PART 1

"Are you sure you're going to be okay?" Jinhwan asked for the third time, unpacking his bag slowly and folding clothes while he was at it.

Hyeji had her legs crossed on his bed, staring at the blank wall in front of her. She was nervous, scared and conflicted. Her and her brother moved from Jeju all the way to Seoul to pursue his dreams of being a singer and making it big in South Korea. It was something Jinhwan had dreamed of ever since he was little. He would always run around singing and dancing, showing everyone in the family that he was worth it.

It was adorable actually, having an older brother who wanted to break away from what all the other guys wanted to be. He had no interest in being a rapper, video game advisor, police officer, soldier; in fact it was the opposite and Hyeji respected him for that.

He was always there for her, more than her parents ever were. He was her guardian and wise figure who looked out for her and cared for her ever since she was little. Her eldest sibling Seiyeon was studying abroad so she couldn't be with them at all times. The family was basically her and Jinhwan and it had been like that for as long as she could remember.

But what she didn't respect was that Jinhwan didn't have the decency to even think about her this time. The moving decision was rash and sudden but it was all for him. He wanted to do it because that was what he wanted to do. Sure it was reasonable but not once did he ask her if she was okay with it. Not once did he look over his shoulder and make sure she was okay. Not once did he even think that it would be hard for her to adjust in a new neighbourhood, new school and new home. And now he had the audacity to speak up, after the deed was done.

"Hyeji, are you okay?" He pouted, pulling out the last shirt in his bag and tucking in neatly in the half full closet beside him.

"Honestly Jinhwan, I'm not okay at all." She finally spat, glaring at him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, his voice full of concern and hurt.

Hyeji and Jinhwan barely fought, on the contrary he would always tell her she was his favorite sibling because of her controlled temper.

"You brought me all the way to Seoul without my permission! That's what I'm talking about," She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jinhwan let out a small laugh, walking over to her and patting the top of her head, "Don't complain, take advantage of this opportunity yah."

Hyeji let out a small sigh, making it clear that she was upset. Jinhwan noticed this and pulled a face, it was never in his interest to upset her.

"Look, I'll make it up to you I promise," He held out his pinky.

She frowned, shaking her head and pushing his hand away.

"You don't get it, how do you expect me to adjust down here? I don't know anyone, I don't know anything, heck I don't even know where this house is and I'm in it!"

Jinhwan scoffed, "So? I promise something good will happen and you'll regret saying this."

It was her turn to return the scoff  this time, "Stop trying to deny the fact that you're wrong for once!"

"Oh so last week when I stole your socks I was right? And the time I ate your last piece of chocolate I was right?" Jinhwan laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

"Ugh Jinhwan I hate you!"

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"And this is the gym," The lady smiled, extending her arm to show off a large room. Inside was spacious and smelled like sweat and cologne.

There were pictures of students smiling with awards and metals in their hands. They all had on different uniforms ranging from basketball to volleyball to soccer and then lacrosse. It was clear that this school was precise and top notch, at least in the sports sector. It made her feel a little insecure to be honest, especially since she wasn't good at..well anything.

She tugged on the end of her uniform blazer, her fingers starting to tremble slowly at the thought of her nonexistent talent. Maybe someone in the school would figure out she was horrible and make fun of her for the rest of the year. And that was the last thing she wanted.

"You'll fit in just fine, don't worry!" The lady tapped her shoulder, a broad smile extended over her lips.

Hyeji felt a little grateful, maybe things would be okay if she kept herself on the lows and didn't speak much. It only made sense.

"Thank you, what should I address you as?" She mumbled, giving the woman a small bow.

"President," She responded cockily, waving slightly before turning around and sauntering back down the hall.

It was only the first day of school for her and already there was so much she knew. One thing was that she wasn't going to like the 'president' at all. Her self-centered persona was upsetting and it wasn't attractive at all.

A small bell rang from the speaker system above and Hyeji flinched for a second before recollecting herself. With little thinking, she realized it was third period and any minute a bunch of students would be rushing out of class furiously. Quickly, she smoothed down her long hair and brushed off her skirt. Pulling up her socks, she put on a flashy smile and turned to a random locker, acting like it was hers. The last thing she wanted to do was stand in the hallway and look like a total douche while a herd of animals would begin to laugh at her.

She fiddled with the lock for a while, hearing the sounds of laughter and voices behind her. She only had to do this for two minutes and the hallway would be quiet again. She turned her attention to the lock again, distracting herself as the sounds began to fade.

She praised herself mentally, congratulating her keen senses and quick thinking. Throwing a bit of hair behind her shoulder, she smiled, thinking back at who gave her the smart gene when someone tapped her shoulder.

She turned around, about to question why when she froze, her heart skipping a few beats when she noticed who it was.

He was tall and gorgeous. Hyeji couldn't take her eyes off of him and the way he towered over her so coolly, his brown hair tossed back in a ruffled mess above his head so effortlessly. The boy had thin, pink lips that looked kissable and kind. He had a defined jaw line and sharp eyes that in anything he was looking at and today, it was Hyeji.

"I'm sorry but this is my locker," His voice was soft and soothing. Enough to put her to sleep.

"Oh-Oh I'm s-sorry," She was tripping over her words and the butterflies in her stomach were at work.

He gave her a look, expecting her to move but her feet were glued to the ground and eyes glued on him. He was quite mesmerizing.

"I think I need to get something from it," He tried again, this time his hinting was more obvious.

Hyeji nodded, moving slowly and standing at the locker beside his. She didn't know what she was waiting for but she stood there, not wanting to walk away.

"Who are you?" She blurted, not trying to sound too frantic.

"A person," He replied, picking at his lock for a moment before it popped open.

She crossed her arms, a part of her stiffening because of his sarcastic attitude, "I mean, what's your name?"

The boy looked back at her for a second, catching the desperate look on her face. His eyes moved down, seemingly giving her a one-over. Hyeji felt her stomach drop when he turned back to his locker without a word. With low shoulders, she began to walk away, the sound of her footsteps echoing in the hall.

She would come back later when he was ready to talk. But she felt horrible, not only did she look like a love-sick puppy in front of him but now he thought she was useless and wasn't his type. She was ignored by one of the hottest guys she had ever met and frankly, it hurt. Alot.

She turned down a hall and made her way down a set of stairs. From her peripheral vision, she caught a glimpse of two girls at the door that lead to the first floor. They were both very cute and they seemed to be skipping class as well.

With a gulp, she made her way towards them. There was no other way to get to the front office if she didn't go through that one door. So, she strode along, her hair falling down her back and the hairs on her neck standing straight. Her whole plan of staying low and keeping quiet was completely crushed.

"Hey wait up," One of the girls called.

Hyeji closed her eyes, her head pounding under her skull. This was probably the worst day of her life. Why in the world was she drawing unwanted attention towards herself?

"I haven't seen you around before?"The first one spoke, breathing heavily. Obviously she was the first one to come chase Hyeji.

"Yeah, you even smell new," The second girl laughed, it was cute and bubbly.

Hyeji bit her lip, she didn't know whether they wanted to get to know her or if they were mocking her.

"I'm Sara by the way, nice to meet you!" The first girl laughed, noticing Hyeji's tense state.

"You can call me Chae!" The girl with the cute laugh held her hand up, addressing Hyeji as if she were blind.

"I'm Hyeji, and yeah I'm kind of new. I'll work on the smell issue," She joked, smiling a little when the other girls laughed at her humor.

At least her day was going much better than she had expected. When she woke up, the yellow blazer and black skirt on her bed made her realize that the day was going to be as horrible as her uniform but somehow she managed to make the best of it. And because of these two seconds, these two girls, this moment on the stairs, she thought maybe things were okay. And so she held her shoulders a little higher and her chin a little more forward. A small burden had been lifted and for that, she was thankful.

"What do you have now?" Chae asked, her short hair barely reaching her shoulders.

"I think Math, in room 208," Hyeji groaned inside, she didn't want to go to class at all.

Chae and Sara gave each other a look before smiling widely, "Perfect, follow us!"

The two lead her towards a long hallway that turned almost a hundred times. Hyeji observed the girls the whole time, watching the way they walked, talked and even their posture. Chae seemed like more of the athletic perky type that always put sports first. Hyeji swore she could remember her face from one of the portraits in the gym. Sara on the other hand looked like the smart type that chose work over the movies and would often stick around in the library.

"Here it is," Chae pointed at the brown door. That itself was enough make her nervous.

"The bell for lunch is in half an hour so you might want to go in now."

Hyeji held back a groan as she grasped the cold doorknob. Without looking back at the girls, she turned it and the door creaked open.

About thirty students, heads once down and writing some sort of notes, were now looking up and at her. Hyeji gulped, making her way to the teachers desk quickly. Her cheeks heated up and her heart beat was accelerating by the minute. All eyes were on her and she didn't dare look back, her attention was on the teacher.

"Yes?" The man frowned, putting the chalk in the holder and facing her. He scratched the tip of his nose, some of the powder now on it. Hyeji almost told him but she held her tongue.

"Kim Hyeji, I was told this is my math class," She whispered, her head down in shame.

The man let out an audible moan, clearly he didn't want any new students in his class. Still, he walked over to his desk and marked down her name. Pointing to a seat he gave her a practiced smile.

"Ah, take a seat beside our star student Donghyuk."

Hyeji scanned the class, each face looking more unique and different than the other. One boy was chewing gum loudly, another girl too busy on her phone, a thinner boy beside the girl threw her a small wink. She couldn't guess which one looked like a 'Donghyuk'.

"He's the one near the window," The teacher sighed.

Hyeji turned that way and once again, the butterflies returned. The handsome boy that was once at the locker was sitting near the window and was staring straight at her. She told herself to calm down as she made her way towards the seat next to him. Without a second glance, she managed to sit in one piece. She could feel his eyes on her during the whole half hour that passed. 

She didn't know why but she wanted him to look at her and think she adorable at least. She forced herself to not look his way no matter what. It was extremely hard especially since the seconds on the clock were going by extremely slow. She managed to make it through the period and just as the bell was about to go, the teacher spoke up again.

"Class, I've already assigned partners for the project due next week so this is a reminder that you each must do well," He started and the class seemed in their own world, ignoring him totally and speaking to one another.

"Donghyuk," The teacher coughed. 

The boy immediately straightened his back and nodded at the older man who had called his name. Hyeji furrowed her brow, for a student he was very adult-like and professional.

"Since there is an equal amount of students in the class, you can no longer work alone. Instead, you can work with Hyeji. I trust you will help her right?"

Donghyuk didn't hesitate to give the teacher a thumbs up. Hyeji on the other hand was screaming inside. This was the moment she had been waiting for ever since she laid eyes on him. But because that was only thirty minutes ago, she wasn't ready.

"We can meet up in the library afterschool right?" Donghyuk wasn't looking at her but instead packing his bag.

Hyeji noticed he slid them in one by one in an organized fashion. It was cute in a way.

"Yeah, I'll be there," She smiled. 

Not making the same mistake as before, she grabbed her books and walked away first.

Something she had been wanting to do since forever.

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"So how was it?" Chae asked, bringing her lunch tray to the table Sara and Hyeji were sitting at.

"Good I guess, I just didn't know there was a huge project," Hyeji shrugged honestly. She was kind of disappointed that she went to class but a small part of her was happy because she got to see Donghyuk again.

"Oh, that big assignment he gives everyone before the break!" Sara groaned as if she had done the project before.

"Our group had to do ours on some old math professor," Chae joined in, taking a bite of her cheese sandwich.

Hyeji poked at her lunch with the plastic fork. For same reason rice and yogurt wasn't looking so hot right now. At least not as hot as Donghyuk.

"I failed!" Sara laughed, slapping Hyeji lightly on the arm.

"Who do you have as a partner?" She asked, chewing on an apple.

Hyeji picked at her lip not knowing whether to lie or not. If she had honestly said Donghyuk, they would ask about him and how he is and if she was happy with the choice. If she lied, they might eventually figure out and she would be questioned for that. Of course she was happy with him as her partner, she just didn't want to seem like she was. What if he had a girlfriend? A wife perhaps? She never knew.

"Some guy I don't know named Donghyuk," She breathed, casually forking up some rice and putting it in .

She looked up and almost choked when she saw the look on the girls faces. Their jaws were nearly touching the floor and their eyes bulging out of their sockets. She swore there was a bead of sweat on Chae's forehead.

"What?" She laughed, eating another forkful of rice.

"Why do you look like you don't care?" Sara almost screamed and Chae had to slap shut with the palm of her hand.

Hyeji was confused, wasn't it normal having him as a partner?

"Because I don't care, it's not a big deal I guess," she tried to keep a straight face.

"Donghyuk is like the cutest guy in the school!" Chae whispered, her fingers dancing on the table.

Hyeji let out a small 'oh'. Something in her shattered for a second. She should have known everyone loved him. She should have known better than to think she had a chance. Who was she kidding? Everyone loved the kid and she was a nobody to him, probably less. She had no chance and her mood began to plummet. That was probably he didn't take notice in her earlier, he probably thought she was another helpess female wanting to date him just like half of the school.

"He is totally smart too, he won president three years in a row and this is his last voting!" Sara added, her smile getting wider if it was possible.

That didn't make any sense, the girl in the morning that was showing her around the school had said she was president. Hyeji furrowed her brow,

"He is?" She asked, sticking her fork in the bowl of rice again.

Sara took another bite of her apple and nodded firmly, "Yup, not only that! He's always the top scorer on exams and stuff, it's so hot."

Hyeji tightened her lips, her expression turning sour. Something in her wanted to yell at these girls and tell them to stop calling him hot and cute. It made her awfully upset.

"You're so lucky, I'm so sure he'll fall for you. You're cute," Chae nudged her side, giving her a small wink.

She tried her hardest to smile. She told herself to smile wide and show them she was okay. But it wasn't working as well as she had planned.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Sara extended an arm out and placed it on her shoulder.

Hyeji felt hot tears sting in the back of her eyes. She stood up and waved the girls off before walking through the door and straight to the bathroom.

It wasn't that she liked him so much she was hurting, it wasn't that she was jealous or envious. She just realized that she was worthless and at the end of any discussion, she would never be worth anything to anyone. Ever.

A small vibration in her left pocket made her emotions pause for a second and she reached down, grabbing her phone.

Jinhwan [2:17 PM]

How is your first day going? :)

The innocent text from her brother made her want to cry even more. It made her want to roll up in a ball under blankets beside him and cry into his shoulder. It made her want to sock him in the face because it was all his fault.

Stupid dreams of becoming a singer

You [2:18 PM]

I hate it almost as much as I hate you

Stupid Jinhwan