessica-ssi, this one seat is already taken." Gyuri says with better tone now.

Jessica eyes this Park Gyuri girl from head to toe, couldn't believe of herself already making an enemy without doing anything wrong in her first day.

What the hell is wrong with this girl?

"There are plenty of empty seats you can choose for your own but not this one." She continues.

She did apologize but Jessica didn't hear sincerity in her words.

"Nevermind." Jessica speaks with same behavior, returning her mischievous gaze displeasing the other girl. She takes a seat beside, a bit far from the corner but still can see out through the window.

"Taeyeon, it's your job to help Jessica touring around the school after dismissal, since you're a class representative."

"Yes, Mrs Kim. I will." A short girl who sits at the front says before turning her head looking at Jessica. The way she gives a friendly smile and bows slightly, she looks cute and harmless. Unconsciously, Jessica bows the same way too.

"Now class, open your text books, the last time we were talking about...."

Mrs Kim started to echo the whole classroom for a period, everyone listens carefully while taking notes down their books except the new girl. Her mind wanders to an old building outside window, the only one that looks different compared to others that's much more magnificent. It is still part of the school, located right behind the soccer field, looks outlandishly. It was why she wanted that seat before, the one where she can observe the building more clearly. Jessica herself doesn't even understand why the building would catch her attention that much. Maybe because someone planted a tree on top?

***

"Can I just call you Jessica?"

She jerks her head to the voice. This shorty is indeed cute when looking closely.

"There's no need to be too formal I guess, since we're the same age. You can call me Taeyeon." Again she said, smiling. "We can have lunch first in school's cafeteria before starting to look around."

It is already lunch break, Jessica takes a look at her wristwatch counting the time she will leave for home. A few more hours for sure.

"What is that? The one with a tree." Jessica points her finger at the building.

"Owh that one? The library used to be located there many years ago, before the new one was built. Now it is just an abandoned building."

"Abandoned?"

They walk in corridor, making their way down to the school's cafeteria. Earning glances from each student passes by, boys and girls. This new American girl isn't just beautiful, she gives cold aura like ice but people find it attractive, fascinating. No one dares looking at anything else when she is near.

"Well, it is really old and looks scary, no one likes to go there, only the janitors doing their cleaning works just so it doesn't look too dirty."

"Then how did the tree grow? The janitors too?"

Taeyeon turns her gaze to Jessica. She knows what the other girl means. Why would the janitors taking care of a tree planted on top of an abandoned building? This is SM High the most elite school in Korea, everything looks new but this old damaged library. From Jessica's perspective as a new person, it has to be pulled down one day. 

"Perhaps. They've been paid for that too."

Logically, Taeyeon is right but she knows her answer isn't really convincing. They've been using the new library for the past few years, it doesn't look like the school is going to remove the old one anytime soon. What is more interesting, there wasn't a tree a year ago.

"You seem so much interested by it when no one actually gives a look even just a split second."

It may looks like a casual question about the building, but that's not what the slightly older girl sees. She caught Jessica kept her gaze outside the window several times earlier, no one seemed to notice, not even Mrs Kim.

She noticed. Jessica's eyes widen from surprise.

"Is that a problem?" She asks while returning her vision back to the sidewalk.

"Nope, not a problem. I'm just the same as you are, curious." Taeyeon said gently, she then pauses as if unsure of something in mind. "If you don't mind to tell me why, of course. After all I'm just a classmate."

"I thought you'd say 'a friend', since you wanted not to be too formal." The new girl chuckles.

As expected, Taeyeon laughs in response.

"That is when you decide calling me by my name, which you haven't done yet."

Jessica begins to read her. She barely knows the older girl and they didn't really have much conversations, but for some reasons, she knows this midget is a good person.

"Taeyeon." She calls, a merely whisper, but loud enough to bring Taeyeon's lips forming another smile.

***

"How's your new school, Krystal? Got new friends?"

"Nothing's special. Got some. What about you, unnie?"

"Got one."

Krystal stops cutting her steak and looks at her beloved sister.

"A boy?"

"A girl."

She rolls her eyes this time, wondering since when a popular school like SM High became an all girls school. Could it be no boy is interested in her goddess sister? That's completely impossible. She grabs her glass of water and takes a sip in before continues.

"Why a girl?"

"Why not?"

"Because you're my sister. All the boys should be surrounding you everywhere you go, they please you, admire you and...."

"It's not funny Krystal."

They stare at each other for a moment.

Jessica liked boys, she even dated some back in the states, they always had a good start but ended up the boys being dumped. Others would think Jessica is a player, but no she is not. Whenever she thought she had feelings to a boy, after some time she always felt something was missing, she didn't know what it was. She thought she was happy having a perfect rich handsome boy to be part of her life, but then she realized she never loved them, and they never really loved her too.

Unlike Jessica, Krystal is a happy go lucky girl, she could careless about her parents for never being home. Their parents don't matter, what matter is how people manage to get used to it. Live in the moment and you'll be happy, is what she says every single day.

"You haven't answered my question unnie, why a girl?"

"Why it has to be only boys I get to be friends with, Krystal? Why can't I be friends with girls?"

"Because I can't believe people think my sister is less attractive than me now."

"If people really thought so, shouldn't you be happy?"

"No, because I know the truth. My sister will always be number one."

And Jessica couldn't help but laugh heartily. Krystal is still in middle school but her cute bubbly self never failed making Jessica laugh. She loves her baby sister, the only one that could make her feel she wasn't left alone in their house.

"But still unnie, why..."

"Enough, Krystal."

"Okay then, so.. is there anything special in your new school unnie?"

She watches Jessica's thumb rubbing her fork while thinking something.

"Yes."

"What is it?"

"Tree..."

***

Jessica goes to school earlier the other day, merely because she's made up her mind to finally satisfying her curiosity. The school's front gate already open but it's still too early to see students filling in except for the security ahjussi-es.

She walks across the soccer field observing the tree on the roof of the old building. It's a five floors building, maybe one or two basements, flat roof. Just a little damaged here and there with some layers of paint already peeled, but it looks strong still.

She walks in quietly, smells old and dusty, hears quiet peaceful sound like a library should be, but sees nothing but empty racks in first floor. She assumes the rest of four floors would probably be the same. There’s no elevator, she climbs the circle stairs step by step. Lucky she didn’t bring many books in her backpack, less weight for her to make it straight to the top, skipping all the other floors, until she reaches the roof door. She catches her breath from the climbing exercise, but thinking of the tree is right behind the door in front of her then it was all worth it.

Slowly, she opens the unlocked door, revealing the tree bit by bit. The first thing she hears is a cracked sound from the door, quite noisy. But what could she expect in an old building like this?

She sees green, tall, leafy tree planted in the middle. Her eyes widen watching something that is more amazing. There's a bench under the tree, plants and flowers everywhere.

It's a roof garden. Jessica's mouth opened in awe, couldn't believe of herself discovering something beautiful like this. 

Questions start eating her. Taeyeon said no one liked to come here, and she wonders why. It maybe old but what she sees is far from scary. She steps her sneakers slowly, reaching her fingers to the wood bench, it is indeed clean. She realizes everything is properly taken care of, the grass and flowers.

She's observing the inspiring tree, standing under overlapping leaves, touching the wooden surface and watching the view of the morning sun. For a moment she forgets everything, until something taps on her sneaker lightly. She looks and kneels down taking a ball beside her feet. A pink baseball.

"Can you pass it?"

Jessica comes back to her senses and turns to see the person who owned the husky voice. A girl with same uniform is standing a few feet away from her, smiling.

Has she been here all along? Jessica wonders as she didn't hear any of the door's noisy sound.

The girl has shoulder length hair, average height, gives really beautiful smile and doesn't look like a junior. She is probably the same age as Jessica's.

"Umm, I'm not good at throwing."

Jessica speaks the truth, she couldn't let herself doing something embarrassing in front of this black haired girl.

"I'll catch, try me." Says the girl gently.

She hesitates a while before shifting her right hand and throws the pink ball towards the other girl. She watches in amusement as the other girl catches it so easily.

"Thank you." The girl shows a wide smile, her eyes disappear in an instant, forming two crescent moons.

TBC