"I can't believe my parents are shipping me off to that school in the mountains!"

Son Chaeyoung sat on the floor against her bed, with her knees bent to support a sketchbook. She growled in frustration as she erased furiously, while trying to balance her cellphone between her ear and her shoulder.

"Chill, Chaeng! That school just happens to be one of the best schools in the country. And don't forget, I'll be there too!" responded a teasing voice over the call.

"Being in the same school as you is fine, Jeongyeon-unnie," grumbled Chaeyoung, picking up a pencil and trying to fix her sketch. "But does it have to be JYP Academy? A school of stuck-up rich girls who spend their days worrying about what brand of tea to drink in fancy teacups? I'd rather stab myself with this pencil than have a discussion comparing English breakfast tea and chamomile!"

Jeongyeon gave a hearty laugh and replied, "I really think you have the wrong impression about my school. I mean, yeah, the students tend to come from pretty wealthy families, but they aren't as bad as you make them seem. They're more like sheltered from the world. Where did you even get that idea of them being stuck-up from?"

"I hear things," grunted Chaeyoung, giving up on the sketch and tossing the book aside. "Everyone from my old school said that JYP Academy is basically a prison for rich kid brats."

"Being a boarding school doesn't make it a prison. Admit it, Chaeyoung," chided Jeongyeon in a kind way, "you're just upset that your parents are leaving you here for now."

"Am not!" whined Chaeyoung, which was an outright lie. Her parents had been transferred overseas for work in the United States, and had decided to leave her in South Korea to finish high school. That meant being stuck in JYP Academy for the next three years. She took a deep breath and answered honestly, "I just don't understand why I have to go to some prim and proper ladies school. You know your school is called a bride factory?"

Jeongyeon sighed and gently told her, "I've heard that, and that's not true. You know your parents chose JYP Academy because they think it's a good school. They want what's best for you." A short silence hung between them as Chaeyoung thought about what she said.

Abruptly changing her tone, Jeongyeon continued, "Tomorrow is your first day! I can't wait to see you in the uniform!"

Chaeyoung snorted and glanced at the uniform that hung against the wall. It was a dark blue blazer paired with a short gray skirt. Inside the blazer hung a white collared shirt and a striped red necktie. Chaeyoung hated to admit it to herself, but the uniform was cute.

"I can hear you admiring the uniform."

"Shut up, unnie!"

Jeongyeon laughed. "Go to sleep already, midget. You'll never grow if you stay up this late. Since you're riding with me, you'll have to wake up a bit early. We have to get to school by 7:00 tomorrow. I've got uniform guard duty."

"Uniform guard duty? What is that?" Everything about this new school seemed strange to Chaeyoung.

"I told you that I'm part of the student council, right? Every morning, some members stand by the school entrance and note down who isn't wearing their uniform correctly."

"That's just plain fascist," gasped Chaeyoung.

"Whatever you say, midget! Get some sleep. I'll see you tomorrow!"

After hanging up the phone, Chaeyoung picked up the sketchbook she had tossed aside. She had been trying to sketch the emblem of JYP Academy. It started out as an exercise of boredom, but eventually she was trying to use it as a means to absorb the idea that she was transferring schools. The crest of the school was quite ornate, with two white lilies intertwined at the center. She sighed and packed the book into her school bag, which was one of the few items she had left in her bedroom. All of her other belongings had already been packed and sent to the dormitories at JYP Academy earlier that day.

Her phone buzzed with a message.

From: Jeongyeon-unnie
"Good night, kiddo! I'll pick you up by 6:15!"

At least Jeongyeon-unnie will be with me, thought Chaeyoung, as she typed a quick reply and settled in for the night.

True to her word, Jeongyeon showed up at exactly 6:15. Still bleary-eyed from sleep, Chaeyoung could only grunt a morning greeting before she slid next to the driver seat.

"Hey! Your necktie isn't fixed! You're exactly the kind of student I'll scold later."

"Give me a break! I've never tied one before!"

"Okay, okay, I'll give you a pass for now. I'll teach you how to tie it later," said Jeongyeon gently as she pulled out of Chaeyoung's driveway.

Confidently driving her new Hyundai Elantra, Jeongyeon didn't seem to match the image of a typical JYP student. Her short, bobbed hair accentuated her sharp features. She had a slim face with strong eyes, which intimidated many people when they first met her. It didn't help that she always scowled, as if she was in a foul mood. But since Chaeyoung had known her since they were children, she knew that Jeongyeon was actually quite playful and loved pulling pranks and jokes, even when they rarely earned laughs in return. Most of her scowls were caused by hunger, since she had a quick metabolism matched by a huge appetite. Yet, despite her insatiable appetite, Jeongyeon had managed to maintain a model figure. Chaeyoung had always been jealous of Jeongyeon-unnie's proportions, especially her long legs.

Whenever Chaeyoung heard the word "cute" used to describe her, she flinched. Despite turning sixteen recently, she was often mistaken as a middle schooler. She blamed her 159cm frame and her eyes. She was often told that the shape of her eyes was unique and made her look younger than she seemed. She hated that compliment. Looking young meant people wouldn't take her seriously, and frankly, Chaeyoung was tired of being treated like a child.

"Ready for your first day, Chaeng?"

An hour on the road had passed by in the blink of an eye. Lost in her thoughts, Chaeyoung was startled to realize that they had already entered the school gates and parked on campus. She quickly grabbed her stuff from the backseat and followed Jeongyeon out of the car, doubling her pace to match her long-legged strides. They walked together along a long, wide brick path. Chaeyoung could see the imposing school building in the distance straight ahead.

Whoa. This really is a rich kid school.

"Over there is the library. The greenhouse is down this path. That building over there is the gym. The swimming pool is right beside it." Jeongyeon pointed at each building's general direction, never breaking her brisk pace. Chaeyoung's brain was swimming in the wave of all this new information. There were no other students around, so she assumed they were the first ones in school.

"Okay, I have to stay here!" Jeongyeon stopped suddenly. Chaeyoung was surprised by the abrupt movement and lightly bumped into her, which made Jeongyeon chuckle. "I told the other council members I'd meet them here by the fountain." She gestured at the nearby marble fountain that stood at the center of the path. Chaeyoung leaned forward to examine the design, when Jeongyeon reminded her, "You have to head to the faculty office and introduce yourself to the teachers. They'll let you know which class you're in."

Chaeyoung glanced around and pointed at the school building, which was still roughly a hundred meters away. "I just have to go there, right? That building?"

"Yup. Just head in, turn at the first left. The faculty room is on the right side of the hallway."

"Got it."

"See you later, midget! Try not to get stepped on on your first day!"

Chaeyoung scowled hard at Jeongyeon, while resisting the urge to laugh, then she turned around and headed towards the school building. Without Jeongyeon's commentary and almost-jog-like pace, Chaeyoung found herself observing her surroundings more intensely as she walked. The sides of the brick path were densely shielded by tall treees, filled with bright white flowers. Small pathways extended along the sides, with little signs indicating their destinations. Long, wooden benches and intricate, old-fashioned streetlamps decorated the main path.

A relatively strong breeze burst through the trees and knocked several white flowers into a small frenzied tornado. Chaeyoung turned her head to admire the sight as she walked to the building when--

BAM!

The strong impact startled Chaeyoung and caused her to stumble back. She managed to stay on her feet. The same couldn't be said about the person she bumped into, who had been knocked down to the ground.

"I'm so sorry!" cried Chaeyoung, rushing over and extending her hand to help the girl up.

The girl shook her head lightly, as if to wake herself up. Then she looked at Chaeyoung's extended hand, followed it up her arm, then looked straight ino her eyes.

Chaeyoung gulped.

The girl was the most attractive person she had ever seen. Her hair may have been disheveled from the fall, but it didn't matter. There was just something so aesthetically pleasing about her. Her brown eyes reminded Chaeyoung of well-polished mahogany, like an antique that bore the weight of its history with quiet elegance. Her skin was pale, which further accentuated the beauty mark on the bridge of her nose. With a slightly fuller lower lip,  seemed to have a natural pout. Chaeyoung was absolutely stunned.

She forgot what she was doing and almost flinched when the girl reached out and accepted her hand for help. Chaeyoung pulled her to her feet with a grunt and dropped her hand quickly as if she had been burned.

"I-- I'm so-- so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going!" she stammered in apology, bowing her head profusely.

There was a soft chuckle, and Chaeyoung heard a timid voice say, "It's okay. I'm just glad you weren't hurt. Just be careful."

Chaeyoung glanced up and realized the girl was struggling to hide a smile. Seeing that reaction made her grin widely in return. She straightened up from her apologetic bow, when the girl suddenly stepped forward and shortened the distance between them. Chaeyoung found herself a mere foot away from her. The girl stood half a head taller, and Chaeyoung could smell her perfume. Sweet pea, she realized, my favorite.

"Your necktie is untied."

The girl reached for the ends of Chaeyoung's tie, and she began to tie it swiftly. As gentle as she tried to be, she occasionally tugged a bit harder than she intended, which pulled Chaeyoung closer and made her painfully aware of how hard her heart was beating.

A barely whispered "finished" signalled that the knot had been tied, and she was released.

"Th--Thank you." Chaeyoung barely managed to stutter the words out.

"You're welcome," replied the girl with a gentle smile. "I don't recognize you. Are you a transfer student?"

Chaeyoung nodded, not quite sure if she wanted to maintain eye contact with her. She decided to stare at her shoes out of embarrassment.

"Please watch where you are going next time. Now, if you'll excuse me." The girl side-stepped around Chaeyoung and headed down the brick path, leaving the scent of her perfume in her absence. Chaeyoung watched her walk away, painfully aware of how hard her heart was beating.

Maybe studying in this rich kid brat academy won't be such a bad thing after all.