A soft sigh had escaped through Jessica’s parted lips as she stared longingly out of the window of the classroom. It was a nice, sunny day with clear blue skies. The air was warm— the first time in ages— and Jessica could just feel it tingling pleasantly in her skin— the hint of Spring creeping in. She bit back a yawn. It was warm days like this that made her feel sleepy and all the more lethargic.

If only she was back home, snug and comfy in her bed and napping the whole afternoon away…  

As if sensing someone boring their eyes into her, Jessica had immediately straightened her slouching posture and very slowly and drearily, she picked up her broom and resumed her sweeping once more, albeit grudgingly. True enough, after stealing a quick glance over her shoulder, her two other classmates had been (and were still) glaring daggers at her. 

“Urgh, what a pain.” One of them had grunted, rolling their eyes. And Jessica knew that her classmate wasn’t only referring to being stuck on cleaning duty for the day. But nonetheless, she had kept her silence and paid them no mind, focusing on whatever matter she had at hand. 

Like usual.

Sweeping silently in the corner, she had noticed the duo rolling up their sleeves as they both took up a damp cloth each before backing towards windows clumsily with a small pail in tow.

Jessica sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she took a small pause in her sweeping (not before making sure that her two classmates weren’t looking).

Oh how she wished she could get herself out of here.

She hated this so much.

And it wasn’t just the cleaning duty she was on that she was talking about.

It was everything. 

School.

Her classmates.

The teachers.

Everything.

“Jung Sooyeon, you’ve been sweeping that spot since forever.” 

Jessica inhaled deeply and exhaled, nodding wordlessly. Plucking her shoulders up, she set off to work once more.

“Tsk, we’re never going to finish at this point…”

She lowered her eyes, lips pressed deeply into a straight line as she did her best to keep her expression from wavering. The least she could do was to ignore them and pretend that she couldn’t hear any of their snide remarks.

Casting one last distasteful glance at Jessica, her two classmates had finally turned their backs on her and went off to their own devices, quickly starting up a conversation between themselves that Jessica wasn’t a part of (or was even invited to join). Jessica then naturally headed off further away from them, still pathetically clinging on to the broom as she swept, swept and swept.

She sighed again.

Never had she been this miserable before in her life.

Even after almost a year since she had first transferred to this particular high school, she was still left utterly friendless. One year and she was still treated as an outsider— alienated by her fellow peers. It unnerved her greatly whenever they would cast her those wary looks, as if they just couldn’t bring themselves to trust her. They wouldn’t speak or approach her, unless it was deemed necessary and hence she had accustomed herself to having her breaks and lunches alone in school. It always baffled Jessica why. Just why did they treat her so?

Was it because she was previously from an international school, a place with an environment vastly different from a typical Korean high school? Or was it because of the fact that she was part American, having lived in the States till she was twelve before moving back to Korea, and could speak English fluently and flawlessly?

She had never had this problem back at her previous school. Granted, due to her quiet and introverted nature, she didn’t had much friends, but at least she had some.  God did she miss Stephanie— her one and only best friend— and how much she wished that she could join in her in this hellhole of a school. At least then, if they were ostracized, they were ostracized together.

Sometimes, Jessica couldn’t help but blame her parents for ever deciding to transfer her to this particular Korean high school. She had overheard her parents’ discussion of her transfer one night. It was something to do with exposing her to the Korean culture to get her more in touch with her ‘roots’. But honestly, Jessica thought that she was far too integrated into the American culture to ever fully ‘get in touch with her “roots”’. Fine, she might acknowledge the fact that she was part Korean and spoke Korean, but given a choice to identify herself as either Korean or American, she would go with the latter.

But she digressed.

All she wanted was to fit in again. (And maybe finally reunite with Stephanie in her previous school).

“Omo, Changnam-ah, isn’t that Kwon Yuri!”

The shrill voice of her classmate had broke Jessica out of her reverie and she blinked, brow arching slightly as she flashed her classmates, who were flocking over to the window at the side of the classroom, a curious glance.

“Yes, it is her! Omo, omo, is the track-and-field team having their training now?”

They were both leaning over the edge of the window, their task of cleaning the windows long forgotten as they ducked around trying (dying) to have a better view of the school’s popular sports star, Kwon Yuri, who was part of the school’s track-and-field team and from the same class as Jessica as well. She was known as the Black Pearl— the ace of the track-and-field team— and was popular and pretty, generally well liked by everyone.

Jessica wasn’t at all surprised at the giddiness of her two classmates, as she had heard that the Black Pearl in action was definitely a sight to behold. It usually got the fanboys and fangirls riled up.

“Yeah, but I think they’re having a short break now… Oh my god, she’s looking our way!” 

At this point, her classmates were practically waving wildly out of the window (and making a fool of themselves), shouting and doing everything to get the Black Pearl’s attention. The excitement was practically buzzing in the air and Jessica felt compelled to at least have a peek as well. Unobtrusively, she made her way to the window nearest to her and extended her neck out a little as she glanced out into the sports track below them.

And there she was.

Jet black hair tied up in a loose pony tail, her neck glistening as a thin sheen layer of perspiration had clung to her tanned sun-kissed skin like a second skin, causing tiny wisps of hair to cling against the side of her face. She was just how she was in class. Every bit beautiful and gorgeous, standing tall and poised in the school’s blue tracksuit. 

Jessica blinked as she thought their eyes had met briefly.

The Black Pearl was totally ignoring the ruckus (created by Jessica’s fanatic classmates) from the window at the side and had her head tilted and angled towards the window Jessica was behind at. She was staring directly up at her, intense dark eyes piercing and penetrating. 

For some reason, Jessica had this nagging suspicion that the Black Pearl had been staring at her direction even before she had turned to look out of the window. But then again, it didn’t make sense for her to be staring up at her in the first place so Jessica had shrugged away the thought. 

She held the Black Pearl’s gaze for a minute.

And then, the strangest thing happened.

Kwon Yuri smiled.

The same winning smile that was characteristic of hers and could reduce guys (and girls) into a puddle of blabbering goo. Just… dazzling. But for some reason, there was just something about that smile of her that strummed a dusty chord in Jessica’s heart. It had felt warm. Almost sincere. And Jessica had forgot how long it had been since someone had smiled at her like that.

Jessica had nearly swooned right there and then, her cheeks flushing pink as she struggled to not look away from the tanned Black Pearl bashfully.

The girls at the side let out a sharp squeal. “Changnam, she smiled! Kwon Yuri smiled at us!” And Jessica thought they might just faint then.

Kwon Yuri was still staring. Still smiling up at her.

Jessica felt her stomach give a flip and she flashed a small, hesitant and nervous smile at the Black Pearl.

At that, the tanned girl’s face had lit up almost instantly, her smile growing wider as she parted her lips, her pearly white teeth reveling against her lips.

Her smile was just absolutely blinding. Just like the sun.

Jessica could only stand rooted in her spot, enthralled by the Black Pearl’s radiance— by how captivating her smile was.

And then the moment finally came to an end when another team member from the track-and-field team— Choi Sooyoung— had tapped Yuri on her shoulder, causing the Black Pearl to tear her eyes away from Jessica, albeit slightly reluctantly and Jessica figured that her break had ended at last.

With one last look over her shoulder and a small smile, Yuri then resumed her training.

With a soft sigh and a lingering glance, Jessica then went back to her miserable life as she took hold of the broom and resumed her sweeping once more, all the while, trying to block out the loud incessant spazzing of her of classmates, the moment she had with the Black Pearl replaying in her mind.



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