“I don’t know why you guys are all saying you’re so jealous. It’s nothing really special or even that great having Jiyong around all the time.”

There was a unanimous. “What!?”

“Yah, you’re insane. If you don’t want him, I’ll have him!”

“Do you even know how popular he is with the girls? Kim Na Eun wants your head ever since she heard that he always makes sure to tuck a strand of hair behind your ear before he leaves. His smile when he does that is so cute!”

“Is she the girl that confessed to him last month?”

“What girl didn’t confess to him last month?”

But she took his rejection pretty hard. This guy doesn’t pay attention to just any girl but he has decided to pay attention to you.”

She considers all these things as their teacher walks into the class. They all bow to him as he starts the lesson. He checks over several piles of paper on his desk before letting out an annoyed sigh.“Class president!”

“Here!” Seul says standing immediately.

“Can you go ask Miss Chung if she’s got extra copies of the worksheet?”

“Yes sir.”

She made her way into the classroom, mentally preparing herself as she pushed open the door. She slowly made her way inside, feeling the stares of all the students on her as she made her way across the room to Miss Chung’s desk. The familiar catcalls rang out and she turned to glare at the group of boys she’s usually chasing out of the halls. They quieted instantly.

“Hey, Miss Chung. Mr. Lee wants to know if you’ve got extra copies of that worksheet.”

“Oh, of course!” she rummaged through the clutter on her desk before handing Seul a stack of papers and leaning in to whisper, “Don’t forget to come at lunch. I can’t wait to see what Jiyong has written this time.”

Seul’s cheeks reddened significantly at the thought but they were interrupted by the sound of scuffling in the back of the class. Both ladies turned to find Jiyong grabbing the collar of one of the boys.

“What was that?” Jiyong spat at him as his vice grip tightened.

“N-Nothing!” the boy managed to stutter out.

“I’m pretty sure it was something,” his voice was so menacing it even scared Seul and she was on the complete opposite side of the room, “Repeat it clearly so I can make sure.”

“Kwon Jiyong!” Miss Chung switched from her cheerful, childlike mode to a more serious one,“Exactly where do you think you are? Go out and calm down. You can come back when you’re ready to start behaving like you’re in school.”

He threw the boy back down in his seat in a heap before stuffing his hands in his pockets and leaving in a huff. Miss Chung looked at Seul and slightly motioned with her head that she should follow him. 
She found him sitting on the windowsill, staring out at the courtyard intently. She followed his gaze but saw nothing that would hold someone’s attention for longer than a moment.

After a long silence he runs a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. “Just why do you have to be so attractive all the time?”

She thought he was joking but the look on his face was dead serious. She gave her usual answer:

“Genetics,” she said with a shrug. “It is my gift. It is my curse.”

“It’s my curse, too,” he mumbled under his breath.

“You’re strange,” she said shaking her head.

He let out a long sigh. “I just… This world is full of pigs. I feel like there is nothing I can do. It’s as if I’m nobody. ”

She didn’t hear what Seungri had said to him the other day so she didn’t quite grasp the double meaning behind his words. He’d been in a foul mood ever since their last encounter and that kid had just set him off with his little comment, reminding him of Seungri and his disgusting smirk that night.

“Everyone feels that way,” she said comfortingly, “I feel like that all the time.”

He made a sound in the back of his throat, as if he didn’t believe her.

“I’m serious!” she said hitting him on the arm and taking a deep breath, “When I was 12 years old, my parents left. We had a lot of money issues and they promised they’d send for us but it’s been about 5 years now and not a word. When I was 14, without telling Seunghyun, I tried to find out what happened to them. Me and a few of my friends spent months looking through every phonebook, searching around on the internet and calling old friends. Finally I found them. They’re living somewhere in Busan and quite comfortably, too.
I got so mad when I found that out. They just abandoned us! Threw us away like we were trash! I felt like nothing after that. Seunghyun had to work so hard to pay off their debt and we are finally able to live properly. I work so hard in school not because I like it but because I want to pay him back. He gave up his youth to take care of me. And I want to become somebody. Someone who is so important that they can’t ignore me and I can say to them, ‘Look closely. This is that daughter you left thinking she was nobody. But I’m a somebody now. I did it.’”

He let her words sink in. “Even if you don’t become somebody to them, you’ll always be somebody to me.”

She smiled at his cheesy comment before hitting him on the back of the head. “Aish, was that supposed to mean something to me?”

He laughed, rubbing the spot where she’d hit him. “You’re really something else.”