[Home Sweet Home]

 

“LAUREN, wake up!” Ji-yeon pulled the blanket that was covering a little girl underneath it. She was standing near the bed of her cousin who was still fast asleep; looking very comfortable with a teddy bear on her embrace. “Oh, wake up already! Lauren!”

Slowly, the five-year-old little girl sat up with her eyes still closed. “What?” Lauren looked up.

“It’s already 8:00 a.m.! You’re late for school. I mean we are late for school! Today is our first day at our new school remember? Now get up and wash up!” Ji-yeon looked at her little sister at one glance before she walked out from the bedroom.

“Okay, okay, big sister,” murmured Lauren. Lazily she crawled out from her bed and went to the bathroom to wash up.

Downstairs, Ji-yeon was with her father waiting for Lauren in the dining table. “Where’s your little cousin, Ji-yeon?” asked Mr. Park to Ji-yeon and at that very moment Lauren ran down from upstairs.

“Good morning uncle!” greeted Lauren warmly.

“Good morning, Lauren. Take a sit and have your breakfast princess,” invited Mr. Park.

Lauren sat beside him. “Will Yun-ho oppa come with us too uncle?” she asked that 50-year-old man as she popped in the cereals into .

“Yes, of course darling,” answered Mr. Park.

“Will I find him at my school?” Another question spitted out by the little girl.

“No honey, instead you’ll meet new people and perhaps make some friends?” he remarked.

Lauren gave her uncle a nod and said, “Alright then,” and continued eating her breakfast. Her parents were in Canada. But they had given their word that they would come soon to get her after they had finished their business there. This little girl was eager to go to her new school. She had the look of mixed family since her father was a Canadian and her mother was a Korean. In other words, she looked so adorable!

Yun-ho turned up and sat beside Lauren. “Have fun at your new school my little pony,” joshed Yun-ho at Lauren.

“Little pony?” Lauren’s eyebrows knitted together to a frown. “Correction please,” she said.

“Little star?” said Yun-ho with a smile. He looked at her as he buttered his bread.

“Little Star? Hmmm, sounds pretty good to me,” her pouty and pinkish lips curved up to a smile.

“Anyway, today is your first day girls. I hope everything will move on smoothly,” Mr. Park said soberly.

“No worries uncle,” answered Lauren cheerfully. Moving to a new place seemed interesting to her. What was she expecting actually?

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Principal’s Room]

 

“PARK JI-YEON?” the school Principal asked to assure.

“Yes, I am,” confirmed Ji-yeon.

“You are Yun-ho’s sister, aren’t you?” Mr. Choi Min-soo shot another question.

“Yes, sir,” Ji-yeon assured him.

“What an excellent academic record you have, Ji-yeon,” He threw a compliment as he flipped over Ji-yeon’s personal detail.

“Thank you, sir,” Ji-yeon answered.

“Well, your class will be at room 6A. Your homeroom teacher is Ms. Lee Min-jung. I’ll inform her about you.”

Ji-yeon gave him a nod as a sign of ‘yes’. She went out of the room and headed to that particular room that the principal mentioned.

She walked along the narrow corridor as she looked around. Her eyes were captured with the scenery because its view was completely breathtaking. She could hear the birds chirped and the fresh air of the new school caressed her soul. She was amazed. Her focus towards the view was ceased when she found herself bumped onto something. Everything seemed frozen. Two pairs of eyes met for a moment.

“I think you need glasses, fish ball.” A voice broke the silence.

Ji-yeon blinked her eyes. A tall guy with slender shoulders was standing right in front of her, staring at her somewhat accusingly.

“Um, umm…” Ji-yeon tried to search for the best word she could use to apologize. But before she could, the guy just vanished from her sight in a split second. “Fish ball?” Ji-yeon pondered the name that she heard just now.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Class 6A]

 

JI-YEON ENTERED the class as Ms. Lee Min-jung, the homeroom teacher, announced about a new transfer student. Many pairs of eyes glued at her. Those eyes interrupted her. However, she managed to look at them and smiled. “Introduce yourself,” ordered Ms. Lee as she moved aside.

“Hi, I am Park Ji-yeon. You can call me Ji-yeon. Um, as you know I am new here so I hope we will work together very well. Thank you.” Ji-yeon ended her greeting with a bow. All of a sudden, there was loud applause from the other students.

“Ji-yeon-ssi, are you available?” A sudden question popped from someone.

“Ne?” Ji-yeon looked puzzled. She spotted a student was smiling at her. Before she could utter a reply, she heard someone shouted, “Ji-yeon-ssi, saranghae! saranghae!” It was the flirty Ha Dong-hoon. She was so shocked and felt embarrassed.

“Can you be my last lover?” Another wild question shot by Ha Dong-hoon. Silence from her. She didn’t know how to react to that sudden unfamiliar question from him. The whole class rang with laughter. They knew that it was normal for Ha Dong-hoon to act like that. He was well known as the Casanova in that school. So, seeing Ji-yeon being treated in such a way was very amusing for them.

“Are you starting to imagine something?” Another question shot at her. Ji-yeon steered her head to that voice. She went almost paralyzed when that question came from the guy that she bumped onto just now. Their eyes met again. “Are you expecting a wink from me?” he .

Ji-yeon blinked vigorously and once again the rest burst into laughter. ‘Who do you think you are?!’ Her heart whispered.

“Enough with the silly questions,” interjected Ms. Lee. “Well Ji-yeon, find your own seat. There are few empty chairs back there,” informed Ms. Lee warmly.

Ji-yeon scanned all the empty seats that she could see and of course the person who would be sitting next to her would also be taken into deep consideration. There was Lee Gwang-soo the nerd guy, with thick glasses and flat hair sitting beside the first empty chair. He looked at Ji-yeon somewhat bashfully. The other one was a wild-looking person, with his hair sticking out like he had an electric shock, staring at her from head to toe and threw a long face. ‘What a weird hair,’ whispered Ji-yeon to herself as she spotted another empty seat. There was a girl sitting beside it and she waved at Ji-yeon vigorously as if she was welcoming Ji-yeon to sit next to her. Ji-yeon stopped and sank on that empty seat. This person still a mystery to her but she had no choice for it was the last empty seat that she could find.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Class 7A]

 

“HEY HYUNG, you are a bit late today,” greeted Chang-min to Yun-ho with a slight pat on his back. “Woke up late, I guess?” Chang-min added.

“Nope,” denied Yun-ho.

“Missed the bus?” Chang-min asked him another question.

“Nay,” another denial answers from Yun-ho.

“Well, spit out the reason then,” said Chang-min all curious now.

“I got sisters to handle man,” spoke Yun-ho truthfully.

“Sisters? You mean your irrational fans out there?” said Chang-min with a chuckle.

“My sisters Chang-min, s-i-s-t-e-r-s…!” said Yun-ho in a serious manner. Chang-min smiled somewhat cryptically.

“What is that smile for? Don’t tell me you are planning something fishy now?” Yun-ho looked at him sternly.

“Come on, hyung. Don’t take it as a negative intention. I was thinking that … maybe she and I could get along together well? Don’t you think so?” joshed Chang-min.

“Forget it. Mind your grade first,” said Yun-ho.

“Why do people with golden brain always mind the grade?” murmured Chang-min.

“It’s an asset for a bright future I suppose,” answered Yun-ho to Chang-min’s murmur as he handed a green-colored Mathematics textbook to Chang-min. “But I don’t really mind if you want to date with an elementary kid,” joked Yun-ho. He was referring to Lauren.

“Cih. I thought your sister is in high school,” replied Chang-min as he took the book from Yun-ho.

 

*   *   *   *   *

 

[Recess]

 

“HI, I AM Huiren Miyaka,” the person who was sitting beside Ji-yeon finally spoke up.

“Ji-yeon,” answered Ji-yeon with a smile. They both shook hands. “Nice to meet you, um …” Jiyeon paused. She forgot her name.

“Huiren, call me Huiren,” Huiren supplied.

“Huiren? A Japanese name right?” Ji-yeon was trying to get confirmation.

“It’s because my dad is Japanese, and my mom is Korean,” Huiren informed her. Ji-yeon gave her a light nod. This was the very first time she sat next to someone who came from a multicultural family background. It’s kind of refreshing.

“By the way, just now I heard your surname is Park. So, are you by any chance Park Yun-ho’s relative?” She asked Ji-yeon a question with a curious expression on her face.

“I am his sister,” confessed Ji-yeon. Huiren jolted a bit. “Why?” Ji-yeon asked her back.

“Well, your brother is quite popular in this school. He’s good in everything. Good looking, y abs, and a dancing machine, smart…” Huiren complimented Ji-yeon’s brother. Ji-yeon gave her a wide smile. She felt proud of her brother. A brother who had been taking care of her since her parents passed away. She could not forget the moment he saved her from some desperadoes that had caused him suspended from school. He had been moving to new school for almost each year just because of his over protective temperament that had caused misunderstanding from those who did not know him really well. She knew that he was just trying to protect her from unwanted harm. A guardian that should have graduated four years ago was still struggling to finish high school by the end of the year.

Their conversation was paused when they heard some students entered the class. The Ice Princess Jessica and y Skinny Tiffany marched in.

“Oh, the new transfer student is here. She looks quite cute but a bit old-fashioned by the way,” teased Tiffany to Ji-yeon with a grin. She walked towards Ji-yeon. Jessica followed her from behind. “Hi, I am Tiffany,” greeted Tiffany sounding somewhat insincere.

“And I am Jessica,” introduced the Ice Princess.

“I … am Ji-yeon,” replied Ji-yeon and took out her right hand for a handshake.

The two so-called fashion icons in that school shook their heads in unison. “Sorry, we don’t shake hands,” informed Jessica. Huiren pulled down Ji-yeon’s hand, trying to signal her not to bother the two peacocks.

Suddenly, the two creatures shrieked like a newborn baby. “Oppa!!!!!” A guy just barged in and slowly walked towards his desk with peacocks at both arms.

“Oppa?” Ji-yeon pronounced the word with a frown.

“He is … the principal’s son,” informed Huiren in a whisper. “Other than your brother, he is also one of the popular guys in this school,” she added. “Someone who is not worth our time, though. Only girls like the two peacocks would want to hook up with someone as arrogant as that guy. Don’t bother him.”

Ji-yeon gave a nod to Huiren statement. Just a look at that guy made Ji-yeon felt like ridiculous if she ever gets close to a person like that. “Popular, eh? What is so good about him anyway?” murmured Ji-yeon.

“Well, that part is still unknown to me too,” said Huiren as a mean to agree to Ji-yeon’s murmur.

The two peacocks were clinging onto their ‘oppa’s’ arms and persuading him to go out with them.

“What do you think of him?” asked Huiren.

“Surprisingly, I have no idea. Just … weirdo,” Ji-yeon answered her as she recalled the moment when that guy called her ‘Fish ball’.

 

*   *   *   *   *

TO BE CONTINUED