Jeong POV

The gates of the school look so intimidating. I've never realized how scary they actually are. The gates are big and made of steel. Once you enter you are at school, a place that has it’s own rules. Where no one from the outside can interfere in the hierarchy that is formed during the first year. Something I had to learn the hard way. I thought that the second year would be better than the first year. How naive of me to think that.

It’s amazing how I once thought that the school was beautiful. Now when I look around I only see grey. But this time it's going to be different. I have practised a lot during the summer and have meet people that helped me to stand up for myself. I’m going to be able to defend myself. I’m going to talk back. I’m going to….

“HYEEE!!!” Areum yelled from inside the classroom that I was now standing in front. I haven't noticed that I have arrived. Okay. Jeong, you are gonna be alright. You can do it. Remember what you have been practising during the summer. Breath in and out. In and out. In and out. Okay, here I come. I opened the door to the classroom and entered. The class got quiet. It was stifling. I was looking down to my shoes something they told me not to do if I wanted to change.

“GOOOD MORNING CLASS PRESIDENT” Areum shouted making me flinch. Areum is scary. She is manipulative. She is the queen and has everyone quivering under her. Well, there is one person that is not afraid of her but she sides with her anyway. Probably because she also hates me. And I don’t know why. I don’t know why everyone hates me. I have never done anything wrong to anyone. I’m simply Areum’s toy. She plays with me when she is bored. So 80% of the time. It all started the second week of my first year of high school when I saw how Areum let fall off her hand to the ground a wrinkled piece of paper that was probably trash. I picked it up. Stopped her and gave it back. She looked at me in disbelief. She looked at me from tip to toe. Then she smiled and said let’s play a game. Biggest mistake of my life.

I got back from my thought’s when a hand grabbed my chin to make me look at her eyes.

Areum was furious as she was ending her sentence”... you have to respond.” She is scary and at that moment all my resolution wasn't there anymore. So I responded her with my stuttering. 

“G-G-Goo-d mor-nin-g” How embarrassing. It’s always the same I zone out and I’m not able to talk back.

Areum smile got wider “See it’s not that difficult” she said letting go of my face. I wanted to say yes it’s difficult because you are scary. But the truth is that I’m not capable to say anything. When I try to say something I’m always stuttering. It’s difficult. At that moment my eyes meet with Hye's. Eyes full of hate. Hye hates me I know that. She looks at me as if I’m some kind of trash. She hates all the attention I get when Areum and her slaves bully me. She always has this look on her face that I’m wasting her time and that it’s all my fault. But I don’t want the attention that I’m getting. I never wanted this. It’s so unfair that I’m being treated like that. I have never done anything to Hye for her to hate me this much. Because of her, even though she doesn't do anything to me directly, the influence she has over the class and the school is enormous. If Areum is the Queen of the school the one that rules. Hye is the Angel of the school the one that everyone goes to ask for help. She always has a smile on her face and is nice to everyone but me. She is the teachers favorite. So when I asked the teacher for advice regarding the bullying she asked Hye if she could help me out and be my friend. So I’m known in school for the toy of the Queen and the person that the Angel hates.

FLASHBACK( autumn of  first year of high school)

I’m in front of the teachers lounge. Yesterday after school I had spilled all my problems with the bullying my classmates did to me to my History and homeroom teacher Seung Ok Hwang. She said that she would think what to do during the night and that I should come again during the break. So here I am. At first, when I arrived at home I thought I made a big mistake. But Seung Ok is a good teacher that cares for her students. So for the first time in a long time, I did sleep without any nightmares about school. But I couldn’t have been wronger. The moment I entered the teacher lounge and saw Seung Ok speaking with Hye. All my hopes crashed. I stayed in the door frozen.

“ OOHH!! Jeong! Come here” My teacher said. Hye that moments ago was smiling when speaking with the teacher was now