http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-SmXFGpoHY

Jason Chen: So Sweet

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On Monday morning, Yoonjung woke up with dread crawling all over her skin.

Today was D-day. It was the day of entering SM High School, and she just knew it was going to be hell. She shuffled out of bed, washed, and wore her new uniform.

Unlike the yellow-and-black chic uniforms of JYP High School, SM High School’s uniform appeared classy and sophisticated with a navy blue skirt, navy blue shirt, and a sky blue vest with a collar. The boys wore almost the same thing, except they wore navy blue pants.

Yoonjung brushed back her long reddish brown hair and slipped a headband into her hair. She grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs.

Janggeun greeted her with a crisp bark and jumped up and down for attention. Yoonjung patted his head and went into the kitchen. Her father, wearing an apron with hearts, turned towards her with a spatula in hand and smiled. “Good morning, sweetheart.” He kissed her forehead.

“Good morning,” Yoonjung grunted as she took out a bottle of water and gulped from it.

“Why the long face?” Her father asked.

Yoonjung eyed him. “Like you don’t know.”

“Sweetie, it’s not that bad. I heard SM High School is a prestigious and well-educated school. I also heard it’s bigger than JYP High School,” he stated. She sent him a dry look.

“At least you’ll be going with your friends,” her father added.

Yoonjung ran her fingers through her hair with a nervous look. “I guess.” 

Her father knew how she felt from her expression. “Hey, do you want to call Jaebum over for breakfast? Then I’ll take both of you to school.”

The idea of JB being with her made her feel a lot better. She nodded eagerly. “That sounds like a good idea.”

Five minutes later, JB was at her front door. Yoonjung urged him to come inside.

Janggeun saw JB and started running around him in circles.

JB laughed and scratched his ears. “Wow, I love how I’m always greeted like this when I come here. I feel so loved.”

Yoonjung grabbed his arm almost possessively and shot Janggeun a look. Right now, she needed JB. She pulled him towards the kitchen and motioned for him to sit at the table.

“Good morning, ahjusshi!” JB greeted heartily.

“Good morning, Jaebum.” Her father smiled. “Now that you’re here, my daughter looks a little better.”

JB looked at Yoonjung and grinned. “Of course. I’m your daily vitamin intake. Without a dose of me, you won’t have a good day.”

Her father allowed them to eat in privacy while we went to get ready for work. He even filled Janggeun’s bowl to distract him.

Jaebum took a bite of the omelet and made a satisfying noise in his mouth. “This is so good. Your dad should be a chef.” He glanced at her and noticed she wasn’t eating. “Eat. You need to start on a full stomach.”

“I can’t eat. I might puke,” Yoonjung whispered.

JB looked at her for a while. Then he grabbed her fork and put it in her hand. “Eat, Yoonjung. This isn’t anything to fuss about. We can deal with this. It’s not like we’re dying.”

Yoonjung looked at him and frowned slightly. “I admire how you can be brave when we’re walking into the lion’s den.”

JB shrugged nonchalantly. “If you have to walk into the lion’s den, prepare to beat him with a stick.”

Yoonjung made a face, but she began to eat.

JB stopped eating and looked at her. He smiled with affection in his eyes and then continued to eat heartily.

When their plates were clean, her father drove them to school.

SM High School came into view. Yoonjung gulped as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Could she really do this? Just then, she received a text message.

‘Waiting at the front gate for you! – JR’

Not alone. She would never be able to face this alone. With her friends though, she probably could survive.

Her father pulled up near the front gate. JR came into view, and he rushed towards the car. He opened the back door and bowed to her father before helping her out. He took her backpack for her and asked her how her arm felt. “It’s good,” Yoonjung answered. JB got out and met them on the other side. “Have a good day, sweetie. I won’t be able to pick you up, but I’ll see you tonight,” her father promised.

Yoonjung waved. “Don’t worry about me. I’ll see you later.” She shut the door, and he drove off. She almost called for him to come back and take her home. She could have put on a show that her arm was in pain.

JR put his arm around her shoulder and spun her around to face the building. “Look at our new school. I hate it already.”

Yoonjung nodded. She felt the same way.

“Oh, grow up, you two. It’s just a school, not the fiery pits of hell.” JB rolled his eyes.

“It could be,” JR pointed out.

“Look, you two are strong enough to defeat this. We’re just going to school. We don’t have to like it, but can we please be mature about this?” JB requested.

JR frowned. “You sound like an old prick.”

“No, he’s right. It’s just a school. There’s nothing to worry about.” Besides new teachers, rival students, and…Exo. Yoonjung gulped and gripped onto the straps of her backpack. Nevertheless, she put on a brave façade to ease both JB and herself.

JB got a text message and checked it. “The rest of the guys met up. They’re almost here now.”

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, someone called their names. The three of them looked back and saw Jackson, Mark, Yugyeom, Bambam, and Youngjae heading towards them. Yoonjung looked at them in their new uniforms, and she could not get used to it.

“We couldn’t even bring our damn motor skateboards. Did you know this school doesn’t allow any skateboards at all? They only want bicycles. That’s it. How boring is that?” Jackson rolled his eyes. He looked up at the school and dreadfully sighed. “Well, here we are, at the gates of hell.”

“This ,” Youngjae muttered.

“It’s better than moving back to Thailand,” Bambam stated.

“We should set up our own school,” Jackson suggested.

“No more nonsense. Let’s go in before we’re tardy.” JB led the way.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wcJcjofYk-U

Exo: Growl (Korean)

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The rest of them went inside. They saw a few seniors from JYP and immediately grew closer to them.

However, the SM students recognized they were JYP students and sent unwelcoming glowers their way. Jackson glanced around with paranoid looks.

“Is it just me, or are we being hated as we begin our day?”

“We’re being hated,” Youngjae confirmed.

“Damn these SM bastards. They’re such judgmental freaks,” Jackson complained.

“Like we’re not,” JB snorted.

“I don’t like how mature you are, JB,” Jackson pointed out.

Yoonjung chortled at the comment.

JR smiled at her and squeezed her shoulder. “Keep being happy like that, Yoonjung.”

“Yes, be happy while we are thrown with glares and hateful comments.” Jackson bobbed his head up and down.

JR shot him a look, and he made a face in return.

“We need to report to the auditorium for a mandatory orientation,” JB said.

“Great. It’s probably a lecture about how we’re intruding into their school and how we are and we are not to behave. I don’t want to be brainwashed.” Jackson groaned.

They filed towards the auditorium with the rest of the JYP seniors. They sat in the middle row and looked around the vast hall that was twice the size of theirs. As soon as the bell rang, the doors shut, and the stage lit up. An elderly gentleman with round glasses and a stern appearance walked up the steps towards the podium.

“What a grandpa,” Jackson whispered in Youngjae’s ear. Youngjae nodded agreeably.

The crowd warily examined the older man.

The man tapped the microphone and leaned towards it. “Welcome, seniors of JYP High School. I am Lee Sooman, the principal of SM High School. I want to first deliver my sincere apology to the situation of your school. It was devastating to hear such a prestigious school went under fire.”

“Yeah, right. He’s probably glad that he doesn’t have a rival against his school anymore,” Jackson spat.

“Second of all, I would like to welcome all of you to your new home. It may be a lot different from JYP High School, but I assure you that you will have a great final year of high school here. I will do my best to seek that you do,” their new principal promised. There was no applause anywhere.

“Tough crowd,” JR whispered. Jackson smirked at his fellow classmates in approval.

“Last but not least, I would like to go over the rules.” The principal cleared his throat.

“Rules.” Bambam sighed. “That I’m going to break,” Jackson determined.

“At SM High School, we strongly believe you reap what you sow. Therefore, if you do well, you will be rewarded, but if you break a rule, there will be consequences.” The principal scanned the audience with firm eyes. 

“Oh, please.” Jackson rolled his eyes.

“Third of all, not only does our school encourage practice of the arts, but academic responsibilities are a responsibility as well. As a result, supplement classes are absolutely fundamental if you go below a 3.0 grade-point-average,” the principal stated. Murmurs of disapproval came from the crowd.

“What?! That can’t be possible!” Jackson moaned.

“Oh, no.” Bambam slapped a hand over his face. Yugyeom looked equally displeased.

Mark, Youngjae, Yoonjung, JB, and JR seemed indifferent however. After all, the five of them had always managed a high grade-point-average of over 3.5.

“Further rules are in the rule book. I trust you all to be able to read those,” the principal noted.

“Is he condescending us?!” Jackson sneered. “Calm down,” JB chided with a look.

“You are dismissed to your new homeroom classes. Good luck.” Lee Sooman left, leaving the JYP students to grumble and wander towards the doors.

The moment the eight of them left the auditorium, JB ordered everyone to take out their schedules.

“Yes! You’re in my class!” Bambam grinned at Yugyeom who sighed. “I can never get away from you.”

“You guys are soulmates.” Youngjae snickered. “At least I have a class with you.” JR looked at him.

JB, Jackson, and Mark were all in the same room. Once again, Yoonjung was left alone to fend for herself. “Damn it! Even at this school where all the classes are co-ed, we can’t be together! Screw you, SM!” Jackson kicked the wall.

“I should go. I’ll see all of you later.” Yoonjung reached for her bag, but JR held it away. “Youngjae and I’ll walk you to class.” “No, it’ll take time to find your class. It’s okay. I can go by myself. I’ll see you guys during break.” Yoonjung took her backpack, waved, and left.

The guys watched her worriedly.

“Do you think she’ll be okay?” JR asked in concern.

“…She’ll be fine,” JB didn’t sound so convinced though.

Yoonjung looked at the map while she walked. She found a few school mates from JYP High School waiting by the door. “Yoonjung! You’re here, too?!” They asked gladly. She nodded, feeling slightly better that she knew some faces in her foreign classroom. “I hope the teacher isn’t too bad,” one girl nervously remarked.

The door sprang open, and a female voice called them inside. The JYP seniors warily treaded inside, as if they were going into a slaughtering house with targets on their foreheads. The classroom was neat and tidy with rows of single desks separated from each other. The teacher was a young woman with glasses and a firm bun. She nodded briskly at them. “Welcome to my classroom. I am your homeroom teacher, Ms. Yoon. Feel free to call me Ms. Yoon or Teacher. Other names are not allowed. Introduce yourselves and find your seats.”

One by one, the students said their names and found a seat.

Yoonjung took a deep, steady breath, and spoke, “I’m Seo Yoonjung. It’s nice to meet you.” She hurried down the aisle and sat in the third row on the seventh desk. She could feel snooping gazes on her but dared not look.

Two males in the room recognized her at once.

I saw her at the movies. She’s the one who almost fell after leaving the restroom. I didn’t know she was from JYP. He gazed at her with b curiosity.

Another male smirked in her direction. I should have known she was from JYP. I have a feeling I know who those guys were then.

The day dragged on, and as soon as it was break, Yoonjung bolted out of her classroom. In a hurry to be reunited with her friends, she didn’t look where she was going and slammed into someone. “I’m sorry!” Yoonjung blurted and looked up to see a tall male with a flat expression.

“You from JYP?” He asked abruptly. For someone with a baby face, he had a deep voice. “