“What?” Yuna’s question had barely been a whisper, but Seolhyun, seeing her friends eyes filled with shock, had no need to hear the other girl to know what she had asked.

“Shin Hyejeong is my date for this year’s prom.” Seolhyun maintained a steady tone, as to not further startle her already alarmed friend. “Listen Yuna, there’s a reason I’m doing this, you just need to hear me out.”

“Hear you out?” Yuna’s voice started to become louder and gained a higher pitch, “Hear out exactly what? How you suddenly decided that you dislike living and want to embrace Satan himself? How you accepted Shin Hyejeong’s invitation to prom? What exactly do you want me to hear!?”

“Well-” Seolhyun knew that telling Yuna her plan was a risky move. Yuna was already worked up, and there was no way to know how her stern friend would react to her plan. “She didn’t exactly ask me out.”

“What does that even mean!?”

Yuna’s flabbergasted expression quickly changed to a horrified one. “You were the one that asked her out! Oh my god. I know you’re not the angel the school paints you out to be, but asking Hyejeong out? I never pegged you as a masochi-”

“What? No, I didn’t ask her out.” Yuna’s abrupt accusation were enough to take Seolhyun out of her, resigned to her friends nagging, mind. “And I’m not a masochist.”

“Well,” Her friend quirked an eyebrow, “There was that one time when Jimin-unnie brought that belt–” 

“Okay, first of all the belt incident was ages ago, and you know as well as I that it was Jimin’s fault. Second of all, that is so not the point.” Yuna rolled her eyes. “And third of all there’s a reason why Hyejeong is my date. I have a plan. A plan you would know all about, if you’d let me explain for just a second.”

Yuna’s face became stoic. “Okay then. Explain.”

***

Mina, like most students, disliked Mondays. Getting up at such ungodly hours was no way of living. But this Monday was different, this day Mina was ecstatic about school. How couldn’t she be? She had finally convinced, after much nagging and begging, the administration to let her change her schedule to one that matched with that of her best friend’s.

Mina walked happily into school premises that Monday.

A tap on her shoulder caused Mina to turn in her heels, smiling as she is greeted by the bright smile, and blonde hair of the school’s president, Choa.

“Wow Mina, what’s up with that creepy smile? Did you finally get that cute sophomore’s number?” Choa asked, her already bright smile growing wider as Mina shoots her a sad pout.

“No. I don’t think she even knows I exist.”

Noticing Mina’s eyes getting damp with tears, Choa began to panic.

“H-hey, Mina, don’t cry.” Choa heard the other girl give a faint sniffle. “Choa-unnie, what if she doesn’t even know I exist?”

Being seen with a crying Mina in the middle of the hallway, was a life-threatening situation.

If Hyejeong walks down that hall this instant, she’ll think I made Mina cry. Oh my god, she’ll kill me. Choa anxiously bit her lip. I have a lollipop in my backpack.

Hastily, Choa searched the contents of her bag, until she found the candy.

“Hey Mina, do you want a lollipop?” Mina’s sniffles stopped, as she extended her hand to receive the candy.

Choa watch with amusement, as the girl’s expression quickly changed to a happy one after she began to le on the candy.

After a while, when Mina’s eyes were once again filled with joy, Choa decided to continue their conversation.

“So what were you so happy about? You know, before you started crying.” Choa ruffled Mina’s hair.

Mina’s smile grew tenfold. “Hyejeong and I have a lot of the same classes now. Isn’t that great?”

Mina saw Choa’s always pleasant smile, falter. “Yeah, that’s fantastic Mina.”

Mina may be a crybaby, but she wasn’t dumb. She had noticed how many other people had the same (or even worse) reaction like the one Choa had just had. Her brows furrowed in confusion.

“Choa-unnie, why does everyone seem afraid of Hyejeong?”

This had been an ongoing question, with Mina asking her peers why they were frightened by the tall girl.

Looking at Mina, Choa winced internally. How could she be the one to tell the small girl about what had happened during their middle school years? Choa did admit that a lot of the version of people who had not witnessed it, and just heard of it were a little exaggerated; but what had happened had frightened and scarred a lot of people.

“Look, Mina, I–” the loud shrill of the bell interrupted Choa mid-sentence. The gloomy atmosphere that had grown between them instantly disappeared as Choa remembered the reason why she had been talking to Mina.

“Thank goodness it’s just the warning bell. Listen Mina, I just wanted to give you a little heads-up.”

Choa’s excitement was contagious, and soon had Mina vibrating with it too.

“About what?”

“Okay, but keep this between us for a little while?”

Mina gave to excited nods. “Yeah, yeah. Just tell me already.”

“So today, at the end of the first period, I’ll be giving the biggest announcement of the year. I’ll be announcing this year’s prom!” Choa began to jump in delight, and her squeals made the students rushing to get to their classes stop for a while before they resumed their trek to their classrooms.

“That’s so cool, unnie! They’re gonna let you use the intercom again. I thought you had been completely banned from using it because of your tendency to overshare. Oh, I’m so happy for you!”

“You completely missed the point, dummy.” Choa booped Mina’s nose. “Now you have a head start of about… thirty minutes over anyone who would also like to invite that cute sophomore you have a crush on.” Choa’s face turned pensive. “Though now that I think of it, that is a really small amount of time you have over others.”

Mina became startled when the final bell rang. “Oh no, I’m late for math with Mr. Kim.” She turned to look at Choa, “it was a pleasure knowing you unnie. Please remember all of the good times we had.” Mina was about to run towards her class, when a calm Choa gently laid a hand on her shoulder.

“Here,” Choa slipped a note in her hand. “This is a note saying you were on an important meeting with your beloved student council president. You shouldn’t get into much trouble.”

Mina’s eyes began to brim with happy tears. “Thank you so much beautiful and talented Choa-unnie.”

“Aigoo, you crybaby. Go to your class before I have to report you myself.”

Choa gave her a final wink before she turned and began walking away.

***

“Glad that you could finally join us miss Kwon.”

Mina resisted her urge to wince as she walked directly towards her strict teacher. She gently laid the note on her professor’s desk, and waited for consent to take her seat.

Mr. Kim’s harsh eyes swept over the note. As he opened a drawer on his desk were he deposited the note, he waved a dismissive hand, which mina instantly took as a sign to scurry towards any available seat.

Mr. Kim’s dislike for Mina was no joke. His loathing towards the girl increased when he had found out that the girl had used her parent’s reputation and influence to change her schedule in the beginning of February. And even after changing her schedules, she still hadn’t had the decency to be early to class. Because of his professional nature, he would not let this get to him, and he continued his class as the proficient teacher he was.

Mina’s mind was filled with worries, making it impossible to pay any attention to the dull, monotone voice of Mr. Kim. Her mind was a little preoccupied and excited about the prospect of asking her crush out to prom, which would lead to an eternal and undying romance. But what was really bothering her, was the absence of her tall friend.

It wasn’t rare for the girl to be late to classes. Her friend had a part time job, which would leave her exhausted, meaning that the girl often overslept.

Her friend being a couple of minutes late for her first class was normal. What was not normal, was the fact that only five more minutes remained until the bell rang, with her friend nowhere to be seen.

She discreetly took out her phone and re-read the messages of the conversation she had had with Hyejeong that same morning.

Her eyes remained fixed in a particular message Hyejeong had send, where she had asked Mina if she could please pack an extra lunch, since the other girl hadn’t had time to do it.

“Good morning beautiful students of FNC academy!”

Choa’s voice jubilantly greeted everyone through the intercom.

“There’s quite a few announcements for today, but none of them matter. Want to know why?”

Whispers were heard throughout the classroom.

“Hey, isn’t that Choa-sunbaenim.”

“Wasn’t she like banned from using the intercom.”

“Aw, I wanted to hear Yonghwa’s voice giving the announcements.”

“Choa-sunbae is freaking hot.”

“Shh! Shut up, we’re trying to hear the announcements!”

“I’ll tell you why! The preparations for this year’s prom have started! You’re excited right?”

The student’s whispers were slowly turning into murmurs filled with excitement.

“You can officially start asking that special someone out to prom, and have a full month to do so. So guys, please no lighting the bathroom on fire in an impromptu way of asking someone out, okay? We don’t want to repeat last year’s accident!”

Choa finished with a small laugh, or so everyone thought.

“Hello my future date. Do you want to have fun together with me~? Me too. Hurry and come to ask me out, my future boyfriend. Hurry and come to take me into your strong arms! Make me yours like a wild fire would to an unsuspc–”

“Yah! Miss Park…”

Hearing the principal’s stern, loud, and angry voice followed by some fumbling through the intercom made every student wince.

What followed was a couple of awkward seconds that were broken by a boy’s loud voice. “This is my chance to ask Seolhyun out!”

The statement caused a chain reaction throughout all of the boys in the class. All of them claiming they’d be the ones who would get to go with the school’s most popular girl. This argument most undoubtedly had broken out in several different classrooms.

While Mina would have found amusement in the childish ways the boys were trying to prove how each of them were better, Mina’s mind was filled with worry about her beloved Dong Dong.

The bell rang, and students quickly grabbed their backpacks, some of them even running to find the most desired and gentle girl in school, Kim Seolhyun, for a chance to ask her out.

Mina was one of the people who speeded through the door, but for different reasons. Mina ran towards the school’s entrance, worried that Hyejeong had somehow ended up lying flat on her face after falling off her bicycle and fainting (which wouldn’t be a first).

As she was walking outside, she saw fumbling around the school’s flower covered bushes. Releasing a relieved breath, Mina slowly walked towards the bushes, one of Hyejeong’s many ‘resting’ areas. She saw the faint silhouette of the person kneeled amongst the bushes. Not waiting any longer, Mina threw herself on top of the figure, clinging unto them with a tight hug.

“Dong Dongie!” Mina’s delighted squeal and sudden action left the other person frozen in spot. Mina’s delight was short lived.

Wait a minute. Dong Dong’s shoulders aren’t this broad. Mina’s brows furrowed. Hyejeong always smells so nice, why does she smell like a sweaty teenage boy today. Her face nuzzled this now strange figures head, and her eyes finally snapped open. This short greasy hair isn’t Hyejeong’s. Dong Dongie’s hair is the softest most luscious hair to have ever graced this earth!

“Um, Mina-sunbaenim, why are you hugging me?” A male voice asked.

“Aaahhh!!” Startled, Mina shoved the boy as far as her strength allowed her to.

“What? What’s going on?” The boy’s eyes were now filled with confusion, and his face showed signs of fright.

“What the hell Kyuhyun! What are you doing here!?” Mina’s voice was filled with annoyance.

Kyuhyun’s stiff posture relaxed, “Well I could ask you the same thing, but since you asked first, I am picking some flowers to give to Seolhyun when she agrees to go to prom with me.” He finished off with a grin.

“Wow Kyuhyun, you sure know how to make a girl feel special.” Sarcasm was dripping from Mina’s tone, not that the boy noticed.

“I know. With my good looks, beautiful voice, and this flowers who could say no.”

Mina rolled her eyes at the boy’s arrogant tone. “Well, whatever Kyuhyun, I don’t really care right now. Have you seen Hyejeong?”

“No. And if that’s all you want, you can either help me gather the prettiest flowers around here, or you can leave.”

Mina’s eyes were wide with rage, and opened in indignation.

Did this sophomore really just talk to me like that?

Kyuhyun’s eyes widened in shock at what he’d just done. “I-I-I’m so sorry Mina-sunbaenim. Please forgive me. Please don’t tell Hyejeong!”

His pleas for mercy annoyed Mina, so she took that as her cue to leave.

Where the hell is Hyejeong?

I haven't proofread this chapter, so be prepeared for a lot of mistakes. 

I want to thank all the people who have upvoted, commented, and subscribed, all of those make me really happy. Also, I'm sorry if this chapter's boring, and that Hyejeong hasn't made a major appearance yet, but next chapter will be filled with her, and SeolJeong interactions... maybe.

Also, if some of you are still confused about their ages order, here you go:

Seniors: Choa, Jimin

Juniors: Hyejeong, Mina

Sophomores: Seolhyun, Yuna