Ari's P.O.V

Ah, the first day of school. I am so ready for this!

“WATCH OUT, DAEWON!” I say excitedly as I hop off the bus with a big smile on my face. I get a mixed reaction from the people around me for doing so. Some gives me weird looks, some are mumbling to one another while pointing at me, some are laughing and some just want to get away far from me as possible but really, I don’t give a flip. 

First year of high school. Daewon girls soccer team. I am so ready.

I glance over my shoulder at my sister. 

Nari is standing on the last few steps of the bus with her eyes close and has a tight lipped smile on her face. Her uniform’s perfectly worn; her white collared school shirt is buttoned to the top, her tie is in perfect place, her blazer buttoned properly (with a brooch of some sort of instrument pinned to it), her white socks no higher than her ankles, and her shoes are of black leather and she’s wearing her signature beige leather watch. 

She looks great. Well, better than great. She looks like one of those model students you see in a pamphlet advertising the school. I grin at her. She is so ready.

I give something between a snort and a laugh because she’s on the last few steps of the bus and she isn’t even moving. 

The guy right behind her takes a peep from the side to see what she’s doing and he stares at her blankly before one of the corners of his lips hitches up in some form of a smile. He then imitates her by closing his eyelids also. He then whispers something to her which made her eyes snap open and look to his side. She flusters at their close proximity.

There’s a line of student behind her looking really annoyed that she’s holding them off from getting out of the bus and the bus driver beeps his car horn twice.

Nari snaps out of her trance and is about to tumble over the step out of shock when the guy behind her grabs hold of one of her wrist to prevent her from falling but being the klutz she is, she manages to hook her other arm over the guy’s head, pulls him in her direction and they both stumble down the few steps and lands on the concrete floor. 

I flinch when I take notice that the guy actually has a huge black instrument case behind his back and he makes an impact with the concrete floor first with my sister than toppling on top of him. Ouch. Now that’s got to hurt.

Only Nari can start the first day of school like this: piss off the bus driver, annoy a whole bunch of people unintentionally and harm someone who was trying to help her accidentally. And school hasn’t even officially started. I chuckle inwardly. Oh, Nari.

I run back to assist her.

“Come on.” I grab her hand and pull her off before all the kids waiting stampede and squash her flat.

Nari bit her bottom lip as her eyebrows furrow together. Her eyes are focus on the guy who’s silently groaning in pain.

“I am so sorry. I didn’t hurt you did I?” 

I snort in response to my sister’s question.

The guy pokes his tongue out and gives her an incredulous look. Nari offers her hand to help him up. For a minute, I thought he might’ve told my sister off for being so reckless but I am taken aback when he smiles at her. Is that even a normal reaction to give? 

“Don’t sweat it. I started school with a bang. Literally.” he gives Nari a smile and then makes an explosive sound with his voice whilst colliding both his hand together. Nari raised an eyebrow.

“You didn’t manage to get yourself a concussion when you braved that fall, now did you? I can take you to the infirmary if you want.” my sister offers the guy.

“Nah. I’m fine. Wanted to lighten the awkward situation a tad bit. Heh.” he replied. 

“Are you sure you're fine? Your back should be killing you right now since you literally smashed it again that humongous case of yours.” I point out.

His eyes widen. 

“My babe!” he exclaims as he examines his case.

“Your what?” Nari asks in confusion.

The guy opens his case and reveals a saxophone.

He sighs.

“Thank God it’s alright,” he glances at Nari, “I would've had killed you if anything happened to my babe.” 

“You call your saxophone ‘babe’?” Nari tilts her head and glances at the saxophone, “So should I call me clarinet ‘oppa’, too?” she jokes.

I laugh raucously. “Why do you call your saxophone ‘babe’ anyways?” I ask.

“It’s a metaphor. One that needs an in-depth analysis to actually understand why I call it that.”  he smiles crookedly and salutes with two fingers before walking away. 

That guy is so weird. Is he even normal?

My sister stands still with a dumfounded expression before glancing at where he went.

“Is it just me or did he seem a little strange.” I state as I make a cuckoo hand gesture next to my head.

Nari has a blank look on her face. I snap my fingers in front of her face.

“Oh?” she turns to look at me.

“What were you doing back there at the bus anyways?” I ask.

“I was trying to savour the moment.” she says as I drag her through the crowd to the main doors. 

“Don’t pull so hard!” she complains.

“Savour later. Let’s get in there!” I tell her. 

Nari can be such a slowpoke. It took her half an hour just to get dressed this morning, and even longer to eat her breakfast. I would have thought she’d be rushing out the door. 

My sister is crazy about learning.

And as we walk up to the wide path toward the main two-story building I can’t help but think that Daewon looks like a great place for it. 

Of course, I am most intrigued by the gymnasium wing off to our right. The large, low building is clearly different from the rest of the school and has a giant banner that reads: Go Daewon Vanquishers! I already know what it looks like inside since we came for the Open House over the summer. It has pullout wooden bleachers, a huge scoreboard, glass-back basketball hoops, and real locker rooms. Behind the gym, up on a flat rise, is the field, with big outdoor bleachers and a track ranging the grass. I have a feeling I’ll be spending a lot of time there. But fi