The bright sun rose from the east, making its way, shining brightly onto the front parking lot of our apartment building and through our window. As we continue to follow the bright light into the living room kitchen combo, there is a wooden shelf filled with books and some picture books of me from baby to teen. The first picture book included pictures of me being held by my mom while planting kisses all over my chubby face, visiting my grandparent's house, my cousins playing with me and treating me like I was their only sister; my birthday parties, mom feeding me, having my first bath, and taking my very first step. The second picture book included pictures of me as a kid. I inherited my mother's straight dark-brown hair and dimples. There were pictures of me riding my first bicycle, my first days of school pictures, me hugging my best friends, and having a mother-daughter date at our favorite places. We mostly enjoy spending time together at the public playground, the beach, bike riding, coffee shops, nail salons, sometimes the pool, or a Korean BBQ restaurant.
As you can tell by these photos, my mother and I are close. There are no pictures of my father because he left us when I was a newborn. Mom knew why he had to leave, but she never told me the reason because it always made her sad. She even said that every time she sees me, I am reminded of my father because of my dark eyes.
Now, I am a sixteen-year-old Korean girl, who just got up at seven-thirty in the morning for the first day of my junior year in high school. My name is Kim Ji-An. I was already wearing my high school uniform. I had my hair tied up in a ponytail and wore the flower earrings that my grandmother gave me. I also have pale, but also flawless skin. My best friend, Bahng Christopher Chan, sometimes even said that I looked like a vampire disguised as a human. Mom is still the owner of a Korean restaurant where people go to karaoke, drink, eat, and hang out with friends.
"Ji-An! May you please tell your boyfriend I said 'Hi'," Mom chuckled.
"Eomma! We are just best friends," I whined.
"But he never fails to remember to call you Princess when he shows up," Mom said.
Bahng Chan and I had been best friends since childhood after bonding over sharing our favorite K-pop bands. BigBang, Girls Generation, SNSD, and Shinee. Both of our ultimate K-Pop groups are Shinee. When any of our favorite groups come on the news to announce their upcoming concerts or new albums, Bahng and I would be the first to get them. These days, I have been developing some romantic feelings towards Bahng.
There he was, leaning against my door and looking down at his phone as I opened it, looking more muscular than before. Bahng was the Captain of Hyosan High School's football team. Bahng had blonde hair since he sometimes liked to dye his hair. Honestly, Bahng always looked effortlessly handsome in any hair color and in any outfit too. Blonde, red, black, brown, or even blue. My favorite hair color Bahng is his natural deep brown. His hair was neatly combed, and his skin was silky smooth. Bahng also has this contagious laugh and dimple smile that could easily calm me down whenever I am having a panic attack.
"Good morning, Princess," he greeted.
"We're just best friends!" Mom mockingly shouted from the living room.
Eventually, we got to Hyosan High School just in time before the bell rang. The high school had a frightening total of four hundred – now four hundred and ninety-three – students and fifty-six teachers. All the kids who went there had grown up together – their grandparents had been toddlers together. The school had at least five buildings: the main building, the dining area, another building near the archery building, the archery center itself, and the gym. In front of the main entrance is the football field.
It did not take long for us to find the rest of our friend group, who were already standing in the line of people in the gym for our school schedules: Lee Seokmin (Seventeen's DK), Lee Dong Min (Astro's Cha Eun-woo), Lisa Manoban (BlackPink's Lisa), Kim Min Gyu (Seventeen's Mingyu), and Park Jihyo (Twice's Jihyo). There were four foldable tables and only four staff members handled the schedules and school maps. Beside the foldable tables, were signs telling us to line up by grade.
