People could be the talk of the school for various reasons. Either bad, good, or even weird reason.

Like Hirai Momo for example.

Nobody in Teudoong High doesn't know Hirai Momo. From her year mates, freshmen, and even seniors.. They ought to know the blonde girl who always came to school with braided pig tails, expensive glasses and a branded bag—hand bag. The reason, is simple. She is pretty, she is adorable, quite smart—not really the top student but still smart, and she is rich. Very very rich.

Her father is currently the leader of The Hirai Group, a huge multinational company that has tons of subsidiary companies in various field of business. Her mother runs MyMode, her own clothing brand and it is one of the top brand which mainly worn by famous people like models, artist, singers and even politician. Dresses, blouse, bags, shoes, pouches.. anything.  Not just that, her mother also has few cafe around seoul. So yea.. momo came from a really rich family.

 

But momo also known by her negative side.. which quarter of the whole school probably would agree that she has a really annoying spoiled princess/ Mama’s baby attitude. Anything happened to her, she reported it to her mother. She got problem in school, the next day her mother would come to school and talk with the principles.

Yes.. Her family has a really great impact towards the school and that’s somehow also made the school neglecting few unessential rules on Momo. like no one stopped her eating during the class session, it’s fine for her not to wear indoor shoes that school provides, and they even allowed her to use a fancy hand bag instead of regular school bag. So yea.. those things made few students got annoyed by it.

For friends.. momo only has a few. People choose to keep a distance and maintain less interactions with momo all because of how burdensome the outcome would be if they did something unpleasing to momo—unintentionally or not. If momo got irritated, or uncomfortable with anything they did towards her, she’ll reported it to her mom that would do anything for her daughter.

The only people who could manage to deal with her attitude and don’t really mind with her social status are; Im Nayeon, Minatozaki Sana, Kim Dahyun, and Chou Tzuyu. Those girls also came from a quite wealthy family that runs family business. Except dahyun. she’s a daughter of a really well known composer. But probably not as rich as Momo’s family.

 

So yeah.. Momo is soo famous within the school for both good things, and bad things.. But at least she’s known by true facts not famous because of rumor or weird gossips. And that’s how Myoui Mina become famous in Tdoong High.

 

She rarely talks, always sit on the corner of the class, sleeves always rolled and her poise combined with her blonde long hair.. Gracefully yet mysteriously cold. All of those made her look so intimidating and somehow people started to make weird and baseless rumors about her.

Mafia’s daughter, a flop teen model or teen actress who decided to retire and went back to school, a daughter of a shady company owner, a repeating senior, even a delinquent who own tons of minions out of the school. Everything was just a baseless assumptions, judging by the mysterious aura that Mina always gave.

 

Momo's gang, the gang that no students want to mess with, also got intimidated by Mina too.. you can say that its because they’re affected by the rumors and also how mina usually act.. it’s not like she always frown or glared at them.. in fact, she smile a lot towards them. But somehow they interpreted Mina’s polite or warm smile as a smirk and felt like a sinister smile… So Momo’s and her friends rarely interact with mina or more like try their best not to interact with her.

 

But. Momo’s perspective about Mina is about to change.It happened when the school finally ends.

 

When school ends, everyone started doing their after school activities.. Call it club activities, went to cram school, extra courses outside the school.. or.. going home. Just like what momo about to do.

Not like her friends, Momo didn’t follow any club nor having any courses outside the school.. Once the school finish, she mostly go back home or spent time with her mother.

 

Momo now stood by herself on the school lobby, waiting for her mother and her chauffer. Its usual for her mother to fetch her from the school despite how busy her schedule was. Momo never asked for her to pick her up in fact, momo has her own chauffer yet her mother always wanted to both drop and pick momo to school.

Yes… she is THAT spoiled and her mother is THAT protective..

But it’s been like five or even ten minutes after the bell rang yet the luxurious silver colored Bentley that her mother usually rides, still nowhere to be found. Momo thought that maybe her mother still in a meeting or something and apparently she was right.. she got a text from her mother who informed her that she’ll be late since she is currently still in a meeting with a prominent endorser for her new design and the client seems a little bit complicated.

Momo huffed—It’s not like her mother always on time when picking her from school— yet still replied her mother’s text and told her that she understands...

 

Well she couldn’t do much about it.. momo might be spoiled and mama’s girl.. but she is not that annoying mama’s girl who always demand irrational things, throwing tantrum when things didn’t go her way and such.. She knew how to behave.

Besides.. she is thankful enough that her mother still trying to at least squeezed some time to spend with her despite how busy she is.

So since it seems like it would take a while for her mother to arrive, Momo decided to go back to her class. plus.. It’ll be tiring and weird for waiting at the lobby alone.. Possibly, there’ll be no one there but it could be the perfect place to wait until her mom pick her up.

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Once she arrived in front of her class, she slide the door sloppily as it end up making a really loud noise that she herself got startled by it. But it’s not really a problem since nobody was ther—

 “Kyaa!!!” well that’s momo’s voice..

Apparently there was someone there, sitting on the corner of the room with books scattered on her desk.

What made Momo screamed, isn’t just because she suddenly saw someone there.. but more because of the identity of that person..

 

“M-myoui!” yes. she is Myoui Mina. the girl that always makes her feel intimidated.

“Gosh.. You startled me..” said momo while she held to her chest, still felt the shock.

“Mmm.. Isn’t that supposed to be my line, Momo-ssi?” asked Mina. Although she was right, but momo decided to ignore it—her pride says so.

 

Without saying a thing, Momo just walked towards Sana’s desk that located on the front line near the window. Why she chose Sana’s desk instead of hers? Because her desk located near Mina’s.. from momo’s desk, mina’s desk is at her four o’clock. so yea. it’ll be sooooo awkward and weird if she sat there. Plus, Sana’s desk is beside window and she could see the athletic club practicing.. she can wait with a view to look at and won’t be that bored.

 

But actually.. this position, this situation, made things mooore awkward. At least for momo.

Knowing someone was behind her yet they didn’t speak a thing.. yes this is awkward for her. not to mention there’s a tiny bit of curiousness inside her upon Mina still staying at this hour.

Her pride made her reluctant to turn around and look at mina. so, she tried to steal a glance subtlety. Slowly, she tried to look back while pretending that she was looking towards the corridor.

First try she didn’t make it.. she was too nervous that mina would caught her and it made her swift too fast. the second try had similar result... until the third time, she decided to slower her pace and took a bold move. Finally, she happened to see a quick view of mina writing on her book. And that.. Caught momo’s attention.

And with that, the shifting process of Momo’s perspective about mina.. Begins now.

 

“Studying? why she bothered to stay longer at school just for.. studying? Can’t she just do it in her house? or maybe its true that she came from a mafia family and it made her couldn’t concentrate much in her own house due to all the shady business there?”

 

“Yes, Momo-ssi?”

“hm?” Mina’s sudden call caught momo off guard.

“Is there anything you want to say to me?”

“N-no.. Obviously.”

 

Mina dropped her pen, crossed her arms on the table and said with a smile, “Well.. You’re sitting towards my direction like that so I assumed you want to say something to me.”

 

“What? No I’m—oh..”

 

Well actually, without momo even realized her curiosity made her fully turned herself towards mina and observing her. being caught like this.. kinda embarrassing so momo need to improvise, hope mina would buy her lies.

 

“I… I turned around because you call me! D-don’t be ridiculous..” Of course, lying isn’t really Momo’s expertise

“Hmmm…” Mina let out a hummed, like she acknowledge what momo just said. but actually.. Mina didn’t buy Momo’s lies and threw the same question.

 “So? is there something you want to say or ask?”

“I told you there’s not—“

 

Momo let her words hung.. all because of Mina’s teasing smirk.  A smirk that somehow looked like ‘yea yea whatever I know you lie’ or something similar like that. Momo gulped nervously.. no matter how soft mina’s voice were, her smirk and her stare, intimidated momo the most.

 

“Well..I-it’s not like I’m curious or anything. I’m not curious at all. Like.. at ALL.”

“Sure.. so?”

“Why you still here and studying? Like… it’s weird... “

“We’re in school now, place to study.” That, made momo rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Gee thank you for the high quality information, Ms. Obvious. I’m so enlighten.”

 

Momo’s snarky comment, actually brought laughter to Mina and that was the very first time Momo heard mina’s giggle..

 

“I-it’s not even funny!” Said Momo

“It’s funny for me.” Said mina between her laugh

“Weirdo.”

 

Mina then dimed down her laughter and tried to give momo a more proper answer.

 

“Okay to answer your question.. The reason why I still study here, despite the school is finish, Is because I had trouble concentrating in my own house and this is the only place I could preview tomorrow’s lesson or doing homework at peace.”

That answer, tickled momo’s brain. Imagination of weird business happened inside the Myoui Household, business that noisy enough to disturb Mina’s concentration, started appearing on momo’s head.

 

“Why you can’t concentrate in your own house? that’s so shad—I mean weird! Yeah.. weird.”

“Well.. Back in home, I have a very clingy bab—“

“BABY?!” Momo stood up the moment Mina said that and once again she tried to emphasize her shocked, “You have a baby?!! At this young age?!”

 

The outcome from that loud reaction, this time, Mina aint just giggling.. but a big laugh came out from her. Again.. it still the first time for momo to see that.

 

“W-what??” asked momo. but mina still laughing

“Oh come on! stop laughing!”

The annoyance is quite visible in momo’s tone so Mina tried to chill down a bit and clarify things.

“I mean baby dog.” said mina in between her laugh “I have a puppy in my house.”

 

Momo then sat down, a pout appeared on her face as she both irritated and embarrassed from it

 

“Y-you could just say puppy! No need to say something as scandalous as that..”

“well you’re the one who cut off the conversation and jumped to that conclusion...” And again, momo gave her a rolling eyes.

“Whatever.”

“Anyway. That puppy is quite clingy and always disturb me when I’m doing something.. so since there’s homework that need to be submit tomorrow, I had to stay here longer.” Momo just took that information quietly. Didn’t respond a thing.

 

“How about you?”

“What about me?”

“Why are you still here? doing homework too?”

“Of course not. Homework means work that we should do in home. Not in school. so no.”

“I thought I’m the Ms. Obvious.”

 

Momo gave mina a glare and an angy pout right after she heard that. On the other side, mina again just gave her a smile while tilting her head to her right.

 

And it started to shift. Mina isn’t intimidating. She is annoying.

 

“You are the one who asked whether I’m here to do homework or not! so I answered that.. I’m not as OBVIOUS as you are.”

Mina laugh after momo said that  “Okay okay I’m sorry. I’m just joking.”

 

It shifted again. Mina isn’t annoying. She just… playful?

 

“So, want to tell me the real reason why you still here?”

“My mom still in a meeting with a client or something. so I have to wait for her.”

“Aah I see… but, don’t you have private chauffer or something?”

“I have. But mom always wanted to pick me up so she goes anywhere with my chauffer..”

Mina nod at that info and then she threw another question. “then.. can’t you like just.. go home alone?”

“By what?”

“Bus? Taxi? Anything?”

“Me? riding those? Psh..”

“Why not? it’s way convenient to ride that instead of waiting for your mother to finish her business.. in fact, you can ease her a bit you know. she could work at ease too.”

 

What Mina said was.. right. she could just go back home alone using public transportation and it definitely won’t disturb her mother schedule...

But actually Momo never rode any public transportation before… Well, she is THE Hirai Momo, daughter of the billionaire family.. Since she was little, she always move around the city using her parents’ expensive and luxurious cars. Taxi? Bus? Subway? She only know how it looks from drama.  

But Mina didn’t have to know that. Momo’s pride, didn’t want Mina to know that.. so Momo just built her defense by cutting the conversation,

“W-whatever. It’s none of your business.”

 

Momo then turned around, made her body completely facing the window as a gesture that she didn’t want to talk anymore. Mina got the meaning behind it and just continued what she did earlier.

 

 

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*RING RING*

 

Suddenly Momo’s phone rang and broke the silence that engulfing them for about five minutes.. It startled her of course.. but since momo use a phone strap, she could easily pick up the call without had to make a mess or did clumsy thing.

 

“Mamaa!” Said momo happily the moment she picked up the call for her mom. Of course that high and cute tone caught Mina’s attention again.

“Momo darling, are you still in school?”

“Yes.. I’m in my class right now.”

“Oh thank god.  Mama is on the way to your school.. but the traffic is a little bit hectic.. are you okay waiting for a little bit more?”

“Eun! It’s okay mama.”

“I’m so sorry i kept you waiting darling.. the client was a little bit stubborn with their demands and now the traffic... Are you alone there?? oh god look at the time! all the students might have gone back home already..”

“You don’t have to worry.. Most of the student still here, doing their club activities..”

“But you don’t have one right? oh my poor baby.. Miru-ya, can you go faster a bit? Momo is alone there.”

“Yes Ma’am. I’ll try to find the faster route.” Momo could hear a vague voice of her chauffer through the phone

 “Mama.. Miru needs to drive slowly and safely. Besides, I’m okay here.. I’m not alone.”

“Really?? who is with you??”

“I’m with…..”

 

Momo scanned the room, trying to find some excuse.. She didn’t want her mom to worry or even want to make her feel apologetic for being late.. but the only thing she could see.. is the girl who currently looking towards her, head supported by her palm, and gave a small smile to her.

 

“Momo? momorin??”

“I’m with… a friend… yes, a friend.”

 

Mina’s brows twitched hearing the word friend came up from Momo followed by mina pointing herself and mouthed “me?” that momo chose to ignore.

 

“oh? who is with you? Sana? Nayeon? Dahyun? Tzuyu? I want to talk to them. I need to apologize to them too.”

“N-no.. not them. it’s.. new one. you haven’t met her..” and yeap momo made the wrong move to say that. the word ‘new friend’ for protective mom like hers… is bad.

“New friend?! Who?! I need to know her name and her face. okay I’m going to change to video call so I can talk and see her.”

“Mama wa—!”

 

The line were cut off and this made Momo ran to Mina in panic. Meanwhile, mina just sat there, waiting for momo.

 

“You have to tell my mom that we’re friends.”

“You want me to lie to your mother?”

“I-it’s a white lie. White lie is good.”

“But I don’t like lying.” Said mina, with a smug plastered on her face.

And with that, Momo’s perspective about mina went back to annoying/teaser

 

*RING* *RING*

 

Momo’s phone rang again and the screen showed that her mom called her using video call. of course this made her more panic than before.

 

“Come on! I just don’t want my mom to worry too much. She already too tired with her work earlier and knowing that I’m not alone could at least ease her a bit..”

 

Mina shifted from her seat.. she leaned a bit forward, both her palm supported her chin and with a smile she said, “The magic word?”

And this made the pride-full Momo annoyed. “Myoui!!”

“You just need to say the magic word, Momo-ssi.” Mina’s pursed smile, made everything worse.

 

Momo knew what Mina meant and her pride screamed her not to do it. But the rang on her phone that never seems to stop, the way mina swung her feet like she’s excited teasing momo, plus.. the flickering brows. That’s it.. momo decided to bury down her pride.

 

“Please, Myoui?”

Mina smile grew wider and said, “You can answer that call.”

 

Momo then quickly answered it, “Mama.. please don’t ask weird question okay. we’ve been friends not that long and I don’t want her to get scared or anything.”

“Sure darling. Now pass the phone to her.” momo did what her mother told her to do and when mina received her phone, another surprised happened..

 

“Annyeong ha—oh! Mina-chan! Hi there!”

Mina-chan??

“Hisahiburi desu, Mayu obaasan. (Long time no see, Mayu auntie)”

Obaa-san???

 

Momo was so dumfounded with what happened right in front of her eyes. Mina was so chatty with her mom, the Myoui Mina that rarely talk.. the Myoui Mina that always use a cold façade.. Especially.. the fact both were soo friendly with each other.. Momo couldn’t even hear anything they were talking about.. all momo could see is how warm mina’s smile now. not the usual sinister-like smile..

 

“Momo-ssi? Hello?”

 

Apparently momo was so deep in her thought until she didn’t realize that Mina was done talking with her mother. With a blank face—still dumbfounded, Momo received her phone and asked,

“How did you..know my mom?”

“Everyone knows your mom.” Momo was still too confused that she didn’t seems annoyed with another obvious reply from Mina.

“She used –chan on you.. and you called her auntie..”

“well.. Your mother is close with my mom.”

“Y-your.. mom?”

 

Mina gave a nod at momo. then she suddenly hovered closer towards momo and she covered , like she about to tell something top secret. Of course momo followed along.. her curiosity pulled her in.

 

“Your mother and mine.. work together.” Momo hovered away, eyes widen in shock

“No way! my mom won’t do any shady business! She’s an honest business women!”

 

Mina went back to her seat, with a short laugh. And that’s, made Momo started to realize that Mina was just messing with her again.

 

“Y-you lied.. didn’t you?” asked Momo

“No I’m not.” Mina looked up to Momo and added, “My mom is your mother’s private lawyer.”

“Law..yer?” mina nod at it, “Wait.. Are you Auntie Soojung’s daughter???” and again, Mina gave momo a nod.

“But… her sure name isn’t myoui..”

“Your mother must be introduced my mom as her lawyer right? my mom didn’t use my father’s sure name when it’s about work.”

“Ah… that’s why…”

 

But then, mina scoffed. not the annoying one, or teasing one.. and soon, it followed by a kind of disappointed question.

 

“So you’re one of that people too, huh? People who believed at those ‘shady’ rumors about my family.”

Mina said it with smile. but this time.. momo knew it wasn’t sinister one, nor smug one, nor even warm.. it’s sad.. a sad smile.

 

“W-well.. that was what I heard.. You never tell anyone about it either.” Momo’s pride trying to cover the fact that she felt sorry upon the judgement.

“B-besides.. Its also your fault! You didn’t have to whisper it to me like that. of course I would think about that rumor right away although at first I don’t really believe that was true.” Mina didn’t say anything even though Momo put the blame on her.

 

Something pinched momo’s heart… yet she decided to ignore it and walked back to Sana’s desk.  But before that, she needs to do what she must do.

 

“Anyway.. uh.. thank you. for earlier.”

“Don’t mention it.” even after that happened, mina still smile.

 

and that.. that of course made Momo came back to Sana’s desk with a deep thought. Thought of doubt. Doubt on those weird rumors about mina.. because within this very short time yet the longest she spent with her.. Myoui Mina.. isn’t look as intimidating as before.. isn’t as ‘dark’ as what people say..

Today.. it completely shifted. Mina isn’t dark, isn’t intimidating nor shady. She sometimes annoying, a playful girl but she actually.. okay? or.. good? something like that.

                                                                                                                                                                                     

and one question popped on her head. “if the rumors are not true... why she never clarify it?”

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AUTHOR NOTES:

Heyy everyone! it's short right? yea i know.. but i decided to break the whole story into two parts or.. few parts.. let's just see later.. I'll post it tomorrow

hehe sorry for the wait ^^



Kamsahamnida