Seungwan is studying for her biology test when Seulgi comes rushing into the classroom. 

“Wan-ah! You won’t believe it, we’re getting a new student.” Seulgi is haphazardly eating her breakfast burrito, nearly dropping some on Seungwan’s textbook. 

Seungwan frowns and pushes off the crumbs from her desk and pulls her textbook safely to herself. “So?” She pushes up her glasses to look at her best friend. 

“She isn’t new,” Seulgi goes on with big eyes. She looks up to the window of the door as if she’s been followed. “It’s Bae Joohyun.” She whispers loudly. 

Seungwan quirks her eyebrow at the name. “That does not sound familiar at all.” 

“Ah, that’s right, you just moved back here,” Seulgi says as she claps the burrito in her hands in realization. A piece of egg from the burrito falls out this time onto Seungwan’s textbook. “Sorry…” Seulgi quickly takes the piece of egg and shoves it in . 

Seungwan is mortified at her best friend’s eating habits. 

“Anyway, Bae Joohyun is our sunbae, well technically she’s supposed to be sunbae. She was one of the prettiest seniors in our school. She had a scholarship here up until Park Chanyeol’s brother found her dressed to the nines at an upscale lounge. She was with these older men and so rumour had it that she became an .” 

“What?” Seungwan is surprised. “Isn’t she underage?” 

“Technically, she was 20 at the time, so it wasn’t underage.” 

“Was she really working as an ?” 

Seulgi shrugs. “We couldn’t confirm it at the time,” she says, taking another bite of her burrito. “I heard that she was talked to and the school revoked her scholarship because she didn’t meet the score requirements, which honestly is a bit odd because she was in the Top 10. But it would’ve made the school look really bad if their scholarship student was also making money as an . Not long after, she left the school.” 

Seungwan frowns. “Scholarships are need based. It’s not fair to punish a student for earning a living outside of school.” 

Seulgi’s mouth gapes in surprise. “Seungwan, she could have any job, but an ?”

“Seul, we don’t know what position she was in,” Seungwan reasonably responds. She thinks about the situation carefully. “For all we know, Park Chanyeol’s brother could’ve been wrong to call her an . What if it was her family that she was with?” 

Seulgi opens to speak when someone suddenly says.

“You shouldn’t speak on behalf of someone you don’t know.” 

Seulgi’s eyes go wide and she chokes on her burrito because of the person that appears behind Seungwan. 

Seungwan turns to the voice and sees a girl with alabaster skin and jet black hair that just passes her shoulders. She looks pretty with her high nose and petaled lips. No matter her old washed out uniform, Seungwan is captivated by her elegant beauty. 

But when she speaks, it’s like ice cold water. 

“It wasn’t family and I was working,” the girl goes on to say. Her lips close and her face becomes like steel as she stares at Seungwan. 

Seungwan unconsciously gulps, still captivated by her looks but also feeling her heart palpate at the severity of her voice. 

Just then, Teacher Lee Taemin comes in, his white streaked hair slicked back neatly. All the students stand to greet him in their seats, while this new girl walks to the front of the class. 

“Everyone, this is Student Bae Joohyun,” he introduces. 

There are whispers and gasps at the name, but the girl ignores it all as if she doesn’t hear it. 

She bows properly in front of the class. “I’m Bae Joohyun, please take care of me well.” She doesn’t say it with a gleeful hopefulness or jittery nervousness of a new student. She says it factually and succinctly. Her face turns cold as she regards the class. 

Bae Joohyun isn’t here to make friends. 

Teacher Lee continues, “Because Bae Joohyun-ssi has come into this year late, she needs to catch up on assignments.” Anxiety suddenly ripples across the classroom. “Son Seungwan.” 

“Yes.” Seungwan diligently responds with a raise of her hand. Eyes fall on her and she has a feeling she knows what’s coming.

“Since you’re ranked first in this class, please take the time to catch Joohyun-ssi up on her work.” 

Seungwan swallows and bows. “Yes, Teacher Lee.” 

Bae Joohyun only stares at Seungwan, dark brown eyes hard, subtly narrowing her eyes as she stares. Her jaw ever so noticeably clenches. 

The class goes relatively uneventful. At least for Seungwan. Instead of people usually rolling their eyes and making snide comments about her answering all of the teacher’s questions diligently, the whispers and looks are pointed at Bae Joohyun. 

As Seungwan comes to realize, it’s incorrect to call Bae Joohyun a girl because she is indeed a woman. Three years older, stuck in a class full of 20 year olds, being whispered and looked at like some kind of creature. It makes Seungwan upset to see, but what can she do? Everyone in this school is horrible. 

Class doesn’t mean classy. 

However, as much as Seungwan wants to defend the woman, she can’t with how Bae Joohyun simply sits in the back of the classroom, notebook open, pencil twirling in her hand, and eyes staring out the window. The pensive look on her face only catches Seungwan’s breath. As the sunlight kisses Joohyun’s face, she looks ethereal from the side profile. 

For someone starting the year late, Seungwan expects her to be more focused on trying to catch up. Joohyun simply doesn’t look like she cares about being there at all. 

It turns out that Joohyun must be a lot smarter than Seungwan thinks because Joohyun is in almost all of her classes. Save for physical education and English, Joohyun’s science courses are in the advanced levels. She must’ve been as smart as Seulgi says. 

“You don’t have to listen to the teachers.” 

Seungwan pauses packing her bag and sees Joohyun standing near her with her backpack casually slung over one shoulder. For a second, she glances around to make sure Joohyun isn’t talking to someone else. 

“What are you saying?” Seungwan is genuinely confused. 

“You don’t have to help me catch up.” 

“It’s probably best if I do, if you want to graduate on time,” Seungwan sensibly points out. Joohyun shoots her an angry glare that makes her cringe, but she doesn’t back down. She’s just being honest. 

The class has already emptied, leaving the two of them behind. The air is cold in Joohyun’s presence, but Seungwan isn’t scared. She can see the look on Joohyun’s face more clearly now that they’re alone. Her eyes are open wide, regarding Seungwan carefully, assessing her and trying to understand. 

Joohyun straightens her back, chest out, a dark smirk on her face. She steps closer to Seungwan. “You know what they say about me, don’t you?” She lowly asks. 

“I-I don’t know how that’s relevant,” Seungwan curses herself for stuttering. She doesn’t know why she does, but the closer Joohyun gets, her heart suddenly jumps. But whether out of fear or ignorance, Seungwan doesn’t move. She doesn’t think Joohyun will do anything. 

“You can’t be that stupid,” Joohyun almost growls. “If you have any shred of self respect, the less time you spend with me the better.” 

Seungwan swallows. It makes sense what Joohyun says, but it doesn’t at the same time. “I can have both. I can be both,” she blurts out. Joohyun looks at Seungwan with her hardened eyes. “Teacher Lee asked me to catch you up on work. I’ve been tasked with helping you and I don’t mind helping. Regardless of what rumors say, you’re here to graduate, aren’t you?” 

Joohyun shakes her head with an incredulous scoff. “You pabo.”

Seungwan frowns. 

Joohyun throws up her hands in defeat. “Alright, if that’s how it is. I’m free after school only Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. No weekends and no Mondays. If that doesn’t work for you, then I’ll catch up on my own. I’ll be in the library after class.” 

Joohyun picks up her briefcase backpack and throws it over her shoulder. She leaves the classroom without looking back at Seungwan. 

Seungwan opens to speak, but it’s clear nothing she says will bring the woman back. Despite that, Seungwan thinks to herself, how interesting Bae Joohyun is.