The first day of school began just as Soojung had expected it to.  When she entered her classroom, she was met with the prying stares of almost every student in the class. She ducked her head uncomfortably, pressing her pale lips together in embarrassment. Through hooded eyes she scanned the room for her seat, turning her head from the class so that she wouldn't have to see the many pairs of eyes boring into her, analyzing her, inspecting every fiber of her being just because of her appearance. She could feel the heat of their gazes scorching into her back. 

There was still twenty minutes until class started, but Soojung already regretted leaving her apartment. There was nobody she knew enough to talk to. The desks surrounding her were completely empty while students conversed with each other on the other side of the room. She wanted to leave. Slouching in defeat, Soojung fixed her eyes on the window beside her and watched the students outside. Most were sitting on the grass in the front lawn, while others were walking to class together, laughing and talking with close familiarity. She couldn't help but feel a deep pang of jealousy. 

As Soojung continued to observe the students on the other side of the glass, a splotch of neon pink caught her attention. Dark eyes widened in shock as she spotted the familiar red bike and pink flag that she had encountered only two weeks ago. Was it possible? Here in her new school her prince was somewhere sitting at a desk just as she was! Perhaps he was in her class- No, that wasn't it.

Soojung thought back to the fixed gazes she'd received just as she'd entered the room. There was no way her savior was of that sort. He'd be gentle and polite, the type to avert his gaze politely and simply hold her hand when she was feeling overwhelmed. A stinging blush spread across her cheeks as the scenario played throughout her mind.

It was perfect... All she'd have to do was find him and he'd remember her from the moment they had shared in the rain. She would confess her love for him and then-

The abrupt sound of the seat sliding next to her caused Soojung to jump out of her reverie, literally, as she startled in her seat with a gasp.

A grinning girl with short, dark hair nodded at Soojung genially. "Hey there! Sorry for scarin' ya." Her Korean was accented, but comprehendible and Soojung noted with curiosity that the girl was, strangely enough, wearing a boy's uniform.

"I'm Amber! I guess we'll be sitting next to each other from now on."

Amber... That was an English name, wasn't it?

"Nice to meet you," Soojung shyly mumbled in fluent English. Her eyes were glued to the ground, not meeting those of the cheerful, smiling girl next to her, but the latter didn't seem to mind.

"Hey, you speak English?" Amber replied ecstatically (though still in accented Korean), "That's great! I just moved here from America."

The noise in the classroom died down as the teacher stepped into the room, his authoritative presence causing most of the students to timidly take their seats. The teacher was a rather elderly, small man with a monotonous voice. Soojung could see Amber turn to face the board as the beginnings of the class roster was being called.

Soojung continued to stare out of the window, her eyes fixated on the cherry-colored bicycle. The same stinging blush from before resurfaced on her cheeks as she spent the rest of class with half-lidded eyes, imagining and then re-imagining her treasured memory of the rain.

-------------

"Whatcha looking at?"

Soojung jumped in her seat for the second time that day as Amber appeared beside her so suddenly it seemed as if she'd materialized out of thin air. "Aren't you leaving? Everyone's going outside to eat lunch."

Soojung didn't respond and simply shook her head, shifting her long, brown hair. She didn't feel like explaining why she hated going outside, but Amber didn't seem to care for a response anyway. Instead, the amiable girl slid into her desk and began to rummage noisily through her backpack.

"Is it okay if I eat here with ya?" the short-haired girl bit into her apple, "The other girls look at me weird because of this uniform. I get the feeling they wouldn't be very welcoming if I sat with 'em."

With her eyes turned to ground, for a split second, Amber looked rather upset, until she reverted back to her usual self, her eyes sparkling in a way that reminded Soojung of a puppy... Or strangely enough, a llama. 

She glanced at the unopened bag of Pepero in her hand and dropped it onto Amber's desk, pushing it toward her subtly. 

Amber blinked and stared at the sudden offering. Her moment of hesitation caused Soojung to waver. Did Amber not trust her? Had she been too optimistic in hoping that the boyish girl would look passed her appearance and befriend her based on other things... Like a personality? Soojung bit her lip. Of course she was wrong, it wasn't like she even possessed any personality to speak of. 

"Wow, thanks!" Amber began chewing the chocolate covered sticks enthusiastically, "Y'know to be honest I thought you'd be cold like all the other girls in this school, but you're actually really nice."

...Nice?  Soojung was startled. Had anyone ever called her that before?

"Hey, my mom makes really good sushi, I can bring some for you tomorrow if you'd like..."

As Amber continued conversing in her animated fashion, Soojung cracked a small smile. She'd never been offered anything by another classmate that hadn't just been pining after her looks. Her first friend who never mentioned once how she looked or tried to shower her in shallow compliments. 

The corners of Soojung's lips lifted further.

"Sure... That sounds great."