Prologue
It might be a bit cliche, but let’s start with a self introduction. My name is Ham Dani, seventeen years old. Right now It is just ten days before I start high school.
I was born in a normal household, with normal looks, and normal personalities. It’s so normal that you wonder how much of a normal girl I can be.
At least… up until the age of fourteen, that is.
What happened to my life after fourteen you ask?
That is really, really terrible…ah, I cannot explain it all within one sentence.
There are other backstories I need to mention first, before even explaining what happened. By chance, have you heard of web novels? On the internet, there used to be a popular ongoing series with a male protagonist who is an heir of chaebol¹, always skips cla.s.s and causes trouble around town. Yet still manages to rank number one in studies, and also have a look that does not lose to a celebrity. Along with female protagonist who lives a normal life and is poor.
You might be a bit taken aback by this sudden topic I’ve mentioned, however if I were to explain my life, I cannot not mention about this very plot. Really.
Chapter 1: The Heroine? She lives next door.
2007 March 2nd was my middle school entrance ceremony. Just the day before, I could not sleep because I was filled with half worry and half excitement, so I’ve decided to read a book. I was reading until the point where my eyes started to close, and when I opened my eyes back up the daylight filled my vision. I got up slowly with a bed hair, while the book I was reading last night was placed above my head.
I got out to the kitchen and ate breakfast my mom made me. After the meal, I washed my face then brushed my teeth, and washed my hair. Until then, it was still a normal everyday morning. While I was having a peaceful morning, I became speechless as soon as I stood in front of my closet and stared at the bright white uniform that hung by the door from head to toe.
Huh? I squinted my eyes. I rubbed my eyes clear and looked at the uniform again. Nothing changed. This time I tried banging my head against the wall and stared back at my closet. Still nothing.
What is this? I held my uniform and sank into deep thought. The more I stared at this uniform, it reminded me of a hospital uniform from a mental ward. Bright white jacket with bright white skirt. The vest was light beige, but that did not comfort me in anyway. If I wore this uniform all b.u.t.toned up, then I would look just as white and bright as this uniform would be.
One the bright side, this was not our school uniform. Our school uniform is just plain brown.
After pondering about this uniform, I asked my mom.
“Mom, where is my school uniform?”
“What?”
My mom came by my room door after finishing up the dishes. I asked her again as I waved the white uniform in the air.
“Mom, this is not our school’s uniform! Where is my uniform?”
“What are you talking about? We had that tailored a week ago. That is your school uniform!”
“Huh?”
“What?”
A moment of awkwardness pa.s.sed. Then my mom slapped my back as she left the room, thinking that I was just joking around. If it was the usual, I would have shouted when she slapped my back, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I blanklessly stared at the white uniform.
Wait, hold on. I went into my thoughts again. The uniform was glowing bright as if it was reflecting the sunlight from my room.
Are you saying this is our school’s uniform? And I have to wear this? This extravagant uniform that is hard to digest when general people wear?
I had a sudden feeling that it was going to be a long first day of school. I crimpled my face as I wore the uniform. However, this isn’t where my bad luck ends. This was only the beginning of my bad luck and three years forwards. .
I stepped out of my apartment door and became startled. There was an unfamiliar girl standing right in front of the doorway. If I opened the door any harder, the girl and the door would of collided. Why in the world is she standing so close to the door. I placed my hands above my beating heart and turned my attention to her. As soon I took a look at the girl, my jaw dropped.
She was really pretty. Really, really pretty. Having a girl this pretty so close up was for the first time in my life.
Her skin was white and pale as if you can almost see the veins underneath. Her long black hair is so straight as if you drew a fine line down with a ruler, softly rested down to her waist. A purplish hue glowed as sunlight reflected on her black hair. Sunlight pa.s.sing through her eyes also gave a purple hue, and the places which sunlight did not reflect were jet black.
Her plump lips glossed and her small nose stood tall. Just staring at her face looked as if she was glowing.
For a moment I forgot the fact that I was on my way to school. When I came back to my senses, the unfamiliar girl was also staring right back at me. Ah, it was rude of me to stare at her on this first impression!
Never seen her before, I wonder if she just moved in? I thought. Anyways, a girl this pretty living next door to me, I wish we get along. She looks like she is around my age too. I hope I didn’t give her any weird first impression for staring at her.
By the look of it, she does not seem to be displeased so far. With her clear eyes, she was just staring back at me. Should I greet first? It was that moment when I was about to pull my hand out for a handshake.
The girl smiled brightly and grabbed my hand. This… is so forward? I thought, then.
“Dani, we’re going to be late. Let’s go.”
“…?”
Even her voice was pretty… wait a minute!
What? I was so startled I stared at her hands, holding mine. Without any hesitation, the girl dragged me towards the elevator. Wait, What’s going on! I shook her hands off and the girl stared back with her unwavering clear eyes. I asked.
“Wait, what were you doing?”
Out of the blue she calls me by my name, even though we never met before, then drags me with her. What is she doing? However, the girl became more surprised than I was. She asked.
“What do you mean? We’re going to school!”
“That is obvious, but why am I going with you?”
“What?”
After the question, the girl made an uncomfortable face then shut her mouth. She slightly furrowed her eyebrows.
With an awkwardness in the air, I then noticed her uniform was the same as mine. Even in this dark hallway where light does not reflect well, the uniform was still so bright it would hurt your eyes. Near the chest there was even her name tag. I read her name tag in my head. It was the first time I heard this name.
Ban Yeo Ryung looked with sorrow in her eyes then slowly reached her hands out to grab mine again. Then she spoke.
“Okay, I know what you want to say, but first let’s go to school.”
What do you mean you know. ‘I have no idea what is going on right now’ is what I wanted to say, but because her eye said with much sincerity I couldn’t say anything. Looking at her gaze made me think as if I lost my memories, or it made me feel like as if I am the one playing bad jokes on her.
In silence we walked alongside with some distance between us. Even after getting off the elevator, we kept walking in silence. After walking some distance away from the apartment, the air seems to loosen up a bit. I then started to look around my surroundings.
This is a strange occurrence. In my 13 years of living in this town, I’ve never seen this kind of extravagant uniform. However, as promised, the crowd of new students were weaning this white uniform. This did not make any sense.
Without caution, male students gazed around the surroundings and suddenly walked alongside my pace. Then they stared at Ban Yeo Ryung and became stiff. I felt startled and just kept shifting my gaze side to side.
Because it was early spring, the early morning was slightly chill. The morning ray reflected on Ban Yeo Ryung’s white forehead. The lights were hanging along her round tip of her nose, and the end of her eyelashes which were slightly pointing down.
No matter how much you look at her, the fascination of her beauty did become any less. She had bit depressed looked in her face. It might be my fault. However, even her sad expression was pretty. People who are walking by us kept staring at Ban Yeo Ryung as if they are possessed. I somewhat understood that feeling.
As I stared at Ban Yeo Ryung, she suddenly stared back. Then she took a look around her surroundings and cringed a bit.
“Hey Dani.”
“Hmm?”
“Can we walk while we link our arms?”
She spoke as looked anxious and looked around the people she was surrounded by. She felt uncomfortable by the attention. The gaze of people who were walking alongside us. They were all directed towards Ban Yeo Ryung.
I was hesitant, but I placed my arms over hers. Ban Yeo Ryung then made a slight sile and linked her arms with mine and started to walk forward. I felt as I became her guardian, and it was not a bad feeling.
The distance to the school were getting closer. I somewhat remember the appearance of the school building because I went there during our cla.s.s arrangements. Just like any other Middle School, it was slightly run down, but did not look too bad. It was good enough to just go to cla.s.s and eat school meals. Just that kind of everyday grey school building.
It was then when I lifted my head while in my thoughts. Faraway under the blue sky, there was the school building standing tall. Huh? I furrowed my brow. I lived and grew up in this town for 13 years and I have never seen that kind of school before. The school which was 5 storeys tall looked as if there was a main building and separately an annex building. The annex building was covered with gla.s.s walls and looked as if it was a fancy department store. No way that’s a school building. However, as I walked closer to the distance, it just became more clear. The wall that surrounded the school grounds were made up clean brown bricks. Then I saw the nameplate that was at the front of the school.
Ji Jon² Middle School.
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2. Ji Jon (지존) (至尊) - It mean ‘the best’