Midterms for the second semester were over, a giant weight lifted off everyone. The next day, the class standings were revealed, and students crowded the laminated poster to find where they ranked.

Year 2013, 2nd semester, Midterm reports. The paper read. Name: 1 - Yoon Chan Young; 2 - Yoo Rachel

“What is this? My Chan Young is first again.” Bo Na gushed. “I’m totally proud.”

“Oh! My Bo Na went up 7 ranks.” Chan Young remarked, looking at her ranking at 37. “Well done.”

“Where are we?” Parker wondered, scanning the paper for his name.

“Ooh! I’m ranked 29th!” Piper squealed. “And you’re….35th.” She turned to her brother, a victorious smirk on her face, “You may be older, dear brother, but I’m wiser.”

“Says the girl who didn’t know pineapples grew on bushes.” He fired back.

“Hey, that’s a common mistake to make,” she defended.

“How can you be ranked first?” Tan wondered, not bothering to look at his placement.

“I was born like this.” Chan Young answered simply.

“Ah!” Tan smiled. “Like how I was born good looking?”

“Can you get lost?” Bo Na wondered.

“Why? Are you dazzled?” He teased.

“Oh, awesome!” Myung Soo exclaimed, finally having found his name. He turned around, a pointed finger extended towards Tan, and laughed.

Everyone craned their neck to see what he had found so amusing.

98 - Choi Young Do; 99 - Jo Myung Soo; 100 - Kim Tan

“Oh my god.” Bo Na giggled in perfect English.

“Well, at least you’re ‘pretty’,” Piper teased Tan, her voice laden with sarcasm.

“Man,” Parker patted his back with mocking comfort. “And you tried, too.”

The group dispersed, each casting final giggles at Tan, with only Piper, Parker and Tan remaining behind. Eun Sang ran up, late to check her score, but Tan jumped with his arms spread wide to block her path.

“You’re ranked 52.” He informed her hurriedly. “Is that even a rank?”

She frowned, spun around and hurried off. Parker sighed and came up next to Tan, putting a hand on his shoulder.

“If you’re trying to win her back or something, that was really pitiful,” Parker informed him.

“I wasn’t,” Tan insisted. “I was just trying to stop her from seeing my score.”

“Do you honestly think she’s never going to pass by that board again?” He returned. “That’s she’s not going to see it at some point?”

“And can you stop being such a jerk to her?” Piper interjected. “She’s got enough on her plate without you adding more things to worry about.”

Tan looked down to her, surprised. “What do you know?”

“Everything; she’s told me everything,” Piper informed him. “Even things she hasn’t told Chan Young. I know it all. So stop playing ‘poor little rich boy’ and put yourself in her shoes.”

With that, she stalked off down the same path Eun Sang had fled.

“What was that about?” Parker wondered as he watched his sister retreat. Tan was silent beside him.

///

“I’m going to check the list to see who hasn’t signed up for camp.” Their teacher explained as she started the class. “Min Ho Shik, Lee Kwang Young, Han Hye Jin, Kim Tan, Choi Young Do,” she read. “You five aren’t going, right? All the students that aren’t going to camp can just attend school like normal.”

Bo Na spun in her seat to face Tan. “You’re not going, Kim Tan? Why?”

“It’s cold.” He replied.

“Why aren’t you going?” Myung Soo interrogated the back of Young Do’s head. “Are you being a coward? You have to give me a chance to kick your at the paintball game!”

“I wasn’t going to go because I was scared of you, but...” Young Do trailed off, staring at Eun Sang. “I just found a reason to go.” He raised his hand, catching the teacher’s attention. “Choi Young Do is going to go.”

“Really? Bring your sign-up sheet by tomorrow.” The teacher informed him.

Eun Sang cast a glace to Piper; Piper’s seat in front of Young Do meant that she had better chance to eavesdrop and find out why Young Do had decided to go on the trip after all.

He said he found a reason to go, Piper sent a quick text.

When Eun Sang read it, she looked to Piper with wide eyes, clearly understanding what he had implied. Piper gave an exaggerated shrug.

“Hey,” Young Do leaned forward. “What are you two talking about?”

Piper looked over her shoulder at him, “Why? Do you want to talk about clothes and boy bands with us?”

“You don’t think I can keep up?” He smirked.

“Well, you did rank 98th,” she reminded him, turning her back on his scowl.

///

Hyo Shin sat across from Piper in the small café, staring at his cup of coffee. She sat silently across from him, wondering and waiting.

“Are you going to tell me why you asked me here, or…” She began, her sentence trailing off as he remained staring at the cup.

“I kissed her.” He confessed. “I kissed my old tutor.”

“I’m sorry, can you repeat that? Your old tutor?”

He gave a small smile, finally looking up at her. “Not old like that. Old as in former. She’s young, and beautiful, and it was only a kiss on the forehead.”

“What did she say?” Piper wondered.

“Nothing; I left before she could.”

“So…you just wanted to confuse her?” She wrinkled her forehead.

“I just – ”

“No, you definitely confused her,” Piper cut him off. “Kissing someone and then leaving would confuse anyone, especially someone who used to tutor you. One second they’re your student and the next, BAM, they’re making out with your forehead.”

“I wasn’t making out with her forehead,” he corrected.

“She was probably so stunned she couldn’t tell the difference,” she teased gently. “But, out of curiosity, why did you tell me this? I mean, I appreciate being your confidante and all, but it just strikes me as a little weird since we haven’t known each other that long.”

Hyo Shin sighed, “You’ve probably heard this before, but of all the second tier students, you and your brother are the few who don’t see their friends as competition. Even the nicest people at Jeguk still horde secrets told to them in case they need to use them later.”

“I don’t think that’s true,” Piper argued gently.

“Even if it isn’t,” he went on, “they’d still judge me, and I knew you wouldn’t.”

“How could you possibly know that?”

“Because that first day we met, when you asked if my parents were hard on me and offered your house as a safe haven, I didn’t see it in your face. Of all the faces you wear, judgmental isn’t one you put on around me. I need a friend like that.”

Piper gave him a small smile. “Well, I can definitely do that.”

///

The class walked down the leaf-covered dirt path, the sun shining through the multicolored tree leaves, as they made their way to the campsite. Eun Sang trailed behind the twins, wanting to be on her own for a bit. Whatever had happened in between school and the class trip had put Eun Sang in a funk, and her friends were willing to give her the space she needed.

Myung Soo and Young Do were walking in front of the twins, completely carefree as they laughed and joked around. Piper had never seen Young Do give a genuine smile, and it surprised her that even in profile it could be attractive. Myung Soo held his camera over his shoulder, snapping a quick photo.

“Really, how do you do that?” He marveled as he looked at the tiny screen. He made a half-turn, walking sideways as he displayed the camera screen to Piper. “I caught you unawares again, and you still take a good photo.”

“What can I say?” Piper shrugged. “I’ve just got a nice face.”

“Let me take a real one,” Myung Soo grinned, getting his camera ready.

“What? No.” She shook her head.

“Oh, come on.” He pouted, pouring on the aegyo. “Please? Please please please?”

His childish antics got the better of her, and she found herself grinning and laughing lightly. Myung Soo seized the opportunity and began snapping pictures, still walking sideways.

“Hey, come up here,” he ordered cheerfully, grabbing her wrist and pulling her up beside him.

Finally walking straight forward again, Myung Soo threw his arm around Piper and lifted up his camera, taking selcas full of aegyo. Piper rolled her eyes but played along, making funny faces and being as adorable as she possibly could.

“Wow, Piper-ah,” Myung Soo cooed, “You’re so pretty. We should date.”

Piper nearly tripped, the shock swiping the smile off her face. “What did you say?”

“I said we should date,” he smiled earnestly.

“Sorry, Myung Soo,” she patted him on the arm. “I’d only break your heart.”

“It’s true,” Parker interjected. “My sister is a cold-hearted woman.”

“Hey!” She shouted at her twin.

“It’s okay,” Myung Soo declared. “I’ve had my heart broken before.”

“And you deserve to fall for a girl that won’t break your heart,” Piper informed him. “But that girl isn’t me.”

///

As Piper and Parker set up their tent – being twins had some advantages, namely not having to share a tent with anyone else – Piper noticed Eun Sang in the company of both Young Do and Myung Soo, looking stricken. She made a move to go help her friend, but was held back by her brother.

“You can’t keep jumping in to save her, you know,” he informed her.

“She’s my friend,” Piper defended. “And Young Do is a complete couch-er who has this twisted crush on her.”

“All the more reason not to get involved.” He stated. “What do you think will happen if we have to leave soon? Dad’s already gotten offers to work at an observatory in Sydney; they just upgraded their system, and if he accepts the job as New South Wales’ Government Astronomer we’d get to live at the observatory. You know how excited that’d make him. If we leave, what will happen to Eun Sang if you keep fighting her battles for her?”

“What do you expect me to do? Sit back and do nothing?”

“You did at our old schools,” he reminded her.

///

The students stood in two lines, facing each other; one side was dressed in black vests, the other in blue. It was a survival game, the two teams pitted against each other. Parker and Piper found themselves on opposite teams – Parker in blue, Piper in black.

“Attention!” The instructor called as the staff handed out the paintball guns. “As you already know, the team with the last person standing will be the winner of this competition. The rules of this game are simple! You can take down the opponent by shooting the paintball at them.”

An airsoft gun went off, and everyone looked to see Rachel with a neon yellow splatter on her vest. On the opposite side of her, Bo Na lowered her gun and smiled.

“Just like this?” Bo Na questioned, making a show of blowing the nonexistent smoke from the barrel.

Rachel scoffed as the members of the blue team began clapping, and a few of the black team smiled and chuckled as well.

“She’s good,” Young Do remarked, throwing a smirk at Rachel from his side on the blue team.

The instructor blew his whistle, and the players scattered through the forest. Piper made her way through the small forest, witnessing the acting talents - or, rather, over-acting - of Chan Young and Bo Na after Ye Sol shot them. As Piper darted through the trees, she came across Myung Soo a few minutes in, his gun trained on her.

“Myung Soo-yah,” Piper smiled sweetly. “You wouldn’t shoot me, would you? I’m too pretty to die.”

“I…but…” Myung Soo fumbled, torn between saving her and shooting her.

Piper took advantage of his confusion and ran off, zigzagging through the trees. She came across Ye Sol, who was hiding behind a tree stalking one of the blue vests. Piper crept up and shot her from behind.

Ye Sol whipped around to face her attacker. “Ya! What did you do that for? We’re on the same team!”

“I know,” Piper smirked. “I just don’t like you. Besides, didn’t you shoot Chan Young? He’s on our team.”

“I was aiming for Bo Na!” She protested.

Piper shrugged, “Oh well. You’re out.”

She trudged off, stomping like a spoiled child out of the forest. Piper quickly dispatched the blue vest Ye Sol had targeted and ran off through the forest, keeping a quick pace to prevent anyone from getting a good shot at her.

A paintball whizzed past her ear while she had her back pressed against a tree, catching her breath. She looked over to see her brother stalking towards her, gun aimed at her chest. Piper quickly lifted hers, targeting her brother.

“Well, well, well, sister dear,” he grinned. “Looks like it’s just you and me.”

Piper’s eyebrows furrowed. “We’re the only ones left in the game?”

Parker huffed and lowered his gun. “No, I was saying that for dramatic effect.” He quickly lifted his gun again, “This forest isn’t big enough for the both of us.”

“You’re an idiot,” Piper shook her head, “and an .”

“What did I do?” He wondered, lowering his gun once again.

“‘Stop being so nice to Eun Sang’, ‘Stop trying to help your friend’, ‘We’re not going to stay here forever’,” Piper mocked his earlier words. “This camping trip was supposed to be fun, and all you’ve done is made me feel like .”

Parker opened his mouth to protest, but Piper shot him in the shoulder.

“Do me a favor,” she besought. “Leave me alone for the rest of the trip.”

///

After the survival game had ended, the students relaxed and ate dinner around the campsite. Piper sat next to Eun Sang, picking at her food, as the two girls were watched by Young Do as he sat across from them.

Eun Sang noticed her friend’s lack of appetite. “Are you okay, Piper-ah?”

Piper game a small chuckle, “Aren’t I the one always asking that of you?”

Eun Sang smiled lightly. “But, are you?”

Piper huffed, sitting back in her chair as she tossed her utensils on the tiny table. “No,” she confessed. “Parker’s being…” she trailed off, shaking her head as she tried to come up with an appropriate insult.

“What happened?” Her friend inquired.

“Don’t make friends, Piper. Friends are bad,” Piper imitated her brother. “Why bother even trying when we haven’t made real friends in the other eight million schools we’ve been to?”

“He didn’t really say that, did he?” Eun Sang gasped.

“He said something near it!” She insisted. “I just wish he’d get off my back and let me do my own thing. We’re not in the same womb anymore; we’re allowed to have separate lives!”

“Hey, you have me,” Eun Sang smiled, placing a hand on her friend’s arm.

“And thank god for that.” Piper sighed. “I probably would have gone insane if it weren’t for you; and that’s not even an exaggeration.”

Young Do, fed up with being ignored, kicked the small metal table to get their attention. The girls ignored him still. He kicked the table again. Eun Sang sighed and stood up, Piper mimicking her actions, and the two girls walked away from Young Do to talk in peace.

Young Do stood up. “All of you who are done eating, bring your plates here.” He shouted to his classmates. “Cha Eun Sang says she will do the dishes.”

The girls stopped, Eun Sang giving a small huff, as they turned around to face Eun Sang’s tormentor. They could see various classmates expressing gratitude behind them, but their focus was on the tall young man who looked very proud of himself. Eun Sang huffed again, throwing him a disappointed look.

“Do you need help?” He cocked his head to the side, smirking yet again.

“I’ll help her,” Piper spat, scowling at him.

True to her word, Piper stood next to Eun Sang and helped her with the dishes as night fell around them. Young Do had parked himself in a chair nearby, not helping – though it didn’t surprise the girls in the least.

“I thought you would help?” Eun Sang turned to him. “Is this you helping?”

“I am helping you.” He insisted. “My presence alone gives you strength.”

Piper scoffed, “It’s like you don’t even know the meaning of the words you speak.”

Chan Young walked up to them, surveying their progress. “Why are there so many dishes? Why are you doing this alone?” He questioned, rolling up his sleeves. Eun Sang paused and she and Piper cast weighted glares on Young Do, causing Chan Young to turn to the boy as well. “Did you make this situation?”

“Since when were you friends with Cha Eun Sang?” Young Do wondered.

“I asked if you made her do the dishes alone.” Chan Young repeated.

“Then I’ll change the question.” Young Do replied, deadpanned. “You know that Cha Eun Sang is under the welfare scholarship, right?”

Eun Sang straightened up in anxiety as Piper narrowed her glare. Chan Young was motionless, even as Bo Na walked up.

“Hey, Yoon Chan Young,” Bo Na began. “Are you getting your hands wet because of Cha Eun Sang?”

“Lee Bo Na.” Young Do called, his eyes still focused on Eun Sang.

“What?”

“Do you know that Cha Eun Sang is under a welfare scholarship, too?” He questioned yet again.

Bo Na looked around the camp nervously, making sure no one had heard. “Keep quiet!”

Young Do gave a small humorless laugh. “I was the only one who didn’t know.”

Myung Soo walked up, his plate and cup in hand, and noticed the tension in the small group. “What’s this?” He wondered. “Why did you get quiet when I came? Did you guys talk about me behind my back?”

“Myung Soo, do you also – ”

“Choi Young Do,” Eun Sang cut him off. “Let’s talk.”

She wrenched off her gloves and stalked off into the forest. Young Do remained seated, an expression almost like regret on his face.

“What?” Myung Soo wondered, oblivious to the situation. “What’s going on?”

Piper gave him a small smile and outstretched her hands. “Here, Myung Soo, I’ll take those for you.”

“You know?” Chan Young asked Piper as Myung Soo left.

“I know,” Piper confirmed. “I know everything.”

“She told you?” Bo Na was shocked.

“Of course she told me. I’m her best friend.”

“I’m her best friend,” Chan Young corrected.

“She’s allowed to have more than one best friend.” Piper informed him.

///

Piper was on her own, wandering the expanse of the campsite as she listened to her music player on shuffle. Thing were getting messy for both her and Eun Sang – though, admittedly, things for Eun Sang were far worse than they were for Piper. Piper’s thoughts were fuzzy, and if Piper spent any more time around her brother there was a chance she’d beat him with her pillow until he surrendered.

She was walking out of a part of the forest when she found Eun Sang being dragged into the meal area by Young Do. Piper pulled out her earphones and shut off the music, stopping herself from calling out to her friend. If Young Do had managed to get into his rare moments of sincerity, Piper didn’t want to ruin it.

“You’ve thought about it well,” Eun Sang remarked as he let go of her arm. “This is more like you.”

“Don’t jump to conclusions.” He muttered. “You haven’t seen anything about me yet.”

Young Do ruined it all on his own. Eun Sang shifted in her place, and Piper immediately wanted to go and pull her away. Parker’s nagging voice sprang to her mind, but she shoved it away and began her march towards her friend. Her steps were slowed when she saw Tan walk through some bushes, his phone to his ear. Tan stopped, seeing Young Do and Eun Sang – though Eun Sang’s back was turned to him.

“From now on, I’ll show you.” Young Do informed Eun Sang, and pulled her into a hug.

She stiffened as his arm encircled her shoulders. Tan’s phone was lowered as he and Young Do locked glares, Eun Sang struggling against the hug. Piper’s eyes darted nervously from one boy to the other, silently praying that they wouldn’t start yet another fistfight.

Eun Sang pulled out of the hug, looking accusatorily up at Young Do, “What are you doing right now?”

“I’m showing Kim Tan,” Young Do replied.

“What?” Eun Sang wondered.

Young Do motioned for her to look behind. “Behind you; Kim Tan came.”

Eun Sang stood frozen, only turning when she heard footsteps coming up behind her.

“Don’t interfere,” Young Do requested as Tan stood beside Eun Sang. “Can’t you see that the atmosphere is good?”

“Don’t you see that I came all the way from Seoul to ruin that atmosphere?” Tan shot back.

“I’m asking the both of you, stop it,” Eun Sang interjected, sounding weary of the situation.

“You seem sincere about her,” Young Do observed, ignoring her.

“And if I am, what are you going to do?” Tan questioned.

“Then, will you convey my sincerity, too?” Young Do asked, sighing lightly. “You convey it to Cha Eun Sang that I think I like her. She won’t believe me if I tell her. She’ll believe it if you tell her. How upsetting.”

He brushed past them, looking crushed, and locked eyes with Piper. His expression tightened, knowing she had seen the whole thing. He stalked up to her, grabbed her wrist and pulled her into another part of the clearing far away from Tan and Eun Sang.

“Will you stop?” Piper grumbled, trying to pull her hand away. “I’m not a doll that you can pick up and play with at any time!”

Finally she wrenched her arm free, staggering back a little at the force.

“What were you doing there?” He interrogated.

“I could ask you the same question,” she retorted, and then gave a small, humorless laugh. “No, I know why you were there. Though, I’m not entirely sure why you felt the need to drag me here.”

Young Do clenched his jaw, staring coldly at the girl in front of him. “I got annoyed by Kim Tan tonight; now, I’m getting annoyed by you.” He echoed here joyless laugh, his quieter and darker. “I thought this trip was supposed to be fun. Why do people keep annoying me?”

“Annoying?” Piper repeated, astounded. “Annoying? Let me tell you something about being annoyed. How about this: do you even know how it feels to be constantly reminded that you’re the second choice? I’m sorry to be harsh, but you were never an option so you couldn’t possibly know.”

Young Do straightened up, his expression growing dark.

“So, let me tell you.” Piper continued. “It’s awful. Being constantly reminded that when it comes to you I’m the second choice really irritates me. I know you came to movie night after she rejected eating with you – she told me – and when she was absent you came to find me in order to find her. Even now, when she chooses Tan over you again you still move on to your second choice. You and I aren’t even on reluctantly friendly terms and it hurts.”

She noticed his expression fading into something resembling shock, but she couldn’t stop speaking. The floodgates had been opened and she had no idea what would come out.

“And I don’t even know why it hurts!” She went on. “You’ve done nothing but be cruel to me, and her, and to everyone. So you’ve confessed, that’s great,” she muttered sarcastically, “but that doesn’t excuse the awful things you’ve done. And every time you do another awful thing I get pissed off, and then I get sad…and then I get pissed off because I’m sad. And then it gets worse because I know what will happen: you’re going to go to Eun Sang, and she’s going to reject you, and you’re going to come to me.”

He was silent, unsure of how to respond. Unsure of where all of this was coming from.

“I’m not a second choice, Choi Young Do,” she informed him. “I never have been, and I never want to be.”

She turned and quickly walked off, leaving him dumbstruck. Her emotions were raging within her, most of which she couldn’t pinpoint. Who the hell was he to confuse her like that? She was overwhelmed, almost to the point of panic, but refused to let it overcome her.

She didn’t want to talk to her brother – she was still mad at him – so as she stepped out near a clearing, she dialed the one person she knew wouldn’t judge her.

As she waited for her call to be answered, she saw him. Sitting in his car as Rachel sat in the passenger seat, Tan standing by the opened passenger door bickering with her. She saw him as he picked up the call, a mild look of surprise on his face.

“Hey,” he answered. “Why are you calling? Shouldn’t you be out having fun?”

“Hyo Shin-ah, you’re at the camp, right?” Piper asked, her emotions starting to bubble over.

“I am,” he replied warily, hearing the distress in her voice. “Piper-ah, are you okay? Where are you?”

“You’re busy right now,” Piper told him, seeing Rachel continuing to pout inside the car. “But, when you’re free, can you come find me? I did something bad – no, I’m doing something bad.”

“What is it, Piper-ah?” Hyo Shin asked, growing concerned. “What’s wrong?”

She drew in a shuddering breath. “I think I’m starting to like Choi Young Do.”