The New Girl
Without a Trace
"Saejin? Would you please get our suitcases out of the car?" Mrs. Song called into the other room from the kitchen.
"Ne, umma!" Song Saejin said back. She ran her hand over the picture frame of her back home with her friends and set it down on her bedroom floor.
She heaved the suitcases out from the trunk and set them down on the ground before getting a better grip to carry them up the stairs and into the house.
The Song family, as you probably already know, had just made the move to a neighborhood outside of Seoul. It all started two days ago when Mr. Song got promoted out of the blue after another solved murder case.
On one hand for the family, it was a great financial change for them. Moving to Seoul meant Mr. Song would probably be getting a raise since he transferred all the way there. Everything would be more spacious for them in their new house, and they would be starting completely new.
On the other hand, it meant that the Songs had to leave their family and friends back in Busan. Since Mr. Song was a detective, he usually helped people out. But afterwords to help people cope, Saejin and her mom would usually get active in the community, which led to most of their town to know who they were. Additionally, Saejin was just a friendly person by nature, so she had a lot of friends with barely any enemies.
So, yes. It was very hard for the Songs to move and leave everything behind. There were many tears shed at their going away party. But Saejin promised her friends that she would keep in touch with them. But she had to hold in her tears on the way to Seoul, because she didn't want to be a burden to her parents or put doubts in their head about the job. Change came and went in life. She'd get over it eventually.
"Ah, thank you." She smiled as one of the movers took the bags from her and brought them up the stairs. She put her hands on her hips to look at the house. "Well, it's certainly isn't home, but it'll have to do." She sighed and forced a half smile. Yes. She would have to get used to it indeed.
"So, how were your days, girls?" Mr. Song asked as Mrs. Song brought the dinner to the table.
She set it down in the middle of the table. "Just fine! We brought everything up in the house. All we have to do is put everything in its place, right Saejin?"
"Ne, umma." She replied, sitting down at the table. Around them were the unopened boxes. The only thing out was the table and the mattresses and some pictures on the fireplace mantle. "How about you, appa?"
"Great!" He said surprisingly. "I met the family today, as a matter of fact."
"How were they?" Mrs. Song asked, putting some rice on Saejin's plate.
"Not too bad. They're filthy rich no doubt. But they seemed nice enough." He pointed his chopsticks at Saejin. "In fact, their son is your age. I met him today."
Mrs. Song widened her eyes. "Omo! Really?" She nudged Saejin. "What's his name? Maybe he could show you around?"
"It's Lee something, but I can't remember at the moment.." He tapped the table. Why couldn't he remember a simple name? "He seemed nice too. He had a couple of friends with him." He paused."That reminds me! Forgive me, Saejin, but I signed you up for school here." Her dad's face looked apologetic. "You start tomorrow, is that okay? I can push it to the next day if it's too inconvenient."
Saejin shook her head. "It's fine, I can manage. I don't want to get too far behind."
"Just in case you said that, I brought your uniform home. It's in the car now."
"Thanks, appa." She poked her food. Of course she was nervous for her first day at a new school. And probably everybody there would wonder about the new girl. She just hoped the curriculum wasn't too hard and people weren't too prejudiced about her. Especially the girls. She'd seen enough dramas to know about that.
"Anyway, I'm going back tomorrow to check out the office building. So, I'll be back home earlier to help unpack." Mr. Song said a-matter-of-factly.
His wife smiled. "That's good dear. Saejin, you hurry home too. We need all the help we can get."
"Of course mom. I won't take long."
"Aigoo.." Her mom sighed, "how did we get so blessed with a patient daughter? She wants to spend time with her old parents."
"Ani! You're not old!" Saejin pouted. "Don't say that."
Her parents sent knowing looks to each other. Her mom gave her more vegetables. "Eat this. You need to be healthy tomorrow for your first day as a senior!"
"Arasso." Saejin gave up and ate dinner with her parents.
"Umma.. I'll be fine. I can handle myself." Saejin assured once more that morning. She was about to leave but they wouldn't let her.
"Don't let any boys talk to you, okay?" Mr. Song glared. "They're nothing but trouble, you hear me? Trouble. Can't be trusted." He shook his head.
Mrs. Song laughed. "Aren't you one yourself?"
"That's different. Not the same." He focused back on his daughter. "Be strong. Don't take crap from anybody, ya hear? I didn't teach you self defense for nothing."
"I got it, appa." Saejin started to get jumpy. "I gotta go! I don't want to be late!"
"Arasso, arasso." They all hugged one more time before Saejin ran off. "I love you!" Her mom called. Saejin threw a wave back and left the gates.
She walked down to the bus stop where she was just in time before it even arrived. She smiled in contentment as she boarded, lending a seat to an elderly person as she stood up. She tried to look outside for the most part, to get kind of familiarized with the area, but she was just feeling too nervous.
What if her teacher asked her to introduce herself? That would be embarrassing!
She finally arrived at the bus stop across the street from the school and hopped off along with other passengers, some of whom were wearing the same uniform she was.
She crossed the street and took it all in. It was huge all right. And fancier than her last school back in Busan. There were more people too. Most of them looked like models or idols. There must have been some too, because all of a sudden, people started rushing to the sidewalk and grouping around someone.
She shrugged it off and looked on the school map she was given and used it to find the school office. She greeted the office lady and got her schedule and directions to her classes.
But once again, Saejin had to move out of the way in the hall as a crowd of girls moved past her following now a group. "Is this school so famous that even idols go here?" She scratched her head and went to find he locker.
It was at the end if the hall next to the music room. Saejin looked in and smiled. She loved music. She was a violinist herself, but only in her own spare time. Her studies took up the time she would've had for lessons and orchestra practices.
She finally reached her first classroom and knocked on the door.
"Come in."
Saejin slowly walked into the empty classroom and up to the desk. The teacher sitting at it was no less than thirty and was grading papers. She looked up and put her pen down. "Ah, you must be Song Saejin, am I right?"
Saejin bowed. "Anyeonghasaeyo. I'm Song Saejin. Nice to meet you."
"What a coincidence. My surname is Song as well." The teacher smiled and shook Saejin's hand, trying to clear the awkward air around them. "Since you're a little late in the class, do you need any help with anything?"
"It's fine." Saejin shook her head. "I got an email yesterday telling me what I missed. I understood everything."
"That's good. Class is starting in ten minutes. Here is the book we're reading, and we've read chapter one just for starters. If you have any questions, let me know."
Saejin hesitated, but asked anyway. "There is something I have to ask." The teacher looked up at her attentively. "Could you, not introduce me to the class, please?"
Ms. Song laughed. "Saejin, I wouldn't have done it anyway. You have nothing to worry about."
"Is that so?" she sighed in relief. "Thank you." Saejin smiled and took the book to her chosen spot for the day. A seat in the front corner of class right next to Ms. Song's desk. She opened the book and started to read.
"I'm telling you, that game was bull! He totally could have stolen home plate with that lousy throw!" Ricky whined to Byunghun and CAP.
"I don't know.. He's kind of a slow runner. It would probably take him half a minute to run from one base to the other." CAP argued. "Really though, they need to work on that."
The three had decided to go to class a little early to avoid all the fangirls in the hallways and lunch room. They just wanted peace and quiet for the rest of the morning. And that's what they got as the entered the classroom. It was deserted besides the teacher and this one other girl. The boys payed no attention though because she was sitting in the front reading a book. If anything, they should be thanking her for being so quiet and reserved.
"If I were in that game, I would totally take the catcher out. I don't care if I'd get taken out of the game or anything. He was pissing me off... Giving all those calls to hit the batters, that guy..." Ricky kept going.
Byunghun slapped Ricky's cheeks. "Calm down. It's too early for your complaining. Wait until Daniel's here or something."
Ricky tried to talk through his pushed in cheeks. "Ne, hyung."
"Really, being so noisy in the morning.. I don't get how we put up with you!" CAP went on. "Yah, Ms. Song!"
"What, Minsoo?" The teacher looked back.
Out of habit and name, Saejin turned around too, making eye contact with Byunghun, but quickly went back to reading her book when she found out it wasn't her name. Byunghun furrowed his eyebrows at her.
"How do you stand Changhyun all the time? Why haven't you given him any suspensions or anything?"
"He doesn't do anything that bad. Detentions are the worst thing for him. And if he doesn't clean his act together, he'll be cleaning the whole classroom today, understand?" Ms. Song yelled to Ricky.
He gulped. "Ne, seonsaengnim! I'll try my best!"
The teacher scoffed at his words and went back to her grade book to add Saejin's name in.
The room finally started to fill with students who tried to sit in the back with Byunghun and the two. But like always, they were ignored for the most part. Byunghun snagged a glance up front to the only person who hadn't given them the time of day all morning. And she was the only one who was sitting in the front row.
But he was caught back by CAP as he was trying to explain something to him and Byunghun eventually forgot about Saejin's existence in the classroom and started laughing with the rest of the guys.
School ended and Saejin was happy with the turnout of the first day. Nothing seemed too hard and the kids didn't talk to her, but they weren't mean to her either, which she would take any day.
She waited at the street corner for the light to turn green with other people as Byunghun was walking out with Chunji and about to get in his car.
One man started walking down the street talking on the phone. It was obvious that he didn't care what was going on around him because he kept walking forward as if the crosswalk light wasn't red.
None of the other students were paying attention to the man either. They were too busy looking and texting on their phones to the people right next to them.
The man walked right by Saejin and was walking straight into the street. Her eyes widened. "Sir! You have to wait! Ahjussi!" She yelled.
Instantaneously, everyone around looked at the scene. Byunghun stopped getting into his car and watched what was happening before him.
No one was thinking straight as a car was coming straight for him either. He didn't seem to mind one bit as he kept arguing on the phone. He wasn't even aware that the car was honking and stepping on the breaks, causing the tires to screech.
Saejin grit her teeth. "Ahjussi, watch out!" She ran into the middle of the street and grabbed his arm. She almost didn't pull him away in time, but somehow, she managed to do so, her hair falling in front of her face from the air rushing past them. She kept a hold of his frozen figure and didn't let go until she inspected him. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" She asked frantically, looking the man up and down. No wonder he couldn't hear anything, this man was older than her grandfather!
The man in the car stopped finally and got out, stomping his way towards the two. "Yah! Just what the hell do you think you're doing?! I could've hit you!"
"Sorry." The man who was talking on the phone bowed. "I'm sorry."
"And you!" The driver turned to Saejin. "I could've hit you too! Who do you think you are, running into the middle of the road? Huh?"
Saejin exhaled. "If I hadn't, this man would've been hit, and your car would've been wrecked." She told him. "I had to. It was the best solution to everything."
"The best solution?!" He roared. "Don't make me laugh. You're just a girl, don't go saving anybody when you could get hurt yourself, alright? Geez, the nerve of people.." He angrily went back to his car and drove off.
Saejin pursed her lips and turned her attention back to the old man as she helped him cross the rest of the street and sat him down on a bench. "Are you hurt anywhere?" She sat next to him.
"Thank you, dear." He said. "How can I repay you? You saved my life!"
Saejin just smiled at him and shook her head. "It's fine. You don't need to. As long as no one was hurt, nothing needs to be repayed. Now, are you sure you're okay?"
Byunghun looked from the other side of the street. He hadn't moved a muscle as he kept his eyes on the girl.
Even Chunji was awed. "Who in the world is that?"
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