"Happy first day of school, Inna!" 

The aforementioned girl groaned loudly, as she stood by the kitchen door, getting mauled with wet kisses from her mother. "Yuck mom, my first day of school was ten years ago. You don't have to repeat this every year," she whimpered, wiping away red lipstick from her cheek with the back of her hand. "I'm already seventeen!" 

"I know Inna," her mother sighed, "but I can't help it! My precious daughter is finally going to Yonggu Academy! Honestly, I really don't know why you didn't even want to go in the first place. It's such a great school! Many of your ancestors have gone here, including your father and I! It's-"

"It's where you guys met and fell in love, I remember," she interrupted, already fed up with listening to the same story for the nth time. "And my old school was a good school too... but I just didn't feel right there."

"Of course. It's not easy for vampires to feel included, even in this day and time," Inna's mother complained, swiping her tongue over a pair of sharp fangs. "Humans still like to think we're savages, just because our diet is blood! It's not even real blood, it's only animal blood, but of course, they always tend to look away from the truth. Ugh, well I can say the same thing about them eating olives and pretending that they actually taste good. They can't fool me, though. Olives are disgusting!" 

Inna merely nodded in agreement as she pulled a juice pouch full of a red substance from the fridge, and stabbing the straw into it. She sipped it silently, tuning out her mother, who was commenting about some more foods she thought was gross. 

To be honest, she was scared for her first day at a new school. Not to mention one that would be many miles away from home, since it was a boarding school in an extremely remote place. She was also going to join as a second year - a second year. That meant that everyone practically already knew what clique they were in and everything!

Inna was in the same year, but somehow, she felt a million school years behind of her potential classmates. 

"Oh, jeez, it's almost time for you to leave. Have you packed all your things?" Her mother suddenly bursted out, realizing that Inna would be late for the train if she didn't haul herself out of the house in approximately ten minutes. 

"Yes," she nodded, finishing her drink and tossing it in the trash. "I'll get it right now." 

Inna airily walked up the staircase that led to most of the rooms in the house and made a sharp right turn to get inside of her room. It felt weird; this would be the last time she would see this familiar enclosure for a while, and she wasn't sure if she was ready to part with everything just yet. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and dragged it slowly with her, but Inna made sure to take a quick look at the mirror as she left.

The uniform for Yonggu Academy seemed odd on her, she noted. She wasn't used to the surprising chicness of the outfit, as she had a drab gray uniform for her old school, but this one? It somehow seemed to compliment her, and Inna wasn't sure if it was the navy blue blazer or the beige skirt, but it did look nice on her. She fixed her bow tie one last time, pulled up her knee high socks, and proceeded to make her way downstairs. 

*

As the car approached the train station, Inna felt her stomach twist into knots. It was real. She was leaving her home of seventeen years in pursuit of better things, and despite the fact that she knew it was a good decision, she was pretty much like a fawn leaving her mother. 

"We're here Inna! You know, I'm really sad that your father couldn't join us today. He was telling me all about how he wanted to see you leave for school, but I think work is really busy right now," her mother explained apologetically. 

"It's okay, it's not like this will be the last time I'll see him," she said reassuringly, and gulped. "I think I'm off now." 

"Oh darling, don't be so anxious. You'll do amazing. You have the blood of fighters!" 

Inna nodded weakly at her mother's pep talk, and headed out of the car. Her mother came out as well and pulled out the suitcase from the trunk, before pushing it towards Inna with a small frown. 

"I'm going to miss you. I know you'll be back, but I'll still miss you," she commented, and Inna's heartstrings tugged. 

"I'll miss you too," she breathed quietly, walking into the embrace of her mother. After a few minutes of hugging, they both released each other from their grasps, and Inna's hand found its way to the handle of her suitcase. "Tell Dad I said bye too."

Her mother nodded and Inna turned, ready to welcome something new. She pulled out the train ticket that she had bought a few days ago, and saw that she would be leaving from station six, and briskly made her way there. 

To be honest, she expected herself to be the only one there, since it was one of the later departure times and was cutting it very close to the beginning of orientation, but when she arrived at station six, there were plenty of students in navy blazers and beige bottoms, just like her, except that some were human and some were vampires. Inna stood there quietly, observing the cliques that had already formed themselves, and in that moment, she wondered which one she would belong to. 

Inna, albeit from a good family, was not popular at all, and her quiet demeanor was partially the reason why. As she contemplated who to introduce herself to first, she was beat by the train whistle, as the giant contraption rolled in. The doors were opened and everyone immediately started piling in, a line forming instantly. Inna waited at the back, and when she finally got in, she noticed how packed it was; there were barely any seats left. Not wanting to have to awkwardly walk past so many people, Inna just targeted the first free seat she saw. 

"Is this seat taken?" 

A gentle-looking boy merely looked up from his phone and flashed her a kind smile. "Yes," he said simply, gesturing for her to sit. 

"Thank you," she answered, placing her suitcase in the cubby on top and settling into the chair. 

"My name is Kim Seokjin, but you can call me Jin," the boy introduced, and his hand out for her to shake. "I'm a vampire and a second year." 

"Hello, I'm Yang Inna," she said, shaking his hand. "I'm also a vampire and a second year." 

"Yang Inna? The Yang Inna? As in the daughter of Yang Soonhyuk and Yang Mina?" Jin appeared to be quite shocked, and Inna only blushed in embarrassment. 

"Um, yes. That's me," she answered timidly. 

"Oh wow! I can't believe you're sitting next to me," Jin laughed. "Wait I don't think I've ever seen you last year, wow. This is cool! My family is pretty old too! Not as old as yours, but you know what I mean." 

Inna was a bit overwhelmed by his forwardness, but it was comforting somehow. 

"Yeah, I didn't go to Yonggu last year. I wanted to try something new, but it didn't feel quite right," she replied, even daring to add a small, yet slightly awkward, giggle. "But I think I've heard of your family... Your parents are Kim Minjun and Kim Soyeon, right?" 

"Correct! I feel some satisfaction that you know. It boosts my ego, and reassures me that I'm not as irrelevant as I think I am," he grinned.  

Inna liked how outgoing Jin was. He didn't care about her family background and perhaps that's why she took a liking to him so quickly.

*

"Whoa, we're here already?" Jin marvelled at the sight of Yonggu Academy through the window, and from what she could see, Inna was impressed. It was shaped like a modern masion and there was plenty of nature around the campus. Trees sprouted healthily under the sun, there were even small animals running around, and the overall atmosphere of the school was amazing. 

As the train lulled to a stop near the entrance of Yonggu, many students stood up, already reaching for their luggage. Inna followed suit, and did the same, but before she could grab her luggage, Jin had already grasped its handle and pulled it down, reaching for his own next. 

"Thank you," she said, and he merely smiled at her. 

They all shuffled out and the feel of fresh grass underneath Inna's sneakers made her surprisingly happy. Back at home, the grass on her lawn was fake and she never really had much reason to go out and just feel the grass, so being able to be so close to actual nature made her giddy with delight. She thought she would've had a miserable time at Yonggu, but to her surprise, it has only been a great experience so far. 

"Usually, when I ride the train, it feels like I've been there for three hours," Jin joked. "But since you were there, it didn't even feel like time passed by at all. It's pretty lonely, since I don't have my friends around me."

"I can understand that," she agreed. 

"Since this is your first time around the campus, or at least I'm assuming, do you need help with navigating? I have some free time and I don't mind helping out a friend," he offered. 

Inna only nodded. 

"Alright, then follow me!" 

She obediently trailed after him like a lost puppy, and was surprised at how different Yonggu was from her old school. The layout of the school was much easier to understand, and the buildings were also easy on the eyes, something she appreciated. It took about thirty minutes to tour the whole campus and although Inna's head was spinning at the end, she also felt much more prepared to navigate herself through Yonggu than she did an hour prior. 

"These are the female dorms. Don't mistake the male dorms for them, however! I know they look the same and are next to each other, but just be careful! If you walk into the male dorms... huh. Well, there's a lot of guys," Jin winked. "But this is the end of my tour. You should grab your schedule and your room key from the main office, which is over there-" he stopped to point to a building that was straight ahead, "-and I will see you later! What's your number?" 

"Oh, thank you," she smiled and recited her phone number for him to type down. 

"Alright, great, thanks! I'll see you later," he waved, before turning and walking to where she presumed to be the Student Union (if she remembered correctly). 

Inna took a long sigh, before walking straight towards the main office and once she made her way inside, she approached a kind-looking woman at the front desk. "Hello," she greeted quietly. "My name is Yang Inna and I'm a new student here." 

"Oh, Yang Inna?" The lady's eyes widened. "Wow, you resemble your family line a lot! It's great to see you here at Yonggu, we have been waiting to welcome you! Do you need a tour guide to get yourself situated? I have your schedule and your room key here-" the woman pressed a folder into Inna's hands, "-and if you have any problems, you can always come to me!" 

"Oh thank you," Inna bowed stiffly. "Um, I've already had a tour of the campus, thank you very much for the offer though." 

"It's no problem. We are just happy to have you here, Ms. Yang! I hope you enjoy Yonggu just as much as your ancestors did," she grinned, showing her sharp fangs. 

With a nod, Inna left, and returned to the female dorms, searching for her room. "228?" She whispered to herself, walking up the stairs and following the signs. Luckily for her, room 228 was close to the stairs, so she didn't have to make several winding turns to reach her room, and once she unlocked the door, she cracked it open, expecting it to be empty, but almost jumping in surprise as she saw two girls inside. 

"Hello," she quickly greeted them with a bow. "I am Yang Inna." 

"Oh come inside," one of the girls said, beckoning her in. She had golden brown hair and bright black orbs that seemed to stare right into souls. "My name is Jung Woori!" 

"And I'm Moon Jisoo," the other girl greeted. Unlike Woori, Jisoo had bright pink hair that would've caught anyone's attention from a mile away and not to mention her beautiful features, such as her tiny nose and plump lips. "Are you also a vampire?" 

Inna nodded. 

"Oh, so you must be the daughter of Yang Soonhyuk and Yang Mina right? The business conglomerates?" Woori gasped in shock. 

Inna nodded again, but timidly this time.

"I love your mom's makeup brand!" Jisoo immediately squealed. "Can you please tell her how great the formula of her products are?!" 

"My mom is such a diehard fan of your father's supermarket chain, not gonna lie," Woori piped in. "She goes in every week for the deals!" 

"Thank you for the support," Inna stated, feeling a bit disappointed. "I'll be sure to tell this to my parents." 

Inna hated her family's popularity. She was always being referred to her relatives, and she hated the pressure it brought on her. She especially hated it when-

"Also, your brother is so cute! I watch his dramas all the time, ugh I'm such a diehard fan. He's such an amazing actor!" 

She especially hated it when they brought up her older brother. 

"Yeah, he's pretty popular now," Inna forced a laugh. "Every time I turn on the TV, he's always there." 

"Jeez, it must be so cool to be related to Yang Inhyuk..." Woori said dreamily. "Your family is so successful!" 

"Thank you," Inna nodded. She stood there, palming the handle of her suitcase anxiously. 

"Can you guys shut up already?" 

This time, it was a different voice. Inna was surprised at how aggressive the tone of the individual was, and blinked as she saw someone's head peep from the corner. Jisoo and Woori glanced back in shock, and apologized to the other girl. 

"Inna, that's Won Jion, your roommate," Jisoo said, gesturing towards the girl, who only scoffed in reply. "If you didn't see yet, this room is a suite and there are two beds in each of the two rooms, so Woori and I are roommates, while you and Jion are each other's roommates. Your room is over there." 

Inna followed the direction where Jisoo was pointing to and thanked her, leaving to put her luggage away. She presumed that Jion had followed her inside because once she stepped foot in the room, the other girl declared, "The bed on the left is mine. Also, I won't baby you just because you're from a prestigious family. Other than that, this is your room too, so feel free to give me boundaries or anything." 

"Thank you," Inna replied, and pushed her luggage against the wall before retreating to the bed quietly. 

"Are you already going to sleep? Orientation starts soon," Jion chided. 

"No, I just need a break," the other girl simply said, and rubbed her eyes tiredly. 

"It must be tiring," Jion snorted. "Being in such a prestigious family line, that is."

Inna merely stared at her, unsure of what she was trying to say.

"Uh, you know, having to be the center of attention all the time," Jion clarified, a bit flustered. "Since, you don't seem to look like you're particularly into that..."

"Oh," Inna nodded. "Yeah, sometimes."

Her roommate cleared awkwardly, before blurting out, "We should leave now. I think I heard Woori and Jisoo just leave."

"Okay," Inna said, getting up and following Jion, who was already walking out. 

They exited the dormatory together, and Inha marvelled at the beauty of nature once more. "There are a lot of vampires here," she stated in a weak attempt to make conversation. 

"Yeah. The ratio of humans to vampires here is 50:50, but they seem to avoid us at all costs," Jion replied. 

"What if humans roomed with vampires though?" Inna asked curiously.

"Oh no, that would never happen," Jion scoffed. "Our relationship is advanced, but humans are still fearful of us. They wouldn't dare room with us, and I guess the rooming office just realized that. Plus, they said it would be 'safer' if we roomed with our specie."

Inna nodded in slight awe. 

"What?" Jion added, her cheeks turning slightly red because of how awkward the situation was.

"Nothing," Inna said, "I was just admiring how intelligent you are." 

"I am not," the other profusely denied. "You must be an idiot if you think so."

Inna didn't reply, but she liked how forward Jion was. 

After a few more minutes of walking, they finally reached the gym, which was already packed with students, and Inna found herself gravitating near the wall. "Let's go here," Jion said, weaving herself past a crowd of people and Inna followed suit. 

"Ah," she commented, as she saw Jin. "Let's go there."

"There? With them?"

Inna was confused when she saw a look of disgust on Jion's face.

"What's wrong with them?" She asked, taking a swift glance back at them. 

"Nothing, but they're annoying to look at," Jion said dismissively. "All the girls in this school flock towards them because they're remotely cute and somewhat smart, and it's so gross. You can even see them trying to get close right now."

Inna looked back once more and agreed with her roommate. Jin and his friends were surrounded by a large horde of girls, and thought that it was better for her to not deal with that at the moment. She, instead, followed Jion to find a better spot in the crowd and it finally led her to the right side of the room. 

"Orientation should be starting soon," Jion commented, going on the tips of her toes to see the stage. 

Inna merely nodded, as she looked around the room to see the other students that she'd be studying with, and in midst of it all, her eyes suddenly locked onto a stranger, who was standing across the room from her. From what she could she, he had brown hair that was tousled naturally on his head and the darkest orbs she's ever seen in her life - and then he made eye contact with her.

She probably should've looked away, but all she could think about was how his eyes twinkled like stars. 

author's note

Hello! I probably rambled on for too long, but I hope you liked the first chapter!