I walk into school on Monday similar to the way a zombie staggers into a bright building after a century of slumber. My entire weekend was spent thinking about Kim Kai, that worthless lazy little piece of . I have becoming shockingly similar to the majority of female students in my school, in the aspect that Kim Kai has completely consumed all my thoughts.

Unlike them, however, he is not the center of adulation and love in my daydreams; no, he is black and blue in my fantasies. It escapes me why he would disregard his studies like that. He has the entire intellectual world at his fingertips, yet he chooses to just fling it away.

    I don’t know if it’s just me, but the entire school seems a little too excited for a Monday morning. Everyone’s giggling and chattering and frantically running here and there. I even hear a few screams.

    It’s probably about something stupid that happened at a party over the weekend, I dismiss, rolling my eyes.

Suddenly, someone bumps into my shoulder. “Oh, sorry!” Jung Krystal, one of the girls in my World History class, bows apologetically. She’s about to continue sprinting to where ever she was headed, but she pauses for a second before hesitantly asking, “Hey, Sojin... have you heard the news?”

“What news?” I tilt my head.

“Oh, you know Kim Kai? I heard that’s he’s officially going to stop ditching school. He’s fully attending classes again, starting today.” Jung Krystal clucks her tongue with the self-important air of one gossipping about another. She is oblivious to my rising panic. “I don’t know why that delinquent would suddenly decide to start coming-,”

“Wait... what?” I interrupt. “A-Are you sure he’s coming to school again?”

“Huh? Well, yeah, I think...,” She trails off, scratching her head. “Luna said she saw him near the school store and stuff.”

No. This cannot be happening. Why? Why did he have to come back to school?

My look of anguish must be evident on my face, because Krystal gently pats me on the back. “Yeah, I know. He hasn’t attended a class since the first day of school. He’s going to cause so much trouble.” She laughs uncomfortably. “Well, I’d better get to class. See ya.”

So that’s why everyone seemed so animated today. Kim Kai is now attending classes on a regular basis.

I won’t believe it until I see it myself.

When I walk into 1st period I nearly drop my books to the ground in shock.

Kim Kai is lounging in a seat near the back of the classroom, twirling a lollipop between his lips. His feet are casually propped up on the chair in front of his. Kim Kai is surrounded by a swarm of people, all talking animatedly to him, hugging him, slapping his back.

And then I come to a shocking realization: We have math this period.

Whoop de ing doo.

Thankfully Kim Kai hasn’t seen me yet. I head to my usual seat at the front of the classroom, take out my notebook and pencil, and begin working on the warm-up problem on the board.

The sound of the giggles and annoying voices coming from the back of the classroom is really beginning to irritate me. I can’t concentrate. Gritting my teeth I proceed solving the problem.

The trill of the school bell rings through the room. A few minutes later, the math teacher, Mrs. Song, walks in, rapping her ruler on the wall. “Get in your seats, all of you! What’s all this commotion-,” She spots Kim Kai and her jaw drops.

“Mr. Kim! You’ve finally decided to attend class, huh?” Mrs. Song sniffs haughtily. “You’re extremely behind on your work. You currently have a 0 in this class, sir. Thankfully I heard Principal Shin enlisted the help of one of the top students to tutor you. In fact, I believe she’s in this class!” Mrs. Song proudly walks over to me and motions for me to stand up.

No, it’s okay, I mouth to her, but she prods my arm.

Reluctantly, I push back my seat and stand up. My eyes are met with the stares of 25 pairs of eyes. But only one of them makes a true impact on me.

Kim Kai is smirking again, his eyes burning with contemptful amusement. My face reddens when I recall how he embarrassed me in the library, how he outsmarted me.

“Mrs. Song, I need a new tutor,” he drawls. “I don’t think Sojin is intelligent enough to teach me.”

My classmates stir with surprise. Kim Kai just called Park Sojin stupid? My face turns even darker.

“Are you out of your mind, Kai? Sojin’s the smartest girl in the grade.” Mrs. Song snaps.

“Watch your tone, Mrs. Song, or you may just find yourself out of a job,” Kim Kai replies softly. My teacher blanches.

I sink back to my seat, mortified. The rest of the period passes in a hazy blur. The entire time I can feel everyone staring at me, whispering about me.

“Maybe Sojin didn’t communicate properly with Kai or something. Like, how can he call her dumb? She’s so smart!”

“Sojin can’t be stupid, she got a scholarship here.”

“Maybe Kai’s telling the truth.”

Despite all the hubbub around me, I can only sense one thing: Kai’s superior smirk burning into the back of my skull.

My stomach clenches. I take a deep breath, exhale hard. It’s unnerving. I hate it. I can’t focus on my work.

So this is how Kim Kai is going to act towards me.

Calm down, Sojin, I tell myself, pressing my nails into the palm of my hand.

Fine. He can do whatever he want. When I’m attending Seoul University on a full scholarship while he’s still getting into fist fights, we’ll see who’s laughing then.

The bell rings. Everyone grabs their backpacks and exits the classroom. I’m packing up my stuff when my pencil bag gets knocked to the ground, causing my pens and pencils to scatter everywhere.

“Oh, sorry, valedictorian, I didn’t mean to do that.” Kim Kai sneers. Of course it’s him. Flashing him a stony look, I bend down to pick my things up- and then he kicks me straight in the back.

“You’re blocking the way.” Kim Kai’s lips curl up in a sadistic smile. “Sojin, why can’t you be more considerate?” After throwing me a final condescending look, he struts away.

I gape after him in disbelief. Did he really just do that to me? How dare he!

Out of the corner of my eye I see Mrs. Song give me a pitiful look. “Mrs. Song, you saw him,” I say in a low voice. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I... I’m sorry, Sojin. But my hands are tied.” She hurries to her desk, pretending as if she is busying herself with some trivial task. I narrow my eyes.

By the time lunch comes around it seems like the entire school’s heard about what Kim Kai said to me. I had never fully appreciated the previous treatment my peers had given me; that quiet respect bordering on slight intimidation. It assured me silence, peace. Now, malicious hisses and whispers fill the air around me. The looks in their eyes are appalling. I didn’t do anything to them! What have I done to warrant this hateful behavior?

Ignore them, I tell myself. They’ll forget about it in a little bit.

    At least it’s a beautiful day. I stroll through the grassy knolls surrounding the school, finally setting down in a quiet spot near the bank of the school lake.

“Who’ll keep me company today?” I murmur to myself. “Jay Gatsby? Or perhaps Bernard Marx?” A smooth zephyr blows through the air, ruffling my hair. Stowing Brave New World back into my bag, I lay back and open The Great Gatsby-

    “Hey, I found the beggar!”

    I whirl around. A large group of guys is standing right in front of me, glaring down at me with spiteful expressions. My eyes widen. I slowly put down my book. Beggar? I’ve never been addressed that way in my life!

    “Good.”

The boys part, and a person walks through them, up to where I’m sitting.

    Kim Kai. As expected. My eyes lock onto his.

    “Hey, nerd.” One of the boys in the pack guffaws. “Do you do this every day? Sit alone and read?”

    “What a loser,” another boy snickers.

    I ignore them. My focus is on Kai. We are engaged in an intense staredown, a mutual exchange of hatred. “What are you doing here?” I ask quietly. My voice betrays no emotion; however, there are deep finger prints in my sandwich from my clenching hands.

    “So this is what poor ugly loners do during lunch, huh?” Kim Kai scoffs, kicking my lunch box. My apple falls out and rolls into the lake with a plop! “See, Sojin, I still have to teach you a lesson for what you said on Friday. You called me a bunch of names that I didn’t like.”

    . . I need to get out of here. I slowly inch towards my backpack-

    A foot comes down on my hand. “You’re not going anywhere,” Kim Kai laughs darkly. “I’m just going to give you a little warning this time.” He tilts his head towards the guys. “Get her.”

    They immediately circle me and grab my arms and legs, pinning me down to the ground.

    “A bunch of guys ganging up on a single girl sure is admirable,” I say softly. “You all must be so proud of yourself. Especially because you have no legitimate reason to do this.”

    “Shut up.” Kim Kai snatches my backpack from the grass and, before I can even react, flings it into the lake.

    “No!” I struggle to escape the grasp of my captors. “Let me go!”

    My backpack. All my homework and notes and school supplies and textbooks and everything. Despite my will tears blur my vision. Those are the most important things in my life; I need them to study!

    “That should teach you. Now you can be assured that I’m not only smarter, more popular, and richer than you, but I have the power to do whatever I want to you.” Kim Kai leers at me. “Whatever I want.”

    “Like hell you do,” I whisper, and yank my limbs out of the guys’ grips. The next instant I fling off my sweater and dive into the lake.

A/N: edited!