Life is unfair! There I say it. I mean, how can you have two ridiculously tall best friends when you’re a midget? I practically grow up with Jooheon and Hana, we’ve known each other since forever, what they eat I eat it too, we even had the same brand formula, but they grow up as poles while I stuck in my 5ft body. It’s just unfair!

And here I am, stuck in front of intimidating seniors with nowhere to go, and I blame universe and my best friends’ long legs for this. Hold on, before I tell you what’s going on with me, I’m gonna rewind to six months ago, where it all begin.

My name is Hwang Yerin, up until 9^th grade I live normally, with two idiotic best friends, supportive parents, a cute dog and nice classmates. But, six months ago, my greatest fear came to hunt me down, bullying.

I was just chilling with best friend number one, Choi Hana, eating choco pie like our lives depend on it. That’s when one of our classmates, Han Jieun, who too much into gossip, gasped at something Jooheon said.

“Is it true?” She asked from across the room.

I and Hana looked at each other before looking at Jooheon who was equally confused like us.

“What?” Hana retorted back.

“That you guys got an early acceptance to Seungri high?”

We both nodded. Then, Jieun and her friend Eunji, who also too much into gossip, ran to us and sat in front of us. I and Hana were startled until Jieun shrieked “are you insane?”

“What’s so surprise about that?” Jooheon asked while sitting beside Hana.

“You can’t go to Seungri if you want to have a peaceful high school life,” Jieun said with an exaggerating sigh.

“Why is that?” I asked. I seriously curious over that, for what I know, Seungri High was one of the most prestigious schools in Seoul and they just accept best of the best. My best friends and I worked so hard to get into that school and we’re so proud that we got early acceptance, that was like winning a lottery.

“Listen,” Jieun began with an unnecessary whisper, and I didn’t know why we’re stupid enough to lean closer. “Seungri is known for bad case bullying, their seniors are ruthless. I even heard that they would gather the freshmen in a room and bullied them, one of freshmen even fainted due to intense bullying.”

I looked at my friends, little scared.  All my life, I always scared about being bullied. I was awkward around stranger, that’s why I only had two friends. My tiny body was no help at all; people would easily screw with me. I was lucky that Jooheon and Hana were always there to protect me, but dealing with High school seniors was unquestionable here, you couldn’t be rude at your elder, you just couldn’t. Despite you’re right or wrong, senior was senior, they always right no matter what, I thought even fearless Hana and Jooheon knew that all too well.

“It can’t be that bad,” Jooheon shrugged.

 “Yeah,” Hana chimed in, “I believe that senior will be too busy to prepare for college entrance than to take notice on us.”

“Well, Choi Hana, tell that to Miss Han Yeseul who got depress after spending freshman year there.”

Hana snorted, “It happened like ten years ago and that chick clearly only looking for attention.”

Well, here the case of Han Yeseul, she was the student of Seungri high, one day, she made a blog post about how she was bullied by her seniors in Seungri high. The blog post went viral after she claimed that she got depress dealing with all bullying. There was no proof about the bullying that’s why some people accused her for lying. After that, there was no other news about the girl, some said that she’s transferred to another school, some other said that she was sent to an asylum. Poor girl.  

“Oh, honey that’s where you’re wrong,” Eunji told Hana with sympathetic smile. “My sister went to Seungri and it’s all right. They even divided their cafeteria into three section, senior, junior, and freshmen. The senior got the largest space and poor freshmen got the smallest. My sister told me, if you’re late for lunch, you will have to eat outsides or even on the floor, because even there are free tables but if it belongs to senior section, you can’t sit there.”

I looked at my best friend in horror. I was famous for being slow and clumsy, and we always late for lunch and I was so not ready to spend my entire high school life to eat on the floor.

“I suggest you to find another school,” Jieun concluded with a matter of fact tone.

“We already paid for the tuition,” I murmured silently. Which was ridiculously expensive, and if you withdraw from the school, they cut your money by 10% before they give it back to you.

Eunji and Jieun shared a look before shrugging. “So I guess good luck then.”

“There are only four of students here that admitted to that school, and I don’t think any other students would want to go there,” Eunji told us again.

“Four?” Jooheon frowned.

“Yeah, you three, and Im Changkyun.”

Hana snorted. “If what you guys said were right, then the dude got some balls.”

“Well, his cousin is the president of student council there, so I guess he’s gonna be fine.”

“Damn,” Jooheon cussed.

“Should we start befriend him?” Hana wondered.

“Hana, you rejected the dude in the cafeteria full of students in 8th grade, he pretty much hate you now,” Jooheon pointed out.

“And I rejected him to be my lab project because you asked,” I added.

“Damn,” Hana the one who cussed.

“Well, guys, this is it, good luck there,” Jieun told us before going out of class with Eunji.

That’s how I entered high school a week ago, with fear. Hana and Jooheon constantly told me that everything’s going to be fine, that nobody wanted to mess with us. Easy for them to say, well Jooheon was six feet tall with muscles, he’s not the centre of our basket ball team for nothing, the dude seriously got the game, I bet nobody wanted to mess with him really. And Hana, she’s the goddess with long legs, seniors would trail on her tail instead of bully her, while me? Well, I was not that lucky, I’d be a dead meat before the first day even finish.

However, turned out, the first day wasn’t that bad, they just gathered us in the school hall, listening to some speech about peace and acceptance from the principal and the student council president. The president, who I guess was Changkyun’s cousin, was a tall calm man with a nice shooting voice. He told us that they’re happy to accept us and hoped that we’d get along well with seniors. Well, that was they always say, before they beat us to pulp. At least, that’s what I saw in the cheap teenage movie.

Son Hyunwu, the president, also told us to not afraid to ask the seniors or student council if we have difficulty in adjusting with the new environment. That’s when I notice, a tall, lean, handsome senior who stood behind the president with the rest of student council members. He looked at us with a smile on his face, like a proud dad would look at his children. The senior had a tick pair of lips and wide eyes that made him looked like a man from comic books. But his smile, his smile looked like it could drown you, a smile that soft and kind, like to assure you that if he’s around, you are going to be just fine. That’s when I was sure, that going to Seungri high school was probably not a bad decision after all.

The first week turned out not so bad either, we didn’t have a chance to meet the senior that much, except for lunch. But on contrary to what Eunji said, there are no senior-junior sections, we could sit in whatever table we want in cafeteria, and senior not so bad either. Some would smile at you and some would just ignore you like you didn’t matter, which was good.

However, us freshmen would still be afraid. There was still a rumor spreading around that said the senior would bully you if you’re careless. So walking at school felt like walking on the egg shell, one crack, you screwed. We kept our voice low, head low, and pride low, didn’t want to unnecessarily offend the seniors in anyway. We also avoided bumping into senior in the hallway. I didn’t know what the senior would think of us, but I thought that we pretty much invisible for them.

Back to the present day. I was walking to the cafeteria with the two idiots when Jooheon whispered, “walk faster, we have to make turn in the corner before we bump into them.” That’s when I noticed that some of male seniors were talking and joking while walking towards our way.

Again, easy for my friends with long legs to say ‘walk faster’ they’re blessed with the ability to walk two steps ahead from me. And when they walked faster with those long legs, I was left behind. And they didn’t even look at me, some friends they are.

So, here I am, stuck exactly in front of the seniors, with nowhere to go. And they don’t even notice me, thanks to their constant bickering and my small body that don’t even reach their eye level. I want to quietly walk pass them but one of the guy shove his friend to my way and his tall body instantly block my only way out. Nice!

I have two options here, waiting helplessly for the tall body that three second away from bumping into me, or cry. That’s when a nice angel voice comes from heaven saves me from my endless misery. “Minhyuk,” and the almost-bumping-body halts on his step, “you block her way.” A particular tick lips, wide eyes, tall and lean body, points at me. Oh my God, this is so not happening.

“Oh,” the Minhyuk guy gasps, “Sorry.”

And here I am dealing with my mental breakdown around strangers. I blush and don’t know what to say, even if I want to say something, I’m sure that my voice won’t allow it, because my voice always, once again, always choose to disappear on times like this.

“So cute,” the guy who shoved Minhyuk earlier, cooes. “She’s blushing. Are you a freshman?”

I just nod dumbly.

“What’s your name?” Minhyuk guy asks me.

Silence, because I can’t answer, my voice is gone, remember?

“I’m Minhyuk oppa, and I am the most handsome senior around here, you will agree after a month studying here,” he confidently brags.

I glance at the tick lips senior, because with all due respect, Mr. Minhyuk, I think that my lips prince is the most handsome senior around here.

“Awwww, she thinks Hyungwon is the most handsome senior,” the shoving guy declares. And the tick lips chuckles. Is that his name? Hyungwon? God bless, even his name is perfect. Hold on a sec, did the shoving guy just read my mind? I can’t live with this! Cue for a massive blush.

“Aww, look, she’s blushing again.”

Damn!

“What is your name?” another guy kindly asks. But I again can’t answer that, I just duck my head low, because I want to cry from the embarrassment, but I can’t possibly cry in front of these four attractive seniors. Not to mention, one of them is my ultimate crush. Damn it!

“You’re so cute,” Minhyuk guy tells me as he ducks his head as well to look at my face, “and so tiny, like a keychain.”

Wait, what? Say that again.

“Keycahin? That’s cute. Say, she’s so cute, Hyungwon-ah, isn’t she your type? She’s cute and tiny, look she doesn’t even reach your shoulder,” the shoving guy asks the tick lips.

Oh my god, what the hell did he just say?! I seriously can’t live with this, this is the most embarrassing thing that can be occurred to you when you breathe the same air for the first time with your crush.

.

“Guys, it’s enough, I believe her friends are waiting for her,” my prince kindly tells his friends while pointing at my friends who worriedly waiting for me at the corner.

“Aww, we still want to talk with keychain though,” The shoving guy pouts.”Well, keychain just remember, the stiff oppa over here, is Hyungwon, okay?”

I just bow deeply and leave when I see Minhyuk move a little to let me through. “I’m sorry, sunbaenim,” that’s all I say.

“Remember keychain-aa, Chae Hyungwon captain of basket ball club,” the shoving guy hollers one last time. I still can hear Hyungwon says “God, you’re embarrassing, Shin Hoseok,” before I turn in the corner and die.

Well, according to Changkyun, the senior I was bumping into earlier was obviously Chae Hyungwon, Shin Hoseok, Lee Minhyuk and probably Yoo Kihyun. They are best friends since freshmen year and pretty close with Changkyun’s cousin, the student council president.

By the way, yes, we talk to Changkyun, and also yes, Hana and Jooheon just have to tell Changkyun about my embarrassing story. Since we were from the same middle school, we decided to stick together, and Changkyun decided to put the past behind and embrace the new friendship. What a nice guy and Choi Hana rejected that.

Even when we noticed that we’re not in the same class, well, I am in the same class with Hana, thank God, while Jooheon is just three room from us while Changkyun where the other side of the school building, but we agreed to eat together at lunch.

“You’re lucky that you only bumped into them, not some crappy senior,” Changkyun tells me. I just murmur some incoherent words as the retort, because even though that was not some crappy seniors, doesn’t mean that it was less embarrassing, but I probably have to be really grateful that it wasn’t some crappy seniors though. “Hyung told me that they work so hard to build the new image for the school, because you know, some bullying in the past, and I think they do a good job about that, the seniors are pretty decent.”

“Yeah, and I just grateful that I don’t have to sit on the floor at lunch,” Jooheon jokes and we laugh at that. “Anyway guys, wish me luck, I will have basket ball club try out later today, I really hope that I can make it to the team.”

“I believe that you will make it, don’t worry, you’re our school pride back in middle school, there’s no way you can’t get in,” Changkyun cheers for him. “Oh, do you know that Hyungwon hyung is the captain?”

Ugh, I don’t want to be reminded about that.

And here it is, my greatest regret in my life, saying yes to Jooheon’s request to watch his basket ball practice. I think it wouldn’t be so bad, but then again I’m not the luckiest person in the world obviously, because there he is, Shin Hoseok, grinning widely at me when I entered the court.

“Keychain! It’s you, right? Remember me?”

If he’s not my senior, I probably will throw him a shoe, or at least roll my eyes, but I smile and bow instead. “Good afternoon, sunbaenim.”

“Ah, fancy meeting you here, are you here for your oppa?” he teases and I will rip out his mouth if I’m not too busy calming down my scarlet face.

“I’m here to wait for my friend, sunbae. He’s just got into the team,” I say politely. He just continues to grin as a retort, so Hana and I decide to sit not too far from him. Don’t get me wrong, I hate to sit near him, looking at his idiotic grin make me sick, but I don’t want to be rude. Besides, if he tells Hyungwon sunbae that I’m a rude little brat, I’m dead. Because, shy or not, I still want to impress that lipsy-prince.

“Keychain, who is your friend?” Hoseok asks again as he points Hana with his chin.

Hana clears , “My name is Choi Hana, sunbaenim,” she says.

“Ahh, you’re pretty, too bad I already have a girlfriend, but Minhyuk is single, do you know Minhyuk?”

I can tell that Hana is uncomfortable, the thing that Choi Hana hates the most, people calling her pretty then play cupid on her. Hana and I just flash polite smiles at him. “You’re not playing, sunbae?” I ask distracting him, as I see the other players already huddle up at the centre of the court, listening to their coach.

“Nah, I’m on taekwondo club, I’m just here to wait for that idiots. Beside, I don’t play basket ball, I’m not tall enough,” he grins dumbly, “but then again, I wonder why Kihyun got into the team,” he wondered about the basket ball player who even shorter than him.

I can see Hana snickers from the corner of my eyes. I avert my gaze to the court to look at Jooheon. I saw he wears read jersey along with 5 other players while the rest wear white jersey. Among the white jersey guys, my prince is one of them.

“Aw, your friend and Hyungwon are in the different team, who you gonna cheer for, keychain?”

I just sit there dumbfounded as Hana snaps her head at me. I don’t know what to say, I should just cheer for Jooheon, right? He’s my best friend, but my prince.

“Ah, keychain just got her mental breakdown, how cute.”

I blush and duck my head low, typical me. But when I raise my head again, I swear that my face is on fire, because I just caught my prince glance at me. Sweet merciful Lord! Hana also caught that and now she shoots me a look and I know that next time she open , it ain’t be pretty for me.

“Sunbae,” she cutely calls for Hoseok. God, that tone is poison, I know her my whole life to be able to tell what kind of scam that voice could bring. “Is Hyungwon sunbae really single?” Dear God, help me.

“Yeah, his whole life, he never had a girlfriend before.”

Wait, what? That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard. That lips can’t possibly be , not a chance. Hana fakes a gasp beside me, “No way, how can it even possible, sunbae?”

“Ah, what’s wrong with you guys, call me oppa, I don’t like to be called sunbae.”

“Ah, okay oppa. But, is it true? That Hyungwon sunbae is single since forever?”

Hoseok chuckles silently, the glint in his eyes tells me that he likes this subject too much for his own good. “It’s true, he’s an idiot, always rejected girls, and never interested in them.”

Hana claps her hands in delight, Choi Hana that act too cute and too cheery scares me, really. “Then it’s perfect,” she says with an annoying high pitch voice. “Yerin never dated before too. Aren’t they match from heaven, oppa?” I swear to God, Choi Hana is a dead meat when I get my way to her.

“Huh? Who the is Yerin?”

I think I’m going to die. “Um, it’s me, sunbae,” I say as I point at my own face.

“Oh, keychain, you never told me that you have a cute name,” he half shouts and next thing he does, sends me straight to my grave, “Hyungwon-aa, keychain’s name is Yerin.”

Lipsy-prince halts from his stretching to flash a warm smile at me. God, now I think I really want to die.

“Ah, how cute. Ya, Hwang Yerin, I like this guy, marry him already,” Hana whispers at me, complete with a wide toothy grin. I just glare at her in return.

While I’m busy glaring and cussing silently at Hana, my prince runs towards our way and stops in front of Hoseok. Hana nudges me and sends me a look as I stiffly smile at the prince. Hana and Hoseok have this identical stupid grin on their face while looking at us.

“You’re here?” the prince asks me kindly. Oh my, those lips.

I want to say “of course I’m here” but I realize that it’s not too appealing so I just nod dumbly instead, which is also not appealing.

“What the heck are you talking about, you can’t even take your eyes of her and you ask if she’s here?” Hoseok snaps.

The prince just shoves Hoseok’s head away and continues smiling at me.  Suddenly from across the court Minhyuk hollers, “Chae Hyungwon, stop flirting with your wife and get your back here.” The prince glares at his friend before turning to me, “see you, Yerin-aa.” He runs back to the court after smacking Hoseok’s head and smiling at Hana.

Hana turns to Hoseok and says, “Oppa, aren’t they cute?”

***

Thought?

I have unhealthy obsession for Hyungwon, tall, lanky dude with glasses is just my ultimate weakness :D