Piper and Parker sat alone at an empty table at lunch the next day. They spoke quietly to each other, gossiping about their fellow students and determining who else would make a good friend. Their moment was interrupted as Kim Tan came over, forcibly sitting Eun Sang in a seat at their table.

“Do you want to be in his place?” Tan asked her, walking around the table and sitting across from her, a seat which happened to be next to Piper. “If you want to attend school quietly, then just eat.”

“What’s going on?” Piper questioned warily, feeling the ice rolling off of both Tan and Eun Sang’s demeanors.

“Was that the reason why you wanted me to eat with you?” Eun Sang asked Tan, still focused on their conversation.

“That’s why it would have been nice if you listened.” Tan replied coolly.

Piper leaned over to her brother, lowering her voice. “Do you have any idea what’s going on?”

“Not a clue,” he shook his head. “But I’m guessing if we let them talk we’ll find out on our own.”

“How could you have predicted that?” Eun Sang demanded. “You also transferred to this school, right?”

Tan sighed heavily. “Because it’s what I have done. That time, we did it together.” He looked down, attempting to end the conversation by busying himself with his food.

“Is someone going to tell us what’s going on now?” Parker wondered, not having gathered any kind of context from the conversation.

Their attention was caught, however, by a plate and utensils being places in the spot next to Eun Sang, directly across from Piper. Young Do sat down casually, as if joining life-long friends.

“Those punks are bullying a friend.” He sighed, pulling his seat in as he sat down. “It’s alright if I sit here, right?”

“Sit somewhere else.” Tan instructed. “We need to eat the meal deliciously. You too, and I as well.”

“I think I’ve finally got my appetite back.” Young Do quipped. “Because I’m sitting with the new transfer students.”

He sent a charming smile to the three new students he was sitting with. Eun Sang didn’t look at him, and his smile widened when he saw the curled lips of distaste coming from the twins.

“I’ll be leaving first.” Eun Sang stated, beginning to stand up.

“Don’t get up first.” Young Do grabbed her arm, forcing her back into her seat.

“Let’s just eat, both of us, chummily.” Tan spoke up, attempting to persuade Young Do to let Eun Sang leave.

Young Do gave a tight-lipped smile. “We can’t without the transfer student. There are many people looking, what if they misunderstand us as fighting?”

As his only response, Tan flipped his spoon onto the table with a loud clank, sinking back into his chair and folding his arms as the students around looked their way. Young Do leaned his elbow against the table, propping his head up with his palm as he looked to Eun Sang.

“Eat a lot, transfer student.” He smiled, earning a humorless laugh from Tan.

“Alright, let’s eat.” Eun Sang conceded. “You, too, eat a lot.”

Young Do chuckled lightly. “Look at her. A girl like this, how could I not take interest?”

Tan rubbed his forehead in exasperation as Piper made an obvious show of gagging. Young Do was really laying it on thick.

“What, are you jealous?” Young Do smirked at her.

“Ugh, I’ve just lost my appetite,” Parker muttered, putting his chopsticks down.

“You too?” Piper wondered. “I find myself wanting to projectile vomit.”

“That’s not very lady-like,” Young Do informed her.

Piper tsk-ed, “Again, you and your gender roles. Disappointing.” Piper turned to Eun Sang, ignoring the two boys in front of her. “Sorry we were M.I.A. at lunch yesterday.”

“M.I.A.?” Eun Sang repeated, unsure of the meaning.

Piper smiled warmly, “Missing in action. We don’t normally do cafeteria food on the first day; sorry if we abandoned you or anything.”

Eun Sang shook her head. “It’s alright. I didn’t feel abandoned.”

“Here, give me your phone,” Piper stuck out her hand, waiting for Eun Sang to place the device there. Piper began typing her number onto the keypad once it was exchanged, calling her phone so she’d have her new friend’s number. “There, now that we have each other’s numbers our friendship is sealed.”

“Do you want mine, too?” Parker inquired, his gaze shifting between Tan and Young Do, “Just in case?”

“Oh, um, sure,” Eun Sang nodded hesitantly.

“And just what are you implying?” Young Do wondered, leaning towards Parker.

“Just that you and Tan seem to get pretty physical,” Parker mused, typing his number into Eun Sang’s phone. “If you ever grabbed my sister like that, you’d have a black eye and a couple of missing teeth. And that would just be from Piper. Eun Sang is my sister’s friend, meaning she’s my friend too,” he explained, handing Eun Sang’s phone back to her. “And she doesn’t deserve to be man-handled by either of you. Keep that in mind.”

///

Thankfully, there were no further run-ins with Young Do for either of the twins the rest of the school day. They still didn’t know why everyone in the school seemed to fall in line behind him, but they knew enough not to start any unnecessary confrontations with him.

Once she got home, Piper was wrangled into her father’s car and taken into the city.

“Where are we going?” Piper wondered, looking at the various sites of the city streets.

“You’ll see,” Pádraic grinned, turning the corner and coming to a stop in front of a motorcycle shop moments later.

“Dad, you’re 54,” Piper quipped as she exited the car, following her father into the motorcycle shop. “You’re well past the age of a mid-life crisis. Why are you buying a motorcycle?”

“It’s not for me,” Pádraic ruffled his daughter’s hair. “It’s for your brother.”

“Parker?” She asked, stunned.

“Peyton,” he clarified, effectively shutting up his daughter and mollifying her simultaneously.

“Ireland!” She heard from another end of the motorcycle shop. “You just missed Eun Sang.”

Piper turned around, her eyes growing wide as she saw Young Do sauntering towards her and her father, a smirk plastered on his face.

“Eun Sang-ah was here?” Piper questioned, still caught off guard by his appearance.

Young Do threw a hand over his heart, mocking the sarcastic gesture he’d seen her use a few times. “You call her Eun Sang-ah, but you don’t call me Young Do-yah?”

“Are you a schoolmate of my daughter’s?” Pádraic asked, earning a small bow for Young Do as the older man caught his attention.

“Pleased to meet you, sir. I’m Choi Young Do.” He threw an arm around Piper, startling her as he drew her in towards him. “I can honestly say that it’s a pleasure having your daughter as a classmate.”

“Dad, Choi Young Do has been such a big help at school,” Piper gushed convincingly. “He’s even volunteered himself to assist me with anything and everything that I might need while I’m getting acclimated to the school.”

“I see,” Pádraic looked from Piper to Young Do, “I appreciate you helping my daughter.”

Young Do inclined his head as a silent ‘you’re welcome’, the angelic look on his face disappearing as Pádraic turned his back and began perusing the various options. Young Do looked down at Piper, a triumphant smirk on his face, knowing he had found an effective way to antagonize her. Piper merely glared daggers at him.

“Do you want to die?” She hissed lowly.

“Piper,” her father called out to her, bringing her attention to the blue and white motorcycle beside him. “What do you think of this?”

Piper shook her head, a look on her face that clearly conveyed it was the wrong choice for her eldest brother. Pádraic looked from her to Young Do, whose arm was still slung around Piper’s shoulders.

“Son,” Pádraic nodded down to Young Do’s arm, indicating it should be removed.

“Son?” Young Do repeated, his arm falling down out of surprise.

“It means something different in English,” Piper hurriedly explained. “Him calling you ‘son’ doesn’t mean he intends for you to become his son, but rather it’s a term of familiarity used by older men to younger men. Don’t read into it.”

“Father,” Young Do smiled realistically, addressing her father formally, causing Piper to curse under her breath as he walked towards her father. “I’d recommend this model; its performance is far superior.”

As Young Do began showing Pádraic the bike, he turned and threw another exultant sneer at her. Piper clenched her jaw and shook her head, drawing her finger across her neck in a slitting motion as she glared at her classmate. The threat didn’t faze Young Do in the slightest. Now he knew exactly how to push her buttons, and he’d milk this for all it was worth.

///

Piper made a beeline for the broadcasting room the next morning, hoping to find Hyo Shin there. She knocked quietly on the door, sticking her head in the same way she had done the previous time. He looked wordlessly at her, causing her to smile nervously.

“I’m not here to steal your sound equipment again, I promise.” She told him, stepping through the door. “I just stopped in to say thank you – again – and to give you a copy of the mix I was working on.” Piper held out the USB stick containing the file. “In case you were curious. I mean, not like I expected you be, and you don’t have to listen to it if you don’t want to, I just….yeah.” Piper cut her rambling off, grimacing in embarrassment.

Hyo Shin took the USB stick and studied her curiously, “How many faces do you have?”

“What?” Piper questioned, confused.

“The way I’ve seen you talk to Young Do is different from how you talk to the other transfer student, and that’s different from how you talk to me.” He mused. “Just wondering which one is the real you.”

“They’re all the real me,” she told him. “I talk to Young Do the way I do because he’s an , and I talk to you this way because I barged into your workspace and I’m apologetic.”

Hyo Shin nodded, accepting her answer coolly and inserted the stick into the port of one of the audio systems.

“Oh, you don’t have to…” Piper trailed off. She hadn’t intended to be there when he listened to her mix.

Piper stood there awkwardly, watching Hyo Shin’s expressionless face as he listened. Her brother’s guitar was underlaid by a deep bass line and electronic drums, a string instrument and synthetic vocal harmonies overlaying the central melody. Together, it created a warm, ambient track.

When it ended, Hyo Shin turned to Piper. “Did you use a haegeum in your mix?”

She nodded, “Yeah, it’s an interesting sound, and I figured why the hell not?”

“And was that you singing?”

“No,” she shook her head wildly. “That’s the computer’s voice. I don’t sing; I mean, I can carry a tune and all, but I’m not as good as my brother.”

Hyo Shin hummed, mulling over thoughts in his head. “There’s a position open in the broadcast club. You have to take a test to be considered, but you seem pretty good with the equipment. It’s yours if you want it.”

“Thanks, but I’m not really one for joining clubs,” she told him. “We never know when we’ll be moving again, so Parker and I tend not to get involved.”

A knock came on the door and Eun Sang stepped inside. “Is this the broadcast club?” She asked. “I called about the open spot.”

“See?” Piper grinned at Hyo Shin as she gestured to Eun Sang. “You don’t even need me.”

“I saw that one of the benefits of joining was a scholarship,” Eun Sang began.

“Scholarship?” Hyo Shin repeated.

“I know that there will be a lot of applicants and that all the kids have had tutors since they could walk to get into Ivy League schools but I’m just curious. Is the scholarship pre-paid or deferred?”

“Why does it matter what it is?” He returned with a small smile.

“Because I need some money to pay for my school uniform.” She confessed.

Hyo Shin grinned wider, “How much were you looking at when you came?”

“What?” She asked, laughing nervously.

“Are you saying that you’re going to apply for the broadcasting group so you could get the scholarship?”

“I have a lot of enthusiasm for the broadcasting group – “

“Let’s just say that’s true.” He cut her off. “You’re a lot different than the rumors. Do you really not have money to pay for your school uniform? I hear you were ‘new money’.”

“I bought a purse.” She told him. “I spend my money too carelessly.”

“Are you telling me to pick you, someone who bought a purse with her uniform money?”

“Minus that part, I don’t have many flaws. I’m quite sincere and hardworking.” Eun Sang insisted.

“How would I know if you’re hardworking or not?”

“Because I found out what kind of person you were, Sunbae. Sincerely.”

“Oh, really?” He asked, the corner of his lips quirking up into another smirk.

“That you were a really nice person. Kind and gentle,” Eun Sang began buttering him up.

Piper, having observed the interaction with quiet amusement, stepped in to help. She walked to Hyo Shin and placed her arm casually on his shoulder. “Hyo Shin-ah, she’s a friend of mine; I can attest to her character.”

He turned to her, the grin still on his face. “You - with the many faces - who barged in and used the studio without asking can attest to her character?”

“Well, you have to admit, my mix was pretty good. That has to have some bearing on your decision.” She replied. “Come on, you’ll give her a chance, right? Hmm?” Piper pouted, laying aegyo on thick as she fluttered her eyelashes at him.

Hyo Shin gave a small laugh, looking back to Eun Sang and seeing her look innocently back at him.

“Are you giving me a chance to take the test?” She wondered.

Hyo Shin sighed, knowing when he had been beaten. He handed the test to Eun Sang who accepted it happily.

“Thanks, Hyo Shin-ah,” Piper half-sang, feigning shyness as she took her arm off of his shoulder.

“Mmhm,” he hummed, giving her a knowing look.

Eun Sang and Piper walked out, Eun Sang looking over the test paper Hyo Shin had given her.

“That was the first time I’ve been that charming since I got here.” Piper mused.

“Thanks for helping me.” Eun Sang’s voice was bashful, but nonetheless grateful. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Why, because ‘any help would be burdensome’?” Piper teased, linking arms with Eun Sang “Come on, we’re friends. What’s the point of being friends if you can’t help each other out once in a while?”

Eun Sang sighed, her eyes falling downwards. “I think you’re my only true friend here, aside from Chan Young.”

“Yeah, the students here can be…”

Their attention was caught by the sound of something hitting a metallic surface, and they could barely make out through the crowd that Young Do’s lackeys were throwing one of the lower tier students, Joon Young, against the lockers repeatedly. Young Do grabbed him one final time, slamming him against the lockers and holding him there.

“Why do you keep hurting my heart, Joon Young?” Young Do asked coldly. “Did you really think if you came in like that, I wouldn’t know?” He let the hyperventilating boy go, waving his hand with crafted nonchalance. “No matter if you tell on me to the teacher or not, how many times do I have to tell you? Even though your dad answers his phone himself, my dad’s secretary answers his. Why do you keep making me share secrets with the secretary office?!”

“This is disgusting,” Piper breathed, horrified. She could feel Eun Sang tensed beside her, both girls mere moments away from jumping to Joon Young’s defense.

“What else do I need to show you in order for you to be considerate? It’s because you don’t show courtesy to me.” Young Do went on, knocking Joon Young’s head aside roughly with a finger. “In order to appeal to you…” He repeated the action. “…I do this to you when all the other kids are watching.”

It was silent, save for Joon Young’s labored breathing. He was either about to break down and cry, or snap and do something rash. Piper wasn’t sure which one was worse, and she cursed her feet for remaining glued to the ground.

“Are you going to be like this again?” Young Do interrogated him. When Joon Young didn’t answer, Young Do brought his hand down roughly, slapping the top of Joon Young’s head. “Are you not going to answer?” He slapped him once more. “Won’t you answer and stop looking?”

Eun Sang made a stuttering movement, as if she were about to step in but needed to hold back for some reason.

“Don’t mess with me!” Joon Young screamed, finally snapping as he pushed Young Do backwards. “I won’t hold it in now!” He took his backpack and swung it hard, nicking Young Do on the cheek.

It was a measly scrape, barely bleeding, but it was one of the highest offenses. Young Do brought a hand up to the wound, momentarily stunned that his long-time victim had fought back. When he pulled his hand away to look at the blood, a mocking smile and laugh graced his features.

“Why are you making the Devil mad?” Young Do wondered, his voice menacing. “Want to die?”

“I won’t hold it in, you bastard!” Joon Young shouted, almost half-mad. “I will transfer soon so I have nothing to be afraid of! I’m going to kill you!”

He ran towards Young Do at full blast – either attempting to knock him down or hit him once more, it was unclear – but his actions proved useless as Young Do’s reflexes kicked into action. With expert skill, he grabbed Joon Young and flipped him over, sending the young man down and landing on his back roughly against the cold tiles. The students gasped in surprise, their exclamations accented by Joon Young’s cry of pain.

Piper and Eun Sang looked on, horrified. They looked to Joon Young’s attacker, who was suddenly staring straight at them. He placed a foot firmly on Joon Young’s shoulder, forcing the boy back down on the ground.

“If you were going to hold it in, you should have held it in more.” Young Do stated, though his words seemed to be more for Eun Sang than Joon Young. “I’m looking forward to find out what things will happen to you.”

Seeing the predatory look in his eyes, Piper tightened her hold on Eun Sang, wordlessly communicating that her friend was off-limits. Young Do noted the exchange and changed his expression to let Piper know it didn’t matter. With one final jab to Joon Young’s shoulder, Young Do sauntered off, cronies in tow. The students walked off, carrying on with their day as they ignored the boy sprawled on the floor.

Eun Sang rushed forward to help him. “Are you okay?”

Piper bent down, helping Eun Sang sit him up, “Do you need to go to the infirmary?”

Joon Young was silent, still breathing heavily.

“Do you want to drink water?” Eun Sang attempted, holding the bottle out for him. A hand snatched it away, and they looked up to find Tan hovering above them. He grabbed Eun Sang’s wrist, dragging her up and her against the lockers. “What are you doing? I’m giving it to him!”

“Don’t you understand?” He questioned, calm in spite of the situation. “Don’t meddle into things like this.”

“I’m just asking if he was alright, how is that meddling?” She pressed.

“In here, is there anyone else aside from you who are talking to him?” He returned. Eun Sang’s eyes darted to Piper. “She’s not from here,” Tan dismissed. “They’ll give her a pass for a while because she doesn’t know how things work here.”

“I don’t appreciate being spoken about like I’m not here,” Piper hissed.

Tan ignored her, his attention focused solely on Eun Sang. “In Jeguk High, you should never take the side of the weak. If someone weak stands by the weak, then they will just be weak.”

“That’s disgusting,” Piper scowled. “‘Judge not a man by the way he treats his equals, but rather by the way he treats those inferior to himself.’ Wise words that you’d do well remember.” She looked to Joon Young, still seated on the hallway floor. “Are you alright? Do you need help standing up?”

“I’m fine,” he brushed her off.

“You’re not fine, you just got slammed into the floor,” Piper argued.

“He said he’s fine,” Tan sounded irritated.

“No one asked your opinion,” she spat.

“And I didn’t ask for your help,” Joon Young muttered, getting up stiffly and brushing himself off. Without sparing a glance at the two girls who helped him, he made his way down the slowly emptying hallway, leaving them to stare speechlessly after him.

Piper turned to Eun Sang, who was still cornered against the lockers by Tan. “Eun Sang-ah,” Piper called over, standing up. “Let’s go.”

“She’s staying here,” Tan argued, defiance and annoyance creeping in under his skin.

“I think you’ll find she can make her own decisions.” Piper spat back. “Eun Sang, do you want to leave with me?”

Throwing a disparaging look at Tan, Eun Sang nodded. “Yes, let’s go.”

The girl maneuvered away from his domination stance, walking to her friend. Piper promptly linked arms with Eun Sang and walked with her down the hall.

“Was it just me, or was Choi Young Do threatening you in the last part of that confrontation.” Piper wondered, her voice low. Eun Sang was silent. “With me he’s just annoying; to you it seems he’s determined to be downright menacing.”

“He’s just a bully,” Eun Sang replied, and though Piper could see Eun Sang wanted to talk about something else, Piper refused.

“It’s more than that, and you know it.” She argued. “It’s like he knows some big dark secret of yours and will use it as blackmail to toy with you however he wishes. That look in his eyes? That was of someone who thinks he holds all the cards.”

Again, Eun Sang was quiet, though her demeanor changed. Piper was right; Young Do did know something.

“You said I’m your friend, right?” Piper went on. “So let me in; talk to me. If you feel uncomfortable because you think I’m always helping you, then stop. Friends help their friends. I don’t want to see my only friend treated like this.”

Eun Sang took in a deep breath, and leaned over to whisper in Piper’s ear. “I’m Social Welfare, not ‘New Money’,” she confessed.

Suddenly, everything fell into place. Why Eun Sang wore street clothes and not a uniform. Why she wanted the Broadcasting Club’s scholarship. Even why she was friends with Chan Young.

“You can’t tell anyone; they’ll massacre you.” Piper agreed, her eyes wide. “But, how does Young Do know?”

“He saw me making deliveries for one of my part-time jobs.”

“And Tan’s so concerned for you not just because he likes you, but because – ”

“My mother is a housemaid for his family.” Eun Sang answered hesitantly. “No one else but you and Tan know that. You have to promise me you won’t tell anyone.”

Piper outstretched her pinky, “I won’t. I promise.”

“Not even your brother,” Eun Sang added, linking her pinky with her friend’s.

“Not even my brother.” Piper agreed, and the two girls pressed their thumbs together as they linked pinkies, sealing the promise.