“Hirai Momo!”

The professor slammed a book on her desk, making the bespectacled girl woke up with a start. Her black-rimmed round eyeglasses fell to the floor and the room erupted in laughter. Their Sociology professor, however didn’t look amused.

“Miss Hirai, this is the fourth time I caught you sleeping in my class! What do you think of my classroom, sleeping quarters?” The room burst again in laughter until Ms. Sunmi shushed the class. She sighed and looked at the girl rubbing her eyes and has probably had drool on her chin. 

“I don’t think you would like to pass this subject. Maybe you could just take it in summer, when you are probably more awake.” The class cackled again and Momo balled her fist but muttered a soft apology towards her professor. 

Her professor had turned her back and proceeded with the lesson and Momo pulled her hair in frustration. She felt something hit her head and a ball of tissue roll off her table. She didn’t look, she’s used to being thrown objects when her classmates are bored.  Her seat mate, the head cheerleader, Im Nayeon leaned towards her and gestured to her chin. 

“Hirai, wipe that drool off your chin.” Momo touched her chin, and wiped her chin with the back of her hand. She heard the friends of the Queen bee snickered. Momo steeled herself never to look at these people’s faces, internally counting 1 to 10 and just focused on Miss Sunmi. Ten months and she’s out of this hell hole. If and only IF she doesn’t fail this Sociology class. This is her last year, she better not screw it---she had to finish all her subjects on time, or else.

The period was too slow for Momo, she could feel her classmates whispering at each other and she just focused on reading her book even if she cannot understand what she was reading. She felt something on her back and she sneaked a peek at that person who seem to put something on her back. She caught the Basketball Team captain, Yoo Jeongyeon snickering. She reached to her back and pulled the paper taped on her back and read it. ‘Pabo’ Momo sighed and crumpled the paper and put it inside her bag. Her classmates at the back still continue their sniggering towards her, it’s always her and Momo had to stop herself and lash at the jock. The last thing she wanted is to get attention, so she just let them do what they want to do with her.

The bell rang and Momo awkwardly gathered her things when someone bumped her from behind. Her eyeglasses fell to the floor and a strawberry- blonde woman wearing a black leather jacket gave her an insincere apology and a smirk. A beautiful smirk, if Momo could say so—if she’s done being pissed. Minatozaki Sana, the Drama club’s precious actress looked at her from head to foot, and let out a laugh, like she’s the funniest thing she had ever seen in her life. She knows how she probably look to this goddess, probably like microscopic mitochondria—just like those in Chaeyoung’s drawings. She was about to pick up her glasses when someone bumped her from behind again, making her fall to the floor. 

“Jeongyeonie! You didn’t have to do that!” 

Someone held on her elbow and helped her stand up. She locked eyes to the person who also picked her glasses, the Dance club main dancer, Myoui Mina. The girl’s eyes widened when they locked eyes, but after a split second, Mina then turned to face the jock.

“C’mon, Minari it was a joke.”

“And you know it was not funny, Unnie.”

Jeongyeon shrugged and smirked at Momo. She then went out the room with Sana and Nayeon but belatedly called Mina loudly. Mina hurriedly helped Momo to gather her things, said a soft sorry and went to follow her friends. Momo just stared at the dancer’s disappearing back when the bell rang. 

Oh, s*it, she will be late and Momo cannot afford to be late.

Momo ran towards her locker, threw her school bag in and grabbed another bigger bag and sprinted outside. It was with regret she enrolled in this Sociology course, because the only schedule is until six oclock in the evening. Now, she has to rush every time to reach her 7 o’clock part time and it’s on the other side of town. She was already dialing her uncle’s number while she was running.

“Oji!! I am already here in the bus stop please fetch me!”

In two minutes, a limo pulled up and Momo jumped inside and then it drove off--with Momo taking off her clothes and changing into the dress she brought. She frowned at the dress her Oji prepared for her, it was a body-hugger sequined-gold dress up to her thigh with a slit on the side and a neckline that reached her waist, only covering around half of her s. Talk about covering up. Momo then shrugged into the dress, changed shoes and comb her hair. Thankful for the heavy traffic downtown, Momo was able to attached the wig perfectly, the long flowing hair now adorned her head. She quickly applied make-up, careful not to make any smudges. The limo crawled into the heavy traffic and Momo figured she still have 5 minutes. She expertly applied lipstick and check herself on the mirror. Not bad for someone on the rush.

The traffic had moved and Momo watched as the Seoul cityscape flashed by. Until now, Momo still cannot believe all the things that has been happening to her. But she’s a big believer of fate—her life had changed so suddenly six springs ago—when her father had suddenly collapsed and died, leaving a sixteen-year-old Momo and  thirteen-year-old Hana, and their jobless Mother. Her father’s brother, Ken had asked Momo’s mother if Momo would like to try some modelling stint since Momo has the built for it. Her mother didn’t want to, but it was Momo who was insistent. So Momo started to model initially for small-time advertisements as an extra, to household items, to teen’s clothes and eventually, to lingeries and men’s magazines. Momo just show her mom her “wholesome” photoshoots, and hide those of her in little pieces of clothing and with alluring poses, or her mom might suffer heart-attack. 

But her uncle had other dreams for her. He worked hard to be noticed by the international modelling agencies and tries to send them pictures of Momo to no avail. But Oji never lost hope. He trusted that Momo can make it out in the greater modelling scene, and now his efforts are starting to pay off. 

Momo saw that she’s almost on the front of the hotel. She saw the flashes of light and the man huddling infront of her limo. She thought she’s used to it, but as soon as the valet opened her door, Momo was bathed in a sea of light, and of voices calling her name.

“Yumi! Please look this way!”

“Miss Kisaki, here!”

“Yumi! Yes, this way, please!”

Momo smiled her 100-watt smile and she could hear fangirls shouting her name and she waved.

“I love you, Yumi!”

Momo gave her fans a flying kiss and they shrieked. Momo grinned and waved until she entered the door to the hotel where she was almost pulled to a door and her Uncle barking orders to the other models.

“Took you time in that red carpet, Momo.”

“Can’t let my fangirls down, can I?” 

Her uncle threw to her a large costume piece, probably feathered eagle wings. “Two minutes till showtime Yumi-chan.”

The stylist attached the wings to her clothes and Momo tested it, making sure she can walk with that gigantic wing on her back. 

“Showtime,girls. Let’s do this!” 

The music cued their entrance. Twenty models lined up and Momo is the last in the line. She took a deep breath and tried to calm her nerves. Being a free-lance model, Momo is used to limelight. She can entice the crowd with just a glance. But being a new Victoria’s Secret Princess, Kisaki Yumi, the prestige slightly scares yet excites her. 

Her uncle always say her smile looks mysterious--as if she's holding the world's most important secret, that is why many people are drawn to her. It was her turn to walk the cat walk and she took time to connect with the audience. The gold dress hugs her figure like a second skin, and she walked as regally as a Princess would.

She could see men and women alike looking admiringly at her. Hips swaying sensually, she made three turns before she walked backstage. It took a few seconds after she’s back in the backstage before the crowd erupted in a pandemonium. 

“You casted your spell again, Yumi. They’re bewitched.” A co-model said and she smiled. She thought of her classmates, and shook her head.

If only Yumi Kisaki could do it in her real life.