It was only a matter of time before we started dating.

He asked me out in front of the entire school. He asked me to meet him in front of the school after school. It was during homeroom, and everyone was watching. As soon as he walked away we were both swarmed by our friends. Or, in my case, followers.

Pretty much the entire school gathered in a huge circle around us as he confessed that he liked me. He asked me to be his girlfriend and I smiled bashfully and agreed. The crowd cheered for us as he pulled me into his warm embrace.

They were faking. They were all jealous. The girls of me, the guys of Siwon.

The first date was a typical first date. We went to the movies together, and it went perfectly. He had his driver drive us back to my house. He opened the door for me.

And he kissed me on my doorstep. My heart didn’t flutter. I didn’t really notice at the time, but I didn’t go weak at the knees. We pulled apart and smiled at each other and then we went our separate ways.

My parents were standing regally on the bottom steps of our spiral staircase when I walked in. They nodded in approval and then turned away without a word.

We were the perfect couple. Everyone wanted to be us. We sat together, talked together, kissed, hugged, anything any couple would do.

We had been dating for a month when our worlds turned upside-down.

The cause: the new transfer student.

Her name was Jessica.

She was a genius, but she was dirt poor. She couldn’t even afford the uniform. She wore a worn t-shirt and loose jeans. Ratty sneakers and messily done up ponytail.

She was the stereotypical nerd and outcast. She transferred from America, and yet her Korean was perfect.

She aced all her classes, did better at everything compared to everyone else. She stayed quiet and made no moves to befriend anyone, but she was targeted all the same.

It was inevitable. She was just so different, and just the prefect target. I didn’t participate. But I never did anything to try and stop it.

I was the rich girl with everything to lose. She was the poor girl with nothing.

She wasn’t a threat. But of course she was. It’s how the story always goes.

I’ll give you a hint: the rich girl never wins.