January 2009

Finally. I am finally an official high schooler. Yejin thought happily as she attached the black ribbon onto her new high school uniform. Yejin was more than eager to escape her middle school title, because middle school sounded childish and kiddish in her ears. She had always wanted to be a high schooler because every single drama, movie and magazine had told her that high school would be the best time of her life. She simply couldn't wait to begin the next phase of her life as she put on the legendary yellow blazer from School of Performing Arts Seoul. 

The kids are going to love me. Yejin smirked at the mirror as she touched up her make up. She had already compiled a list of 'DOs and DON'Ts' to turn her into the most popular girl in school, just like how she was amongst the SM trainees.

"Yejin-ah!" She heard her mother shouting from the front pouch of their house. "Chauffeur Kim is waiting for you! Hurry up! It's your first day! Don't be late!"

"Yes Mother! I am coming! Just give me a sec!" Yejin replied as she hurriedly grabbed her belongings and dumped them into her new Kate Spade backpack, which her father had gotten for her during his business trip to the States.

Yejin did a last check as she twirled in front of her full-length mirror to make sure that everything was in place. "Perfect!" She muttered happily before dashing out of her room to the front pouch where her mother and Chauffeur Kim were waiting.

"My princess, you look beautiful in your new uniform." Yejin's mother smiled proudly when she saw her one and only child. 

"She's gorgeous, Madam." Chauffeur Kim agreed. Yejin's family was one of the wealthiest families in South Korea. Chaebol was a term used to describe families who had conglomerate businesses supported by the South Korean government. 

"Thank you Mother, thank you Chauffeur Kim." Yejin bowed politely before getting into the car. She pulled down the window to give her mother a kiss goodbye.

"Yejin-ah, are you nervous?" Her mother asked with a look of concern.

"Nope, not at all." She replied confidently. "I feel great actually. I have everything under control." 

Her mother smiled. "I am glad to hear that. Enjoy your first day of school and let Chauffeur Kim know what time to pick you up after school, alright?"

"Yes, mother. Don't worry about me." Yejin said before they drove off to her new school.

"Yejin-ah." Chauffeur Kim called out her name casually as he drove her to her new school. Chauffeur Kim had been her personal driver for as long as she could remember. To her, he was not just merely a driver, but also a mentor and a close samchon. 

"Yes, samchon?" Yejin asked as she reapplied her Dior lip balm, her holy grail that she could never live without. 

Chauffeur Kim took a peek at her through the mirror before continuing. "Don't just study and train... It's about time you try dating boys your age..."

Yejin dropped her handheld mirror, dropped open as she gapped at her driver. "Are you... Are you about to give me advice on my dating life now?" She shifted uncomfortably on her seat.

Yejin was not ready to discuss her love life with her family or her closest samchon who had watched her grow up from a disastrous little girl into a full grown young lady.

"No no. I am just saying that you should start thinking about it." He corrected himself as he tightened his grip on the steering wheel. "I just think that you are spending too much time building up your dream career path that you are not doing what girls your age should be doing."

Yejin sighed. What do you know, samchon? She thought as Junmyeon's face popped into her mind. Kim Junmyeon is my boyfriend. Samchon, I already have a boyfriend so you don't have to worry about me.

Luckily for her, they had arrived at the front gate of her new school. Yejin managed to escape the continuous awkward conversation with her driver.

"What time do you want me to pick you up today?" Chauffeur Kim asked.

"I will text you again, samchon!" Yejin said hurriedly as she exited the car excitedly. 

"SOPA, here I come!" Yejin muttered to herself as she absorbed the school surrounding. To the right of the school was Hyundai High School, a lucky all boy school that was a neighbour of SOPA, which housed the prettiest debuted idols and trainees alike. To the left was Shinsegae Mall, which had shopping and entertainment facilities for the students in the area.

Head's up. Chin's up. Yejin told herself as she catwalked into the school. She tried to hide her nervousness and excitement under her cold, arrogant face.

"Yejin-ah!" Someone shouted from behind her. Yejin turned around just in time as Seungyeon threw her arm around Yejin's shoulder.

"Seungyeon-ah!" Yejin heaved a sigh of relief as she saw the most familiar face in the sea of strangers.

"Why? You missed me?" Seungyeon best friend as they walked arms in arms into the next chapter of their life.

"Ya!" Yejin punched her best friend's arm with a smile of relief on her face.

"It will be a brand new start for the two of us." Seungyeon whispered as they observed the crowd. Yejin felt as though she had just walked into a plastic surgery clinic where all the plastic beauty gathered. Everyone looked too perfect with not even a single strand of hair out of place.

Suddenly a group of girls, freshmen and seniors alike, were screaming in a high pitched and piercing tone near the fence of the school edge. 

"It's the Hyundai High School boys!" Yejin overheard someone shouting. "They are having a soccer match and you-know-who is playing!"

"You-know-who?" Yejin raised an eyebrow at Seungyeon. "Who?"

Seungyeon shrugged. "There's only one way to find out." She smirked as she began dragging Yejin towards the group of screaming girls. 

Where are all these people from? Which agency do they belong to? Why are they behaving so embarrasingly in school? I must distance myself from them. Just in case I get categorised in the same clique as them. Yejin thought as she walked reluctantly towards them. She repulsed at idea of being labelled as their clique. She didn't come here to see the future generation of idols. She came here to become one, to become someone that these people are to see.

"Yejin! Look!" Seungyeon eyes widened even bigger than their original size, which were already very big to begin with. 

"Wha-?" Yejin began but was cut off by another round of cheering from the girls in her school.

"It's Park Chanyeol! The new dude!" Seungyeon pointed with her perfectly manicured finger at the guy in blue jersey.

"Oh. My. God."