~prologue~
As the last bell of the day sounded, Saebom High came to life as the excited screams and cheers of the students filled the silent halls. The ring of the bell on a Friday was special, for it meant the end of yet another stressful week of school. But, that day was even more special than one would imagine. That Friday signified the end of another semester at Saebom High.
The atmosphere reeked of excitement as the school kids gathered in groups, gushing about the day's events. The students milled about, some arranging plans for the weekend while others stood there, whining about their grades on their final tests.
Her report card in hand, Yoon-ah flicked through it once more. She chewed on her lip in quiet contemplation, while her brown eyes lingered on the fine print in the position title.
Out of the corner of her eyes, she could see Soojin gripping the report tightly with a fixed expression on her face. Before Yoon-ah had the chance to open her mouth, the other girl held up a hand.
"Unbelievable," she spoke through clenched teeth. Her voice sounded strained. "Even with all of that work, I came in second."
Standing silently, Yoon-ah watched Soojin throw her backpack over her shoulder and leave the class. Her saddened gaze shifted to the print on her own report card. There it was.
The top spot in the class.
From the very first day she walked the halls of Saebom High, she and Lee Suho shared the top spot... and Kang Soojin finished in second place. It had been this way for several years, and it had come to be expected by all.
After coming in second, the raven-haired girl would become notably upset and tended to distance herself from both Sua and Yoon-ah for a few days.
It was, in truth, contrary to the girl's liking.
While she would have ideally wished to be with Soojin and console her friend, she had learned to keep her distance the hard way.
Kang Soojin was known for her short temper, and she passed a few remarks in the past that had struck a nerve. Yoon-ah thought Soojin's grades were excellent. She always had. Even beyond that, the pretty girl was so talented on so many other levels. It would be nice if Soojin realized that. That she did not need to be defined by her grades and that her friends would still love her, no matter what.
All the same, she didn't want to ruin her friendship with Soojin over petty scores and thoughtless remarks.
Hopefully, she would be all right after the storm passed. No matter how impossible it seemed.
"Yoon-ah!" Sua chimed in, swiping the paper from the girl's hand in an apparent attempt to distract her. Her face lit up as she skimmed her evaluation report. "Yah! You are in first place again. My Yoon-ie is as beautiful as is smart. It's not even human."
Sua crossed her arms and pretended to be mad. Yoon-ah let out a happy laugh, her rosy lips resting in a smile upon seeing at least one of her friends in a playful mood. As she rest her head against the desk while Sua continued talking, Yoon-ah saw Tae-Hoon sneak up behind them.
Choi Sua's boyfriend, Yoo Tae-hoon, enveloped her in a hug from behind. The short-haired girl burst out giggling, and Yoon-ah cooed at the couple in adoration.
"Is my darling upset over something? He asked, taking her hand in his.
"Yoon-ie," Sua said, pointing her finger in the brunette's direction. "She scored first place. Again. And she's not even excited. I'm sure I wouldn't need anything more if I were as smart and beautiful as her. "
"Not even me?" Tae-Hoon gasped, clutching his heart in a show of pretend horror. She pouted at his hurt look and tried to defend herself.
"No, Jagiya! I cannot imagine being without you," she said, putting her hands over his. As Tae-hoon stared back at his girlfriend, a squeal escaped him.
"How can somebody be this cute?" he asked, cupping Sua's face in his hands. "All this cuteness! What should I do"
In utter disbelief, seeing the couple flirting in front of her, Yoon-ah shook her head and averted her gaze. Although they were unbearable to look at, she cherished their playful banter and the way Tae-hoon made Sua feel special, no matter what anybody said.
Yoon-ah looked out the window to see a light breeze waft gently in the gardens, swaying the spring flowers in a graceful motion. The crisp breeze and soft sun rays made it the ideal weather for walking. Pulling her black schoolbag over her shoulders, Yoon-ah stood up from her wooden chair. Sua looked away from Tae-hoon and looked at her with her brows furrowed.
Taking a step back, Yoon-ah spoke up. "I'll be leaving now."
"I would suggest this couple go ahead with whatever they're doing here," she said with a smirk. Yoon-ah dramatically curtsied and skipped out of the way, towards the exit.
"Where are you going, Yoon-ah-ya?" Sua called out, choosing to ignore Yoon-ah's previous comment. "Come with us to the café to celebrate the end of the school year!"
"But our da-," Tae-Hoon began but gasped in surprise as Sua elbowed him in the ribs. She shot him a glare and turned to her best friend expectantly.
"What do you think?" she asked. "Will you come?"
Yoon-ah looked back at her dear friend and a laugh escaped her lips.
"No thanks, I don't want to third-wheel my precious lovebirds." She teased.
In her flustered state, Suha's cheeks turned pink, and she let go of Tae-Hoon's hand. Yoon-ah let out a laugh and skipped out the back door before Sua had a chance to protest.
"I also have something to do. So don't worry about it. Have fun on your date!" she called out to the petite girl.
"I just meant we ought to hang out together..," Sua trailed off, watching the brunette disappear around the corner.
Seeing as Yoon-ah was long gone, Sua turned to Tae-hoon and the gathered students, who were still in the midst of planning their end-of-year celebrations. "Never mind then," she murmured.
Walking out of the school complex, Yoon-ah's mood improved instantly as the soft breeze caressed her face. She bounded down the final flight of stairs with her chocolate brown hair swaying behind her. Twenty feet of sleek black metal pulled up at the front gate and a chauffeur emerged from the vehicle, waiting for the young girl to enter the car.
This unusual scene was met with gasps, as whispers broke out among onlookers. A huge crowd of students gaped in awe at the sleek high-end car, and some even started snapping photographs of it. It was the same every year. Yoon-ah sighed and stepped up to the man. She bowed and greeted him politely, expressing her change of heart to him.
"I'll walk there, Mr. Choi. Please forgive me for the bother," she said, with an apologetic smile on her face. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion but then nodded his head in understanding.
"It's my fault. I should have informed you immedia-." Yoon-ah started to say, but stopped mid-sentence. Her name would be heard in whispered conversation around her, and she had about endured enough of it for today.
Her sharp ears caught her name being uttered again, this time right behind her. Yoon-ah spun around and glared at the girls who were whispering about her without the slightest hint of shame or decency. Shocked by the fierce look in the beautiful girl's eyes, they scurried away from the scene as fast as they could.
Yoon-ah scrunched up her nose and scoffed in disbelief. Turning her head, Yoon-Ah saw the man look at her with a raised eyebrow and a small smile evident on his face. He had an initial flicker of recognition in his eyes, which was soon replaced by a solemn look.
"Do you really want to go, Miss Song?" he asked. Not really. Yoon-Ah thought. Even so, she still shook her head in affirmation. The older man nodded and slipped back into the vehicle without saying another word.
After little thought and a dismissive shake of her hand, Song Yoon-ah started the slow, agonizing walk towards her destination.
Yoon-ah's footsteps slowed after about a quarter of an hour and she halted on the busy sidewalk. The wind picked up, whipping her long, flowing hair behind her as she looked up at the grand building before her.
Song Yoon-ah, get a hold of yourself! This time you will get what you came for, she muttered to herself as she stepped through the doors of the massive building. Signs around her flashed the well-known name of 'The City Hospital, Seoul'.
However, observant eyes could also spot the unmistakable logo of the Song group accompanying the proud proclamation.
The pungent smell of bleach and antiseptics enveloped her the moment she entered the massive building. Her nose tickled and she felt a nauseous feeling rise in her stomach. She cursed underneath her breath, attributing the feeling of nausea to the smell, although she knew very well that it was the unwelcome effect of her nerves.
The sound of her boots striking the floor could be heard echoing down the hallway. Yoon-ah was greeted by a familiar heavy metal office door at the end of the corridor.
How many times have I done this again? She thought, laughing inwardly at her pathetic self. She stretched her fingers forward to turn the handle, but her hand stopped short amidst the action. Her ears picked up the sound of uncontrollable sobbing only a few feet away from her, just around the corner.
Yoon-ah shuddered at the all-too-familiar sound and shook her head. You are in a hospital, for heaven's sake don't even think about it, she scolded herself. It isn't your place to interrupt someone else's mourning.
Yoon-ah, who had practically grown up in this hospital with its monotonous walls and characteristic white coats and surgical swabs, found the hospital a place thick with irony.
Her brief lifetime had led her to realize that the hospital was just about the only place on earth where some people could be living the first day of their lives, while others might be spending their last. The hospital was possibly the only place on this planet where some people could be having one of the happiest days of their lives, while some could also be witnessing the utter destruction of their lives right before their eyes. All within a few moments.
While the sobs had died down, Yoon-ah could still hear muffled sniffles, and her pain at hearing someone hurt continued to grow. Before she could stop herself, she found herself drawn to the source of the sound. Yoon-ah took slow and silent steps toward the end of the hall and peeked around the corner.
The sight she encountered was quite unexpected, to say the least. Sitting on the cold hard floor, with his head in his hands was Saebom High's very own bad boy.
Word evaded her as she stared at the familiar black hair with an open mouth.
"Han Seojun?"