“Ah, that was annoying.” Tiffany and Minhee heard at lunchtime from the door of the hall. All of a sudden they heard lots of squealing from nearby. They both looked up to see one of the boys from the kingka group Woong Jae was in, Hyungsik of ZE:A, exit the hall while stretching. “Girls, girls, please calm down and just let me go get my lunch.” He grumbled. But the girls wouldn’t leave him alone.

“Oppa! Don’t worry about your lunch, here’s a lunchbox I made for you!” A girl handed a lunchbox wrapped in a pink cloth over to him. He grunted in distaste.

“No! Mine’s better!” A girl handed it over to him, “My father’s a 3 star restaurant’s chef and he made it!”

Another girl snorted and pushed aside the girl with the lunchbox made by a 3 star restaurant chef, “No way! Mine’s waaaay better!” She stretched out her words, “I made it with all my heart myself!”

It later just turned into a squabbling mess with an annoyed looking Hyungsik stuck in the middle. Girls were pushing each other over while crowding in front of him. Just as he was about to speak up and scold them all, someone butted in.

“All you girls, scram.” A clear voice announced. They all looked towards the source of the voice to see Tiffany staring them all down with one of her glares with her legs perfectly crossed while sitting down on a bench with Minhee. Whilst her eye smiles may be the prettiest around, her glares were also one of the scariest around. All the girls cowered in fear. All except one idiot.

“And why should I listen to you?” She haughtily said.

“Because you’re bothering my eating time.” Tiffany replied evenly and clearly.

“So?” The girl snickered, “Do I care that I’m disrupting your eating time with your friend what’s-her-name…” She looked closely at Minhee then started laughing a shockingly high pitched laugh, “Ah! It’s this girl! You’re Mini, aren’t you? Kang Junkyu’s girlfriend?” She mocked Minhee in an unfriendly tone. Minhee frowned as she remembered back in the US when she used to get teased because she had no English name and her Korean name sounded like ‘Mini’. She was about to speak up when Tiffany butted in again.

“She’s not small, thank you very much.” Tiffany coldly replied.

“What? Small?” The girl questioned then realised, “Ah. Mini as in small, hey? Showing off your English skills are you?” She leered at Tiffany, “Don’t show off your abysmally depressing amount of English vocabulary you have! I’m from class 2-B and I’m the best at English in the class!” She smirked and bragged as a couple of girls around her eagerly nodded their heads.

“Yeah! Miyeon is the best at English in our class!” A small mousy girl replied while nodding eagerly, “She’s like so pro!”

Minhee frowned. Whilst she didn’t like people looking down on her, she could tolerate it. But when it came to people looking down on her loved ones, she just couldn’t sit down. “Yeah? Well we’re from 1-A.”

“Hear the 1?” The girl called Miyeon smirked, “I’m your upperclassman. It doesn’t matter if you’re in the A class, I’m in the year level above you so therefore I’ve learnt more English than you.”

It was finally Minhee’s turn to smirk at this girl’s idiocy. She elegantly crossed one long leg over the other just like Tiffany, except her legs weren’t as noticeable for her skirt was longer. Hyungsik still noticed and almost drooled though. “You imbecile. Never think you know more English than Fany just because you’re older.”

“Mwoh?” Miyeon frowned, “Did you just call me an imbecile?”

All this time Hyungsik was watching the exchange amusedly and forgot to turn and run while he could.

“Yes, yes I did.” Minhee smirked, “Because if you think you know more English than both Fany and I just because you’re older, you’re definitely an imbecile.”

The girl called Miyeon was fuming by the ears, everyone could tell. “Oh yeah?”

“Oh yeah.” Minhee nodded coolly, “Because we were born in the States.” She said these words in English and smiled at Miyeon whose brain was slowly processing the words. Then, she finally understood it.

“Ah…” She said and then seemed to realise where she was wrong, “I’m sorry.” She was lost for words for a minute then quickly returned to her former self, “But respect me. I’m your elder.”

“I have no respect for girls who go around squealing about boys who don’t need or even like all that squealing.” Minhee said coldly. Tiffany looked at her and couldn’t help but smile softly at how Minhee was always so brave to stand up for people, just never for herself. “So why don’t you take Fany’s advice and just scram before you lose the debate for something else you’d be stupid enough to try and debate with us about.”

The fangirls all quickly cleared off, except for the one last idiot, which of course was Miyeon. She noticed that all the other fangirls had cleared off so she gave Tiffany and Minhee and quick hiss and ran away.

“Wow… Thank you.” Hyungsik smirked at the two girls.

“It wasn’t for you.” Tiffany said and leaned back onto the bench to continue eating her ham sandwich.

“So what were your names again?” Hyungsik asked, interested.

“None of your business.” Tiffany coldly brushed him off and again.

“Why so cold for?” He said smirking slightly as he approached the two girls.

Tiffany sighed. “I told the fangirls to scram so that we could eat in peace, and instead I get you bothering us.” She stood up and gently and carefully held onto Minhee wrist and tugged gently. “Come, let’s go. This boy is bothering us.”

As they were walking off they heard Hyungsik call out to them. “It’s not ‘this boy’! It’s Hyungsik! As in Park Hyungsik one of the kingkas from ZE:A!”

Tiffany snorted. “I know who you are, but I’m honestly not interested!” She called back then faced the front again and walked with Minhee to a bench near the front office. They sat down on the bench and Tiffany quickly faced Minhee with her sandwich forgotten, “Minhee are you okay? You didn’t have to speak up and defend me if it meant causing that guy to notice you, you know?”

“It’s okay.” Minhee weakly said and smiled weakly.

“No, it’s not okay. I can deal with my own problems. Whereas you hate that guy’s guts and you had hoped to never attract his attention but I just had to tell those girls to scram and catch his attention.” Tiffany apologised, “I’m so sorry Minhee.”

“No, it’s fine.” Minhee calmly replied, “It’s those girls’ fault. They shouldn’t be bothering someone who so clearly doesn’t want to be bothered in the first place.”

Tiffany sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. She made a mental note to try and avoid that Hyungsik boy as much as possible so then it won’t cause Minhee to attract any of his attention. She knew how much Minhee hated him, even if she didn’t say it. She knew how much Minhee loathed herself for hating him though, just because of his father. Minhee knew it wasn’t his fault, yet she couldn’t help but hate him because of his father.

“Let me just quickly finish eating and then we can go prepare for math class, yeah?” Tiffany said with an awry smile and patted Minhee on the back then resumed eating her ham sandwich.

-----------

“Yes!” Minhee quietly said as she stretched herself, “Finally English has ended!” It was finally the end of Monday period 6, also known as English classes.

“Man that was boring.” Tiffany complained loudly to Minhee. Many students who studied English very hard glared over at Tiffany and Minhee. They, of course, were jealous of the fact that Tiffany and Minhee didn’t have to study and still did well at English.

“Let’s go now!” Tiffany said as she watched Minhee quickly collect all her belongings into one big pile and stuff it into her brown satchel bag.

“Where to?” Minhee said brightly as the two of them rushed outside and joined the flood of students trying to leave.

“Let’s go to…” Tiffany paused as she thought about where to go, “Let’s go to the ddeokbokki stand!”

“Which one?” Minhee asked as she wrinkled up her nose thinking through the many that they had been to together before.

“The one that’s owned by the ahjumma we know, of course!” Tiffany said as she nudged Minhee excitedly, “We haven’t been in ages!”

“Oh yes! Of course!” Minhee said happily as she clapped her hands together. “I’ve missed ahjumma and her amazing ddeokbokki!” So then the two of them set off together happily for the ddeokbokki stand.

They quickly made their way to the ddeokbokki stand owned by the ahjumma they knew even though it was a little way off from the way back from home the moment they got off the bus.

“Ahjumma!” Minhee called out excitedly the moment the stand was in view.

A woman who was in her mid 40s with big eyes and curly black hair looked up and smiled. “Ah, Minhee-ah! Miyoung-ah! How are you two lately?” She made her way from behind the back of the counter and walked over to them as both of them ran towards her, “I haven’t seen you two in a long time. Aigoo… Minhee you’re really growing up to be a fine lady, aren’t you?” She said as she squeezed Minhee’s cheeks.

Minhee rolled her eyes, “That’s what you said last time and it’s only been a few months!”

“A few months can do a lot to a young teenage girl.” The ahjumma said with a gentle smile. “So what will it be this time? The usual?”

“Yup!” Tiffany said happily.

Soon enough, the two girls were seated with a plate each of ddeokbokki in front of them. They both quickly dug in.

“Ah… Maa!” Minhee said as she smacked her lips with relish. “It’s still as good as ever ahjumma!” She said with her two thumbs up. The ahjumma smiled at her gently and pat her head and then headed back towards the counter.

The two girls quickly finished up and then went to pay. “No, no. On the house.” The ahjumma said while smiling at them.

“No, we can’t accept that!” Tiffany said as she pushed money towards the ahjumma.

“No, I insist.” The ahjumma said as she pushed the money back towards Tiffany. “I haven’t seen you girls in a very long time after all. Just take this as a present.”

“No, we really ca-…” Tiffany was cut off by a shout nearby. Both girls whipped around and saw a very familiar looking boy on the floor. The matter about the money was dropped as both girls ran over to the boy and helped him up.

“Kwanghee oppa…” Minhee said as she attempted to help him up.

“Don’t help me Minhee.” Kwanghee said as she shook her off and got up with Tiffany’s help.

“Yah! Oppa! What do you think you’re doing on the floor?” Tiffany said crossly, “I thought I told you and Jae no more fighting! What do you call this?”

“We call it being beat up.” Tiffany and Minhee both saw Kwanghee’s face turning hard and they both turned around to see a blonde male grinning down toothily at them. “Well, well, well. Kwanger, you’ve got yourself two pretty girls here? Never knew you had the skills or looks in you!” He guffawed at his own ridiculous joke which Minhee didn’t even classify as a joke at all, “Mind if I take one?” He said as he seemed to rub his chin in contemplation for a moment then grabbed Tiffany by the arm.

“Ah! What are you doing!” Tiffany said as he whacked her arm, “Let go of me!”

“The great Zico is touching you, what more do you want?” He said as he toothily grinned at her, “Unless you’d rather trade your friend in instead?”

“Let go of my sister!” Kwanghee roared at the blonde male named Zico at the same time as Tiffany yelled at him, “No way will I ever trade Minhee in!”

Zico raised an eyebrow then if possible, his grin widened even further, “Hwang Kwanghee’s sister? Man this just gets better and better!” He said and lifted Tiffany up onto his shoulder.

He was about to make his way away when all of a sudden Minhee heard someone yell in a loud clear voice. “Let go of the girl. Don’t take this out on the girls, take it out on us.”

Zico seemed to hesitate and then placed Tiffany back on the ground who quickly scrambled over to Minhee. “Alright, alright. Sorry pretty girly. I didn’t mean no harm at all.”

“Alright. Thank you.” Minhee and Tiffany both heard the same voice as before yell out. They both turned around to see Junyoung, leader of ZE:A the kingka group and gang that both their brothers were part of. Then they both remembered that Hyungsik was too part of that group and they opened their eyes wide at each other.

“Run on the count of 3, okay Minhee? I’ll follow straight after.” Tiffany said to Minhee who nodded.

 “So, what are you doing here in my area?” Zico said toothily.

“1…” Tiffany whispered.

“Just coming to see our friend Kwanghee who you have appeared to beat up.” Kevin said and smiled coldly at him, “I believe apologies are in order.”

 “2…” Tiffany continued whispering.

“He came into our area first. Not our problem.” Zico smirked at them.

“3!” Tiffany shouted at Minhee who got up and ran away. She zoomed right past Hyungsik with her hair covering her face and ran towards the bus stop where a bus conveniently happened to be parked. Tiffany followed soon after slowly pulling her limping brother along. Her mission wasn’t to get away from Zico as quickly as possible (although that would be nice) but rather just to make sure Minhee didn’t draw any more unnecessary attention from Hyungsik.

“Take care of Minhee when you get home, yeah?” Woong Jae called out to Tiffany. Tiffany simply nodded back and continued carrying Kwanghee away.

What nobody seemed to have noticed though, was how Hyungsik’s eyes never left  Minhee’s figure until she got onto the bus and moved out of his line of sight. ‘Minhee’, huh? So that’s her name… She’s interesting. And with that thought in mind a smirk slowly came onto his flawless and handsome face.