"I miss my hair curler," Jan Di sighed, running her comb through her straight hair. It was awkward getting ready in the morning with only one mirror. She practiced her faces in the mirror as she brushed her teeth. Her room was getting dirty again, but her uniform still looked acceptable. After pulling on her socks, Jan Di glided to the kitchen, doing a few practice dance steps as she hummed one of their old songs. She knew she shouldn't be thinking this, but she missed dance practice. She felt dorky as she balanced on one foot while making coffee.

It had been a whole week since Jan Di had gotten the red card. The attacks had died down after a few days, and she was confident that it was over now. She could go on with her mission here. In her small living room she sat with her coffee in one hand and the flyer for the swim team tryouts in the other hand. Today was the day. Her suit was already packed in her backpack, and all she had to do was get through school.

"Jan Di! Let's go!" Ga Eul banged on the door, and Jan Di grinned and sprung up to get her shoes.

"Extra cheerful today?" Ga Eul asked as Jan Di skipped out into the hallway.

"Swim tryouts," Jan Di reminded her, fixing her bag in place.

"You know you have to go to practices, right? And work?" Jae Kyung said from behind them.

"Yeah, I know."

"Aren't we here to not work?"

"Maybe you are," Ga Eul said.

"When will I ever be able to compete against other normal high school girls in swimming? Never," Jan Di pointed out. "Now, let's go!"

_._._

"Hey Joon Pyo! Wait up." Joon Pyo paused, waiting for his friends to catch up. The sea of students parted around him as his friends caught up. Yi Jung was saving a girls phone number into his phone- well, Joon Pyo assumed he was, because what other reason was there for it to be out?- and Woo Bin had his wallet out.

"What's up?"

"I'm trying to finally get Woo Bin to pay for the bet. That girl apologized in the end, right?"

"Uh-" Joon Pyo grimaced, annoyed that they were bringing that up. He ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. "No. Not yet. I still got- well, just wait one more day."

"See?" Woo Bin happily returned his wallet to his pocket. "You should probably just forget about her," he added as the three of them made their way toward the stairs. "She doesn't seem like the type of girl to give in, you know?"

"Nah, I don't know any girl like that," Joon Pyo huffed.

"You're just saying that because you want to hold on to your cash," Yi Jung said, rolling his eyes. He clapped Joon Pyo on the back. "But yeah, don't get obsessed. You've got a test coming up, don't you?"

"Thinking about responsibilities? Stop that, it's not like you," Joon Pyo said as he rolled his eyes.

They reached the first floor, and stepped out the double doors to cross the quad to the other side of the school.

Joon Pyo took two steps, and then stopped. Standing in the center of the swarm of students was her, that stupid witch herself. She was holding her books in her hands, looking down and ignoring the flock of students throwing toilet paper at her. Joon Pyo smirked, and glanced at his two friends beside him. Now was as good a time as any to get her apology. He sneered when he thought about how long he had waited for her to come to him. It was time to end this. When she saw him, she would definitely start begging for forgiveness. He walked towards her casually, acting his best to seem like he hadn't even seen her. It might not be much, but this game he played with people was some of the only entertainment he got in life. It could get exciting enough to distract him from... Well, everything else. It was just so easy to torment people. Especially because it was so addicting to see her make that pissed off face.

About halfway to her, Jan Di spotted him. It would've been a little difficult, to be honest, to not see the figure that caused the crowd to part in what could be interpreted as reverence. She glared at him, her throat closing up as she thought of his latest attempt to destroy her. Her mind brought up the image of the disgusting text that had traveled like wildfire across the school- the one claiming that she had been sleeping with a teacher. The rumors had started when she got to school, ruining her belief that it was all over. The suggestion was so vile and petty it literally made her want to throw up. Every fiber of her being had been ignited with hate for that damn Gu Joon Pyo! She would give him what he deserved once and for all, even if it got her kicked out.

"You!" She spat the word, and her voice carried through the crowd. The circle went silent, but she didn't take her eyes off of his stupid face. She hated everything about him from his dumb curly hair to his stupid shoes.

"Speak of the devil," He said, glancing at his friends, before smirking. "You ready to apologize, I see," he said, cocking his head. He's so arrogant! Jan Di felt something boil over in her, a feeling of wrath she could not describe. She took a deep breath, focusing her rage into her words.

"I'm not going to quietly tolerate this anymore," she said. She didn't break eye contact with him the entire time, and took a step closer to him. He was only a stride away now, and it irritated her how she had to look slightly up to meet his eye. "The outcome isn't going to pretty if you keep doing this."

"Huh?" He sneered, crossing his arms. "Is this how idiots apologize? It's really not translating well."

"I don't believe it's the victim's responsibility to apologize to the culprit," she retorted, taking a step forward in anger. She wanted to throw something! Her eyes caught on the dirty rags that a student had just thrown into her arm, and she whipped them up and pelted them at Joon Pyo's stupid face as hard as she could. He swatted them away, and his jaw clenched in anger.

"Excuse me?" he said incredulously.

"You heard me."

"You're not going to apologize?"

"Of course I'm not, you block head!" Jan Di hollered, her eyes screwing up in anger as she saw red.

"What did you call me?" He snapped, his voice rising. He moved closer, and Jan Di backed up to avoid having him in her face.

"I'm not going to put up with it any longer," Jan Di said. She let the books fall out of her arms as her fists popped up defensively and her feet set into a fighting stance. She thought of all the possible outcomes of what she was about to do. But her pride was screaming like a cat with its tail stepped on, and she was never going to win a battle with it.

"What are you doing?" Joon Pyo sounded genuinely confused, and stopped walking towards her. The people around them collectively held their breath. The drama in this school was coming to a head, and no one was going to miss a moment of it for the world.

"I told you. I'm not going to take it anymore!" She shouted. "I've had enough. I've told you very clearly!" Her chest heaved once, and she let out a battle cry before unleashing her strike. She spun, jumped, and threw her kick as hard as she possibly could. The crowd gasped as it hit its mark, and Jan Di landed with a feeling of triumph.

Joon Pyo fell to the ground, utterly shocked and (she hoped) in some pain. She thanked her luck for letting her remember how not to fall on her face. She may not have been a master at martial arts, but she certainly remembered that move. She had the upper hand now, and the words that had been storming inside her head without a place to go suddenly flew out of her mouth.

"Did you see me sleeping with any man?" She stepped forward in emphasis, and Joon Pyo jumped and sat up. "Did you even see me holding hands with a guy? How dare you spread such disgusting rumors!" Her words were catching on her disgust, but she continued as though she couldn't stop, her entire body trembling in rage and hurt. "Rumors like that about a girl who is chaste and pure and hasn't even had her first kiss yet!" Not to mention that these rumors, in the wrong hands, could destroy her career and everything she had worked to be seen as. "You..." She stomped towards him, and snatched up the dirty rags that had fallen next to where Joon Pyo was sitting. She threw it over his face, and from the crowd a laugh drummed up. "If you keep up these filthy tricks, I'll really kill you then," she said finally. She probably would regret ending it there, but her job was done. Accompanying her final threat, the bell rang shrilly. The crowd scurried away like bugs under a light, and Jan Di grabbed her books and walked back to class, her heart rate oddly slow for someone who had just completed a battle with her arch enemy.

That bastard better leave me alone now, she thought to herself. Or I'll have to bring out the big guns.

_._._

Joon Pyo sat in the back of class in a daze. He had sat away from Yi Jung and Woo Bin, who hadn't stopped laughing and teasing him from the moment he had stood up after the... attack. His fingers brushed his cheek over the place where the kick had made contact. His heart couldn't stop beating like crazy, and he didn't know why. The image of her shouting and shaking wormed its way into his thoughts as he tried to concentrate on his studies. A nagging feeling was eating at the back of his mind which he suspected was guilt. He grimaced at the thought of actually feeling any type of remorse, and tried to ignore the sensation to the best of his ability.

He couldn't focus for the rest of class, which only made him more annoyed. He couldn't stop thinking about Geum Jan Di... Because she was so rude! And because he was so mad. Definitely not for any other reason.

It had actually surprised him when she had said that she hadn't had her first kiss yet. Of course, mostly because most girls he knew had had a boyfriend already, but also because... Well, she may have been an idiot, but he wasn't so crass as to deny that she was beautiful. In an odd way. Something about her face when she was shouting at him was just...

Joon Pyo shoved these thoughts away as hard as he could, replacing them with something else, anything else. He struggled for an idea for how to get back at her, but his heart wasn't in it. After the stunt he had pulled today, he didn't feel like anything worse would be fair in this fight. And he was nothing if not a classy, fair gentleman. Yes, that was absolutely the only reason he would stop harassing her. His confusion as to why he wanted to pull her into his arms until she stopped shaking had nothing to do with it. Besides, it was getting boring.

_._._

The tryouts for the swim team were not packed, but there were enough people there to make Jan Di wonder if perhaps she wouldn't measure up in the end. Her worries melted away as she dove into her element. The coach, a young woman who was a new teacher, praised her butterfly stroke, and she was beaming by the time she stepped back into the locker room.

A couple of girls who walked by her gave her the stink eye, but she ignored them. A few other girls in the locker room introduced themselves.

"Looks like you've made it on the team," said a tall girl with wide eyes and curvy hips. Jan Di smiled back.

"I hope so," Jan Di replied, glad that they weren't treating her like she had some type of disease. "It's actually my first time playing a sport."

"Really? I don't know what I would do without competition," said another girl with red dyed hair and arching eyebrows, balancing precariously on one foot as she pulled her sock on. She nearly fell over, but the girl behind her gave a shove, and the red haired girl fell onto the bench instead. "Get lost, Mina," she snapped at the girl who had pushed her. Mina rolled her eyes, slamming her locker shut and taking out her phone.

"Jan Di, is it?" said Mina. Jan Di ignored the way Mina's eyes scanned Jan Di from head to toe. "I heard something about you getting pregnant?" Jan Di's eyes flashed to the girl's phone and her face started feeling warm with anger. She would never forgive that damn Joon Pyo for playing with her honor like that.

"No, that's just a rumor," Jan Di said.

"Yeah, Mina, get with the times," said the tall girl, packing her swimsuit away into a sports bag. "Didn't you hear about the fight this morning?"

"I saw it," the red haired girl announced, grinning as she stared the embarrassed Jan Di down. "You throw a really nice kick! He was practically going to wet himself."

"Thanks," Jan Di said, feeling bashful at the praise. She started putting on her shoes.

"Who?" Mina asked.

"Gu Joon Pyo."

"Are you serious?" Mina gaped, looking furiously at Jan Di. "What- why-"

"He was the one spreading the lies of me getting pregnant," Jan Di said as she shut the locker door. "We've been in a little bit of a fight, and I just couldn't stand to lose." Mina frowned, but the other two girls grinned.

"Looks like you're pretty competitive after all," the red haired girl chirped.

"Speaking of competition," The tall girl leaned against the lockers, waiting for her friends to finish. "Are you guys entering the talent show?"

"What talent show?" Jan Di asked. Her heart skipped a beat. Performance? Could it be?

"We have an annual talent show to display the students' talents. It's a variety of things," the tall girl explained. "It's huge- at least half the school will try out for something or other."

"Can we do groups?" Jan Di asked slowly. She would have to carefully think about this, but right now her heart was singing with the idea of being able to perform again. She was feeling so out of practice it made her numb.

"Anything you want to do, they'll consider," said the tall girl. "Why? You've got something to show?"

"Well..." Jan Di looked at the three faces. "I sing."

"Really?" The red head frowned.

"You're going to be going against the Jin-Sun-Mi," Mina warned her.

"They've been planning on being the headliner performance again like they were last year," the red haired girl explained.

Well, if Jan Di had any qualms about trying out for the talent show they vanished as soon as she heard that those girls would be trying out as well. Perhaps she was more competitive than she thought...She had to get Ga Eul and Jae Kyung to perform with her.

_._._._

"No!" Ga Eul stubbornly walked a little ahead of Jan Di and Jae Kyung. She refused point blank to participate in some frivolous talent show.

"Please!" Jan Di begged. "It will be so much fun, and you love dancing."

"Don't you think that we'll have our cover blown if we do something as outrageous as that?" Ga Eul said.

"She has a point," Jae Kyung said.

"No one will recognize us," Jan Di said, rolling her eyes. "Don't you think they would have noticed before now? We're not that popular after all, girls."

"We've been on the radio," Ga Eul pointed out. "And they will definitely be able to tell when they put two and two together."

"Jae Kyung, what do you think?" Jan Di asked, begging for some support.

"What's the worst that could happen?" Jae Kyung said after a moment, shrugging. Her hands were folded behind her head as she stared up at the setting sun. The sky over the city was illuminated scarlet, and Jan Di's damp hair was starting to become a little too cold for comfort. They had decided to walk so that they could get in some exercise. They were surrounded by the whirring of a city that didn't notice them at all.

"What do you mean by that?" Ga Eul asked carefully. Jae Kyung glanced down at her. They had stopped walking at the intersection. The sign to stop was flashing, and the girls glanced at the fish shaped fountain they were stopped beside. Jae Kyung took a penny out and flipped it into the basin.

"If we're found out, our punishment might be lifted in order for us to escape whatever might happen. Our parents are paranoid like that. Even if they don't- well, what's the harm in having a couple of people get intimidated by the fact that you're a pop sensation? Doesn't seem like a bad thing to me."

"I-" Ga Eul stuttered, and the other two girls could see that she was thinking over the prospect carefully. "But isn't this supposed to be giving us a break from the star life?"

"We'll still be going to school, and we'll still be out of a job for the time being. I'd called that a break." They waiting for her answer.

"Please?" Jan Di asked one final time.

"I don't know... I kind of like being a nobody for once." Ga Eul tried to make it sound like a joke, but Jan Di heard sadness beneath it. Jan Di placed a hand on her best friend's shoulder.

"Ga Eul. I solemnly swear that we will not be discovered." Jan Di waited for the final answer. "Plus, tons of boys will be falling all over you." Ga Eul laughed and shoved Jan Di away.

"As if I care about that. Alright," Ga Eul finally sighed, but a smile finally peeked out at the corner of her lips. Jan Di cheered and hugged both girls just as the street light changed to walk. The three strode arm in arm down the avenue. "But," Ga Eul warned, "We aren't doing any of our songs, got it!"

"Ga Eul, you can pick whatever song you like," Jan Di said, ruffling Ga Eul's hair.

_._._

The next day people gave Jan Di a wide berth in the hallway, not looking directly at her as they skirted around her personal bubble. It was a completely different treatment than the day before. Was it finally going to be normal?

"Let's go see," Ga Eul said.

"See what?" Jan Di asked as the three girls closed their lockers.

"The swim team," Ga Eul said in exasperation. Jan Di's gasped dramatically, eyes shooting wide open. She had been so caught up in thinking about the talent show that she had forgotten what had actually led to her deciding to audition.

"Come on!" She grabbed their hands and rushed down the hallway. People stared as they ran past, their shining black shoes tapping furiously. "Here!" Jan Di dragged them to a halt outside of the gym doors, Ga Eul stumbling into her and nearly knocking her over. There was only a few minutes before the bell would send them rushing back to their desks. Jan Di breathlessly scanned the list.

"Here," Jae Kyung rushed, pointing furiously, "Geum Jan Di, that's you!" The two girls clapped and shouted with excitement as Jan Di pumped the air with her fist, her face shining with joy as she grinned from ear to ear.

"Great job," Ga Eul said for the fifth time, and they automatically wrapped Jan Di up in a tight hug, picking her up off the floor.

"Thanks," Jan Di said, unsure what to do with all the bubbling excitement going on inside her heart.

"I'm proud of you," Jae Kyung said, ruffling Jan Di's hair. Jan Di smiled again, taking a step back to straighten her appearance.

"Thanks," she said again. As she spoke, the bell rang overhead. Ga Eul's eyes went wide as she realized she was late.

"See you at lunch!" She sped around the corner, leaving the other two girls smiling in her wake.

"I wonder why she's in such a rush," Jae Kyung hummed thoughtfully.

"You know her," Jan Di shrugged, turning to grin at her friend one last time.

"Maybe. I'm going to think about this for a little bit." Jan Di raised an eyebrow at Jae Kyung's suspiciously smug expression before bidding goodbye and skipping back to class.

_._._

Ga Eul slid into her seat, cringing as her teacher reprimanded her. Her eyes flashed around the room, ears going red at the sound of sniggers. She couldn't help her gaze lingering on the boy sitting a few seats in front of her, talking a pretty girl through technique while the girl gazed adoringly at him. So Yi Jung. She frowned, her heart doing something unfamiliar and unwanted. Ignore it, Ga Eul told herself, although she wasn't quite sure exactly what she was trying to ignore. Was it the fact that he was so good looking it was offensive? Or the way that her thoughts rested on him when she wasn't monitoring them? Give it up. She had learned her lesson about chasing things she shouldn't have. Glancing away, she sighed. The lump of clay on her desk looked cold and was fated to only become awkward in her hands. Her lack of skill was magnified by her acute awareness of that guy's perfectly formed piece. Seriously, how was that even possible? She bitterly pulled her own clay towards her and began to work.

"Chu Ga Eul," A voice from behind spooked her, and the careful formation of the clay was jacked up by her shaking hand. She spun around to face whoever it was.

"Sunbae?" She recognized the boy immediately. She had seen him talking to Yi Jung before, which could only mean they were friends. Jan Di had told her that they only hung out with each other, those F4 boys.

"Nice to meet you. Mind if I join you?" He didn't wait for an answer, just dragged the stool out next to her and perched on it, resting his feet at the bar on the bottom of her chair. She leaned back, unnerved. Did he have no idea about personal space?

"Do you need something from me?" Ga Eul asked, blinking in confusion. He smiled, leaning his hand on the table and nodding.

"I need a phone number." Oh please don't tell me he's flirting with me, Ga Eul thought in embarrassment. She hated feeling so awkward.

"Well, get yourself a phone then," she said, trying to get him to leave her alone.

"No," he grinned. "I need the phone number of your friend." Ga Eul's eyes narrowed. Of course he would only be talking to her for someone else's phone number.

"Whose?"

"Ha Jae Kyung." Ga Eul bit her lip thoughtfully. She was more than aware that Jae Kyung was chasing someone. There was rarely a time she didn't have her heart devoted to somebody. It hadn't turned out well in the past, and judging by this sunbae's actions and attitude, he wasn't much good for her either. Casanovas were trouble, the kind of trouble that could ruin a pure-hearted person like Jae Kyung.

"Why?" She asked instead, eyes turned away to where her hands were nervously mashing her clay back into a lump.

"We're playing a little game." Ga Eul brushed back her hair, irritated. That was not the right answer.

"I don't even know who you are. Why should I do it?"

"Oh," he said, dramatically smacking his forehead. "I haven't even introduced myself properly. I'm Song Woo Bin. If you give me her phone number, I'll owe you a favor."

"A favor?" Ga Eul couldn't help her mind coming up with a ludicrous plot to set herself up with So Yi Jung through his friend. She squashed the clay in her hand. "Anything?"

"Within reason," he said after a moment. "But yeah."

Ga Eul pursed her lips thoughtfully. Then she held out her hand. Woo Bin looked at it in confusion, and after a moment gave her a high-five. Ga Eul rolled her eyes.

"Your phone," She said, grinning despite herself. Woo Bin was certainly an interesting character, if nothing else. He laughed, thanked her, and handed her the phone.

"If you do anything to hurt her," Ga Eul said, her eyes flashing in warning as she punched the numbers in, "There will be nothing that can stop me from destroying you."

"Alright, I got it," he said, feigning fear.

"I'm not joking," she snapped, huffing in exasperation. He just grinned. After another word of thanks, she shooed him away and returned to work. She had the feeling that this trouble with Woo Bin and Jae Kyung would become much more complicated before it became simple. Trying to ignore Yi Jung's clear laugh that reached her through the sound of talking students, she pushed her unwanted feelings away with each press of clay.

Hello everyone

I LIVEEEEEE!

The original reason I didn't post this chapter for so long was because I was discouraged at my last chapter not getting any reviews. It really broke my heart. When it finally did get a review (Thank you so much for the person who did I really love you), I was too caught up with watching Love Live!, finishing college apps, taking my ACT, summer camps, etc. This week, I finished watching Heirs, my third drama of all time and I couldn't help feeling nostalgic for this story. I might write one for The Heirs also.

I'll try and update every week. I'm a busy senior, so it might not always happen, but I'll definitely not cry myself to sleep if you leave a comment and show support.

I cannot stress how important it is for authors to receive feedback on their work. Even if its not for me, I encourage you to leave comments on EVERYTHING you read and like. I mean literally EVERYTHING! A strong community is essential for authors who are doing this in their free time.

Love you all! Look forward to the next chapter soon!

~Laila