Chapter One (1/1)

Chapter One "What the hell - ugh, don't make me do this again Mom!" Hyeli whined while taking quick glances to her left and right, to see if anyone were watching this pathetic view - her Mom trying to put on a Hello Kitty scarf on her neck with a 'Iamsoproudofmydaughtergoingtohighschool' kind of soft grin."Shh, baby its okay. Its so cold, you said last night that you wanted to wear one- omf." Hyeli covered her mother's mouth before anyone could hear her. Well, okay she was such a baby, but that's just her personality at home. When in school, she's the snob that nobody wants to talk to or even try to strike up a convo. Why? Well, because she doesn't know how to. Honestly, she doesn't know how to talk to people.  Sure she talks to her cats, her well taken care of flowers, her one and only neighbor Mrs. Kim, and... well that pretty much sums it all. How does one strike a conversion anyway? Or how do you respond to conversions? She tells herself that maybe she's just not comfortable. That every person has different personalites, and that she just didn't find the person with the perfect personality like her whom she can talk to. Like her mom. So ever since middle school, she's always been the snob-kindofquiet type of girl. Not that she minds tho. She like being this way. It was so so so much better, she says. Hyeli entered the familiar school ground. It was gonna be her last year here, and to be quiet honest, she's more than thankful to get out of this dismal surrounding. To her left she sees a bunch of girls giggling and waving to a group of guys. Pathetic. She rolled her eyes and continued walking towards the main hall, adjusting her Hello Kitty scarf and smoothing out her skirts. To her right she sees polite, or maybe trying to be polite students, bowing and exchanging greetings to the teachers. She doubts it was just them being formal when in reality, they just want an extra credit in class. She rolled her eyes again and shakes her head slightly in dismay. But hey, the school isn't so bad tho. There's this one thing that she likes the most - the only thing that she looks forward to in going to school. And that is? Bam. Canteen. Hyeli is a food whore. And that is not a overstatement. How many times does she eat in a day? 5 times. 5 freaking times. So people wonder if there's an anaconda living in her stomach or just that she's one of the lucky ones who just don't get fat. Not that people really do wonder about her. Ha.  Being able to find the right classroom for the first time, with a blank expression on her face when actually she was high-fiving herself mentally was an achievement. And wow, was she surprised. She has really bad sense of directions by the way. That even though she'd been in this same school for almost 6 years, she would still get lost. The school isn't even thaaaat big. Yep, just bad - wait no, pathetic sense of direction. She stopped just halfway to the door, already making up what her classmate's gonna be like. Same old, same old. Hyeli continued to the doorway and took a minute to scan the classroom. "Yep, same old same old." she mutters to herself and sighed loudly, one sigh so loud that you may want to ask what's her problem so early in the morning in to the first day of class i mean just what the heck? Do you have a problem in the world?! "No, thank you very much but i'm very lively today brain." Hyeli grunted. Actually, Hyeli is a pretty lively and extremely nice teenager. She's just the same average teenager who likes to dance and sing in the shower, who loves H.O.T and eats too much kimchi - not that they can afford a jajangmyeun or something anyway. But, how should one say it? She likes to keep a low profile. She doesn't want attention and is not definitely in need of some. She doesn't want when people compliment her of her amazing violin skills, or she doesn't want to be complimented when she get good - shut up, you get 100% in every exams - awesome grades. So she make sures no one hears her when she's sneakily practicing in the music room, or she purposely gets two to five mistakes in exams making her always second to the school queenka, Jooyeon. "Hey Hyeli, nice to see you again.", a male student politely said to her while she's making her way to her seat - right in the back. Hyeli returned a half-hearted smile which isn't half-hearted at all but it seemed so physically because she doesn't know how to give a genuine smile. ( Except for her Mom, cats, flowers-- yeah you get it. ) Class started with the same boring stuff, with Hyeli occasionally taking a look at the windows ( because her chair is always on the right side near the windows. ), her taking down notes, her seatmate which was called Youngmin who keeps on falling asleep in class, and yeah... just same stuff over and over again. However though, when Hyeli took a look at the far side of the field - she notices that something... was off. Hyeli perked her head up and leaned in more to the windows to see what it is. But still, she couldn't quite make up what it is. After shrugging the idea off, she went of to take down some more notes and some more notes and some more notes. Until the bell rang signalling for lunch break. Hyeli grinned to herself and unpacks her lunch bag. She sees - yet again - kimchi and a note from her mom which says "Eat a lot, Hyeli! -Love, Umma.", which she happily tucked in her pocket, and prayed before eating. "Hey guys, what club are you gonna join?" Girls making daily conversations, bla bla bla. "I heard that there's a new teacher! I hope she's nice." Some more conversations, bla bla bla."Infinite's gonna have a comeback! OMG FDKLFJDF." Well excuse you, H.O.T is the best okay. Hyeli pouted ever so slightly when she realizes there's no more food left in her food container. She wanted to eat more, but sadly she can't so she settled on the idea that she will buy kimchi later after school. Note to self; do not take shortcut to home if you don't want to forget buying kimchi. Don't worry about the stray dog on the way, he might not be there. If he is, retreat. ..... But you can always run too. Hyeli stands up to go to the ladies' room and hears conversations again in the corridor. "Oh my god, did you see the new student? DID YOU DID YOU FLDKFJ TELL ME YOU DID OR ELSE I WILL SLAP YOU RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE.", Hyeli hears a chic student, putting on make up with three more other girls. She steals a quick glance from the mirror while washing her hands. She doesn't recognize them tho, not that she ever has recognize anyone that's not from her class. "OF COURSE I DID WHAT ARE YOU EVEN SAYING HE IS SMOKING HOT AND JUST SO COOL HE WONT EVEN TALK TO ME WHICH IS EVEN HOTTER KYAAAAA." Hyeli took a step away from them, with a disgusted face ( not really, she's not good with expression ), because she's afraid her eardrums are gonna explode from all the screaming. She sighed internally yet again.When the three girls noticed her though, she stopped and smiled awkwardly again. The other girls bowed and said a quick "Annyeonghaseyo sunbae.", because they might have noticed her pin which says "Senior". Hyeli, on the other hand, did the same. She would've said more but.... she doesn't know what to say. There was an awkward silence between them and Hyeli could've smacked the water flow awake because it was too slow and she wants to get out of there soon before she is required to answer questions or strike up a conversation... oh god."Oh, sunbae are you from Class 1?" the other girl asked softly, continuing to do her eye mascara. "Uhm, yes." Hyeli answered ever so shortly. What you got with that, i answered the right answer. What more should i say, you stupid brain."Then do you know his name?!" By now, all of the three girls edged so close to her face with very big curious and excited eyes that Hyeli couldn't help but scoot away slowly. "Uhm, whose face?" "The new student!" They shouted, unintentionally, in chorus."We have a new classmate?" Hyeli blinked in surprise, tilting her head slightly to the side. Funny, i don't think we have a new one, was what she wanted to say but the girls were already pouting in diappointment and bowed to say goodbye. "Well sorry not sorry i just forget to say what's on my mind okay." She shouted at the air, and made a face. But really, Hyeli was always the one who would notice something. She was always the mindful one, remembering where things are even if she only saw it once. She even noticed that the gym lost one soccer ball. She noticed also when her English Teacher would be grumpy, and that's when her favorite student won't greet her first. She would also remember that the Principal always carry with him a blue handkerchief. But - she definitely was sure that there was no new student awhile ago. She walked back to her classroom and settled down. After finally convincing herself that maybe those girls were just mistaken she sighed and leaned her head down on her desk......I want to eat.    -------Mr. Grumpy please do not bark, please please i will do aegyo for you, please don't bark and surprise me making me scream and shriek so loud the neighbors gonna be awake at 5pm. Juseyooooo, buing buing? Hyeli mentally slapped herself because no in way in the name of H.O.T would she do buing buing and why is she there hiding behind a huge trash bin anyway? Oh right, the dog. She's always been afraid of dogs, whether its a cute dog like in a size of a pea or the huge kind of dog with a cute puppy eyes - nope, she's scared to death if she encounters one. She would freeze in spot and not breathe when she walk past ones that are in leashed. And when she sees one, even if its just peeing from afar, she would immediately retreat and walk back. She is a scaredy dog. Ha ha, real funny.Hyeli carefully took a step forward to the road towards the convenience shop. Beside the shop was a big house, and that big house owned a chihuahua. Very convenient. Baby steps, yes baby steps. Maybe Mr. Grumpy is sleeping now. He won't notice me, i am the wind. He won't suddenly ran up from his dog house and bark at me. And he most definitely will be leashed. Yes, Yes Yes--- No no no no. I will just come back next time-- KIM HYELI MAN UP! WHAT ARE YOU? YOU'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE YOU CAN DO IT AGAIN-- And that's when she dashed forward as fast as she can to the store. Luckily, once again she made it without the dog noticing her. She wiped the sweat off her forehead and was about to go in, when a street child, shirtless and dirty, tugged in her uniform. "Ahjumma, can you give me food?" The child blinked innocently. And Hyeli was a sucker. She was such a sucker for this kind of things that she doesn't even care if her Mom keeps remind her that street children are lazy, dependent people and that they should work for themselves like what her Mom is doing. She couldn't help it. She doesn't care if what she's seeing is just acting, to get money but... she has a soft spot for people like this. Real smooth, Hyeli. Wow you should be the next Mother Teresa. She absentmindedly joked but crouched down, smiling ( this time genuinely ) to the child. "Aigoo, where's your Mom? Is she not giving you anything?" the child shook his head. "Arasso! Ahjumma will buy something in there and i'll come back okay? Just wait here, hmmm?" She patted her dirty head and hurriedly bought kimchi. When she reached outside, she smiled softly when the child beamed at her. Maybe he didn't expect that some stranger would really go back and give her food. Maybe he didn't totally believed her when she said she's going to be back. "Ahjumma! Is that for me?" The child grinned. "Of course, silly. Its for you. So go and eat it with your family and friends okay? Share. Don't be greedy now." Hyeli smiled and nodded as she orderd the child to go home. She watched as the child happily skips, with a content smile on herself. You should just be a saint instead of dreaming to be a kpop star. "Oh shoot--" Hyeli automatically searches for a trace of human being within her sight, which could've been a witness to her act. She sighed in relief when she made sure that no one was there. Because she wouldn't like that. She wouldn't absolutely like that. Because she doesn't want people to think that she's a hypocrite. She loathes that word. Honestly, she doesn't care if she was called a snob, a loner or-- some more stuff. But just not hypocrite. Because Hyeli is nothing but a hypocrite. Hyeli walked home, with just a lollipop on her mouth. But she was happy though. She was always happy. She was about to go shout 'Umma' when she sees her house in a distance when she stopped and remembered something.The child called me Ahjumma wait what.flkdjsk YES THE CHILD CALLED ME AHJUMMA.WHAT. NO.AM I THAT OLD. NO NO NO. I CANNOT BELIEVE I LET HIM---..... YOU CALLED YOURSELF AN AHJUMMA TOO. Hyeli facepalmed so hard, her forehead became red.... and what she didn't know was that someone was watching her all these time.