All this time I've spent building up a wall, numbing myself to my own pain.
Now, all I am is empty and disconnected.
 

It was pitch black outside when Jiyoon was jolted awake by her alarm clock. She yawned, and stretched her stiff body before jumping down her bed. Jiyoon wanted to be early for lessons the first day of school and she intentionally set her alarm clock to 6 in the morning. Still brushing her teeth, she checked her bag pack for the necessary items.

Stationary checked
Notebook checked
Textbook checked

She gurgled and washed her face quickly before running out of the bathroom to change into her uniform, almost tripping over her own feet. Grabbing a piece of bread, she popped it into the toaster and poured herself a glass of milk she bought yesterday at the convenience store next to the school.

Being extremely early, she slide the door open to the classroom expecting it to be empty and indeed it was. Jiyoon walked around the classroom, trying to find her assigned seat. 

"Moon Jiyoon... Moon Jiyoon..."

"Ah found it."

It was a window seat right at the back of the classroom and honestly, she was quite disappointed. She expected herself to be assigned to the front so she could pay attention in class. After all, she quit school a year ago and needed to put in double the effort to catch up with the rest of the students. Jiyoon let out a soft sigh, knowing that there is nothing she could do about the seating arrangement. Pulling out her chair, she settled down and brought out the lesson materials for the first lesson.

As time ticked slowly, students started to file into the classroom but none of them took notice of Jiyoon. They knew who she was already with the rumours spreading fast like wild fire. Jiyoon was deeply concentrated on her textbook and did not notice the girls' gossiping about her

"That's the one with Luhan oppa yesterday."

"I can't believe she's in our class." a girl scoffed, rolling her eyes.

"She must be a wolf in sheep's skin, Luhan oppa is too gullible and kind." another girl with thick foundation and heavy mascara whispered back.

"Doesn't she know about the rule? Gosh, she's really daring."

"And now she even gets to sit with Sehun oppa-" 

"Jinah you don't have to worry, I'm sure she won't last for more than a period." another girl sniggered, "We'll wait and see."

The school bell rang and on cue, their homeroom teacher Mr Kim stepped into the classroom.

"Starting today, we will have a new classmate joining us. Let's invite her to introduce herself."

The class fell into a hushed silence and all eyes turned to Jiyoon who was still scribbling notes on her textbook. Noticing the strange atmosphere, she tilted her head up to see everyone staring at her. Mr Kim nodded his head enthusiastically, prompting Jiyoon to start.

"Go on, introduce yourself."

"Me?" Jiyoon pointed to herself. She placed her pencil on the table and stood up awkwardly, tugging at the corners of her skirt. "U-uhm It's nice to meet you. I'm Moon Jiyoon. I hope we'll get along in the future."

"Get along?" a girl sitting in the middle of the class whispered to her friend, "Oh please, when she's hanging around the boys like she owns them."

"Be quiet!" Mr Kim clicked his tongue at the girls. "Now all of you are good students so please make friends with Jiyoon ssi alright?"

Ignoring the groans of some girls, the homeroom teacher brought out the attendance sheet from his file. "I'll take attendance now."

"Ji Eun."

"Here."

"Kim Hyuk."

"Here."

"Jinah."

"Here."

"Seunghyun?"

The door slide open and a boy rushed into the classroom bowing profusely to the teacher. "Sorry I was-"

"Stay outside."

The boy sighed, stepping out of the classroom as instructed. It was the first time he was late for this term but the teacher wasn't blinking an eye.

"Jongin."

"Jongin?" the teacher repeated, looking up from the paper. The class fell silent, and the teacher sighed, resisting the temptation to curse.

He glanced at the clock, it was 8:13am and it wasn't the first time these boys were late.

"Sehun, Baekhyun?"

"Ssaem they're not here." a boy answered lazily, stretching himself. It wasn't as if they would appear like magic if he kept on calling their names.

"Aish these kids." the teacher muttered under his breath. Just as he was about to mark them absent, the back door of the classroom slide open with a loud bang, interrupting the class. 

"Sorry ssaem, we overslept." the shortest guy sandwiched between the other two rubbed the nape of his neck cheekily. Just like everyone else, Jiyoon turned in their direction, looking up from her textbook. It was then she noticed, most girls were looking at the three boys who barged into class with this loving expression on their faces when a second ago, they looked entirely bored that lessons were about to start.

"If you'd stop playing games in the middle of the night you wouldn't oversleep." Mr Kim chided but what he said next surprised Jiyoon. "Take your seats."

"Songsaengnim." Just as the three boys were about to take their seats, Jiyoon raised a hand up, confused.

"Yes, Jiyoon ssi?"

"They are late for lessons for a whole 15 minutes but why are they allowed to be seated when Seunghyun wasn't?"

The class gasped at Jiyoon's sharp remarks and the three boys widened their eyes.

A girl scoffed, flipping her hair at Jiyoon's ridiculous question. "That's why the school shouldn't accept transferees."

No one dared to question their existence in this school and for them to receive punishments would be a heinous act on the teacher's part. But all these unspoken rules were unknown to the new girl sitting at the back of the classroom. 

Mr Kim cleared his throat, embarrassed.  "Well Jiyoon ssi-"

"Ssaem, it's alright we'll stay outside." a rainbow colored hair boy spoke without much emotions and Jiyoon realised it was the same boy she saw sleeping in the classroom yesterday.

"But-" the teacher grew flustered and was about to call them back when the three exited the classroom silently. It was the first time in history something like this happened to the boys and the girls shot Jiyoon a menacing glare for sending their precious boys out of the classroom.

"I said she's a witch."

"I think she still doesn't know her place."

"Hey buddy, we're here to accompany you." Baekhyun pumped fists with the boy stoning outside the classroom, leaning against the wall.

The boy's eyes widened in shock at the three figures standing next to him, "Y-you, why are you out here?"

"Got sent out." Baekhyun shrugged, dropping his bag on the ground. Pointing back into the classroom, he smiled mischievously, "By that new girl."

The bell rang soon and it was second period. The boys picked up their bags and trudged into the classroom lazily. Their entrance always stirred conversations from the girls' and it wasn't hard to notice them when the girls were squealing and giggling so loudly. Jiyoon looked up to see them walking in her direction and it finally dawned on her that the seat beside hers and the two seats right in front were strangely empty.

"Oh god, no." she shut her eyes close, praying fervently to herself. "Don't come here. Don't come here."

Anyone could tell that these kids were troublemakers and she was the one who sent them out of the classroom an hour ago because she thought the teacher was being really unfair but no one was speaking up about it. And now she was going to have these kids as seatmates?

Her school life was doomed. 
 

"You're the new student right?" the shortest boy chirped, walking to her desk.He had dark red hair, almost brown and his small eyes were tiny but glittering with life,

And trouble.

"I'm Baekhyun." he extended his hand for a handshake. 

Jiyoon let out a soft sigh, her hopes dashed and thrown out of the window. Remaining silent, she looked out of the window refusing to make a handshake. It was better to pretend they didn't exist. Seeing that she had no response, the boy shrugged and removed his hand awkwardly, sitting on the seat right in front of  Jiyoon. The other boy with jet black hair followed suit, sitting next to him.

" I forgot to bring my math textbook, Kai can I share it with you?" Baekhyun let out a cry.