A thin layer of mist lay close to the ground on a cloudy Wednesday morning, creating an eerie feeling in the air. 

Somewhere in the rich parts of Guilford stood a lean young lady bundled up in a BSA sweater and a wrap-around grey scarf. Her lips quivered from the unexpected breeze while she pushed her hands further into her sweater pockets. She rocked to-and-fro on the balls of her feet in boredom as she waited. Who or what exactly she was waiting for, she had no idea. All she knew was that she had to look out for grey.

Just as she was about to turn around and leave, a grey kitten came up to her. There was no tag or any type of identification to be found on it. The young lady was confused but picked up the small pet otherwise. She walked away with the kitten nestled against her chest. 

Rina Kim casually entered the kitchen with a ball of grey fur in her arms. Neither her mom nor her younger brother, Ryan, questioned her about the tiny creature that she was carrying. The girl set the kitten down on the floor and went to pour milk into a bowl for it. Afterwards, Rina poured a glass of milk for herself.

It was a normal morning for the Kim family; even with their middle puer* walking into the house with a stray cat. Mrs.Kim was busy packing lunch, Mr.Kim was at work, Ryan was reading as always, and Rina was doing what every teenager would usually do; texting. 

When the siblings finished their breakfast, Mrs.Kim handed them both their lunches and planted a kiss on each of their foreheads. Rina bent down to pet the small kitten before heading towards the entryway. 

There was someone blocking both Rina and Ryan from leaving the kitchen. The younger brother fist-bumped the other male and walked past him. 

Rina smiled, bounding up to the boy. "Baby!" she piped. Rina wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him into her embrace. "Damn, I haven't seen you since Sunday."

Her boyfriend chuckled, ruffling up her hair. "Well, I'm back now. Let me greet your mum. I have something to give her," he smiled. The two walked back towards the kitchen with arms wrapped around each other's waists. 

Mrs.Kim looked up in surprise when she heard someone enter the room. "Oh, Shi Hoo-ah!" Her eyes landed on the box that he was holding with his free hand. "What's that you got there?"

Shi Hoo grinned and placed the box on the kitchen counter. "Just a cake I bought while I was in France. Eat it for dessert tonight and make sure Nana doesn't have too much."

Rina puffed out her cheeks, grabbing onto his arm. "Hubby, you're driving me to school right?" she asked. He nodded.

"I'm driving you so you can go a little late," he told her and continued chatting with her mom. 

His girlfriend sighed in annoyance. Her mom was way too fond with her boyfriend. She sat down far away from the two, taking out her phone to check the time She would be late if she didn't leave right now but a part of her didn't want to interrupt the conversatoin between the two.

Dialing a number, she didn't have to wait long until the other party picked up. "Yah, drive me to school." Rina ordered before hanging up. "Babe, you don't have to drive me. You're probably jet-lagged from the flight so rest. I already asked JoJo to drive me."

With that, Rina dashed out of the house. A car was already waiting for her. She got in, buckled up, and kicked back. 

"I heard that hyung is back," the male specimen that she had called earlier, said.

Rina nodded. "He's telling mum about the rise in sales or something. I was too uninterested to listen."

Jong Suk let out a laugh as he swerved to the right. "I still wonder why he chose you instead of Rie noona." 

The younger female wrinkled her nose at the eldest Kim siblings' name. It wasn't that Rina hated her older sister but more like she'd rather not acknowledge her existence. Rie dearly loved Rina though. The feeling wasn't mutual for the latter. It used to be but some time around 3 years ago, Rina went haywire and became sort of an introvert. No one knows why. It was during that time that her hatred for her older sister formed.

"Don't say her name," she said in distaste. "It sickens me."

"But you must admit that you miss her. I mean, she's off in Africa giving the less fortunate medical attention when she could be earning thousands at a hospital over here. Maybe you should do the same as noona." Jong Suk parked in front of the Baltimore School of Arts, pressing a button to open the car door.

"As if. Music is my life." Rina said, getting off of the car. "Anyways, I hate studying." Yeah, she did hate studying. Not that she was bad at it. Actually, she was probably smart enough to get accepted into TJ; that really prestigious school in ia. 

She slammed the car door shut and ran into the school building before the first bell could ring.

Jong Suk shook his head as he drove away. Stubborn Rina would always be stubborn. He wondered how she would react when she comes home that evening to find everything packed and ready.

Apparently from what Ryan told him, it was a disaster. The next morning, the Kim family(along with Park Shi Hoo and Lee Jong Suk) flew to Korea for the benefit of their middle child. 

Rina was forced into a science-based magnet school for the rest of her senior year.

Later on in the years, Rina couldn't have thanked her parents enough for such a doing. If they hadn't forced her, Rina wouldn't have experienced true friendship and happiness. She wouldn't have found her salvation.

Now, shall we go onwards to the story? Go go go!

~~~

*puer - child in Latin

Short, I guess. Just a little part of the exposition to start you off.
Some of the main characters and their relationship with each other has been explained.
There'll be more later on in the chapters or something.

I'm in the middle of drafting the second chapter. 
Um, I'll go back and edit this later when I have the time and I'm not lazy.
In a few hours, I guess? 
 

See ya.

"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—"
-Eph 2:3

[Edited]

Oh and it's a complete coincidence that this chapter takes place in Baltimore.
I didn't know that Natalie Standiford was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I swear.
But it's kind of cool because I'm awesome like that.
I added some background things.