Krystal squealed. “We’re here!” She jumped out of the car, unfazed by her high heels. “Thank you so much! Let’s go!”

I shot her a don’t-you-tell-me-what-to-do-young-lady, but she simply laughed. Parties were Krystal’s area of expertise, and this one was no exception. “Coming,” I sighed crossly, reluctantly allowing Krystal to grab my hand and pull me up the stairs to the main entrance of the university.

Seoul University was a good school, full of rich and/or talented students – the campus was divided into two – academic or artistic (and the small portion that could do both).  It was the most sought after university in Seoul, and a popular option for the heirs and heiresses of rich companies, most of whom were smart or talented enough to be accepted. Because of this, most of the rich kids’ parents liked to use Seoul University as a means of finding future son-and-daughter-in-laws.

Even so, the university was serious about what they taught, and learning at this school had good benefits, especially for the artistic kids.  Seoul University had close ties with many entertainment companies, including SM, YG and JYP. According to the media, attending and studying at SU was the equivalent to training at one of those companies, as well as receiving a thorough education.

“Come on!” Krystal urged me inside, breaking me out of my trance. She opened the two wooden doors, purposely striding through the hallways until we reached the entrance of the main hall.

Together, we pushed the doors open and walked in. Pounding music filled my ears; almost everyone was dancing along to it. The walls were lined with tables covered with snacks and drinks, and those who weren’t dancing socialised and refreshed themselves. The piano that usually sat to the side of the stage was nowhere to be seen – instead, a DJ and his equipment sat, blasting the music that kept the party going.

Seoul University was celebrating the end of the year with a dance – there was no dress code, but most girls had taken the opportunity to dress up, while the guys took it casual. Everyone here was over 18, and there were no staff or supervision to be seen. Champagne was available, but I assumed that most people were reserving their alcohol for the after-parties.

The air was warm and stuffy, and already I was longing for the cold, sharp air outside. I wiped my damp hands on my dress, feeling resigned.

“Oh, look! I can see Jessica-unnie!”  Krystal pointed to her, dancing with her boyfriend Kim Jonghyun. For once, her bright blonde hair didn’t stand out, thanks to the flashing lights.

Jung Jessica was my twin sister; we looked identical in appearance but our personalities were quite different – the same went for me and Krystal.  She and Jessica were outspoken, unafraid to voice their opinions, while I was shy and quiet. They both enjoyed singing, and were outstanding at it, but I was studying law. Both my sisters preferred their English names of Jessica and Krystal, rather than Sooyeon and Soojung respectively, whereas I preferred Soomin rather than Jasmine.

It was only natural that they were popular – being beautiful, talented and bilingual was something that everyone found hard not to ignore

Jessica befriended 8 other girls, and together they called themselves Girls’ Generation, or SoNyeoShiDae. All of them were gifted with singing, dancing or both, as well as looks that constantly attracted attention.

 Krystal’s group called themselves f(x), and unlike SNSD, who were all artistic, f(x) was a mix of both. They were a strange bunch, but sweet – they took care of Krystal, and that was enough for me.  

“Please don’t run off,” Krystal interrupted. “I know how much you want to, but I need you to stay here…and drive me home afterwards.” She exhaled with an irritated sigh.

I brushed my long hair out of my face. “Why can’t I just go home and come back? Everyone knows I don’t want to be here.”

“What would Mum and Dad say? They were the ones who wanted you to go out,” she retorted.

“And you can’t get a lift with one of your friends?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“Please.” Krystal rolled her eyes. “They’ve already had more than a few drinks, and driving drunk is never a good idea. Besides, I’m pretty sure they all have after-parties to go to.” She made a face. “I wouldn’t mind going with them, but Mum said no. So stay here!” Krystal gave me warning look, before sauntering off with a smirk on her face.

With no one else to talk to, I quickly found myself a seat near the doors, watching as Krystal joined in with the dancing, slyly moving closer to one of the guys as she did. I smiled ruefully, and looked over at all the others dancing in the crowd.

Kim Sunggyu was one of the ‘kingkas’ of Seoul University, in a way. He was definitely very well-known for his player reputation, despite his lack of availability. His girlfriend/fiancée Kwon Yuri was part of SNSD, and one of Jessica’s friends.

Like some schools, the student population of Seoul University was divided into cliques, like SNSD and f(x). There was no real hierarchy, but some groups were more popular and well-known than others, and your seniority was a big factor.   

There were many groups, but I knew quite a lot of them – Infinite, which had 7 members including Kim Sunggyu; SNSD, Teen Top, the so-called rivals of Infinite; SHINee, a bunch of idiots; BEAST, Kara, five girls who were astonishingly pretty; Secret, Sistar and more. There were also a bunch of other ‘loners’, or people who didn’t have groups, like Lee Jieun, a.k.a. IU, or BoA, one of the more famous seniors.

I suppose that I knew most of the girl groups to the point where I could name the members – it varies, because the clique’s usually shared members who were in the year above or below. I drifted between the groups sometimes, to the point where almost everyone knew me. And those who didn’t knew me as Jessica and Krystal’s sister. But most of the time I preferred to spend my time alone.

“Are you analysing people again?” Jessica stood before me, hands on hips. For a moment we stared each other down before I stood up and we hugged.

“You already know the answer,” I said, grinning. “Besides, we match.” As always, she looked absolutely amazing in a short, pale blue dress that matched my simple white one.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Jessica said, looking down at our dresses with her nose wrinkled. “You know what they say – curiosity kills the cat. Anyway, I saw Krystal earlier. She looked a bit upset, actually.”

“Curiosity is one of my biggest traits, and you know it. As for Krystal…”  I shrugged. “Mum and Dad won’t let her go to one of the after-parties with her friends,” I explained. “That’s the only reason why I’m here.”

“Curiosity will land you in big trouble one day, whether you’re a lawyer or an investigator-journalist person,” Jessica warned. “Anyway, see you….probably tomorrow. Bye!” She waved and disappeared out the doors.

About an hour and a half later, I escaped the sweaty crowd, puffing and panting. Sitting on the chair had been boring after a while, despite my analysing, and I’d decided to cave in to peer pressure and dance.

I grabbed a cup and hoped that its contents were non-alcoholic, downing it in one go. It didn’t seem to have any effects, but I decided that it would be better to sit down anyway.

To my displeasure, I found my chair occupied. “Hey!”

The boy looked up and grinned. “Hey, yourself,” he said cockily. “The name’s L. Joe, from Teen Top. And you are the beautiful Jung Soomin, if I’m not mistaken.”

I gave him a fake smile. “And that’s my chair you’re sitting on, if I’m not mistaken.”

“I think you are, actually.” L. Joe smiled sweetly back. “You see, I’m sitting on this chair now, and I have been for a while. You abandoned it, so now it’s mine.”

I raised a sceptical eyebrow. “That’s the equivalent of you taking your shirt off, me putting it on and calling it mine.” I pointed to the bag underneath the chair. “And I believe that’s my bag underneath my chair.” It was actually my bag, filled with necessities like a notebook and pen.

He chuckled. “Do you want me to take my shirt off? That’s something I don’t do every day, remember.”

I gave him a dirty look. “Just get out. Besides, isn’t it common courtesy to give your chair to a lady?”

“Do you count as a lady?” he retorted, crossing his arms defiantly.

“And it’s not very nice for you to respect your seonbae, either,” I continued, glaring.

That shut him up, and I smirked triumphantly. “So get off now, or I’ll–”

I stopped talking abruptly as the doors slammed open with a loud bang; everyone turned and stared as Kwon Yuri ran in, screaming.