THE PERFECT MURDER.

06

        THE THISTLETHORN RED. The name of the school newspaper, and also one of the main colors to the writing school's very own soccer team. When I had arrived at this school, I thought football would've been the ultimate rage, not the football that was actually played by foot.

The school counselor and I have been having meetings periodically — less occasionally now because she started to see that I was adjusting just fine — and she had planted the seed that maybe...I should try for the soccer team. When the student body president heard this idea, I was kinda surprised about her ecstatic response.

"You should go for it!" She squees, clasping her hands together. Honestly, when I think about it, she is almost the classic girl next door. Yuqi is super sociable, everyone likes her, she is heavily involved in student affairs. When I had asked her why she wasn't an IT girl, she had enigmatically told me there were cons to having that title. Of course, it's not something I would understand right now, but it just makes me more confused and more beguiled to unearth whatever mystery surrounds Thistlethorn.

"Tryouts are after school today." I mumble, unzipping my bag. "I might show."

"Well well well," the IT girl's voice brings me out of my thoughts as I turn. It's Kang Seulgi, the apex of the triangle itself. She smiles at me florally. "I'm surprised. It hasn't even been a couple weeks and you're already taking the place by storm, Yeonjun."

From what Yuqi says, this girl is also part of the unreachable group. Her dad is the mayor of Thistlethorn, while her mother is a very influential attorney. The marriage itself is very perfect, between two very powerful people. And clearly, their offspring gave way to one very powerful girl. She's like a Leona Helmsley, instead Seulgi is nice enough. But she won't ever let you forget how powerful she is.

"I don't know what you mean by that...but thanks." I muster, eyeing her expensive decals. Always, she carries some sort of lux or branded bag. Everything about her is just expensive. Don't forget I'm rich, is what she seems to be saying. Though I might be able to see through her message easily, I seriously wonder if anyone else sees this.

"It's a compliment." She touches my elbow momentarily, then starts walking with me down the hall. For a moment, I make eye contact with Yuqi, who stands on my other side. She seems to think this is very normal and okay, but somehow I still can't shake it off. "Thistlethorn could use a guy like you."

"May I know what that description entails?"

"The guy from the other side of town. No one knows exactly what he is like with a first glance, but he's a little like an Archibald Andrews, just trying to do the right thing."

Me? Trying to do the right thing? I guess that may be true, but descriptions of a person have to be much more complex than that. The fact that she's simplified me so much, and says it like it's a fact in stone, pulls at my skin. I find it annoying, at the very least.

"You're the little Robin Hood Thistlethorn has wanted." Seulgi smiles again. "We'll keep in touch, okay?" Then she leaves, waving at a few other students while she goes. I watch her leave, unsure what to think of her. Yuqi grins.

"See, she's pretty cool."

"She speaks in riddles, Yuqi."

"That's what makes her cool." She nudges me. "Oh come on. She might be a little strange to you, but everyone at this school loves her. And for good reason. She has a good heart."

"Yeah, I'm thinking her little soliloquy really inspired me." I mutter, turning down the hall. "Definitely trying out for soccer now."

I almost bump into someone right after uttering the words, and the timing could not have more abysmal. Lucas stares back at me, lips stretching into a half open mouthed smirk.