***

Mr Park entered the class, he walked over to his teaching post and looked around, some faces looked familiar and others not so much but he was pleased, they all seemed like nice kids. He could immediately tell who was going to be more work than others, but there was nothing he loved more than challenges in the workplace.

“Good Morning class! I’m Mr Park, your homeroom teacher.”

Some good mornings were heard but as he expected, most of them didn’t bother to say anything, they just stared at him.

Registration only lasted for ten minutes, a special bell rang signalling that it was time for the first ever assembly of the term, pupils groaning as no one enjoyed assemblies. They were pointless, anything new was never said and after the first year, they were repetitive, boring.

Jessica stood up, already tired and it was only Monday, she sighed, walking out of class like everyone else but taking her time. Someone suddenly bumped into her heavily, hurting her arm.

“Watch out, ” she grumbled, not even looking at who it was.

“What’s up your arse?” the guy replied, making her turn around to tell him a piece of mind.

Oh, it’s that guy from class.

“Excuse me? Listen, you just hurt me so I have every right to be annoyed! You’re supposed to apologize, not be defensive, . Did your parents not teach you any manners?” her voice getting higher with every word but her expression was blank other than her raised eyebrows.

She sighed again, her breath short just for the few words she said, she was already exhausted. She turned to walk away, but the comment he made surprised her even more.

“Wow, you’re really pretty!” he said, totally ignoring Jessica’s words.

People started gathering around them, witnessing the exchange interested.

It wasn’t often that Jessica reprimanded someone but they were even more shocked that Jiyong about Jiyong’s reaction.  Most people would have apologized but instead, he just admire her beauty, and so openly at that.

Part of the student body secretly believed that Jiyong had a different ual preference, as they never saw him show interest in anything related to the opposite gender. And the stupid rumours about him and Seunghyun didn’t help at all.

Jessica on the other hand, was just surprised that he had the guts to show his appreciation straight forwardly in front of everyone like that.

As if she needed someone to inflate her ego even more, Tiffany thought, quietly observing the boy. She knew him, unlike Jessica, she kept up with the world around her.

That was her excuse anyway.

“Jessica, let’s go! Everyone move on, you have to get to assembly!” Tiffany yelled at the bystanders, assuming her role of Student Body Representative. the crowd started to disperse, heading to the Main Hall.

***

                                     Vanity is but the surface – Blaise Pascal                                    

If it wasn’t already obvious, Jessica Jung loved compliments.

They made her heart flutter, no matter who it was that complimented her, she liked it and it made her feel appreciated.

She didn’t care if someone didn’t meant it, if someone complimented her to her , those were just details.

A compliment was a compliment, no matter what.

She didn’t understand why some people had such a hard time understanding that and were unable to accept them.

Seohyun was like that, her youngest friend, always driving Jessica crazy with that humble attitude the freshman was known for.

If someone took the time to say you’re pretty, certainly that was a good thing wasn’t it?

Why some people were so burdened by compliments, would always be beyond her.

That was one of the reasons she let that guy off, even if he didn’t apologize.

He called her pretty so nothing else mattered for her.

It was one of her weaknesses, she knew that. But she wasn’t dumb, she may have forgiven but she never forgot anything.

She was just more flattered than she’d been annoyed so there’d be no point of making the guy apologize. It’s not like she was actually injured.

Her timetable in her hands, looking through the subjects of the day but by just seeing what she had right then, she hated her timetable straightaway.

PE on Mondays, first thing. Could it get any worse? She confirmed the thought as she saw the double maths that awaited her next.

The girls in her class started to get changed but Jessica was still there, staring at her planner, cursing out whoever made that dumb timetable of hers.

“Aren’t you changing, Jessica?” Tiffany asked her, putting on her top on.

“Eugh, why the hell do we have PE first day back?”

“Why do we have PE at all is the question, my friend” a girl joined, already in her sports uniform, and she was even more annoyed than Jessica, if possible.

Her brown curls were up in a ponytail as required, a scowl on her face as she threw herself on the bench, making Jessica jump a little by the surprise.

“Sooyoung! Gracious as a cow” the blonde of course moaned.

“y as always, eh Jessica?”

***

In the boys’ changing room, the guys were pumped up for physical education, full of energy.

Most of them took PE as a way to have an easy A, but for some of them, they loved how the gym was divided in two, the girls on the other side and the way their shorts fitted them, what more could they ask for? The shorts wouldn’t last for long, so they had to get what they could see now, as the weather later on would get colder, shorts were no longer allowed.

“Kwon Jiyong, still no girl?” Taehyun asked him loudly, the other boys interested as well.

“Have you ever had one anyway?”

“You probably haven’t even kissed anyone yet, have you?” some guys snickered at the question, but Jiyong didn’t take it too seriously as he knew that they were just joking around.

“There has to be someone you like!”

Youngbae just sat quietly, already changed, he just listened to the conversation but didn’t say anything. He’d intervene later if it got too bad, but his best friend seemed to be able to handle it.

“You’re 17, man you better lose it before it gets too late!”

“Do you want us to set you up?”

“Guys! You know what happened last time!” Jiyong groaned, cringing just at the thought of that summer. No chance in hell that he’d go through that again.

“Hey, it’s not like we’re telling you to screw ing Jessica Jung!”

“Yeah, she’s way out of our league”

“God, have you seen her shouting at you? I think your saliva is still on the floor!” some whistled, remembering the previous incident.

Jiyong had to agree, that girl was completely different from the others.

But he wasn’t interested in having stupid meaningless flings, just because the other guys slept around, didn’t mean he had to do that too.

He couldn’t disappoint his mother that way, she always told him to never become that kind of guy.

He had to admit that it was quite funny seeing Jessica’s reaction, she got annoyed so easily that it made him want to annoy her again, just to see her pretty face pissed off.

***

Time is an illusion. Lunchtime doubly so- Douglas Adams.
 

Tiffany hated lunch time.

Too many people around her, everyone eating everywhere and she was always sat there, distracting herself by making conversation with the girls but sometimes that wasn’t enough.

Claustrophobic, that’s how she felt.

So after ten minutes, she always went up to the roof top and stood by the fence, loving the wind that blew on her face, her hair flying everywhere.

Her favourite spot, the roof top where it was just her and her thoughts, no one judging her and she didn’t have to take account about anyone or anything, just herself.

Another year started, like the last one and she felt like the only one that wasn’t looking forward to it. Even Jessica, the laziest person that she’d ever knew, looked forward to starting school again.

But to the contrary, Tiffany hated school. No one knew that, but she just hated being around people who only respected her because of how popular and pretty she was.

She hated how she had to be nice, kind and always the bubbly girl that had the perfect life as everyone describe it.

Choi Seunghyun was sleeping at the corner of the rooftop, his spot.

His mind blank, feeling all the stress of the days before lifting off his shoulders, he didn’t even hear the young girl walking in but it wasn’t just him not noticing her, she didn’t notice him too, too busy absorbed by her thoughts to see anyone around her.

Tiffany took out a handkerchief from her bra, opening the tissue, three cigarettes were inside the white cloth with a small lighter. She lighted one of her fags and started inhaling, breathing out the smoke.

The smell of the nicotine got to the sleeping boy on the floor, putting him off his sleep as the wind kept blowing the smell onto him.

Who the hell is smoking up here? He thought, stretching his arms up and about.

He looked around and saw a girl with long straight black hair, his vision was still a bit blurry because of the sleep but he still couldn’t tell who the girl was, but from the shoes she was wearing, he could tell that she wasn’t just a girl.

“Who’s there?” he asked groggily.

The girl gasped at the voice, caught by surprise, dropping her cigarette in the void, her heart beating really fast from the scare.

This time, Seunghyun stood up and got closer to her, curious about the dark haired girl who smokes but he was completely shocked once he realised who the girl was.

“Wow, Tiffany Hwang. Smoking.” He said, his voice mirroring his surprise and although he wasn’t mocking, he was definitely amused.

Who could have taught that the President had this side to her?

Tiffany eyed him suspiciously, not knowing what to do or say, but she felt relieved that it was him and not someone else. She worked hard to cover up every single imperfection, it couldn’t be all for nothing. 17 years of perfection, it could all come to an end if anyone knew about her smoking. She couldn’t afford to lose everything.

If Seunghyun had to be frank, she was his least favourite in her group of friends.

She was everything he despised about people: stuck up, rich and fake.

He didn’t know how people couldn’t see through her, everything about her was so unnatural, even her laugh most of the times. It annoyed him to no end.

The new discovery about her just seemed to add to his prejudices about the little girl but in a way, it also changed his perception about her. Just a little though.

“What do you want, Choi?” her tone assertive, she looked at him in the eyes, making Seunghyun question why wasn’t she begging for her secret to be kept.

But then he realized.

“Oh. Tiffany Hwang smoking, who would ever believe me?” he scoffed, shaking his head.

“Hell, I wouldn’t believe it if I hadn’t seen it myself” he added with a little sarcastic laugh.

“Want one?” she offered, still suspicious of the older guy but she didn’t need enemies, her life was messed up enough without someone wanting to mess it up even more.

Seunghyun took the cigarette and let her light it for him, his body relaxed as he inhaled and exhaled the nicotine.

They were both silent, each of them immersed in their thoughts not minding one and the other being there since it was so peaceful. They didn’t know each other but they had something that they didn’t have with their friends.

“I don’t do it often. It just helps me cope with everything” she broke the silence, just because.

“I don’t really care”

“That’s why I said it Choi, because you don’t care.” And you don’t pretend to.

Seunghyun understood.

***

* fags mean cigarettes in the UK.

*arse is . 

I speak English as we do here in the UK so some words might be different! :)

I couldn't wait till Saturday, I had to post this chapter.

It's one of my favourites for now, because of the Topfany bit.

I hope you enjoyed it.

Minnie xx :)