“So you’re the new transfer student?” the receptionist asked.

“Ne.”

She nodded and tapped her keyboard.

“Choi Mi Yan, 1^st year student, transferred from…. Anyang high school?” she raised her eyebrow.

“Ne.”

“Hmm, that was a good school.” she said, eyes on the monitor. “Oh, you shifted.”

I nodded at her. Can she hurry up? I’m already late for class.

She stood up and took a few papers from the corner of her desk, putting it in a folder.

“All details such as your time table, school maps, school regulations are in this folder. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask us.” She smiled and handed me the folder. “Welcome to Seoul Music High School.”

Giving up Anyang High School wasn’t an option to me. Why do we have to shift? What’s wrong with the old house? Oh right, my stepmother insisted on shifting to a new house because she claims that the old one was too old. Of course, my dad agreed, as always.

After finding and giving a brief introduction about myself to my new classmates, I took a seat at the back of the class.

“Mi Yan-shii, you can place your guitar on the right corner of the class.” My teacher said.

“Ne.”

---

“Can we join you?” two girls from my class asked me.

“Sure.”

“Thank you.” The both of them set their trays on the table and sat opposite me.

“My name is Kim Yuri.” The girl with longer black hair said. “This is my friend Lee Hana.” She pointed at the girl with short brown hair next to her.

“I’m-”

“Mi yan.” The both of them said and giggle.

“You can call me Mia.” I said.

They nodded and start eating their food. They were pretty talkative. They told me about themselves and what has been going on around school for the pass 5months.

Suddenly I heard a loud bang sound and some screams.

I looked up and saw a girl on the floor with her tray of food being spilled.

“Don’t you have eyes? You’re lucky that it didn’t spill on my dress.” A girl standing scoffs and walks away.

“Not her again.” I heard Hana muttered.

The girl was walking towards my direction with three other followers.

“Oh Hana! Nice to see you!” she said.

“Hello.” Hana gave her a weak smile.

“How is your brother? I haven’t seen him or his friends today.”

“His fine.” She replied, not looking at her.

She turns her face towards me and raised an eyebrow.

“Who is this? A new friend?” she asked.

“Yes.”

The girl gave me a weird smile. “Hello, I’m Choi Jin Ah. Nice to meet you.”

I looked at Hana and Yuri, they just nodded at me.

“Hello, I’m Choi Mi Yan. I just transferred here.”

“Oh! We have the same family name! We must relate somehow! In this school, as long as you’re with me, nothing bad can happen to you. Let’s be friends!”

My first impression of Jin Ah wasn’t pleasant. She looks like she enjoys bullying other people, which she just did. But for now, I don’t want to make an enemy on my first day of school.

“Sure.” I force a smile to her.

“Well, I’ll see you all around.” She flips her long straightened brown hair behind and fixed her bangs. “Tell your brother I said hi.” She looked at Hana. She gave her a weak smile.

“Who is she?” I asked after they left.

“Some obnoxious .” Yuri hissed and forks her pasta.

“She’s the queenka in our school. So try not to mess with her” Hana said.

“I can tell from her vibe. She seems interested in your brother.” I chuckled.

Hana sigh. “Not my brother, she’s interested in a friend of my brother. That’s why she’s all nice to us.”

I nodded and sip my milk.

“Anyways.” Hana said, “Just don’t be too close with her. She can do things to you that you won’t even imagine.”

--

“Are you looking for something?” Yuri asked me.

“Yeah, my phone.” I said, going through my bag and pockets.

“Do you want to call your phone?” she handed me her phone.

“Thank you.”

I dialed my number and waited for someone to pick it up.

But no one did.

I dialed again, still, no one answer my phone.

“I think I drop it during lunch or something.”

“Do you want to go back to the cafeteria?”

“What about the library? Maybe you dropped it when we were sitting on the floor just now.” Hana said.

I nodded. “Yeah I’ll check these places. Thank you for lending me your phone. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”

Hana laughed. “Come on girl, we’re going with you.”

--

“Mia, could you bring these boxes to the attic?” my stepmother pointed at the boxes on the floor.

“Ne.”

She walked into the kitchen and walk towards our chef.

“Let me have a taste.”

She nodded move away.

“Hmm..good.” she gave the spatula back to our chef.

Judging but the amount of food ahjumma is preparing, I knew there were guest coming over today.

“I have friends coming over today.” My stepmother turns to me.  “And you will-”

“Eat in my room.” I finished her off her sentences.

“Very good. Remember to shift these boxes after you finish your food.”

“Ne.”

She nodded and left.

“Should I bring the food up to your room later?” Mrs Kim asked me.

“It’s okay, I’ll take it myself.”

She smile and nodded at me. “Call me if you’re hungry.”

“I will.” I smile at her and left.

For the past 4 years, my stepmother and I never really had a heart to heart conversation. All she did was ordering me around or sometimes she doesn’t even talk to me. I was more like a maid than a stepdaughter to her. Mrs Kim treated me better than my own stepmother.

My father would always be away for business trips. When he’s not around, my stepmother would always have her friends over, showing off each other about their husbands or their new possessions.

And she’s doing it again today.

---

I heard laughter and giggling as I wash my own dishes in the kitchen.

“Miss I can do that.” Mrs Kim came next to me.

“It’s alright, I’m done.”

“Do you want some fruits?”

“It’s okay, I’m full. I’ll be in my room.”

She nodded and continues peeling the apples.

I walked out of the kitchen and saw 5ladies including my stepmother making a toast holding their red wines glasses.

“Oh hello! Come join us!” a lady said to me.

My stepmother gave me a look.

“It’s okay. I have some studies to catch up.”

“Aww Mrs Choi, you have such a wonderful daughter! How I wish mine was this obedient.” I heard another lady said as I walked up the stairs.

“Yes I am really lucky to have such a nice daughter.” I heard my stepmother said.

“Are the both of you close?” another asked.

“Do you go shopping together? Do your hair together?”

“All the time.” My stepmother replied.

What a liar.

--

It was almost 11pm. I feel so exhausted trying to catch up with my studies that I missed for the past 5months. After brushing my teeth, I crawl into my bed without changing into my pajamas.

While looking up at the ceiling, I started to recall how I lost my phone.

Without thinking twice, I grab my house phone on the side of my bed and dialed my cellphone number.

It’s so late; it’ll probably just ring without anyone picking it up.

But then, the ringing stop, and I heard a voice, a male’s voice.

“Hello?” the voice said. I froze and looked around my room. No one was in my room. It has to be from the phone.

“Hello?” the voice said again.

“Erm, h-hi.”

“Yes?”

This is weird.

“Sorry, I think I’ve dialed the wrong number.”

“Wait.” The voice said before I could hang up.

“You must be the owner of this phone.” He continued.

I sat up from my bed. “Eh?”

“A blue flip phone with the sky as your phone wallpaper?”

That’s my phone!

“Y-yes.”

He chuckled. “I didn’t expect a call this late.”

“W-were you sleeping?”

“No.”

I’m talking to a stranger who has my phone. I don’t even know how am I going to get my phone back.

“S-so, can I have my phone back?”

He chuckled again. “Of course. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Okay. Wait, how?”

“What’s your name?”

“Mi Yan, Choi Mi Yan.”

“Class?”

“1-A”

“Okay, I’ll see you during lunch. Good night.”

“Wait what-”

He hung up before I could even ask him for his name.

I have not a single clue who this stranger is and whether he will return my phone to me. All I have to do is to wait for him to come to me tomorrow.

first chapter. how was it? =)