Maru shouldered her backpack and strode silently in the middle of the road. The sun was white-hot today; a severe heat haze that rose up from the bitumen and made her look like a mirage but she didn't mind. So long as the fresh wind blew up on her hair, on her high cheek bones, she didn't mind basking in the warmth of the sun.

She seemed so skinny and small, standing on her skateboard in her uniform and her trusty running shoes. Her hair was delicate and flyaway, as if the black strands were trying to reach out to the sun the way plants do to stay alive.

A quick check from her phone told her that she got a new message from her best friend, telling her to quickly come over to their usual hang-out spot. She turned to the corner and headed towards the open space. When she got about three-quarters of the way down the block, that's when she heared the sound of footsteps.

Maru slowed down. Tried to breathe shallowly so she could hear better.

Had those Sunglasses Guys come after me again? The footsteps continued, and she heaved a deep sigh to let them know she was beyond annoyed and downright tired, and looked over her shoulder only to see she was, indeed, correct. 

One guy hid behind a lamp post while the other pretended he's someone casually taking a walk around the neighborhood while whistling. Maru grunted inwardly at how pathetic they look and eased her way towards the sidewalk when she saw a couple of other people coming out of their houses. A smile slowly crept up her face. Clearly the situation was under her control. 

Once again she scooted away— at first nice and slow so it doesn't look like she was running away. As soon as the gap between her and her pursuers lengthened she began to kick off her board for a dash, her heart hammering in her ears.

She heared them scramble off in a complete panic from a distance, so she sent another quick glance over her shoulder and found out they're still hot on her tail.

"Aish, they really don't know when to stop!" Maru cursed out loud as the two busty men in black hurriedly chased after her, she mustered all her strength to kick off her skateboard again hoping it could send her flying  as fast as she could and zigged zagged through the cobbled streets that criss-cross their town.

She has been living here for almost sixteen years and all the years of playing grab and run, hide and seek, rushing in between the houses, exploring and generally getting into trouble means that she could still find her way from one side of the village to the other even with her eyes close.

Relief rolled off her shoulders in waves, along with a strange, unfamiliar sense of triumph the moment she looked over her shoulder to see that they're gone.

Her phone beeped with yet another text indicating she was late for the said meeting and headed straight towards Sugar Cafe— the only decent restaurant in their town — not even bothering to check her phone.  

She placed her skateboard on the cafe's little baggage area as soon as she entered Sugar and some annoying oldies music blared from a jukebox across the room. Her Grandma loved Sugar. It's got black-and-white floor tiles, white tabletops, and pink leather booths. She thought it was adorable. Maru just liked the bubbleteas.

Yebin, her best friend, had already grabbed a corner booth, and she waved at her frantically. Maru was still out of breath when she came over her best friend's table and immediately sat across the latter placing her backpack beside her.

"Do you know what time it is? You made me wait for too long I had to order my milkshake twice! You have to pay me for that." Yebin threw her straw at Maru who was taking off her uniform's coat and she stuck out her tongue in response. 

Yebin and Maru have been friends ever since kindergarten wherein Maru lost Yebin's eraser three seconds after she'd borrow it. They're the complete opposite to each other. Yebin was known to be the school's pride for always being first in her class, Student Council President and a teacher's favorite while on the other hand Maru's... well, she was the trouble maker and pretty much mediocore at everything when it came to studying. She wasn't a delinquent of some sort but she was almost at detention everyday because she either 1. talked back to a teacher who, who knows what he/she said that made her talk back or 2. punched a guy square in the face. Teachers and students alike would avoid her in any possible way because of her intimidating stare and bored expression on her face. If there was anything she's good at, that would be Physical Education. But that was the only thing she can basically brag. It's a shame, really. 

"Geez, fine, I'm sorry I'm late, blame it on those old thugs."

"What? It's been three days and they're still following you?" Yebin sent her a glance. "Yah! Are you sure you don't want to tell me what they're up to? I'm getting worried." 

"It's nothing to worry about." Maru wiped the sweat from her forehead and forced a big pathetic grin to assure her friend despite the uncertainties clogging her thoughts. 

"You don't sound convincing though." Yebin's eyebrows skyrocketted.. "You said your father sent them." 

"He did." Maru sighed. Here we go again, she knew Yebin won't stop until she spills out something from her and Yebin knew how stubborn Maru could get but she was too worried her best friend might end up doing something stupid again and this time, it was not gonna be detention but something more troubling.

Yebin then grabbed a hold of Maru's hand and tried to look her in the eye. "I'm just concerned about you and your father's relationship, shouldn't you be forgiving him? I think he'd been sorry enough for the sins  he'd  done in the past, maybe it's time to give him a chance." she said slowly.

But that's not it. Maru thought. Yebin was right, maybe it's time to give his father the answer that he wanted, but did she want them? Maru, herself, didn't know.

She shifted slightly on her seat, feeling uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gaze of her best friend. 

Maru mulled it over for a second whether she should tell her the whole truth about her and her father but then she jutted out her lips, as an act of contrite, Yebin figured she still won't tell her what's going on. 

Fed up by Maru's constant rejection she slapped a palm hard on her own forehead. 

"Aaaaayaah, I should've known," Yebin whined like a little kid, her light brown hair tied up into a ponytail bounced as she shook her body sideways, she was the kind of girl any boy would die for just a for a date— long straight brown hair in a perky ponytail, perfect body, fair skinned, classy looking smartass. 
 

Maru did envy her at some point when her first crush gave his chocolate to Yebin on a Valentine's Day instead of her but it was shortlived, Yebin knew how much Maru liked him so she flat out rejected his gift. Since then, Maru swore she would never ever have a crush on someone again, besides, what boy would like the good for nothing awkward and an odd girl like Maru? 

She never liked wearing skirts and dresses either. Nope, never in her whole life did she wear those types of clothing. Well, except her uniform skirt, okay. But girls around her age normally liked to go shopping and Yebin's no exception so whenever they do shop around she just tagged along with her, watching other girls shriek and coo as they held up outfits for their friends. 

Meanwhile, a smooth cotton of a snug-fitting black and white mickey mouse hoodie along with her dark skinny jeans would be pretty much the dressiest Maru's only ever been.

"I should've known this wouldn't work... So I prepared something you coulnd't ever resist." 

Maru swore she saw something spark in Yebin's eyes. Crap. I'm in trouble.

Yebin took out a pink envelop, to what seemed like Maru's hand written letter declaring her love for her senior, and waved it in the air like she just didn't care how Maru's world could come crashing down.  A shocked expression painted Maru face as Yebin wickedly laughed. This was the nightmare she dreaded the most, I should've burned that paper when I had the chance. "Maru cried in her thoughts, thinking of dumb ways to kill the she-devil.

"You wouldn't dare..." Maru warned, horrified. She wouldn't, right? She was her best friend for goodness sake! What kind of friends would do something as to embarrass their friend just to get what they want? That's just silly. Stupid. Cruel. Apparently, Yebin's one of them. 

"Try me." She clicked her tongue. And Maru angrily muttered inaudible curses before saying,

"Pft, that's just a stupid letter anyway, and he's not around. And that letter's written DECADES ago, it wouldn't matter. Now, hand it over you little she-devil!"

"Oh no, nu uh, I'm not giving it to you unless you tell me what's going on."

"HELL. NO." She leaned over the wide table in a pathetic attempt to grab the letter but failed miserably.

"Oh I see." 

 Yebin bopped her head with an evil smirk on her face.

"I actually have his number last time when he got elected as the new P.R.O, and you know, it's would be very nice to give him a quick call." 

Maru gasped as Yebin presses the call button on her mobile phone that Maru didn't even know she'd been holding and she didn't even have enough time to process what was going on when three rings after the said boy pick up on the other line.

She nearly had a heart attack. "Yebin, you sly little ." Maru murmurred under her breath and she leaned over the table again to grab either Yebin's phone or maybe the letter, well, either way she needed to stop this woman. Right. This. Instant.

"Uh, hello, Kwangsoo ssi, my friend actually have something to tell you, she said that she's too shy to tell you this in person but—" Yebin strugglesd to get away from Maru's wrath and jumped out of their booth away from her. 

"She wrote a letter for you, do you mind if I read it to you? You don't right? Haha, so okay—"

Maru followed and now they both stood around the edge of the table that separates the both of them, Maru crouched over some chair, alert as ever, she went around the table but Yebin's fast reflexes were no joke either, the circling went on and on like a merry-go-round, with Maru practically pleading Yebin to stop and Yebin laughing her off as she read her best friend's letter oh so enticingly over the phone. People looked over the two of them with weird looks. Some were disgusted and some were even amused. 

"STOOOOOOOOOOOP!" Maru whisper screamed, breathless.

"Please." She added, "I'll tell you okay."

Yebin smiled in victory and pressed the end button without hesistation. Yebin really knew how to push Maru's buttons, despite being entitled as someone who lacks in everything at school, she knew you're just someone who lets others take the lead and let other's get their way and Yebin wanted to know why you had to hold everything back just as much.

"I am so going to kill you when we get out of here." Maru icily declared but then they laugh like an idiot as they both recalled how childish they were. 

After calming down, Yebin yelled "Yah! You told me you were going to tell me, now, spill it out!"

"Fine, fine. Geez. Stop yelling. People are looking at us." Maru covered her face from the side as if wanting to hide from the people inside the cafe. Even though they've done enough damage already. Good thing they were regulars here at Sugar and Mrs. Jang favored them.

"My father sent them, okay." Maru started and settled back on her seat.

"I already knew that part." Yebin cut her off, casually sipping on her melted milkshake.

"Shut up, I'm not done yet." Maru rolled her eyes. "Those two guys who's been after me the whole week, well, they said they're recruiters."

"Recruiters?" Yebin repeated, like some idiotic parrot.

Maru gave a small nod at her best friend, "From Crux Academy."

Yebin choked on her drink and accidentally spits out some of her milkshake and saliva in the process.  Maru scrunched her nose in disgust and threw a napkin at her. 

"Gross, get a grip Yebin." 

As soon as the latter recovered,  "CRUX ACADEMY? YOU MEAN THAT PRIVATE INVITATION-ONLY SCHOOL, CRUX FREAKING ACADEMY? THAT ACADEMY? OH MY GOD! OH MY GOD. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE IN THE PAST TO DESERVE SUCH A BLESSING AND YOU'RE RUNNING AWAY FROM THIS GIFT FOR— FOR SO LONG? HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND? DO YOU EVEN HAVE ANY IDEA HOW IMPORTANT THAT SCHOOL IS? WHAT AN HONOR IT IS TO BE CHOSEN TO ATTEND? WHAT POSSIBLE REASON COULD YOU HAVE FOR NOT WANTING TO GO?" She beamed loudly, all in one breath.

You see, this was exactly the reason why Maru wouldn't tell Yebin. She knew bouts of endless black-mailing, forcing, persuading and more convincing was about to come as soon as she heared this news about Crux Academy, a ritzy private school on the outskirts of Jeju-do.

The school sat on a hill overlooking the town. An iron fence surrounded endless lawns, which were green even in the middle of summer, when the rest of the island's grass withered and died. Enormous front gates open only for the buses that brought Cruxes kids to and from school. People have to leave their cars in a special parking lot at the bottom of the hill and take buses up, even the teachers. Which Maru guessed was a security thing. Half the kids were probably royalty. They definitely didn't hang out in town. Maru's classmates at their school made fun at them the way people makes fun of a movie star, or the president. Famous people one would see from a distance, but never expected to meet.

"I'm not sure if I want... I mean, I was really looking forward to going to SOPA High with our friends there—"

Yebin crossed her arms over her chest. She knew that Yebin knew her excuses were a bunch of lies— except for the part about not being sure if she wants what her father wants. That was definitely true. But things were happening all too fast for Maru. SOPA High might not hold any promise of more friends, interesting classes, or good times, but at least she was sure what it would be like. She knew how to control it, how to blend in.

And Maru knew none of those things about Crux.

"Cut the crap, I'm your only friend here."

As depressing as it sounds, she was definitely correct, while staying unattached to someone else other than Yebin kept her from acting on behalf of someone else, isolation was her way of defending herself from people. Maru has trust issues. Ever since people she loved started leaving her she made sure she wouldn't fit into any of the school cliques and avoid developing potential enemies. She was not too smart, too pretty, too nerdy, or too preppy. She was just Song Maru, the girl who everyone recognized but no one really knew.

The trick to this was the Maru two-step, which she'd developed over the years and found to work in most social situations. Step one, act bored and impatient, like she were waiting for someone. This tended to keep people from approaching her, but also made her look reasonably cool. Step two, if they ever did approach, she would ask them questions that would make them re-think about themselves. People were often left speechless because of this and so she can find an excuse to slip away, and they will have a pleasant memory of talking to her, but no idea who she was. Step two was dangerous because sometimes Maru would forget she wasn’t supposed to be making friends, and ended up asking question that might lead in a real conversation. But she’d remember later, and the next time she saw the person, she’d start again with step one.

Yebin's face then softened, "Oh Maru,"  she said, coming over to give her a hug, “what’s this really about, anyway?”  

"Some scars just run deeper than those we can see." 

AUTHOR'S NOTES 
Whooopsies. It took so long for me to post up the first chapter, right? Anyway, this is still an experimental chapter. I might or might not re-do this whole chap again. The plot's still the same, just that I'm still figuring out the main OC's voice. That's the hardest part of writing, IMO. I'm still unsure about using third person point of view because I'm used to writing in a first person POV. So I'm sorry if this is kind of bad? Unconvincing? Boring? Still, hope there's gonna be a major improvement for me on the further chapters.

Don't hesistate to leave a comment or two after reading. Thank you. 

Love from the winter cat, 

Frost.