alwayssmiling Chapter 1
Chapter 1
(YeEun`s POV)
I walked slowly to school. It was my first day of high school and I was terrified. It sure didn`t help my nerves when a bunch of random guys started whistling at me.
I started running towards the front doors, frantically searching for my best friend, Sohee. We had been bestfriends since Grade 1.
Aish, I thought, where is she?
I spotted her getting off the bus, through the throng of people. I ran towards her.
“Sohee! SOHEE! You have no clue how glad I am to see you! ” I cried, flinging my arms around her.
“YeEun! Stop freaking out! It`s only the first day of school! ” she said calmly.
“ Okay. ” I said, breathing deeply. “ You look really pretty. ”
“Really? Well, you look nice too. ”
( Everyone dressed up all nicely on the first day of school to establish their status. That was because Maesil Academy had uniforms. The Teachers hand out the uniform on the first day, so you wouldn`t be able to wear what you wanted any other time.)
Sohee was wearing a really cute white skirt, with a lacy top and a jean jacket, with black flats. I was wearing semi-skinny jeans with purple flats, and a white tank top with a purple sweater, and my favourite hat, tilted to the side. Her hair was up in two curly pigtails and mine was in a high ponytail.
I grabbed her arm and dragged her towards the auditorium where we would be having our first assembly. (We had gotten a tour of the school when we were in Grade9.) We had been very excited over the summer, knowing that we would be in the same homeroom for the coming year. We just didn`t know who our homeroom teacher was, yet.
Kyunggi Academy was a HUGE dirty white building, with lots of windows. It was about 5 stories high. It was an old building, but it was really nice inside. I had been told they had just done renovations a couple years ago, which was why the inside looked so new.
We walked into the auditorium and went to find seats somewhere in the middle, so we wouldn`t be too noticeable but we could still see who was talking. After we had been sitting down for a while, three really good-looking guys sat down beside us.
I was the closest to them, so I started poking So Hee in the arm.
“Sohee! Sohee! Look at the guys beside me!” I whisper-shouted, poking her repeatedly in the arm, hoping that the guys beside me wouldn`t be able to hear.
She looked over, and gasped.
I subtly looked at the guy next to me. He had spiked black hair, and black-rimmed glasses. The guy beside him had dark blonde hair with dangly cross earrings and glasses. The last guy, who was beside the blond guy, had all his hair spiked up, and had a giant smile on his face, where the other two had serious, if not bored, expressions.
I poked the guy beside me, who I thought, was probably the most handsome one out of the three. “Annyounghaseyo, I`m Park YeEun!”
He looked at me and introduced himself as Kim Junsu. Then he introduced the other two guys too. The blond one was Kim Jaejoong, and the smiling one was Kwon Jiyong. They had all known each other from way before, and were all a year ahead of us.
So then I introduced Sohee to them. I quickly took a liking to Jiyong because he was joking around a lot and seemed to be always smiling. I think So Hee disliked Jaejoong, because they started arguing about something insignificant. I didn`t get to talk to them much more after that, because right then Principal Choi went up and stood at the mic. She then introduced us to all the teachers and staff.
We found out that our TA was 10B and our teacher`s surname was Park. (“Just like me!” I said). She was really pretty, and had just gotten out of college.
While we were talking in our homeroom, the boys were being very rowdy, and throwing stuff at each other. Then we heard the clicking noise of high heels against the linoleum floor. Then the door of the classroom swung open. We all looked up and saw Teacher Park walk in.
She was wearing a tight black skirt, with a white blouse, black heels, and her hair done up in a neat bun. She looked really professional, and really pretty.
I looked around at the suddenly silent classroom. All the boys` mouths had dropped open. I almost could`ve sworn that they were all drooling. Was it right to be crushing on your teacher? I wondered.
One boy, near the back of the room, stood up with his hand raised. With a trembling voice he asked, “Are you single?” he asked her.
Teacher Park gave him “the Look”. It`s the one look that gives the creeps to most students and makes them shut up. It was a hard-to-do look, but Teacher Park had it mastered.
For the rest of the morning, Teacher Park lectured us about all the rules she had for her classroom (and the consequences for disobeying them), and explaining all her pet peeves, making sure that we would never forget. By the time the nutrition bell rang (for we had to stay in our homeroom for the whole day), pretty much our entire class completely hated her. Our very first impression of her was that she would be a nice, fun teacher to have. Boy, were we wrong.
~~~*~~~
When we got back into class, we were allowed to chit-chat with the other students. We pretty much didn`t know anyone in our class except for each other. After a while, when I was looking around, I noticed Park Yoochun, sitting in the corner, laughing with another boy, while a different boy sat there watching them, with a worried expression on his face.
“Hey, Yoochun!” I called to him. “YOOCHUN!”
He finally looked over. I beckoned for him to come here.
“Who`s that kid?” I asked, pointing to the boy who he was laughing with.
“Lee Seunghyun, I`ve known him for a long time, if you`re wondering.”
“Oh cool, wanna introduce us?” I asked, indicating me and So Hee.
He brought us over to the other guys, and introduced us to Lee Seunghyun and Shim Changmin. Seunghyun and Yoochun had been best friends for a really long time. Changmin was a new addition to the group, and was the one always breaking up their little arguments.
Then after we went back to our desks, I noticed some other girls that we knew. Min Sunye and Kim Yubin, two of the popular girls in our grade, whom I totally despised. Actually, I really hated Sunye for what she had done to me in junior high. I didn`t know Yubin too well, but, to me, who ever could hang out with Sunye and actually like her, was as evil as Satan.
I pointed them out to Sohee. Then, she just got up and went over and started talking to them, with no explanation set aside for me! The bell rang for lunch, just then. I ran out of the classroom and straight towards my locker, not stopping to talk to anyone. I grabbed my wallet, and headed for the cafeteria.
I bought a plate of yakisoba noodles with a green tea, and went to look for a table to sit at. I saw Junsu, Jaejoong and Jiyong sitting at a table together, with Yoochun, Seunghyun, Changmin and SunMi.
I slid into the seat next to Jiyong. “Hey, can I sit with you guys?”
“Yeah! Of course you can! Right guys?”
Jaejoong and Junsu just nodded. So I sat and chatted with them while we ate. I became better friends with Jiyong, and came to know Junsu a bit better. Jaejoong didn`t talk much. I found that out that I might sort of like Junsu. But only a bit, I wasn`t too sure about that yet. I was having so much fun, talking animatedly with Jiyong, arguing over which one of our birthdays were better, and laughing at Yoochun`s and Seunghyun`s idiotic -ness, that I didn`t even notice Sohee walk in and sit with Sunye and Yubin.
~~~*~~~
After lunch, we had another assembly, to hand out schedules, because our regular classes were starting tomorrow. Also, they had to hand out the uniforms. Then they would sort us into our options, and tell us who the teachers for the options were.
I sat with Jiyong and the others. I was perfectly content with my life, until I saw Sohee walk in and sit with Sunye and Yubin, out of the corner of my eye. My happy mood vanished in that split second.
Jiyong noticed. “Are you okay? YeEun?”
I looked up at him. He brushed away a tear from my cheek. I`m crying? I thought, bewilderedly. Why am I crying?
“What`s wrong?” Jiyong asked me, again.
I looked in Sohee`s direction. It was only the first day of school, and she had already ditched me. Ditched me for the two girls that she knew I totally despised. Junsu and Jaejoong were looking at me with worried looks on their faces.
“Nothing ..” I mumbled, not wanting to explain.
I found out that I had the same first option as So Hee for the first semester. Foods, a.k.a. cooking. The option that we had both wanted the most, but I realized that I wasn`t as excited as I should`ve been.
I glanced over to the Grade11ers spot, and saw Jiyong, standing beside Junsu and Jaejoong, glancing at me with a worried expression on his face.
After the assembly, it was time to go home. I carefully folded my uniform and put it into my bag, not wanting to wrinkle the black skirt or rumple the smooth white blouse. I rolled up the knee-length black socks and tucked them into a corner by the pleated vest that had the school logo on it. I had the red bow looped around my wrist already.
Aish, I fumed, and I slammed my locker door shut, Sohee is such a DITCHER! She makes me so mad!
Then someone covered my eyes.
“Guess who?” said a high pitched voice, of a guy who`s trying to sound like a girl.
I giggled; I recognized Jiyong`s voice right away. I decided to psyche him out a bit, so I pretended not to know who it was.
“Uhm, Teacher Park?” I said the first name that popped into my mind.
“Nope.”
“Hmm.. Sohee?” I tried again.
“No!”
“Aaaah, I know. It`s Yoochun right?”
“NO!” he cried out, “It`s me! JIYONG!”
I burst out laughing at his agitated face. “Jiyong-oppa, calm down.” I said, between gasps of air. “I knew it was you. I was just teasing!” I laughed again.
“Ooh, uhm.. I knew that! I was .. uh.. just testing you.” he mumbled.
“Haha, riiiight then, Jiyong.”
We chatted as we walked outside, into the bright sunlight. I finally realized that Junsu and Jaejoong weren`t there with us.
“Jiyong-oppa, where are Junsu-oppa and Jaejoong-oppa?”
“I dunno, I think they left already.”
“Oh, okay then.”
So we kept walking, in the direction of my house. Then, I saw Sohee and the populars, heading straight towards us, though I didn`t think they had seen us yet.
I grabbed Jiyong`s arm, and dragged him behind a wall of the school.
“Whoah! Hey, what are you doing? ” he cried out, really loudly.
“Shhhh! I don`t want to see Sohee!” I whispered.
“Why? Isn`t she your bestfriend?”
“No! At least not anymore. She totally ditched me! Now, shhh..”
He pulled me out into the open. “Come on, YeEun! There`s nothing to be scared of!”
“0o0o0o0o0o0o0h! What were you doing back there with Jiyong-oppa, YeEun? Something DIIIIIIIIRTY?!” Sunye taunted. “Hitting on older men now?”
“Nothing that you`ve never done!” I yelled back.
Then I winced, taunting Sunye was like poking a dragon in the eye, very dangerous, and likely to explode. I groaned inwardly, what had I gotten myself into? Sohee and Yubin were just standing beside her; Sohee didn`t even say anything in my defence.
“Now you see why I was hiding?” I whispered at Jiyong. “Let go of my hand!”
~~~*~~~
So Jiyong walked me home. When I went inside, Jiyong came with me and my mom saw him.
“Oh my GOD! Our little YeEun has a BOYFRIEND!” she shouted, for the whole of Korea to hear.
“Maaaaa! Shush, please! He is NOT my boyfriend okay?” I shouted at her. With all the racket she was making, she could`ve woken up my grandparents in Japan!
I hung up my coat, and Jiyong`s coat on the coat hanger, and took off my shoes. Jiyong took his off too, and we went into the house.
I saw my dad descending the stairs, to go into the living room. While scratching his head, he asked, “What are you screaming about?! I was trying to write a story, you were being very distracting.” (By the way, my dad is a novelist, and my mom is a children`s doctor.)
“Well, I`m sorry, but I`m just so excited! Our little YeEun baby has a boyfriend!” she shrieked.
“Shush, dear. You`ll wake up your parents in Japan if you keep going on like this. And remember, she doesn`t like being called ‘baby’” he said calmly. (See? I told you she was really loud. She overreacts to everything.)
“Oh no!” she screeched. “I left the water boiling!” She rushed back into the kitchen, to lower the flame on the stove. As she did that, I wondered what she was making for dinner. I was feeling just a teensy bit hungry.
Jiyong walked over to the kitchen door. “Do you think your mom might need a bit of help?” And without waiting for an answer, he went into the kitchen to help her with dinner. I didn`t know that Jiyong cooked, because I never expected him to do things like that. I went upstairs to do my homework.
When my mom started yelling for us to wash up for dinner, I knew that it was time. I wondered if Jiyong was a good cook or not, I was guessing, and hoping, he was good because of all the delicious aromas drifting out of the kitchen.
After I finished washing up, I called my brother down. “YUNHO! Come down for dinner! Mom says so!” (He was older than me by two years, so he was in Grade12 in Maesil Academy.)
I heard him running down the stairs, so I ran for cover. As my older brother, he loved to tease me, and bother/annoy me in any way that he could. Despite all that, I loved him for helping me through all the tough times by giving me advice and stuff. I don`t want to admit it, but he`s the best brother a girl could ask for. Except for now. Because I wasn`t fast enough, he caught me, and started giving me a noogie.
“Owww! YUNHO! That HURTS!” I screamed.
I heard someone chuckle behind me, so I struggled against my brother and came free. I spun around, to find that Jiyong was laughing at me. He was carrying a bunch of dishes, laden with steaming food.
I waited for him to put the plates down before I tackled him. “Jiyong! You`re not supposed to be laughing at me! You`re supposed to be on my side! Not his!! You knew me fiiiiiiirst!! ”
He laughed. “Actually, I knew your brother first. I never realized that you were the sister he was talking about.”
Then Yunho started laughing with him. I sat on the ground and pouted. “It`s not FAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIRR!!”
My mom came out from the kitchen. “Awwwwe, YeEun baby. Are the big boys teasing you?”
I stood up and glared at her. “Not you too Maaaaa! And DON`T CALL ME THAT!”
Jiyong started laughing again. “I`ve always looked up to your brother. He was always so cool, handsome and good in sports. What happened to you?” Yunho started laughing with him.
“HEY! That wasn`t very nice. And I thought you were a good guy? Wow, if you like my brother, there must be something wrong with you head.” I said, jokingly.
Yunho swatted at me with his hand. “Don`t be teasing me, I can make your life miserable.”
“It already IS miserable, just `cause you`re in it!” I yelled, and ran for cover. I ran upstairs, into my room and locked the door.
“YEEUN! GET DOWN HERE AND EAT DINNER! NOW!” I heard my mom yell, five minutes later. “ Yunho and Jiyong have gone to play videos games in the den, while you were up there. So come down, so we can eat, before the food gets cold!”
So I ran downstairs, and into the kitchen, sitting beside my mom. Jiyong and Yunho came in, laughing at something. I glanced at Jiyong. I knew he was going to tell Jaejoong and Junsu all about meeting my brother when he got home.
He sat down beside me, and we all said the Grace Before Meals. Then Jiyong started spooning a bunch of food onto our plates. Somehow, Jiyong had guessed and made all my favourite foods. And they tasted great! Almost better than my mom`s cooking.
After dinner, I saw the boy`s running off to the den to play video games before Jiyong had to go. “ Hey guys! Wanna help me clean up? You made most of the mess, throwing stuff at each other! ”
“NO THANKS! YOU CAN DO IT!” I heard my brother`s voice call back to me.
“Jiyong?! PLEASE?!”
“NO CAN DO YE EUN! SORRY, BUT I WANT TO PLAY THIS GAME!” Jiyong`s slightly higher voice called back.
“ARRRRRGH!” I screamed, as I stomped back into the kitchen, to do the dishes, and clear up, all by myself.