Far Better

Chapter 1

It was winter again in Seoul. This year, it stayed for long. Some days the temperature goes below freezing and the wind just chills to the bones. Snowfalls are a common sight at night. It's freezing cold for sure but the view is mesmerizing. During nights like these, going on top of the Namsan Tower is definitely hard yet worth it. The city is being prettily prepared for Christmas and New Year's Eve. Gangnam is as pretty as ever with beautifully decorated lights, buskings, and small events here and there. Itaewon got busy yet again, with late-night parties and after-work dinners, things that interest Aeri the most. A new semester started in schools. After locking up in rooms and studying nights after night it felt refreshing for her to get out of her stuffy room and walk through the same brick-paved alley to go back to school again.

"Hey!! wassup!! It's been a long seeing your face" came a familiar voice. She turned around to see. It was Byungho. His messed-up hair was combed up neatly for once and his bangs hiding the silver glistens in his ear. "Yea it's been a long time right? I guess two or three weeks at max" replied Aeri.

"Haha! Still, nice meeting you without the big stacks of books around you" he said in a mocking voice. She was used to it after all those freaking 5 years of friendship. "I wonder who'll be the newcomer this year?" he asked. "Well, it will be great if they're a good person, and if not, I don't really care" she replied shrugging.

"I wish him to be a stud though- and not a nerd," said Byunhgo.

The crossings were rather quiet considering the start of a new semester and not to mention there were dozens of schools here and there. Aeri is finally back with long hair this time. Being a high school senior in Korea, it's hard maintaining such long hair. But, no doubt they were stylish. The dark long straight strands falling below her shoulders looked beautiful on her. She used to cut her hair short every time it grew below her shoulders, but this time for the pressure of finals she didn't even get the time to go to a hair shop for trimming, a messy high bun was enough to spend the whole day in libraries or at home with face dumped in the big stacks of books. In conclusion, she just decided to keep them as it is. While passing the school gate, some were excited and some nervous, she was rather both. Starting a new year, that also a senior in school, new experiences made her excited but also nervous with more burdens and pressures.

Just when they thought the atmosphere was way too silent for a new semester, they heard a commotion filling the air. They went to look at what it was about and saw a boy wearing their uniform walking past them. Aeri pulled Byungho to a side so that he doesn't involve himself in the commotion as he always does. He has silver-rimmed glasses on and hair almost whitish grey colored. Dust and bandages were all over his face and his collar was torn. What a strange sight right from the first day indeed-! "Who was that!?"

"Whoever that was, he lacked manner but to be honest in a cool way," Byungho said, staring blankly at the guy with a gleam in his eyes. "He looked serious....did something happen?" Aeri thought. Curiosity is never a good thing, though she didn't care for it anyways. Who was he? Probably a transfer student but who?

The students seemed to forget the scene within moments. As they expected they were in the same class. A sense of victory rolled over the pair. Few more of their friends made it to the same class as them. The class started for the first semester, the teacher introduced herself, she then turned to the students to assign them with roll numbers, appointed the class leader, and the class had a short introduction time. But the boy from the morning was nowhere to be seen. Time really passes by fast, seemingly within what felt like minutes, the first period came to an end. In the commotion that takes place when a teacher leaves the classroom, she turned back, facing her stud yet clumsy friend. He was reading a book which was rather an unexpected sight.

"What are you reading? Manga?" asked Aeri. Byungho looked at her in kind of a confusing, rather, irritating way. "Do you think I only read mangas?" answered Byungho, disappointed. "I mean, there's no way you are actually interested in some real, real novels, up to what I know you," said Aeri.

"Haha, jokes on you, this time I am actually reading a real 'real' novel, well, I wasn't sure at first about starting the book, but it did interest me, so here I am reading it"

While they were bickering, the classroom door slammed open and on the other side stood the guy from the morning. Eyes solemn and tired and even more bandages to add on. The commotion maker.

As he entered the class, everyone blankly stared at him. The class leader finally took up the courage and said him to introduce himself, as they already knew a new transfer student was going to come, but who was he, was the question. "Do I really need to?" asked the guy with an irritated face. "so rude- what does he think of himself?" she thought. "Um- well- yea- as you are the new guy, you need to introduce yourself to let others know," said the class leader.

"I'm Haru, Kim Haru, transferred from Seoyeon Middle School"

Silence still fills up the air.

"Oh and the bandages over my face and my messy uniform are because of a mini accident, not because I fought with someone... will this much be enough for my introduction?" he added because everyone was looking at him with eyes of suspicions.

"Well, I guess so...." the class leader answered without being so sure about his reply. "Anyways, go and sit over the bench that's empty right at the back"

"There was an accident? And he did not fight? Well- I smell lies" whispered Byungho into Aeri's ears. "Why do you even care? He doesn't seem like a good guy, he's even so rude- you better maintain distance from him, Byung" answered Aeri.

In the meantime, half of the class was already crushing over the new guy, Haru. He didn't give much good impressions at the first sight. But, still, he succeeded in capturing a few hearts. Some girls chattered about him and tried to talk to him, yet he was cold towards them and some others just stared at him with illicit smiles. Having a messy uniform, and bandages all over the face, causing commotion right from the morning of the new semester definitely did not give off good guy vibes. Aeri didn't at all like the guy. But not to mention- the visuals were too good to be overlooked!