It's the first day of school, and Haeri is utterly bored.

Turns out there isn't much to being a senior: other than the small perk of being able to leave campus for lunch (and it's not as if she would leave campus, anyways), life is still pretty much the same. Except...

"Haeri! Over here!"

Park Lina, Haeri's best friend of five years, waves wildly at Haeri, beckoning and pointing to the seat next to her that she has managed to save Haeri amongst the gigantic crowd that floods the lunchrooms daily at Seoul High. Haeri grins, troubling thoughts temporarily forgotten as she squeezes through the students and plops down next to Lina.

Lina beams at her. "So, senior year, huh? We're going to have so much fun!"

Haeri rolls her eyes, long accustomed to Lina's bubbly and positive attitude. "Yeah, right. Look at this." She points to her lunch tray, where the usual sort of food sits sadly: mystery meat that seems to have pebbles embedded in it, and the pretty much plastic macaroni that bounces if dropped on the ground.

Lina laughs at Haeri's disgruntled expression. "Same old, same old. Don't worry, I know exactly what you mean. Think of it this way, though. We can go off campus if the food gets really bad." She pauses and rolls her eyes. "Don't give me that look, Haeri. We're going to get off campus at least once this year, whether you're willing or not, and I'll see to that myself. You'll have plenty of other days to study."

"No, I won't," Haeri groans, pulling a face. "I signed up for five college level courses this term."

"Haeri, why in the world-"

"I know, I'm stupid," Haeri sighs. "It's our senior year, too. Okay, can we move off this topic? I can already feel the homework piling up."

Lina shakes her head at Haeri. "Well, I know how important grades are to you. And it's going to be a tough year for all of us, since we have the college examination waiting for us. That's going to be absolute hell. I just hope you make it through this year, honestly. Although if there's anybody that could cope with a schedule like that, it would be you."

"Thanks, Lina," Haeri chuckles. "And it's not like I'm competing to be valedictorian or anything. Remember how last year, the competition and badmouthing got so bad that they just took out the position and had the speech and debate president just give the speech instead? Jeez. Imagine wanting something that badly. I just want to keep my grades decent."

"Yeah, jeez," Lina replies, twirling her hair between her fingers. "I don't think it's really worth it. Lots of people start out at small colleges and become successful later. It's definitely possible. Not everyone has to go to Seoul National University, or Yonsei."

Haeri nods, and is just opening to ask Lina for her class schedule when the cafeteria doors open with a bang. The room becomes silent, and almost all at once, everyone turns to watch as a small posse of boys makes their way in. The boy in the lead wears an expression on his haughty face that can cool even the warmest smile, and the rest are no better, with varying looks of distaste and arrogance printed on their perfect features. A path clears right away through the crowd, which has suddenly thinned considerably. An excited murmur rises from the girls scattered around the room, and Haeri and Lina look at each other. This is routine: it happens at the beginning of every year.

"Not again," Lina mutters, and Haeri can't help but agree. The boy in the lead is Oh Sehun, and he and his little group of followers have gained quite a reputation through the years as the top of the school's social standing. This is just their annual show of power, reminding everybody else that they are not to be messed with. Lina and Haeri have never associated with them, but from what they've heard, Oh Sehun wouldn't make much of a friend anyways. But for Haeri, it's different this year: instead of the usual indifference and slight disgust she feels, her stomach is tense with dread and anxiety. She's reminded of just exactly what she was thinking of before Lina called her name, and it doesn't exactly give her good, happy feelings. She shrinks away, trying to make herself smaller, and prays that Sehun will not look in her direction.

"Haeri?" Lina asks, lowering her voice. "Are you okay? Do you need to go to the nurse? What's wrong?"

"Tell you later," Haeri mumbles. "Hey, I gotta go. See you later, okay?" She scrambles away quickly before Lina can ask her any more questions and half walks, half sprints to the girls' bathroom on the second floor, where she promptly locks herself in a stall and throws up.