I.

note: chaeyoung is older than jennie here

...

It was a big day for Jennie Kim. She and her family just moved into Seoul to pursue their growing real estate business. After her father became successful from selling retail land lots in Itaewon, they've decided to invest their lives in the country's capital. Hoping they can run along the competitive family tycoons of the metropolitan.

Jennie thought of this as a simple change. They move to Seoul to get a bigger house, better school, new security and a more established and quiet life. There were no hindrances anymore. She guessed that money can buy that too. But what she doesn't know is that becoming rich can never go simple. And she's going to learn the hard way.

Her mother finally got her into an elite high school in Seoul. The grant for her entrance was a bounty that Jennie knew she needed not to waste her opportunity to do well. Regardless of any circumstance. Not that she doesn't do well.

She always comes first and will always come first. That has been her mindset from the start, you can say that it came from her Father. The only man Jennie admires the most. At least it'll give her a boost in the competitive community she's about to enter. 

The young girl did not know much about her new school, except from the fact that her friends from Itaewon would always say, "Oh! Isn't that the school Park Chaeyoung is in?" That was their response when she first shared the news of the school she was transferring to, although perplexed of who this Chaeyoung was, she did not care enough to pry. Or to give any more thoughts about it. And Park Chaeyoung was such an uninteresting name for her give a damn about. No offense.

First day. 8 A.M. Second floor of the Sejong Building. West wing. Semestral Orientation. Jennie had memorized this out of anxiousness for her first day, but amidst all her efforts, she still managed to lose her way.

And it was already late when she realized that it was not the second floor of the building when she opened a narrow door and found herself in an empty rooftop. Jennie groaned as she rushed to review the brochure map of the campus again. Her eyes scrambling through the paper, she walked towards the nearest edge so that she can see the placement of the buildings, hoping she could make a sense out of it. Aimlessly pointing fingers to different directions.

"New here?" A surprising voice made Jennie flinch. Her weak heart almost fainted. It is clear that she did not like surprises.

While recovering, she turned around to see who owned the voice. It was composed and calm, something Jennie needed right now. "You look lost."

"Ah-uhm." Jennie stuttered when she found herself spacing out in the eyes of the stranger. "Yeah, I just transferred this semester." She managed to spill. But Jennie couldn't quite process the glow that the stranger gave. With tall slender figure, bright red lips, full blonde hair, radiating skin, starborn eyes, an ed blazer, and an undone tie. It was the combination of all things that made Jennie cheeks swivel into redness. The girl in front of her was honey to her eyes. Sweet but had a stinging aftertaste.

"Sejong is adjacent to this building. You can find the orientation hall on the third room starting from the right." Her upfront instructions just dwindled Jennie more in shyness. The newbie bowed and thanked her, and as she takes a step away from the stranger, "Wait." The blonde haired girl halted the latter.

Not a moment later, Jennie found herself in close proximity with the beaut. Jennie quickly noticed how tall the blonde was, that she could almost hide her whole body in front of her. The thought made her crack a small smile.

Jennie stood still as ice, as she watched the other grab her necktie, "You should tie it a little loose." The blonde girl spoke in suggestion as she slowly traveled her hands under Jennie's collar and started fixing her red necktie. The gentle gesture ironically tightened the brunette's throat, running along the tendrils of tension and fluttery. She couldn't comprehend why she was acting all weird in front of the stranger but she couldn't help herself. All she could do was face the floor and try not to act like her heart was thudding erratically. Even more when she stared down and can't help but to notice their shoe size difference. Jennie never knew that her feet was that small.

"Just to give you a head start. Don't tolerate people around here too much." Her words scrambled Jennie again, but she thought generous of her nonetheless. "Thanks, I guess..."

...

It was five in the afternoon. Jennie just got home and felt the exhaustion hurting her back as she crashes to bed.

The first day of school was dragging. The unnecessary competitive atmosphere in the campus burned her skin from the inside. Yet she was glad that she took the advice from that stranger on the rooftop. It somehow spared her from all the small talk that her curious mates always initiated in every second it went quiet.

"Fix up your dress now. We don't want to be late for this party, darling." Her mother who was holding her Dad's tuxedo for the night prompted by the doorstep. She didn't even notice that she left the door open. She gave a quick nod. Her mother proceeds to finish preparing while the latter did not felt the rush given.

Jennie sighs to herself as her eyes divert to the white ceiling above. Staring at it blankly in hopes of getting the peace of mind she has been craving for after they left Itaewon.

This elite party will introduce her to her Dad's new found friends and acquaintances. She knows she needed to be amiable to establish good connections and impressions for her Father. She was good at it, of course.

Calm, poised, and fixated with grace. Jennie didn't need help to look and be expensive. It even felt like she was born to be in the high society. The indifference she expected to feel was dusted off by her new found fondness of the rich. I guess her Father was right, this wasn't so bad after all.

...

The bashful evening made Jennie shimmer amongst the crowd, even if she failed to acknowledge it, the ton never did. She was in a black long dress with petulant off-shoulders, her under layers sparkled in Swarovski crystals.

The beaut already made a fair share of introductions to the elite crowd. Her Father, as reliable as ever, handled the dreading talks about how she grew up, her hobbies, academics, and the excruciating judge of vanity. You ask how can a seventeen year old handle such scrutiny? It's the desperation of hiding one's self, of course. Better be judged by the surface than be unraveled by strangers.

And when everything was settled, Jennie had thoughts of getting alcohol in her system to loosen her reoccurring anxiety, but as she approached the bar counter, she was reminded of etiquette and how she shouldn't be craving whiskey at a young age of seventeen.

"New here?" A familiar voice made Jennie's chest heavy. Too quick of a change. She turns around and she meets the eyes of the new face she just met earlier this morning.

It was that tall blonde girl again. But this time she was in a silver tight dress, her almost pale chest and collarbones were exposed that it almost blinded the other. Jennie noticed the mole by her left shoulder and thought of it as a bookmark. Her presence disconcerted Jennie, especially when she's in contact with her. Just like now. But of course, she would never admit that out loud.

"It's you." The brunette couldn't help but part her lips in awe, "Again."

"Hm." The slow smirk forming from the side of the blonde's tender lips dilated the latter's eyes (too much), "I should say the same." Her response resonated the flick of confidence she had. Jennie wishes she could achieve that in a snap, but she's working on it.

The brunette was too fixated over the girl's aptitude that she was a moment too late to respond, so the blonde spoke again, "Drinks?" She offers subtlety.

"I'm seventeen." Jennie deadpans. It's not like she doesn't drink. She can chug a whole bottle of whiskey right now for all she cares. She just wants to be demure in front of an intimidation she cannot handle, in which the tall blonde had. Hoping she would like her mo