I blinked my eyes open to see Appa standing next to my bed holding his brief case in one hand. I glanced at my alarm clock and realized that it was way too early to wake up, so I grabbed the sheets and pulled them over my head to block the sun that was shining on my face.

     "Shinhye, please. I know you don't like getting up early, but at this high school, you are expected to arrive thirty minutes before class actually starts. If you don't, then there'll be consequences! Come on, get up."

     I didn't want to get up, but I knew he was right, so I grumpily kicked the sheets off and moped into the bathroom to brush my teeth and prepare for my first day at Sangsang High School. I didn't even want to go to this school, but apparently, they gave me a full scholarship because of my "unique way of thinking" and "gifted mind," but I'm sure they just took me in because of my high GPA. To be honest, I don't even know how it got so high. I mean, it's not like I'm different than the other people at school. I just hope that I can talk properly in "Seoul dialect" for the rest of the year.

     Once I finished brushing my teeth, I moved on to massaging my face with cleanser.

     My father works for some company in a cubicle, and all I know is that it's a boring occupation. When I grow up, I definitely wanna do something fun like singing or acting or maybe even playing some sport, but being holed up in a tiny space staring at a computer screen all day isn't how I plan on spending the rest of my life.

     Most mornings, I wake up fifteen minutes before I go to school. That way, I get more sleep, and I don't have to worry over something as little as appearance, but we have to get to school thirty minutes early, which in my opinion, is a stupid rule. Since I have no choice to abide, I quickly brushed my hair with my hair brush and dashed back into my room to change into the school uniform.

     I don't know what Appa might say if I tell him that I want to be a actress, but I know for sure it's not going to be pretty. He's pretty strict when it comes to stuff like careers and decision-making, but other than that, he's the best dad anyone can ever dream of.

     Whenever I had a rough day at school or if I was upset about anything, he would always know and come find me at the park a few blocks from our old home in Busan. He would bring two ice pops, and we would eat them on the swings, laughing at the pouting children waiting for their turns. I would always feel better, and it's one of the many memories that Appa has given me, so I'm grateful.

     It's seven o' clock, which meant I have only fifteen minutes to make it to school, so I hastily grabbed my school bag and ran out the door without any breakfast. I ran as hard as I could, but it's a twenty minute walk from my new apartment, so I wasn't sure if I was going to make it...

     After ten minutes of sprinting, I began to feel confident that I was going to make it thirty minutes before school starts, so I reduced my pace to a light jog. As I was jogging, I wondered for the very first time since I moved into the neighborhood if I'd be successful in making new friends. At my old school, I only had a few friends, but I was completely happy with the love and laughs that we all shared.

     Before I left, we all gathered at the park and reminisced at the many inside jokes we shared and the embarrassing moments we've been through for two years. Even though we still talk to each other through the internet, I know that I'll probably never form a tight circle of friends like that at this school.

     Since I'm sixteen years old, I wonder if people my year will bully me for skipping a grade. I skipped year four because my teacher believed that I didn't need to waste a year learning the things that I already knew, but now, I'm starting to think that maybe it wasn't such a good idea. 

     The people at Sangsang can actually afford the tuition, books, uniform, and food, so these guys must be seriously cynical and wealthy. I, on the other hand, was attending entirely on scholarship, and I just had enough money saved up to pay for a uniform. I only started working part-time for a few months, so I didn't really have much saved up, but it doesn't matter since it's all gone now. 

     Once my heart rate decreased a little bit, I broke into a sprint again since the school was only about four blocks away. I checked my watch, and I only had three minutes left, or else I'd have to endure the punishments, so I turned a corner and finally saw the large gate still wide open. At this point, I was sweating, panting, and completely worn out, but I couldn't stop now, so I pushed myself beyond my body's limit and rapidly dashed towards the gate, which was only a block away...

     All of a sudden, this extremely tall person bumped into me from behind, so I ended up falling face first onto the ground. I didn't even know where he came from because it was like he just appeared out of thin air and decided to crash into me during the most important moment.

     "Joesonghamnida!" he apologized while stumbling forward. The gate was in the midst of closing, so with the remaining fifty meters to go, the guy gave it his all and dashed into it while I tended to my bleeding knee on the ground.

     Panting like crazy from the fifteen minutes of running, I grabbed onto the nearby house's fence and hauled myself up as the blood from my knee slowly crept down my leg. I saw a book on the ground, so I assumed that the guy must have dropped it when he knocked into me. I picked up the book titled "The Basics of Singing." A slip of paper fell out of it, so I bent down to pluck it off the sidewalk.

     It stated that the book was due on this day at the Sangsang Library, so I took the book with me and hopefully, I could return it to that obnoxious guy later that day. It was rude how he didn't offer to help me up, but I supposed he was just stressed out about being late. It's not like the punishment is gonna be painful or anything though. It's probably just gonna be detention or maybe a scolding, but it's the first day, so they're probably gonna give warnings.

     I limped towards the entrance, and I noticed that students were hanging their heads out from the classroom windows above, watching me make my way towards the school. 'Why can't they mind their own business?' I thought.

     I reached the closed gate at last, facing the security guard who gave me a deadly look while cracking his burly knuckles, but I was not afriad. My father signed me up for judo when I was three.

     "Morning, miss," he greeted. "Tell me why you're late on your very first day." His voice greatly contradicted his manly and tenacious appearance, so I was surprised at first but quickly regained my posture.

     "Well...," I began. "I ran as quickly as I could from my apartment, and I nearly made it. I'm sure you saw me fall back there. As you just witnessed, a student was the cause of my injury and tardiness. I have an open wound to tend to, so may I please enter so that the nurse can treat my knee? The blood is seeping into my sock."

     The security guard must have been taken aback by my concise answer because his eyebrows shot up, and he blinked twice before moving on to his next question. 

     "Even if your tardiness was not your fault, you still have to face the consequences," he explained. "Do you know why those students are trying to get a view from their classrooms?"

     "I don't have a clue," I replied. "I have a feeling that they're simply bored?"

     "That's partly true," he said.

     As he talked, I glanced at his nametag on the right side of his uniform that read "Kwon Mina."

     'Is this a woman?' I thought.

     "The first punishment is if you're one minute late," he or she said, bending over to retrieve something in a box. "This is a name tag. What is your name?"

I, _________

was late to school. Please lecture me well.

     'I'm going to have to wear this?!' I thought. 'This is ridiculous.'          

     "During break, students are allowed to write on your name tag while it's stuck onto your back," Mina explained when she saw my confused expression. "After long classes, this is a way Sangsang students can enjoy their break times. What is your name?"

     "Park Shinhye," I told her in a clear voice. 'If this is the punishment, then I have nothing to be afraid of,' I thought.

     Mina wrote my name in the blank space and stuck it onto my back.

     "You must be new at this school," she said. "You don't look terrified. Every year, we give all the punishments to each tardy person. There are two more punishments that you need to carry out today. The second one is for students who are tardy for two to five minutes. Come here, I need to stamp your forehead."

     Before I could even take a step, Mina jabbed my forehead with her stamp. 'What's the punishment this time?' I wondered. 

     "With this stamp, all of your teachers will know that you were late, so they will pick on you the most throughout the period. You will have to sit on the penalty desk in every one of your classes," she explained. "If you wash it off, your punishment will be prolonged for one more week."

     I couldn't believe this school right now...and all this time, I was worried about speaking in dialect. All I should be stressing about now is getting to school on time every morning.

     "And last but not least, the punishment if you are late for ten minutes or more: you need to find a way inside the school before I pin you down."

     What?! Before I knew it, Mina swung her fist at my head, and I only ducked just in time. What is up with this school?! I could hear the students cheering and hooting from above, which only made me angrier. Is this why students must come to school thirty minutes early?

     Since Mina tried to fracture my skull with her huge fist, my first instinct was to run as fast as I could, but to where? The gate was closed, so I couldn't possibly open it on my own without Mina pinning me down. I didn't even think about using judo against her, so I relied on my quick feet and ran as far as I could from her, but she was exceptionally fast, or maybe I was just tired from my run to school. 

     The next thing I knew, Mina pounced on top of me, and I fell hard on the ground for the second time this morning. I landed on my bloody knee again, and if I had to describe the pain, I would say that it simply hurt like hell.

     I officially hate Sangsang High School, but if this is only the morning, then I can't wait to find out what happens next. Please note my sarcasm.