“Minhee! Wake up!”

“Okay unni!” I answered. Actually, I woke up hours ago. I tried my best but it seems that I’m just too nervous to fall asleep again. How can’t I be? My family just came back from China a week ago, just enough time to get the 4 of us enrolled. And the 1^st term already started! How can our parents expect us to catch up with the lessons? But I guess we don’t have that much choice. Our parents left us here in Korea to oversee our family business back in China, all the while telling us to be more independent. Well, more like forcing us to be independent. There’s really nothing we can do about it so we just agreed to it. *sigh* If I want to get this over with then I better get ready.

“I can definitely tell how nervous you are.” My older sister, Uee, said over breakfast.

“Is it THAT obvious?” I said while forking a scrambled egg onto my plate. “I can’t really help but worry. What if my classmates won’t like me? What if I mess up in my first day? What if I end up sitting next to someone who wouldn’t like me?” I said apprehensively. I channeled my anxiety on my food that seconds later, I found myself staring at shreds and pieces of food that was once my scrambled egg.

“Don’t worry, they will! And even if they won’t, out of 29 students, there’s at least a single person bound to like you, so don’t worry.” My unni said teasingly.

“Unni’s right. And besides, they have no reason to hate you so why worry? Just think positive Uminnie~” adds Sohee, my younger sister.

I really like it when Sohee blends ‘unni’ into my name and calls me ‘Uminnie’.

“I-I guess you’re right.” I mumbled with a shaky breath. Despite all of their encouragements I still find myself unsure. Or probably just unconfident.

Just think positive huh. I don’t even think I can.

“Good Morning!” my stepbrother, Chanyeol, said with bright eyes as he walked down the stairs to join breakfast.

“Well, someone’s in a good mood.” I snorted.

“What’s wrong my little dongsaeng~?” he said with a playful tone.

“Yah! Oppa!” I protested, giving him the fiercest look I can manage. “You’re just older by a year! Just because you’re tall doesn’t mean you can call me like that.”

“You’re still my little dongsaeng. And besides, we will go to the same high school. If someone hurts my little dongsaeng I’ll teach that kid a lesson.”

“Yah! I can take care of mysel-“

“I don’t want to hear about you causing trouble in school again, Chanyeol.” My unni Uee interrupted me with a serious and possibly dangerous tone.

I guess Oppa did cause trouble back in our school in China but did Unni really have to be so mean to him? I mean, he already feels like an outsider, being the son of our stepmom and all. But I guess Unni treats him like that because she still misses mom, I was too young when she died, so maybe she feels like getting close to our stepmom and oppa is like betraying mom. I can’t blame her for that.

“Don’t worry Unni. Oppa won’t cause any trouble,” I assured her before glancing at oppa’s direction, “right Oppa?”

“Uh. Right. I was just joking.”

“Better be. By the way, when you get back home later I won’t be here because as you know I must go to my dorm. It’s much nearer to university. I expect you guys to behave and take care of our house while I’m away. Don’t worry because I’ll come back every weekend.”

“Okay Unni. Anyway, Oppa and I must go now. We’re going to be late. Unni and Sohee, annyeong~”

“Take care Uminnie~ Hwaiting!”

Since the school isn’t that far, oppa and I decided to walk instead. The spring blossoms are just starting to bloom on the trees by the sidewalk.

“Oppa?”

“Yes, Minhee?”

“I was just wondering,” I started hesitantly, “don’t you get angry at Unni for being mean to you?”

“Not really. Sometimes I get affected but usually I just ignore it. I can understand how she feels. If she’s still not ready to accept us, well, mom and I will always be there when the time comes.”

I was really impressed and moved by his answer. How can someone be so optimistic?

“You know what Oppa? I really like you. You’re thoughtful, considerate and caring. Thank you for that.”

“Woah! Why are you being like this all of a sudden? Getting all melodramatic huh. Well it’s a job of a handsome oppa right? Like caring for his noona and his little dongsaeng~”

“Yah! Don’t let it get to you. Your ego is already inflated as it is.”

“What? Don’t you think I’m handsome~?”

“Well…”

“Well…?” oppa insists.

 “Well… so what if you are?” I said mockingly.

“I knew it! HAHAHAHA!” Oppa said, flashing his perfect white teeth.

“What are you so happy about? You look like you just won the lottery!”

It seemed like Oppa realized this too. His laughter turned into a coughing fit.

“Nah.” *cough* “I’m just really in a good mood today.”

“You know Oppa you can be really weird sometimes. I wonder…”

“Oh! I can already see the school from here! C’mon Minhee let’s hurry! I don’t want to be late on my first day.” he said as he ran ahead of me.

What the heck is wrong with him?

However, that thought was quickly dismissed as I enter the high school.

As far as I know, Co-Ed high schools in Korea are rare but apparently our parents managed to find us one. Aside from that fact, I know nothing about the school much more how to find my class. Luckily, the school has been expecting us.

“Annyeonghaseyo. Are you Kim Minhee-ssi and Park Chanyeol-ssi?”

“Yes we are.”

“Ah. We are here to you two to your respective classrooms and introduce you to your classmates. Chanyeol-ssi kindly go with Sir Bang while I Minhee-ssi to her class.”

“Oh. Okay.” Oppa said with a nod. “Minhee since we will probably have different schedules, just wait for me at the main gate at dismissal okay?”

“Arasseo oppa~”

I followed Sir Nam up a few flights of stairs and round corridors and corners until we stopped in front of room 2-B.

I guess this is it.

 “Good morning class. Today, I will introduce your new classmate. She just came from China and will join us from now on. Minhee-ssi , you can now introduce yourself to the class.”

“A-annyeonghaseyo. I’m Kim Minhee. P-please take c-care of me.”

Damn! Why am I stuttering?

“She just came back after living in China for 5 years. She’s still not very familiar to Korean high school so please assist her whenever you can.”

“Yes, seonsaengnim.” The class said in monotonous unison.

“Since there are no more other seats left, Minhee-ssi you can take the seat next to our class representative.” Seonsaengnim said while pointing a seat next to a boy with milky white complexion and calm, angelic demeanor.

“But seonsaengnim!” one of the girls started. “No one has ever sat beside the class rep before. He doesn’t like to be seated with anyone!”

Huh?! Why would som-

My thoughts were interrupted when the boy spoke up.

 “No, seonsaengnim. I’m alright with it. She can sit next to me.” and after saying that, flashed a sweet smile my way.

Such a sweet smile. I hope he’s friendly because I don’t want to end up sitting next to a jerk.

“Then it’s settled. Minhee-ssi, sit beside him so we can start our lesson.”

As I make my way to my seat I can see the girl a while ago throwing me a dirty look.

Well, someone’s getting jealous.

“Hi. I’m Kim Joonmyeon. Nice to meet you.” he said with a smile as he reached out his hand.

Whew. A sigh of relief escapes me.

“Hi. I’m Kim Minhee. Nice to meet you too.” I reached out a hand to shake his.

Soft. And warm.

It took a lot of my willpower to keep myself from smiling stupidly.

At that moment, I thought: maybe this isn’t as bad as I thought.

I'm really nervous about posting my very first chapter.

I am actually quite similar to Minhee

"I can’t really help but worry. What if my classmates^readers won’t like me? What if I mess up in my first day ^chapter?"

I hope I improve in terms of writing so that the next chapters will be much better~