Here it is - my first day in high school. Will I find new friends? Will the old ones forget me? Why did my parents want to push me into this new elite school? I understand that this is an incredible opportunity, but all my friends will be miles away from me now. And I'm not so sociable to make new ones.

Having passed the courtyard, beautiful boys and girls who are brought by expensive cars immediately caught my eyes. Eh, okay, the main thing is to not stand out and to keep confidence.

Without any accidents I went into the classroom, trying not to look at anyone in corridors. For the first time I looked up when I arrived to the class and disappointingly noted that a large number of people had already taken their places. In the front rows there were no more seats, and I had to sit at the back. Fortunately, my eyesight is good enough.

I pulled out school supplies, nervously smoothing out the strands of my hair that were wrinkling. I tried to look at my phone and try to hide all my fear in the screen. But suddenly the chair next to me moved over.

I looked up and saw a very handsome guy sitting down next to me. He was an unrealistically handsome man, they say about such people "as if he had left the portrait." For some time I looked at him in surprise, until he looked at me in response and our eyes collided, so I awkwardly looked away.

“Hey.” was heard from the side.

I turned to the voice and it was the very handsome guy who turned to me. I was a little dumbfounded, not knowing what to answer.

"What's your name? I am Taeyong."

The guy looked at me openly, even friendly, but I did not know what to say. Damn, my awkwardness.

“I ... well ... Jisoo ..” I almost whispered.

"Jisoo?" the guy stretched my name mockingly. " Such a dumb name."

My heart collapsed at that moment. And the guy grinned, already realizing that he had found a new target for himself.

Since that day, I have become a victim of the eternal bullying of Lee Taeyong. And his friends, which was a vast half of our class. Why did he do this to me? I don't know. Sometimes it seems to me that he doesn't know himself. Just using me as a punching bag? Or he just likes to feel superior to someone? Probably, yes.

As I said, most people joined his behaviour, but some just didn’t care. But more often than others, along with Taeyong, his friends made my life horrible: Chenle and Jungwoo. I know teens are cruel, but that much? Everyday painful slap on the head, pieces of paper flying in my direction, embarrassing jokes, I always cleaned up for them, took their blame upon myself. Which is even worse, each of them was my classmate. And no one else had intentions to help me.

One day, when I was once again forced to stay after school and clean up the classroom  instead of my tormentors, one of the brightest events of my life happened.

I swept the floor, as the class door opened and Devil himself appeared.

“I see you are doing so well,” Taeyong grinned, walking his dirty shoes right in the place that I had just wiped. "Since I am your good friend and really care for your convenience, I brought you a little help."

Taeyong sat up the desk, grinning disgustingly while sitting there. And then the door opened with a thud again. Chenle and Jungwoo appeared in the class, pushing some tall guy with glasses inside. He also looked at the floor without saying anything, and Taeyong  jumped off the desk, throwing his hand around the guy's neck, forcing him to bend closer.

“Ji-ji, get acquainted, this is the forever-alone-Doyoung,” the other two viciously laughed at this performance. “Now he will help you the floor clean. Got it?"

His voice turned more into like an animal roar and was directed towards the tall guy. He nodded slowly, not crossing his eyes with Taeyong.

"Good, have fun."

And the door slammed again, leaving the two of us alone. That's how I met Kim Doyoung. Turned out that he was not such a loser as Taeyong had named him. Yes, he's a little awkward, yes, he's a little strange, but that was a part of his endless charm.

He lived in the same hell as I did. In fact, he is the half-brother of one of our tormentors: Jungwoo. And Jungwoo also was ... my neighbor. Yes, the one whom I hated with all my heart lived next to me. But Doyoung had it even worse - they lived under same roof and there was not a single day that Jungwoo did not show him how insignificant he was.

Jungwoo did the same for me, so my hell began early in the morning. But now there was something positive in this neighborhood. Doyoung and I became very close, because we not only found ourselves in a deplorable state together, but also our interests converged in many aspects. At some moments, it even seemed to me that we were not just good friends, but even something more.

There were moments when he defended me from Taeyong and his friends, getting extra beatings, but in the end turning their attention away from me. At these moments, my heart skipped a beat from an incredible languid feeling for this young man, so I could not watch how he was suffering. And I could no longer endure it myself.

As soon as the second year of my high school began, I went to taekwondo. And the first thing I saw, or rather WHO I saw, was a nice and friendly guy that seemed suspiciously familiar. And only at the moment when this guy, who was one of the seniors, came up to me and spoke, I realized who it was.

"Park Jisoo? Is that you?" the first thing this apparently Japanese guy told me. I looked at him questioningly, at which he smiled charmingly. “I knew that it was you! And I  knew that you would not recognize me."

"Do we know each other?" to which he simply scoffed, still smiling beautifully.

“Well, since you're so forgetful, I will introduce myself again. Nakamoto Yuta, and you, as I recall, Park Jisoo?" at that moment, I swear, my heart stopped.

Nakamoto Yuta, or Yuta-chan, the one I teased for looking like a girl, the one who constantly threw mud at me, for which I chased him around the yard, the one who was always there for me, despite our childhood quarreling. My childhood best friend stood right in front of me again.

From that moment, my life has once again changed dramatically. Yuta as a child moved back to Japan, we promised never to forget each other, but we could not maintain any connection. Yuta was offended that I didn't recognize him, but how could I recognize him when in childhood he looked like a crying long-haired and beautiful girl, and now he looks like a pretty and tall guy. But I'm surprised, he recognized me right away.

We began to constantly have lunch and dinner together after training, he began to teach me martial arts, but I never said why I learned it, always just brushing it off.

His friends would join our meals from time to time, but one of his basketball friends, Mark Lee, began to dine with us on the regular basis. He was a Canadian, but lived in South Korea and was quite happy with his life. We had a lot in common, especially I liked playing a guitar with him.

Bullying has also continued. I tried to resist and use my newly learned martial arts skills, but I didn't succeed. Taeyong was too strong for me, and he just laughed at my pathetic attempts.

Doyoung was also with me in these difficult times, trying to somehow help, but no one could get me out of this situation. Until that moment, Doyoung and I spent a lot of time together, at some point it felt like we even were dating, like we were inseparable in school, but it didn't go any further, especially since I began to spend more time with my newfound friend and his company.

One day, Doyoung did something that ruined our relationship.

“Let's date.” He whispered somehow awkwardly as we sat together in the backyard of the school.

I held an apple in my hand, which with a loud clatter fell from my hands. An awkward silence reigned. He looked everywhere, but not at me, and for the first time I looked directly  at him without blinking. I didn't know what to say. Perhaps a couple of months ago, I would have said yes, but now ... I don't see anything more than a friend in Doyoung. And how can I tell him this?

“Wow, I came just in time for some drama ” the familiar horrifying voice broke the silence and I trembled. Why he had to appear now? "Is a miracle of love sparkled between two ers?"

“ off, Taeyong,” I was no longer afraid of him. New skills added courage, although they didn't help for now.

“Why are you so defensive?” at that moment Taeyong dragged me closer with his strong hand. I wanted to push him away, but I still wasn't strong enough. "Well? What is your response to our shy little rabbit?"

I was silent, still trying to free myself from the grip, and Doyoung just didn't know what to say. He was silent.

“Hey, er,” this time his stepbrother called Doyoung, who now approached with Chenle to their undeniable leader. "Father called you. Disappear from here. And don't anger me."

Doyoung looked up at Jungwoo, opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something. But after a second he changed his mind, turning away. He looked at me, and in his eyes I read "I'm sorry." And Doyoung did what I was afraid of, but expected from him: he turned around and left. Leaving me alone with these three.

“Well, now your knight left and you're alone.” Taeyong grinned. I gritted my teeth, trying not to show my disappointment. Why do I feel like crying? “You shouldn’t have refused his feelings, now you can't use him as a shield against me, disappointing, huh?”

" you!" With all the foolishness in me, I gritted my teeth into Taeyong’s hand that held me, he screamed in pain and finally recoiled from me. I was in annoyance, rage, sadness. I didn't know what I was doing, so I just wanted to hit him again. But his friends finally got into senses and they seized me very harshly.

"Little ,” Taeyong hissed viciously, which is why all my flamboyant courage vanished. My knees shook as he looked up at me full of anger. He raised the same bitten hand above me, ready to hit, and I closed my eyes shut as I heard:

"Get away from her!" slowly opening my eyes, I saw Taeyong knocked down with a clear blow to his face. Waves of relief ran through my body, and I saw my savior, who now was looking viciously at the two guys that were holding me. "Let her go."

“Mark,” I smiled happily, breaking free from the hands of these two and falling into the hands of a guy who defended me so bravely.

He carefully pressed me to his chest, and for the first time I felt that no one else would hurt me.

We walked out of there while two guys brought Taeyong to his senses. After Mark explained that he had transferred to our school and didn't expect that the guys would mock me like that. And he promised that this will not happen again. I also persuaded him not to tell Yuta. I don't want to be weak in his eyes.

In the days, weeks and months that followed, no one really touched me. Taeyong tried to approach me, but as soon as he saw that Mark was next to me, he immediately left. Mark spent a lot of time with me, and it was like a blessing. I wasn't afraid of anything with him, but as a bonus I had a wild fun, because this guy knew how to joke around.

Doyoung never approached me again. And after a couple of weeks he completely transferred to another school. I didn’t make the first step, didn’t talk to him, didn’t confront him. And I regret it, but it was too late, and I didn’t see Doyoung at my school anymore.

I spent the rest of my school years with Mark, Yuta and their friends. They became my best friends, and Mark ... Mark liked me. It was clear to me and to everyone else, which people often noted to me. He was always with me, 'accidentally' touching, but I ... even liked it?

But, surprisingly, we never went somewhere together. There was always at least one person with us, but we didn't mind, although Mark used to behave like a jealous boyfriend. 

At one great sunny school day, Mark and I were sitting on the roof, and he put his head on my laps as usual, and I leaned against the wall, enjoying the sun.

"Jisoo," Mark caught my attention, and he got up, sitting down next to me. He didn't look into my eyes, but somewhere far away, as if thinking about something. "Let's go to watch a movie?"

I was taken aback for a second, but immediately pulled myself together, smiling at him.

"Yes, of course, Yuta also wanted to go to watch some new horror movie," Mark turned at me, almost touching our noses. He was very close.

"No. I meant just you and me, ” Mark said more quietly, squinting his eyes from the sun. Although, is it because of the sun?

“O-okay,” I turned away, embarrassed.

This was my first date. That is, the very first date. Yes, I walked around with Doyoung, but only around school, somehow I didn't get to hang out with him outside of the school. And with Mark... Mark was really fun. The whole horror, which I am usually terribly afraid of, I laughed like crazy, because Mark whispered in my ear all the nonsense that constantly made me laugh. And in the end, after the same cheerful and relaxed dinner, he walked me home and almost kissed me.

He was so excitingly close... I could see his face in absolute closeness, his long eyelashes, pale skin, and such a deep, sensual stare ... Everything inside fluttered, my eyes began to close themselves, as my mother walked out of the house. That's how my first kiss was interrupted: with the embarrassed and almost running away Mark.

I began to perceive Mark no longer as a simple sweet and funny friend, but as ... something more. Until HE appeared.

When in a couple of days we all agreed to get together with friends, I dressed up and put on makeup, because I wanted to impress someone. I expected to see our typical company: Mark, Yuta and their always-changing friends. But Mark brought along his good friend, who recently also returned from distant United States.

“Hi, my name is Jaehyun,” and he smiled charmingly, showing cute dimples on his cheeks, and at that moment I realized I had fallen out of this world. And I have fallen for him.

He was good at everything, as if I had met a prince from fairy tales in real life. His English was divine, he had a deep, soulful voice, a beautiful smile and an aura of masculinity. On the first day he began to pay attention to me, he smiled at me charmingly, made me laugh, paid for my meals, accidentally touched my fingers, when passing me something.

For the first time I felt something that is described in the novels: the first naive love. And it turned out to be ... mutual. I fell deeper and deeper, and I didn't mind it at all. And Mark ... Mark realized he had lost. Mark didn’t have time to overcome the line of friendship, and Jaehyun got into my heart too quickly and persistently, spinning my head around.

And now he has already became a permanent member of our group, becoming one of my best friends, along with Yuta and Mark. But for me he was becoming something bigger.

After exactly one month, Jaehyun asked me what I had been waiting for.

"Will you date me?"

I was happy. And I agreed. We started dating, which was an absolute surprise for everyone, except Mark. He saw and understood everything, but I preferred to pretend not to notice. Until Yuta spoke to me.

"Why are you doing this?"

"What?"

“Don't pretend like you don't understand,” Yuta said frankly and directly as always. He never hid his feelings, thoughts, for which I respected him immensely. I could fall face down in the mud in front of anyone, but not in front of him. And I felt incredibly ashamed. “Mark likes you. And I thought you liked him as well. And suddenly Jae rushes in and you are with him? You don’t respect Mark's feelings at all?"

I stared at my sneakers, afraid to look up at Yuta. He was someone I respect, like an older brother. And I knew he was right. But I couldn't help myself, in Mark I began to see only a friend, and it would be more unfair to give him a chance when there's none.

"Yuta. I fell in love with Jaehyun. And Mark ... he deserves someone better."

I really thought so. I began to see only a brother in Mark, same as Yuta. And in Jae I saw ... a prince.

"I understand," Yuta sighed heavily, getting up from the bench on which we were sitting. "It's your choice, Jisoo. Don't make a mistake."

After this conversation, we never returned to this topic, and everything returned to normal. After a while, Mark forgot and got used to it, already perceiving me as his friend. And Jaehyun ... dating him was like a fairy tale. He walked me home and back to school, many times went on dates with me, gave me incredible gifts. And he said he loved me.

And our first kiss ... well, he wasn't the first one who kissed me.

My parents took me on vacation to Germany against my will. I mean, it was great and one in a life opportunity, but I was in love and I just wanted to spend time with my boyfriend, I had no care about anything else.

Walking around our hotel one day, I wandered into a beautiful garden with a swinging bench. With the joy of a child, I sat on it, swaying slightly as the bench shuddered from the weight of another person.

I looked up and saw a handsome guy who looked like a European. He looked straight into my eyes, as if asking something. I was taken aback as this young man leaned quickly, kissing me.

My eyes almost fell out of their sockets, after a second I realized what had happened and wanted to push him away but he already pulled away from me.

"My name is Hendery, glad to meet you," he smiled smugly, and I got into my senses, abruptly raising my hand and dropping a loud slap in the face of this rude man. From the force of the blow, his head turned the other way, and I jumped up.

“You moron,” and I quickly ran back to my room.

For the next week, this guy followed me, tried to speak with me, ask me on the date, and I just got more irritated. He explained that he lost a bet to his friends, and they dared him to kiss me. But that was no excuse for my lost first kiss, which I could give to my boyfriend.

After the end of this vacation, this guy gave me his number and said that we would meet again, but I threw paper with his number away. Jae and I kissed many times after that, so I made up for the first kiss that I lost, but I still haven't forgiven that jerk.