I felt like I was on a fashion runway when I entered the classroom. Countless pairs of eyes were just fixated on me and the whole room quietened down. Nam Joon wasn’t joking when he said I’m popular for being Jeon Jung Kook’s ‘cousin’.

With steady steps, I chose a seat at the most back, nearest the window and settled down. Within seconds, everyone went back to whatever they had been doing – and ignored me.

Outside, Nam Joon is being flanked by girls all around. They crowded around him and fluttered their eye lashes and shot him dazzling, seductive smiles. It was only when a male teacher came in, then did the girls dispersed. Before returning to his classroom, Nam Joon turned around and gave me a wave. I smiled back in return, happy knowing that I have made a potential friend.

However, the attention that I received when I first walked in was uncomfortable to me. In Singapore, I was pretty much ignored by everyone. They didn’t mock me or bullied me, I was just – invisible. People let me pass if I say ‘Excuse me.’ The teachers didn’t really call me during class. I didn’t receive any attention in Singapore, I was just someone out-of-place.

But now, if I’m already well-known before I got here, what’s going to happen as I stay here?

“Shin Yoon Mi?” The teacher called me out, jerking me back to Earth. I perked up in my seat immediately, and noticed that there was a petite girl beside me.

“Introduce yourself please.” The teacher instructed me to.

Now, I’m receiving attention again…

“I’m Shin Yoon Mi and I came from Singapore.” I made it short. Silence followed.

“That’s all?” The teacher questioned, with a raised eye-brow. I felt pressurized, what should I say?

“JEON JUNG KOOK’S COUSIN.” A shout came from the other side of the room. The room burst into murmurings and some laughter. More stares were directed at me, more pointing at.

I looked to the other side of the room, and saw the person who had spoken earlier. It was a buff guy who seemed like a jerk. I ignored everyone else and just focused on the teacher, resisting my urge to kick that guy in his balls.

“ENOUGH!” The teacher boomed. “You may sit.” He continued.

When I had taken my seat, everyone was still looking at me.

“Hey. I’m Eun Ji.” The girl beside me introduced herself, giving me a big grin.

Immediately, I’ve taken a liking to her. She seemed harmless, even almost defenseless. Her face was heart-shaped, eyes were big for a Korean. She even actually looked quite pretty.

“Do you mind if I sit here?” I said, worried about rejection.

“What?! Of course, no! I will be really grateful if you can sit beside me.” She chuckled.

I bit my lower lips, pleased that I have made another friend.

She reminds me of me – in Singapore. It seems like she’s the ghost of this school, always being ignored, and friendless, like when I was in Singapore. I know how she felt. I know how happy she is to have made a friend.

*

It was lunch time, Eun Ji was long gone. She probably went to the Library or something – that was what I often did as a “ghost”. I stayed in my seat, unsure of what to do now. I didn’t want to go and find Jeon Jung Kook, we were both okay with ignoring each other. I’m pretty sure he hated me too as I suddenly appeared in his life. Furthermore, in his house. I practically snatched away his freedom in the house as he is responsible of me.

I looked out of the window. The scenery was nice, there was snow covering the grass patch and the trees. Our classroom was warm, sometimes even too warm. So it was nice being near the window – being warm & cold at the same time.

A shadow loomed over me. I furrowed my eyebrows as the shadow remained at where it was. It didn’t move or even flinch a little. I turned around, and saw – Nam Joon.

“Hey!” He broke into a wide grin. “I’ve been waiting for you outside!” He continued.

What for?

“Want to go for lunch together?” He suggested.

Lunch? But I barely knew him. Still, he is my first friend I’ve made. My stomach gave a growl and Nam Joon chuckled at that.

“Come on.” He pulled me up by my elbow and pulled me along.

I’ve walked past the canteen whilst coming to the classroom, so to get to the canteen, we should have retraced back the route, but Nam Joon dragged me all the way to outside his class.

“JEON JUNG KOOK! KIM TAE HYUNG! SEOK JIN! YOON GI! HO SEOK! JI MIN! HURRY UP! Jung Kook’s cousin is here!” Nam Joon peered into his classroom and shouted.

“MY COUSIN?!” Jung Kook shouted back. “Oh…” I heard him say afterwards.

They all came out pretty fast, except Jeon Jung Kook being the last, and the most reluctant one. He trudged behind as Nam Joon’s friend bombarded me with questions.

*

“What languages do you speak?” Tae Hyung asked. I know all of their names by heart now, they were easy to remember. Well, and their names somehow fit their faces. Jeon Jung Kook was at the corner of the table, picking his food and practically ignoring everyone much.

I’ve already told them about my favourite colour, my school in Singapore, how was Singapore like, my hobbies, my dislikes, my personality… etc.

“I speak English, Chinese and Korean. Learning English and Chinese are mandatory for Singaporeans, I was taught Korean by my family.” I answered Tae Hyung’s questions. All of them seemed shocked that I knew three languages. Their mouths gaped open and their eyes widened. Everyone except Jeon Jung Kook.

“You speak Englis? Me too!” Nam Joon said in English. He had that really strong hip hop American-ish accent.

I slapped his hand that he had raised up high for me to High-Five.

“What about your family?” Yoon Gi asked me.

… The sensitive topic I was praying so hard we won’t get till there. I didn’t want to expose my secrets to them. Not especially the fact that I myself, was responsible for my parents … death.

I remembered Miss See’s words “It’s not your fault. You’ll still feel the guilt every time though.”

Yeah, I know how does that feel.

Nam Joon seemed to sense my discomfort and the table quietened down.

“YAH! Jeon Jung Kook, why are you so quiet?” Ho Seok slapped Jung Kook on his back, in an attempt to lift the atmosphere.

Jung Kook shot Ho Seok a nasty look that got Ho Seok apologizing.

“I’m always this quiet.” Jung Kook stated.

“Only when acting cool. You’re retarded with us. You’re usually noisy. Why the change?” Seok Jin broke in.

Jung Kook gave Seok Jin a death glare that got the whole table roaring with laughter.

“Jeon Jung Kook, why don’t you talk to your cousin? You two act like you don’t know each other!” Ji Min cut in after the laughter died down.

“Do we know each other?” Jung Kook raised his eyebrows at me.

“Actually, this is the first time I knew he existed.” I pointed out to Ji Min.

Six pairs of eyebrows were raised.

Nam Joon opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, an ear-piercing scream cut through the whole canteen.

We all whipped our heads back to the source of the scream. It was one of the three girls who were staring at me earlier.

She was literally screaming her head off, her fists were so tightly clenched they were vibrating. Screams practically poured out from every molecule on her body. I couldn’t see what she was screaming at, or who, as there was some tall random dude blocking my view.

“YOU ! YOU RUINED MY OUTFIT! YOU’RE GONNA PAY FOR THIS, PARK EUN JI!” She hollered.

*

“Yoon Mi, do you think she’s going to do anything to me?” Eun Ji squeaked.

“Who?” I asked.

“Lee In. The girl who screamed at me.” Eun Ji played with her fingers, it was obvious that she is scared.

“Nah. She’s just a bimbotic , she won’t dare to do anything!” I assured Eun Ji, who was on the edge of a break down.

Eun Ji sniffed and gave me a small smile. She then slung her bag over her shoulder and headed out of the classroom.

I too, did the same. Except that when I walked out of the classroom, I received stares.

I lowered my head, letting my curtain of hair fall and hide my face. Just as I reached the exit of my classroom, I bumped into Jung Kook who had just exited his.

He gave me another long, bored stare and continued walking.

I followed behind him.