"we are a thousand miles from comfort..."

"but as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be." 

It's sunny. It's so hot that I wish I'd taken out my sunglasses from the box with a big, red, angry 'UNIMPORTANT STUFF' written on the surface - then again, I would have to go through all the actual unimportant stuff, which makes me think twice. Huftt. Covering my face with both of my hands would have to do the trick then. 

Seoul's sunlight isn't as blinding as Jeju's, I noticed as I peek through the spaces between my fingers. Unfortunately today, the wind isn't blowing from every direction, making me sweaty almost immediately. My instinct is to look for the teacher's office, which hopefully would have an A.C unit inside. Looking around the surroundings of my new school, I realized I may be far from Ms. Boyoung's office. I'm in a medium-sized backyard, probably somewhere on the far side of the school, since I did came in through the back door (where staffs usually enter from, as I recall seeing the rack of clock cards). I lower the volume of my mini iPod, now barely able to hear the faint sound of Clean Bandit's Rather Be through my earphones. 

I must've put the volume on maximum, I thought to myself as I can hear the sounds of chatters, and people running - a usual setting of a high school. I looked to my far right and see what appears to be the main building of the school. Feeling relieved I finally found the main building, I took my earphones out and crumpled the cables into the pocket of my skirt, dumping my iPod there as well. 

"Nobody has to know." 

I stop in my tracks as I thought I heard someone saying those four words. There's an empty alley beside me, but no one is there. Weird, I thought. I was about to continue walking when I hear the same voice again, but this time, she sounds a little bit angrier - raising the tone of her voice. 

"You're such a , that's why this never works out!" 

As if on cue, a lady that appears to be in her mid-20s walked out from the other side of the alley, where the voice came from, and I can't help but notice the first three buttons of her shirt is ed. She didn't seem to mind my presence as she swiftly walked towards the main building whilst buttoning her shirt and fixing her hair. I am stunned at her beauty. She looks like she could be a model with her body figure, and her face is truly beautiful - almost up to par with the A-list actresses people think so highly of. I caught myself staring at her from the back as she walks, but who can really blame me when she looks like a Hallyu star? 

"Year 10 students are not allowed in the premises of the Year 12 building." A deep, slightly angry voice greeted me suddenly from the small alley. I quickly looked down and prepare myself to be confronted by a big, mean bully (being judgmental is an inherent trait of mine) - but instead, I was met with a bit of surprise. Although he has a baby face (a very attractive one at that), he looked like he could be older than me, and the deep, authroitative voice doesn't suit his physical appearance at all - especially he has a rather small build, albeit most likely taller than the average guys my age. 

"I-I'm sorry. I'm new and a bit lost... but isn't this the Year 10 building?" Apologizing is the safe way out, I figured. You really don't want to make trouble with seniors during your high school days, of that I know. He chuckled slightly before smiling, "No, the Year 10 building is the one in the very front. You have to walk for at least 900 meters straight to reach there." I nodded in understanding and about to thank him when I noticed a hint of velvety purple smear on the side of his neck, and while passersby would dismiss it as a bruise.. I beg to differ. I must've stared at the spot long enough for him to notice, and by the look on his face and his gesture of trying to "fix" the collar of his shirt, he definitely feels uncomfortable. 

So he's the , I thought to myself, and unknowingly, a small smile spreads across my face. "Thank you for telling me the way, I should go now then, sunbae." I make sure to do a perfect 90 degrees bow before walking away, looking for the correct building. The school bell rings, marking the end of lunch time. 

The last thing on my mind before focusing on searching the building was his gaze after I bowed. Slightly annoyed, slightly angered, slightly curious. 

"Why the long face? You didn't get your daily dose of face-, did you?" Chanyeol hops on the desk, his legs swinging like a little kid's would as he waits for an answer. Joo Hyeyoung, nicknamed as the school's beauty, is busy tidying up the needles and band-aids, trying to forget the humiliation she just faced as she groups them into small boxes. "I don't do high-school boys, Chanyeol. You know me," she replied instantaneously, although she sounded unsure. 

Chanyeol simply laughed and opens the wrapper of his favorite cheese bread. "Kim Jinwoo is not an ordinary high-school brat, Hyeyoung-ssi," he made sure to stress on the honorifics, as he knows that it would bring the school nurse's attention on the big . "Well, you're not either, student Park Chanyeol." Hyeyoung turned around to face Chanyeol, donning her y i-want-you-right-now look that drives all the boys crazy. Chanyeol responded playfully, jumping off the desk and closing the gap between him and Hyeyoung, leaving only a couple of centimetres inbetween. A mischievous smirk is plastered on his face. "Really? Then perhaps you could get with me and forget-" 

"You're not an ordinary high-school brat, you're a 'grade A' that all the adults feel like punching," Hyeyoung sweetly smiles and goes back to grouping the needles and band-aids, leaving Chanyeol both annoyed and amused. "You're a ing prick, Hyeyoung," Chanyeol whines and pouts, going back to the desk to finish the rest of his cheese bread. "I love you too, Chanyeol, and no cussing in my office!" Hyeyoung added, a grin spread over her beautiful face. 

"Chanyeol! Can I borrow your jean jacket for tonight's freshmen party?" the sugary voice of Kim Sejeong and a loud thud from closing the door brought the two's attentions toward the door, where the petite girl stands with an abundance of flyers in her hand. Chanyeol shook his head and continues to munch off his bread. "Nah, you can't, because I'm not going and I can't make sure my prized possesion is safe." 

Sejong rolls her eyes and walks toward Chanyeol, taking the bread from his hand and presumes to take a bite from it. "Come on, Chanyeol, don't be a party pooper! You're the best at beer poong and everyone wants you around!" Chanyeol was about to complain as Sejeong keeps on taking a bite of his cheese bread, but he shut up because his reason of not going to the party will sound ridiculous to anyone's ear. 

"As expected of school's queen bee Kim Sejeong, huh? And to add, not everyone, I believe," Chanyeol sighs as his 'bad-mood' look becomes apparent. 

"This is about Son Naeun, is it?" Sejeong tries to understand the reason behind her best friend's sulky face, and when he nods, she finally understood. Son Naeun is a sensitive topic, hell, they even refer her as "X Factor" on some days because Chanyeol is irked at the mention of her name. Sejeong sighed too and leaned on Chanyeol's shoulder, disappointed that they're not going to show up as 'the unbeatable duo' tonight. 

"Well, if she doesn't want you around, make her beg for you to be around." Hyeyoung suddenly chimed in, a proud smile on her face as if she found the solution to world's hunger. 

"That doesn't make sense, let alone possible, Hyeyoung," Sejeong said with a confused look. 

"Okay, so, Naeun's the perfect daughter of the house, correct?" Both Sejeong and Chanyeol raised an eyebrow before nodding in agreement. "First, you have to make sure that Naeun's dad get the exaggerated gist of the party - it's beneficial for socializing purposes, yet things could get rowdy, and wild, and possibly a bad influence to Naeun. And there's where you come in - explain to him that you need to be there, to keep an eye on her, you know, show some brotherly love, get it?" Chanyeol nods and is immediately inspired by Hyeyoung's idea - it's realistically doable. 

Sejeong raised a question, "Wait, but why do Son Naeun even wants to be at the party in the first place?" 

Hyeyoung chuckles and grins, "Good question, gold student Kim Sejeong! You see, the president of the debate club of Yonsei University is going to be there, and in fact, Naeun has been dying to meet him in person and somehow impress him. She's been waiting for this night for the longest time." 

"And how do you know about this, Ms. Usually-not-a-genius Joo Hyeyoung?"

"You have the advantage of knowing more things when you don't face- high school toddlers, and instead university students, Park Chanyeol." The three best friends laugh and continues to talk about the plan in detail, as Chanyeol takes the last bite of his cheese bread. 

"Man, tonight's party is going to completely and disastrously without you, man," Yoongi blows air to his bangs that almost covered his eyes, only to be met by the blinding sunlight, hurting his eyes. 

"Can you be a more supportive friend for once and skip that stupid party? Tiffany Hwang is going to show up to CAMDEN with a clutch from my newest line, and we are NOT going to miss the moment the paparazzi take snapshots of it and my fashion brand is going to be famous! Finally!" Kyungsoo sounds triumphant and overjoyed, which only annoys Yoongi even more. 

"You can't guarantee that she's actually going to wear your clutch, and plus, we'll be missing all the fun with the pretty freshmen!" Yoongi whined, and bumped his fist on Junhoe's arm trying to get his attention. "Right, Junhoe? Please tell Kyungsoo he's being delusional." 

"For the hundredth time, Min Yoongi! It's D.O! And yes, she is going to wear my clutch because my wealthy father has bribed her fashion stylist. And money talk always works, if you haven't know already!" 

Junhoe puts down his copy of 'Clockwork Orange' to end his friends' dispute, meddling before they could argue more and end up in the silent treatment game - which he hates to have to take care of. "I agree with D.O on this one, mate, and be honest - you want to go to the party because of the great Kim Sejeong, no?" 

Yoongi stays silent. Indeed, he wants to go the party to see if he has a chance with the school's most popular girl, and he wants to cry because he actually believed for a second that Sejeong would want to at least talk to him, but having Junhoe figuring it out, he just feels so dumb now. Junhoe is a close friend of Sejeong, and finally he understands why girls get so mad when people find out about their crushes. 

"Give it up, man, I told you guys she's just not available, you get me?" Junhoe sighs and picks up his book to continue reading where he left off. Kyungsoo clicked his tongue, feeling bad for Yoongi, and so he silngs an arm around his best friend's shoulder. "Yeah, man, just give her up, okay? Plus, remember the whole hot models over any high school girl equation? We're going to have so much fun at the club tonight! Yeah-ha-ha!" Yoongi laughs at Kyungsoo's joke, and with that, they both instantly made up.

Junhoe watch from the side, smiling as his friends joke around, but he can't help but to wonder - hot models over any high school girl. He wonders if the equation is true, as he bites back the bitter memories that were about to invade his mind. 

"Son Naeun, I am not arguing about this with you. This is really stupid, and not worth both of our time." Jung Yunho is mad. No, he's beyond mad. But as always, he tries to keep his anger from getting to him - and as always, he fails every time. His voice was stern and his daughter, Son Naeun, didn't like the sound of it at all. And whilst the common belief was to put off fire with water, Son Naeun believes in adding more fire, creating a bizzare mess until eventually, everything dies down. 

"I'm only asking you a question, and so far, you didn't provide any answers. Why can't you and your beloved Seokjin give them the rice cakes instead?" Naeun challenged her father - one of her favorite activities and often highlight of her day. Especially when it comes to Seokjin. 

"Is it that hard for you to socialize for once? I'm not asking you much - just give the damn rice cakes to our new neighbours and we both can get on with our lives!" Yunho barked, and he barked on the wrong tree - this one would bark back. 

"You're stealing my self-study time, dad! And my exam is tomorrow, I'm not going to risk it!" Naeun cried, slamming the box of rice cakes on the kitchen table. "Besides, if you don't even have the guts to properly introduce you and your partner to your neighbour, is it even a real relationship?!" Naeun's last argument is the last straw. Yunho bangs his hand on the table and raises his hand up in the air, close to giving his beloved daughter a tight slap on the cheek when an even stronger hand stopped him. 

Kim Seokjin breathes a sign of relief and quietly whispers, "You were about to slap your daughter, Jung Yunho, come to your senses." He looks towards Naeun's direction and gives her the same soft smile he always give. "Go up and have your self-study session, Naeun. Good luck on your exam tomorrow."

Naeun folds her arms and throw both Seokjin and her father an angry stare before going up the stairs to her room. She hates how her father was close to slapping her on the cheek. She hates how Seokjin is always nice to her, and a genuinely kind person, despite how much of a  she is. She hates how Seokjin always defend her, no matter what the situation is. Seokjin should've never come in the first place, she thought to herself as she wipes her tears away angrily, slamming open her geography textbook.