Third-Person POV

      The class suddenly turned silent as two people who came in the room surprised them. The first one was the pregnant teacher.

     At the right part at the back of the class a girl whispered at the girl in front of her, "Pssst. You told me she gave birth last month."

     The girl's seatmate was the one to reply as the girl she was talking to didn't reply, "Minjoo, did you seriously believe her? Yuri says that every month."

     "I heard that.", the girls immediately pretended to listen when they heard their teacher.

     "Everyone, as you can see, you have a new classmate, her name is Hitomi. Honda Hitomi.", the teacher introduced the second person to surprise the class. Transferees were not rare but no transferee has ever been this cute.

      Hitomi still faced the teacher and didn't bother to look at her new classmates. She was too afraid. She just stood there tightly gripping both of her bag's straps. She couldn't even keep eye contact with the teacher so she just stood there, looking at anything but her teacher's and classmate's eyes.

     Hitomi flinched as she felt a hand on her shoulder. The teacher immediately removed her hand as she saw how it was uncomfortable to Hitomi.

     "Oh- I'm sorry I didn't mean to. I just wanted to ask if you're okay.", the teacher said.

     Hitomi just nodded. She's lying. She could feel everyone's stares and she hated that, she hated the spotlight. She always felt like she was being judged. Her breathing was really fast and her knees felt very weak.

     She finally faced the class but didn't look at them, she kept her head down.

     "Hitomi? Is she Chinese? Her name doesn't sound Korean.", Minjoo asked.

     Everyone in class had different reactions to their classmates question. Some laughed but most of them just face palmed.

     "You've been my friend for so many years yet you still don't know the difference between Chinese and Japanese?", Nako asked the girl behind her, the girl next to her, Yuri, still kept quiet.

     "Oh- She's Thai?", Minjoo then asked. The whole class sighed except for Yuri.

     "Listen, everyone.", the teacher said to get everyone's attention.

     "But Hitomi here isn- Oh god. Can someone please wake Yuri up, she's asleep again. Oh come on, it's the first day of school for Pete's sake", she said and then everyone looked at the sleeping girl.

     Nako slapped the girl next to her.

     "I didn't mean slap her, Nako.", the teacher as she was shocked by how loud and strong Nako slapped Yuri, even Hitomi looked up to see what happened. Yuri sat straight.

     "Casu- Casualty of- of-of looove", Yuri spoke out of nowhere but then she went back to sleep again.

     "See? Even when I slapped her, she still didn't wake up.", Nako explained.

     "Oh I give up. She's always asleep and will probably fall asleep again anyway.", the teacher said before looking at Hitomi.

     "Oh right. As I was saying, Hitomi here isn't like you, so I'm asking you to be kind and patient with her.", the teacher said to the class. Whispers could be heard in the class.

     "Eh? Not like us?"

     "What does she mean?"

     "Maybe she's not human, perhaps  she's a broccoli."

     "She's so cute. Look at her big fluffy cheeks."

     "Quiet, everyone. Quiet.", the teacher said as she hit the table with her stick.

     "Hitomi here, can't converse with people.", the teacher continued. Hitomi knew it but hearing those words reminded her of how flawed she is.

     "So she's mute?", a student asked.

     "N-no. I don't think so. She can speak too when needed.", the teacher explained.

    Whispers again followed.

     "What does that even mean?"

     "I don't get it."

      "I'm hungry."

     "She can't speak but she can at the same time?"

     Hitomi's grip on her bag became tighter. Being in front and having people whisper about her made her insecure.

     The teacher too didn't understand what the girl's cousin meant so she kept quiet about and moved to another topic.

     "Where do you wanna sit? I think there are two more seats available. One of the students is not in class today.", she asked Hitomi.

     "Oohh. Here. Here. You can sit here.", Minjoo said as she raised her left hand and patted the seat next to her with her right hand. Hitomi hesitated to sit next to her or to sit at the empty seat next to it, on it's right.

     "Go on, Hitomi. You can sit there. She won't bite you.", the teacher chuckled at how hyper Minjoo is.

     "But be careful, that girl is super clumsy and forgetful.", the teacher whispered to Hitomi's ear playfully.

     "What? What's she saying?", Minjoo asked, not being able to hear what her teacher is saying, something probably about her, judging from how her teacher stared at her as she whispered.

     Hitomi went to her seat beside Minjoo.
"Hi, I'm Kim Minjoo.", Minjoo said as she held out her hand for Hitomi to shake.

     Hitomi could only stare at the beautiful girl speaking to her. The girl, Minjoo, she wasn't sure with the name, looked so pretty. Hitomi could see her whisker dimples and her eyes getting smaller as she smiled. She has perfect eyes, a perfect nose and really perfect lips. She's seriously so pretty.

     Hitomi realized that she's been staring for way too long. She blushed and immediately looked away. Minjoo pretended to scratch her face when Hitomi left her hanging and said, "Oh, okay."
The class began with their lesson. Hitomi just paid attention to the teacher and ignored Minjoo.

     After a while though, Hitomi felt something on her cheeks. She looked at her left and saw Minjoo poking her left  cheek.

     "Oh my gosh, it's so soft.", she said as she continuously poked Hitomi. Hitomi was used to this. Her cheeks were no longer s to these type of touches. She waited for Minjoo to just get sick of poking but then Minjoo was now pinching her cheeks. Minjoo giggled. Hitomi stared at her weirdly as Minjoo was not stopping, she was doing it mindlessly now.

     Hitomi moved a bit and Minjoo went back to her senses.

     "Oh sorry.", Minjoo faced the front of the room again finally letting go of Hitomi's cheeks. Hitomi felt relieved. But then Minjoo tried to inconspicuously call Nako who's in front of Hitomi by throwing a piece of paper.

     Nako glared at Minjoo, clearly annoyed but still  read what's written on the paper. Nako then looked at Minjoo again.

     "Why would I care about how soft her cheeks are? Just listen to the lesson.", Nako whispered.

     They stopped speaking so Hitomi sighed in relief and paid attention to the lesson again.

     It wasn't long after that she felt something shift and someone pinching her cheeks again. She thought it was Minjoo again but when she looked, Nako was the one beside her, pinching her cheeks, and Minjoo was now in front of them.

     "Woah, it really is so soft.", Nako said while her eyes were wide with shock.

     Minjoo faced them and said, "See? I told you it's so fluffy.". Minjoo giggled while Hitomi could feel her face getting warmer.

     "Minjoo and Nako. Would you please stop distracting Hitomi and just pay attention?", the teacher suddenly said. Both the girls were surprised when they heard their teacher, even Hitomi actually but she was relieved that the teacher finally stopped them. She couldn't tell them herself.

     "I'm sorry, Ma'am. It's just so soft.", Nako said before she immediately stopped pinching.

     "Please just go back to your seats and stop pinching the girl like it's the softest thing you've encountered in your lives, geez.", their teacher said as she continued writing on the board.

     "But it is though.", Minjoo said softly.

     Hitomi didn't know what happened but her teacher was now beside her desk pinching her cheeks.

     "Oh my gosh, you're right.", the teacher said while poking and gushing over Hitomi.

-----

     After getting lunch from the cafeteria, Hitomi was going back to her room to eat but she felt someone grab her arm. Her breath hitched, she was afraid that the bullying will now start.

     But when she looked at the person who was holding her arm, she somehow felt relieved. It was Minjoo, she still didn't know much about the girl who's smiling at her, but she's somehow comfortable with her. She still had doubts though, people were only kind in the beginning.

     "Where are you going? The tables are right here? Eat with us.", Minjoo said before pulling Hitomi her. She stopped when she felt Hitomi tugging in the opposite direction.

     Minjoo stared at Hitomi and saw how Hitomi was shaking her head, telling her she didn't want to with gestures.

     "Come on, I won't hurt you.", Minjoo looked at her, eyes filled with concern. Hitomi heard those words before but she still got hurt. She still got very hurt. Hitomi continued to tug away from Minjoo.

     "You really don't wanna come? Too bad, I bought these cream buns. They really reminded me of you. I wanted to taste it for the first time with you, who I met the first time today.", Minjoo said and pouted.

     That has got to be the corniest thing Hitomi has heard in all her life but she froze when she heard cream buns. She stopped struggling against Minjoo's grip and faced the direction Minjoo was pulling her to.

     Minjoo was shocked at how quickly she turned around and giggled at how serious and determined Hitomi looked.

     "Hey chill, do you wanna eat with me so suddenly that much?", Minjoo chuckled.
Hitomi shook her head and Minjoo's face dropped, jokingly showing her disappointment. She then squinted her eyes at Hitomi.

     "What made you change your mind then? Was it because of the bread?", Minjoo asked.

     Hitomi nodded without hesitation. Minjoo laughed at the cute girl who apparently likes bread more than her. Her laugh was soon overshadowed by someone else's laugh though.

         "HAHAHHAAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHA", someone's laugh echoed in the whole cafeteria.

     "Oh let's go there now, Hitomi. Chaeyeon unnie seems to be at our table now.", Minjoo linked her arms with Hitomi and walked to the direction of one of the tables. The laughter got louder and louder as they went nearer.

     "HAHAHHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA. You flirted with the school's new teacher?", Hitomi heard this girl laugh as Minjoo and her sat down with the group of friends.

     "Do you really have to laugh and say it out lo-", the girl who had pouty lips went silent as she saw a new person sitting with them.

     Hitomi felt the awkward silence surrounding her. She suddenly regrets coming with Minjoo at HER group's table. What if this is their territory? What if they get mad at her? A lot of things came into her mind. These voices in her head telling her things that the other girls surrounding her could think about her. She looked down at her food and was afraid to make eye contact with the girls.

     "Guys, I have a new friend.", Minjoo suddenly spoke.

     "What? Why would you make friends with this weirdo?", she heard a husky voice ask. This was it. She knew this would happen. People think she's weird and a snob because she can't speak to them and then they'd hurt her. She felt her hands get cold.

     "Yeah, why would you make friends with Minjoo? Minjoo is dangerous and weird, I'm warning you.", Another person said. Hitomi looked up, she was confused. What do they mean? Who's the weirdo?

     "Please be careful when you are around her, her face might be pretty but deep inside? She's deadly.", the husky-voiced girl spoke again.

     "Chaeyeon unnie! Yena unnie! Stop!", Minjoo whined and pouted.

     All of them, except Hitomi, laughed. Hitomi observed everyone and she saw familiar faces. The short girl that pinched her cheek earlier and the girl who was asleep the whole time.

     "She's a tranferee, our new classmate, Hitomi.", Minjoo introduced her.

     "Wait. We have a new classmate?", Yuri asked, surprised.

     "If you actually listened and not sleep during class, maybe you would've known, Yuri.", Nako said to Yuri.

     "Shhh. Lower your voice, Nako. Her admirers might hear you. You're too tiny to protect yourself.", the tall girl with the short hair said.

      "Yah, Yujin!", both Yuri and Nako threw a piece of their salad at her.

     Another tall girl laughed loudly as she saw how Yujin was hit by her unnies.

     Yujin hit Wonyoung on her shoulder. Wonyoung stopped laughing and hit her back. Yujin hit her back. The two kept hitting each other.

     The other girls just ignored the two.

     "Oh yeah, no new food from your admirers, Yuri?", the girl with the husky voice asked the girl sitting next to her. Yuri just put a bunch of food on top of the table like it was normal for her.

     "Yes!", the girl with the husky voice said as she and the other girls took the food quickly, Yuri didn't seem to care at all.

     "Are you gonna just live off food from Yuri when you get married, Yena unnie?", the girl with the loud laugh asked jokingly.

     "What are you saying? I will only date her, but not marry her.", Yena said before chewing her food again. A box of chocolates hit her head.

     "What makes you think I'd actually want to date you?", Yuri said after hitting her. Yena glared at her as she rubbed the spot Yuri hit her.

     "But aren't you dating already?", the tall girl asked Yena and Yuri while she was wiggling her eye brows. Yuri and Yena looked at each other and then made a face that clearly shows disgust.

     "Ew of course not.", Yuri said.

      "Ew of course not", the other tall girl mimicked Yuri.

     "With how close and touchy you two are to each other, are you sure you aren't?", Minjoo asked, clearly teasing the two girls who somehow look alike.

     "I already said no. You're asking us that, what about you and your girlfriend who's missing in action again today, huh?", Yena asked Minjoo. Minjoo was flustered and it took a long pause before answering.

     "I-I told you she-she's not my girlf---",   Minjoo was cut off by the tall girl.

     "Hitomi unnie looks confused. We should introduce ourselves first.", the tall girl suddenly cut her off and became serious.

      The atmosphere became tense. Yena stared at her and then Minjoo. Everyone became silent and it suddenly became awkward.

     "Yow Yena, Chaeyeon.", this good-looking guy suddenly said and sat down next to Chaeyeon.

     "Yow Hangyul.", Yena said as she fist-bumped with the guy. Smiling and clearly relieved because the tension disappeared when Hangyul called them.

     "Y-yow, Hangyul.", Chaeyeon awkwardly said and then awkwardly raised her hand for a high-five but then formed a fist as she saw how Yena and Hangyul did earlier.

     "W-Why are you here?", Chaeyeon stuttered as she spoke. She was clearly trying to keep a straight face but failed. Her face was getting redder. Good thing Hanyul didn't seem to notice anything.

     "Dance club's gonna have a meeting later. I just came here to inform you.", Hangyul said before taking a piece of fries from Chaeyeon's plate. He then stood up to leave but before that he smiled at a certain someone quickly, Hitomi saw who he looked at and wondered. Another thing that caught her interest was the dance club that the guy mentioned.

     "Hahahaahhaha did you see your face?", Yena laughed at Chaeyeon.

     Chaeyeon moved her food aside and bumped her head on the table again and again. Everyone laughed and Hitomi couldn't stop herself from smiling too.

     Perhaps these people are different. They don't seem to mind how different I am. They were funny and weird so she liked it. They were very noisy so she didn't feel the need to speak. She was comfortable with them but she still had doubts though. As she stared at everyone, she wondered if they'll stay like this or they'll be like the kids from her past schools.

     Nako noticed how she smiled so she was shocked because it was her first time seeing her smile since they've first met her. She kept quiet though, she didn't want to acknowledge that Hitomi smiled because she might stop smiling.

     "Okay, Hitomi. That girl next to you, you know her already, she's Kim Minjoo, the dumb one in our group.", Yena said before screaming.

     "Ouch, what was that for?", Yena asked Minjoo but she just smiled like she didn't kick her under the table.

     "The giant baby next to her, is Jang Wonyoung.", Yena continued. Wonyoung smiled at her and waved.

    "She's 14.", Yena added. Everyone laughed as they saw Hitomi's eyes widen with shock while she was eating.

     "The other tall girl next to her, is Ahn Yujin. She smells bad because she doesn't take a bath.", Yena said.

     "Ouch, what the?", Chaeyeon glared at Yujin when she felt someone kick her under the table.

     "Oops, I'm sorry, Chaeyeon unnie, that was meant for Yena unnie.", Yujin apologized.

     "That girl is Lee Chaeyeon. I'm sure you won't forget her because she has the loudest laugh you'll ever hear and her hair flies when she dances. She's the best dancer in the whole world.", Yena said carefully as she looked at Chaeyeon who was glaring at her. Chaeyeon smiled after Yena introduced her.

     "Now that girl who talks too much is Yena unnie.", Minjoo pointed at Yena.

     "She's a duck.", Wonyoung added.

     "She has a terrible fashion sense.", Nako added.

     "She's noisy when she sleeps.", Yujin then said.

     "Heyyy!", Yena whined.

     "But she's really caring. She can dance, sing, rap, just don't make her do Math, she can do anything.", Yuri added too.

     "Awwww. Thank you.", Yena said to Yuri before hugging her. Yuri smiled but then she stopped when she saw the stares their friends are giving her and Yena. She then tried to push Yena away. Yena just laughed.

     "The girl next to me is Yuri, she sleeps and sings a lot, and we always make her wash the dishes along with Wonyoung.", Yena jokingly said.

     "And last, that tiny girl next to you, that's Nako. She's Japanese too. She may look like a child but that's the devil, I'm telling you. She's evil.", Yena said. The next thing they knew, a spoon was already flying towards Yena. She rubbed her face where the spoon hit her.

     "Nako already told us about you, so don't worry. We won't force you to speak.", Yena said when she recovered from the pain and smiled at Hitomi.

     Hitomi's chest felt warm after hearing those words. She wanted to speak but she couldn't let out the words she wanted to say so she just shyly nodded before looking down again, avoiding everyone's stares.

     Hitomi then saw bread hovering in front of her. She looked up and saw Minjoo offering a cream bun. She hesitated but after a while, she shyly took it. Minjoo giggled when she did.

     "Oh wait. We forgot to introduce our friend. She's in your class.", Yena said.
Hitomi waited for her Yena to continue before biting.

     "Her name's Kim Chaewon." Yena said.
Suddenly everyone was shocked and stared at Hitomi.

     "Chaewon? Kim Chaewon?", Hitomi said softly but there was worry and anger evident in her eyes. Everyone thought that she looked like she was about to cry.

     A loud sound could be heard that made everyone in the cafeteria look at them.
Hitomi hit the table with her fist loudly and stormed out of the cafeteria, leaving her cream bun untouched.

     Everyone stared at her with wide eyes as she left. Yena's orange juice was dripping from and on to her glass. After that she asked:

     "What just happened?"