Jung Soobin

"Regardless of any reasons, leaving school during study hall has its consequences." Ms Song explained to me the next morning, "I know you have hard time in school but you still violated the school's rules. For that, I'm afraid you have to go to detention."

I nodded, "I understand and I apologize for bringing you trouble. I don't want your midterm reviews to suffer from this."

Ms Song smiled, "Thank you, Soobin-ah. For detention, you will need to clean our homeroom classroom today. You will have detention 2 more times, so we'll figure out what you will do during those two times. You may leave."

I bowed in response and exited the teacher's room and started to head towards homeroom. As I did, there were multiple calls throughout the hallway, which I blatantly ignored. Most of them were about what happened yesterday anyways, which I have no interest in.

"Yah, Jung Soobin!" A rather pretty and popular girl named Song Miyoung shouted as soon as I had one foot in the classroom. "What you did yesterday took a lot of courage! What did you do to get Byun Baekhyun to come to your aid? Did you bewitch him, you ugly duckling?"

I rolled my eyes. Anyone who thinks that there are such things as spells, potions, and curses have obviously been reading to much Harry Potter.

Miyoung went on, "Or maybe you slept with him? Not that I could ever understand why he would sleep with you, especially with your face."

I sat down in my seat and simply took out my notebook from my backpack and continued on with my math problems.

"Everyone please settle down!" Ms Song had entered the classroom, which meant that class was finally going to start, thank goodness. "Song Miyoung, please go back to your seat. You may socialize afterwards. Today we will be focusing on the novel, Pride and Prejudice. Now does anyone have any particular question..." 

*          *          *

Lunch was most likely one of my most hated times during the day. Just the sheer noise in the cafeteria was enough to give me a headache. But I went, nevertheless, since lunch was free and with the amount of money that I receive as aid, I simply am unable to not get free lunch and not stay hungry. Nevertheless, I still hated it.

I usually sat in the table farthest away from any other social interaction. And I sat by myself, usually with a book out (this week, I started reading Life of Pi) and sat there until everyone else had left the cafeteria before I would gather up my belongings and head towards class again. Today would be no different.

Yet, I was wrong. 

The clatter of another meal tray hit the table and had caused me to rip my eyes away from my book and stare up at the intruder.

"What are you doing here?"

Baekhyun gave me a smirk before settling himself across from me, "Eating. You?"

I put my book down and glared, "Do you think this is funny? Do you know how much I will suffer simply because of your presence?"

"In a good way, I presume," Baekhyun replied with a laugh and began eating his lunch. I snorted and stood up and began to put my stuff in my backpack before Baekhyun put down his spoon and said "Please just stay" in a voice that couldn't allow me to leave.

I sat back down in response, "Why are you here?"

Baekhyun just shrugged, "Is there any reason for me not to be here?"

"Aside from simple social rules, do you need anything else?" I snorted, "Why don't you go and sit with a girl who actually wants to be in your glorious presence?"

Baekhyun simply smirked in response, "Who needs affection when I've got blind hatred?"

"Can you leave, please?" I tried begging, "The more the other see you with me, the more bullying I would receive." I looked over Baekhyun's shoulder and realized that almost the entire cafeteria had paused and turned their heads to view the peculiar scene before them. I turned to the group that Baekhyun usually sits with and noticied the entire group had faces of confusion and puzzlement. Instead of one, one of them had watched our entire ordeal with a smile on his face.

Baekhyun's eyes turned into half-moons as he laughed, "I never thought that I'll see the day when Jung Soobin is begging me."

"Don't you understand how difficult my life would be if the other girls think that I bewitched you or something? They simply would want my head!"

"Then do something about it."

"What do you mean?" I asked in confusion.

Baekhyun smiled and cocked his head to the side, "I'll make you popular. The other girls won't dare hurt you if you have status above them. When I'm done with you, you won't be the ugly duckling anymore, you'll be the beautiful Cinderella."

Baekhyun and Soobin's second meeting! Any guesses who the guy that smiled at them are? 

Also, the line "Who needs affect when I've got blind hatred" is from the movie 10 Things I Hate About You. Its because while this story might seem like a modern Cinderella story, its also a very Taming of The Shrew kind of story since Soobin is meant to be a very strong and stubborn character. Though she may be a loner, and an "Ugly Duckling," she is still a very independent kind of girl, as can be seen from her strong stance back in chapter 1 aganist Baekhyun, who I suppose had well-intended intentions. The romance in this fic is to act as the things that allows her to be more romantic and caring in return. 

Anyways, comments and subscriptions are greatly appreciated as always!