Chapter 03 : Understanding

"This?"

"Ummm, unnie.. I don't know that much about..."

"Aish, this girl. Your parents should let you out of the house more often." Her cousin sighs exasperatedly, Kim Ji Soo is her cousin on her mother's side, older than Ji Hyo by almost eight years, because Ji Soo attends a university overseas, they rarely get to see each other anymore. "We really do not get to hang out that often, I'm so busy with classes right now." Ji Soo adjusts the blue trenchcoat over her shoulders, before experimentally twirling as she eyes herself in the mirror. "What do you think, Ji Hyo-ah?"

"Everything suits you, eonnie." Ji Hyo can't help but shake her head, as she warily glances at the towering pile of dresses. "Although, eonnie, I don't really understand how this has anything to do with getting ready for school." At that comment, her cousin gazes at Ji Hyo incredulously, so Ji Hyo who is intimidated by few people, proceeds with caution. "Eonnie?" 

"Cheon Seong Im." Ji Hyo raises her head in response, preparing to raise her arms up in defense, Ji Soo-eonnie also practiced martial arts, even though she doesn't anymore, she is still strong. "The type of clothes you own are very formal, even your casual clothes." She glances over her own clothing, compares it to the way other people are dressed, and her cousin is right, both of them look very out of place, especially Ji Hyo. "You need to get clothes like this, what's your story to tell the other students by the way?" 

Thoughtfully, the crown princess remembers her discussion with her father, it would be better if she didn't pretend to be the daughter of a rich family or a noble, because Sunjong International School is filled to the brim with children of the most rich, affluent, and powerful families in Korea. Most students would probably recognize something out of place if she pretended to be someone else, luckily Ji Hyo herself, as does Joong Ki generally, keep out of the public eye. People will not recognize them by face. 

So instead, she will pretend to be an everyday girl, "Appa suggested, because most of the students come from nobility or rich families, that I should apply for a scholarship." 

"What subject?"

"I'm not sure?" Ji Hyo frowns, pursing her lips, "Eonnie. Do you think I could apply for an athletic scholarship?" 

"Your parents would probably want you to apply for a financial scholarship." Ji Soo gently says, an exasperated expression forms on her face. "If anyone found out that the Crown Princess was beating people up..."

Her face flushes instantly, she had been thinking of applying for a scholarship in hapkido. Ji Hyo is proficient enough to definitely make it into Sunjong International by that, but Ji Soo-eonnie is right. It might be considered inappropriate for her to do that. "I see, then probably a financial or educational scholarship." 

"If that's so, then you need to own more casual clothing. You can't always wear your school uniform, and what's the explanation for your mannerisms?" Ji Hyo frowns in confusion again, what is wrong with her manners? They aren't that bad, she's been raised properly, Ji Hyo can act every bit the graceful princess if she needs to be.

"My mannerisms?"

"You're so blank, no wonder Kwang Soo-ah calles you Mong Ji!" Mong Ji looks sheepish at that comment, "What's your family background? We need something believable, your manners are very formal for an average student, Ji Hyo-ah."

"I am Jae Suk-hyung's foster niece? It would work, because he's also a member of the royal guard, and the branch isn't too well known yet, so people wouldn't know?" 

Thoughtfully, Ji Soo pulls on a pair of grey sneakers, "That would work, although you should probably address him as Jae Suk-samchon from now on to practice, so you don't mess up when someone asks you." It sounds reasonable, so Ji Hyo nods in acknowledgement, it's too late to run now. While the princess was distracted, Ji Soo had locked the door of the dressing room. "Now for you to try on clothes."

"....Eonnie...." 

"You sound like I'm threatening to kill you, it's just clothes."

"I don't like trying on clothes..." 

"It's a normal everyday thing, get over here, Ji Hyo-ah." She winces, as Ji Soo drags her, giving her no room for protest, as the older girl forces her to sit down, and s the grey dress. "What about this?" While Ji Hyo is used to wearing fancy or elegant clothing, it's more out of obligation than anything else. It is not like it would be normal or socially acceptable for her to wear something as simple as a tee shirt and denim jeans. When she does leave the palace, Ji Hyo still has to wear semi-formal clothing. The dress that Ji Soo flashes is a soft yellow, like sunshine, with vintage floral patterns scattering the skirt and bodice.

This is Ji Hyo's chance to wear things that she could never wear before.

"Eonnie, that's a little too girly for me.." Her cousin shakes her head, Ji Hyo suggests politely. "Can we look somewhere else for clothes?" 

"Fine, you're being unusually picky. If the boys could see you right now--." The younger girl pales instantly, opening in protest, "I'm just teasing you, Ji Hyo-ah." The said girl sighs in relief. "So what do you want to try on then?"

"I'm a scholarship student, right?"

"That's what you said you were going to act to be?" Ji Soo lightly knocks her blank cousin on the head, but Ji Hyo narrowly avoids it, taking a step back to dodge the hit. "So what?"

"Can I just buy jeans, cotton shirts, and sweaters?" Her cousin stares incredulously at her, "That'd be best right. I'm right. Most of the students won't suspect me, if I dress like that."

"Of course," Ji Soo grins, hugging Ji Hyo to her, "I'm happy that you haven't changed really. Just stop being so formal around me, Miss Crown Princess. This is where your personality works for you, eemo and eemobu didn't teach you to address everyone in a casual way, just address your peers as [blank]-ssi, or [blank] [blank]-ssi. Ji Hyo?"

"Ji Soo-eonnie... You're ch-choking me." 

"Ah, sorry!" She lets Ji Hyo go, her expression is more serious than the younger girl is used to, to Ji Hyo, Ji Soo has always been like an older sister of sorts, they are very close. "But you do understand, since you are the princess, and are close to most of the royal personel, they don't really care that you address them familially. Especially since you ask, but take more care when you're at Sunjong International." That is why Ji Hyo doesn't ever take offense when it is Ji Soo, the older girl is only concerned, but Ji Hyo is not helpless, she is just a little worried about how some mundane things might be difficult. 

"I understand,  so ummm, does this look alright?" She tugs on the hem of the wooly sweater, it is alternately striped with white and navy blue, a little loose-fitting, but Ji Hyo likes it. It is diffferent, feels more comfortable than the tight-fitting clothes she usually dresses in, might be even more comfortable than the uniform she uses to practice hapkido, her dobok. Ji Soo gently uncrosses her hand, gesturing for Ji Hyo to mirror her actions. Ji Soo puts her weight on one leg, slackens her posture, so that her back isn't straight.

"The way you stand is too..."

"This is better. Right?" 

"Yes. Kay, even though I was skeptical at first... This seems alright. Let's go. We don't have enough time, we already bought your supplies, we can buy the rest of your clothes tomorrow. I'll wait for you to get dressed." With that Ji Soo leaves her behind, to tug off the sweater, and pull her stockings and grey dress back on over her head. Quickly giving herself the once over in the mirror, Ji Hyo puts on her darkly tinted shades and pats down her staticky hair.

She slams the door open while she hurried to put on her shoes, but both of them aren't paying attention. She hurtles someone to the ground, her first reaction is to cover her eyes with her hand, so that the person can't really make out her face. They, he groans, and she peeks through the hole of her fingers, Ji Hyo quickly stands up and bows low. "I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going.." 

From the crack between her fingers, she can make out that the person she knocked to the ground is a male who is probably around her age, her eyes lock in on the fact that he is wearing a Sunjong uniform, she can make out the emblem on his jacket, a five-petaled hibiscus outlined in gold, at the center are two dragons (red and blue) swirled towards the center. He is good-looking, Ji Hyo thinks, would be if he wasn't frowning, lips twisted into a grimace. She really ran into him hard. 

He blinks dazedly, his dark brown hair falls in the way of his warm eyes, belatedly she regrets running into him, she really hopes they aren't in the same class, this is such an awkward first meeting. "It's fine, it was an accident." 

"I'm really sorry, I'm Cheon Seong-Im." Hesitantly she looks up at him, she already has picked up her sunglasses and put them over her eyes, "I'll be attending Sunjong International next month as well." 

The boy his head curiously, he blinks owlishly. "Oh. I'm L." His words are succint, to the point, and she wonders why L, but doesn't press further. Cheon Seong-Im isn't her real name. He politely bends down to help Ji Hyo pick up the things she dropped when she had ran into him, helping her father them into a somewhat disorganized pile. "See you then, Seong-Im-ssi." 

"See you then, L-ssi." His lips twitch with amusement, but then his expression is formal again, and the tall boy nods politely, before he waves and leaves. Song Ji Hyo just boils in her embarrassment, it might have been better if he was rude, because then she could have been forward without regretting it as much. 

The Crown Princess striaghtens her back and sighs heavily, "Not my day." 

~⋅*⋅~

Author's Note:

Kim Ji Soo is going to be Ji Hyo's older cousin on her mother's side, hence why they don't have the same surname. Ji Hyo addresses her as eonnie because the two are very close and Ji Soo addresses Ji Hyo's parents as eemo (maternal aunt) and eemobu (maternal aunt's husband). Ji Hyo is more soft-mannered around Ji Soo, because their relationship is like that of an older sister and her younger sister, Ji Soo helped Ji Hyo to adapt to royal life, along with her mother. Ji Hyo is typically more out-spoken and you'll see that more later on. ^ - ^