Don’t you hate it when people look down on short people- metaphorically and literally- just because we seem ‘weak’ or ‘cute’ or whatever the ? Because same- I despise it with every fibre within this tiny body of mine. They use our heads as arm rests, compare us to elementary brats, and on days when they dare to get ballsy enough (AKA when they’re looking for a one-way ticket straight to the afterlife) they’d even pick us up as if we’re life-sized dolls. Who gave those tall- trees the permission to be so rude? It’s due to suffering from those scenarios far too many times that I, Son Chaeyoung, had decided to take matters into my own hands. As soon as I entered high school, I started a one-man revolution and fought against such ridiculous mistreatment by creating a tough persona. It was so tough, nobody dared to even get close to my personal bubble and I ended up earning myself a nickname called ‘The Tiger’. I actually really liked it because it’s extremely fitting; I made sure everyone knew I was a bloodthirsty predator and they were prey. Of course, I’m not evil enough to hunt people down for no reasons, but some were practically begging to get beaten up. Like that one senior who thought it would be funny to joke about my height in from of his mates. His balls got kicked within 3 seconds of opening his mouth. I think he had to go to the infirmary afterwards. I became the mafia boss of our school, a ruthless b*tch who made people sh*t themselves with a single glare. Even when I’m shorter than most students, no one could lay a single finger on me- or they’d die trying. My genius plan was deemed a great success, and I was left to enjoy the remainder of my high school life in peace… Until she showed up out of the blue and ruined everything. A threat I never knew could exist. A transfer student from Japan. A girl named Myoui Mina. This is my story. “Oi, move it.” I snap at this weirdo who’s doing nothing but standing in front of the classroom door, being a roadblock first thing in the morning. I just got to school and someone has already managed to piss me off. What a great start to my day, huh. However, after sparing a second to observe the weirdo a bit more, my irritation quickly turns into confusion instead. Because this person’s backside seems oddly unfamiliar, and that’s coming from a b*tch who can recognise most of the students here. I gotta know who’s dwelling in my domain, you know. Oh well, it’s not like I actually care or anything. Perhaps my brain’s just not functioning properly yet. I was still dead asleep in my bed 30 minutes ago, after-all. Once my feisty ‘greeting’ settles in her brain properly, the roadblock turns herself around… And somehow bamboozles me even more than before. First of all, I was right to be confused all along. She’s a new face, meaning I’ve never met her until today. Secondly, about that face of hers… I didn’t know high schoolers could look like… that. Her fair, flawless skin and silky hair make her look like a celebrity, plus her eyes are just so… mesmerising that I can’t… stop staring… … Wait what the . Are you seriously drooling over a freakin’ stranger right now, Son Chaeyoung?? You dare to unveil your softness and gayness at the same time?! Get your sh*t together immediately, you pabo-ah! Dishonour on your cow! I return to reality thanks to the stranger’s tiny squeak of an apology, snapping me out of my trance as she waddles away to let me through. I try my best to shoot her a death glare when I walk past her side, the failure most likely evident in my burning hot cheeks. At least I’m still intimidating in my classmates’ eyes, aight? They practically ran for their lives when they saw me enter the room. Most of them automatically clear out a pathway for me to walk in peace, but I still had to shove some people out of my sight. Those idiots were too busy staring at the entrance to do so themselves. Suit yourself if you want death for breakfast. After plopping myself down onto my designated seat, I immediately try to catch some extra Zs by burying my face down into my folded arms. Reading manga until 4 AM was a crucial mistake, and regretting that decision now is a bit too late. I’m so tired, I don’t even bother with moving a single muscle when my teacher’s loud- voice can be heard coming from the corridors. My other classmates are boring goody two-shoes, so they take that as a hint to return to their spots for our equally-boring homeroom. At least this means our classroom is finally quiet enough for me to return to dreamland. Au revoir, b*tches. “What are you doing here? Don’t be shy, come on in!” Unfortunately for my heavy eyelids, the annoying old geezer proceeds to stir me awake with a noisy entrance… Which triggers everyone in the room to gasp loudly for some reasons. How do they have enough energy for such dramatic reactions? It’s so freakin’ early still… … Ohhh, I get it now. Based on the chattering around me, they’re not gasping for him. They’re gasping for her. “Oh my God- is she the rumoured transfer student?” “Do you think she’s a model or something? How is she that pretty?!” “I have to know her skin routine, I mean- she’s literally glowing!” “Dude… I think I’m in love for real this time.” “Didn’t you just break up with your ex like, three days ago though?” Wow, she’s creating a ruckus simply by existing. I bet she can make some dudes their pants if she makes eye contact with them- which is something I do not want to witness, thank you very much. All this noise is getting pretty irritating though, and my patience level is critically low thanks to my lack of sleep. “Woah woah woah- calm down you guys.” I hear our teacher pathetically plead to a roomful of teens, banging his fist onto the blackboard as if that’ll cancel out the commotion. “I know you’re all super pumped up to have a new friend, but let’s at least give her a chance to introduce herself, okay?” To my surprise, the entire classroom becomes dead silent in a split second- which is pretty impressive, not going to lie. I can imagine how intensively everyone’s now staring at the chick, and I bet it must be hella uncomfortable to be in her shoes. Her problem and not mine, though. “Um…” her barely-audible voice squeaks once more, forcing everyone to hold in their breaths just to hear her properly. “My name is Myoui Mina and I’m from Japan. It’s a pleasure to meet you all and I hope we’ll get along well.” And that’s all it takes for another uproar to commence, with both boys and girls going apesh*t. I mean, not only is she a beauty but she’s also a foreigner. Class 2-B somehow struck gold, huh… … Goddamn it, you’re doing it again, Chaeyoung-ah! Why are you secretly simping for this Mina chick too?! Sure, she ticks off every box when it comes to your ideal type, but you can’t just drop your defence and taint your reputation! You’re supposed to be a cold-hearted b*tch! Resume your cold-hearted b*tchiness right this instant! Suddenly, interrupting me from my self-scolding, I hear my teacher calling out my name. This makes it the 3rd surprise I’ve received in the span of 10 minutes, Jesus Christ. You see, teachers who are smart tend to ignore me just like how I’d ignore them. The Tiger spares no mercy for anybody, even if they’re grown- adults. My homeroom teacher is no exception, and he knows how to protect his well-being… so what the does he want now? “C-Chaeyoung-yang, can I ask you to show her around the school when you have time? Pretty please?” Did… did this dude just ask me, the notorious devil student, to babysit the new kid? Has he lost his mind, or is he purposefully feeding the beast for entertainment purposes? Can’t he tell that every other person within this room is willing to sell a whole kidney just to be chosen? Seriously though, this ain’t a good idea. Even my classmates know this ain’t a good idea. In their case, they’re probably scared of me ripping the girl apart. In my case, I’m scared that she’ll rip my persona apart. I don’t know how it’s possible, but my insides feel all mushy and gross whenever I make eye contact with her. It becomes hard for me to concentrate on, well, anything at all really, and I don’t like where this is going. There’s no way am I going to let a complete stranger affect me, the baddest b*tch in town, this much. Not today, Satan. Okay, I have to get myself out of this situation before it’s too late. Should I pretend I’m deaf and lie back down? Perhaps I should tell him to go a- “Alright, fine.” … Did that just come out of my mouth? MY mouth? … I said that even though my brain was screaming ‘no’ the entire time? … DOES THAT MAKE ANY ING SENSE?! I really can’t blame my classmates for letting their gasps slip past their tongues. I’m honestly just as shocked as they are- and I’m the one who voluntarily agreed. Who’d expect for the infamous to accept such a request, huh? Certainly not me, the entire school, nor any sane person in the world. The usual Son Chaeyoung would never waste her time on other people… But I guess even that’s not the usual ‘me’, either. Goddamn it, my head’s starting to hurt thanks to this mess. This is all her ing fault. All of it. Wanting to procrastinate from my responsibilities and to escape from this bullsh*t of a reality a bit longer, I’ve decided to deal with Mina after school. It really doesn’t matter that I, her appointed babysitter, am not paying her any attention right now, since every other classmate of ours doesn’t waste a single second when it comes to kissing the pretty girl’s . Seriously, they come flocking to her table as soon as each period ends, completely surrounding her whilst trying their best to avoid my side. I mean, they’re clever for treating my area as a freakin’ landmine field, since God knows I won’t hesitate to push a b*tch away. Tigers bite and so do I. Unfortunately for my unlucky , having the new girl planted right next to my seat also means I have a front-seat view of all the commotion. I’m reminded once again how disgusting humans truly are, since the majority of the crowd are doing the absolute most to get her attention. It’s honestly sickening to see how fake people would act just for personal gain, whether if it’s to please someone or to use them. It’s fraudulent, cringeworthy, and downright re