Jessica was content she had no friends on her school. Perhaps acquaintances, yes, but not friends. It wasn't a problem for Jessica to find everyone thinking she was cold, uncaring, and tactless, and thus she always found herself alone in everything. Heechul was enough for her, thank you very much.

It was not because she found everyone else beneath her – no, that was too snobbish of her. She just… couldn’t understand them.

Making connections had always been the hardest task for her. She had difficulty on -kissing, unlike Sooyoung who she seemed to be very capable on doing. No offence to the class clown, but Jessica merely stated the truth. Heechul always warned her not to offend people by her brutal honesty, but Jessica never bothered to speak up her thoughts.

They would never understand her, much like how she never understood people aside of very few people in this school.

“Good morning, Jessica!”

This person, was one of them.

Kim Taeyeon was her deskmate since the 10th grade and she was the only one who approached Jessica and tried to bond with her. For some reason, Taeyeon understood her. She had always been a keen one, despite being small and weak. For her appearance she was quite nerdy and plain-looking but Jessica had to admit when she removed those hideous glasses, Taeyeon’s face was easy on the eyes. It was unfortunate Taeyeon’s face was always covered in thin scars and bruises.

Jessica forced up a smile as she eyed the fresh bruise on her left cheek. Kim Taeyeon’s smile widened as she pushed the rim of her thick glasses and pulled up the seat beside Jessica.

“Have you done your homework, Jessica?”

Jessica nodded mutely, still eyeing the offending wound. “What happened to you?” She blurted out suddenly with narrowing eyes.

Taeyeon immediately looked uncomfortable. “Oh, I fell on the way…”

“And land on the left side of your face?”

Taeyeon winced, but forced up a smile. “Today’s .”

Jessica narrowed her eyes even further. “Then your clothes should have been dirty, at least.” The short girl smiled at her, and Jessica could saw past her forced smile.

"Taeng, why are you lying?"

Her deskmate cringed sheepishly but did not say anything. Not that it mattered, Jessica didn’t believe how gullible she was for thinking that Jessica would have bought that pathetic lie. Moreover, why would she lie? Taeyeon knew for sure that Jessica could easily saw through her lie!

It started a year ago.

The first time they were seated together on the 10th grade, Jung Sooyeon aka Jessica immediately caught her attention.

At first, Taeyeon felt her insecurity clawing at her when she saw how beautiful Jessica was and her items! They were expensive!

At first, Taeyeon felt that this girl must have lots of friends, I’m far from her league. But that proven wrong when they entered the second month of the school and Jessica still ate her lunch by herself - with sometimes her boyfriend and gang accompanying her.

She was confused, but then it happened. One day a classmate of hers cried because her boyfriend broke-up with her. She was wailing uncontrollably and honestly Taeyeon found them annoying. She could hear the fake concerns and mocking glances they shared.

But Taeyeon stayed put, unlike Jessica. Yoona’s friends had the decency to stop their “concerned” ranting and focused on calming Yoona down instead.

So really, Jessica was only an easily irritated girl without any decorum toward her peers.

At least that was what Sooyoung told the others. Sooyoung went to the same Middle School as Jessica and she didn’t like the “I’m holier than thou” attitude.

But then, after a few months of approaching the scary resting--face-expert Jessica, Taeyeon concluded that Jessica was not as bad as they thought.

Yes, Jessica didn’t regard them highly. She mentioned several times that Sooyoung was an expert on -k