Your first meeting with Jiwon can be pretty much described in two words: peculiar and unexpected.
After all, someone who has a personality like hers can be quite a handful to talk to, more so since she's always in her own world.
Add to the fact that she tends to spend most of her time at school dwelling inside her own personal space that is the science lab. That's right. She pretty much occupies that part of the school which forced the higher-ups to create another for everyone to use.
Now then, you're probably wondering by now as to why the principal is willing to go to such lengths just for her own privilege. Well there's a very reasonable explanation to that.
Kim Jiwon is actually one of your school's most valued students, as her intellect alone has garnered a great amount of prestige just by being a part of the student body.
The word smart is not enough to describe her capabilities, as the word "genius" is the more preferable term. Her fame and intellect is widely known amongst the many schools all over Seoul, so it's no wonder how elated the administrators were when her parents chose your school to further her education.
As one who excels in mathematics and sciences, Jiwon had already proven herself plenty of times during her first year. Her accolades include a first prize win at the National Science Fair, a championship from a Math quiz bee, as well as an achievement award from the local government after they read her research towards the innovation of the city's water purification system, just to name a few.
Having all these achievements had already cemented her reputation as one of the brightest students of her generation, and it's only natural for everyone to be excited about what else she could accomplish in the future.
However, even a person of her caliber has its downsides, and Jiwon herself knows it.
Because of her talent, a good number of her fellow schoolmates were jealous, and this prevented her from making any friends with anyone.
Of course, she tried to hide her loneliness by isolating herself from everyone else, choosing to remain at the Science Lab for the rest of the day while busying herself with anything that she could think of.
Boring, dull, geek, dweeb, know-it-all. These are just a few of the words they use to describe her, and this was more than enough for her to shut herself away from them.
You still remember that one time when you heard a couple of students talking about her in the school corridor, and it made you sad to hear them ridicule her behind her back like it's an everyday thing for them. You felt disappointed at the kind of attitude they displayed, for you believe that no one deserves to be ridiculed like that, even if that person is a complete stranger to you.
Their actions made you spend the rest of that afternoon thinking about what Jiwon might have felt if she heard that, though it is obvious that she'll be hurt by it. For this, not even you didn't know that your concerns were already a clear hint which will lead you into an unexpected encounter with the genius herself.
"All right, let's see here. The title of the book is Beyond The Stars: The Legacy of Nicolaus Copernicus. I'll ask the librarian first." You thought, as you went towards the librarian's desk to see if the book is available to read.
Luckily, she said that it's in the astronomy section, which was good news for you indeed. As usual, your "favorite" teacher, Ms. Kwon, gave you another daunting task which requires you to make a book report on the subject. While online research may seem to be the easier way to go about it, you figured that despite such convenience, it would be better to do it in a more traditional manner. Even you would admit that visiting a library and reading a real book would be a good thing to do every once in a while, though your reasons for going there that day are different.
Having found what you're looking for, you then went towards the best spot where you can read it in piece. You smiled when you saw that the table next to the window was empty, and so you proceeded to walk there while trying not to make any unnecessary noise.
"Okay then, let's begin. I must say, this book is much thicker than I thought. I hope I'll be able to find the topic that Ms. Kwon assigned to me easily."
You then spent a few more minutes to glance at the various contents of the book which you thought were interesting. It's always been a habit of yours to be curious whenever you read something, which leads to you forgetting why you picked it in the first place. Apparently, this book was no exception.
While you are doing this, you fail to notice that there is a girl standing there beside you while looking at the same book you're reading. Like you, she's somehow curious as to what it's all about, with you still immersed with a particular subject that piqued your interest.
Without warning, the girl suddenly grabbed a seat beside you, and her actions managed to distract you from reading the topic further.
"Umm, excuse me, but I was-"
She wasn't even interested to hear what you have to say, though you were surprised to see the face of the very girl who's now sitting beside you.
In your mind, there's only one particular blonde-haired girl who tends to wear a laboratory gown on top of her school uniform while outside the Science Lab. With this, there can be no mistake about it.
"She's.....Kim Jiwon." You thought, as you felt both amazed and perplexed by what's happening right now.
Meanwhile, Jiwon paid no attention to you, as she is now completely occupied with browsing your book as if she's the one who borrowed it, all the while jotting down some notes about the page that she's reading.
The longer you looked at her side profile, the more you felt attracted towards her. Perhaps it's because you always saw her from afar, and never this close. Even though she's treating you as if you're not even there, you found yourself to be in a situation that's both awkward and fortunate at the same time.
However, you realized that you still have an important thing to do, which made you decide to try and get the book back from her without being too rude.
"Umm, excuse me. I'm going to need that book back, if you don't mind. I still need it to-"
"Shhh. Please wait a moment. I'm in the middle of unlocking the mystery of this particular theory that I'm reading here. Who knows, it might lead to a spectacular discovery!" She said while trying to keep her voice down.
"Uhh, okay? J-just take your time then." You replied, as you figured that what she's trying to do might prove to be worthwhile. But still, you find it enjoyable to watch a genius like herself do what she usually does, doubly so when you find her mannerisms to be cute and funny.
However, it would seem that Jiwon's hopes of learning something new were in vain, as she gave a look of disappointment after she returned the book back to you.
"That book is mediocre. I was hoping that I would be able to learn something new about the Father Of Astronomy, but all I got were a bunch of exaggerated theories and speculations about his work. Ugh, what a bummer. If Mr. Copernicus reads that, I have no doubt that he'll cringe." She said in disgust, as you simply nodded in agreement with her thinking that you should.
"I see. Maybe that's the case for you, but my teacher told me that this book contains something that I need for my book report, so it's not entirely worthless."
"Hmm, you may have a point there. O-oh, I'm sorry that I disturbed you just now. I know that it's not proper for someone like myself to do so, but sometimes I tend to be overly excited whenever I see an interesting book to read." She said as she quickly bowed in apology, prompting you to say something.
"N-no, you don't need to do that, really! Please raise your head, Jiwon-ssi." You told her, as her face brightened when she heard you say her name.
"O-oh, so y-you know me? T-then again, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. But please allow me to introduce myself regardless. My name is Kim Jiwon, and it's a pleasure to meet you, umm..."
"I'm Cho Y/N. It's great to meet you too, Jiwon-ssi."
"Right. Now then, since I know that I have caused you some trouble just now, the least I could do is to try and help you out with what you're doing. Let me guess. You need some information regarding Copernicus' heliocentric theory, am I right?"
"Huh? Well yes that's what I'm here for. But how did you know?"
"Well, when it comes to his works, it's either that or his contributions to the world of Mathematics. It's what he's famous for, so it's easy to figure out what your teacher wants for you to research on. Our faculty can be so predictable sometimes." She said before chuckling.
"I-I see. Ahem, since you're asking, then I'll gladly take your offer. What can you tell me about his theory?"
"Hehe, you asked the right person, Y/N-ssi. You better get ready to listen to my lecture then, though I hope that you have plenty of time in your hands. This might take a while."
"No problem. I can stay for an hour or two. Will that be enough?"
"It should be. Let's not waste any time then. Oh, and you might want to take some notes while you're listening. Now let's begin. Before he was able to make such an astonishing discovery, Nicolaus Copernicus was....."
And so you spent the next hour and a half listening to Jiwon's words, as her knowledge about the subject was incredibly thorough and detailed just like any book would have, maybe even more. While it took longer than you thought, it goes without saying that you learned a lot, not just about the subject itself, but also when it comes to Jiwon's personality.
Now that you were able to meet and talk to her in person, you can proudly say that she is exactly what you thought she'd be; a girl who does her best in what she does, while making use of her intellect to try and make a good difference for the sake of those around her. It's sad to think that not all of the other students see her in the same way as you do, for they chose to judge her unfairly without even trying to get to know her as a person.
In the end, you simply thought that they do so because they think she's different from them in a way, and this alone creates problems that led to her choosing to cast herself out from everyone else.
Still, you thought that this is a great chance for you to get her more. Unlike the rest of the students, you want to give her a chance to be acquainted with someone. But of course, this also comes with the fact that you must prove that she can trust you as well.
"I must admit, everything you told me about Copernicus' life and his theory was too much for me to take in, but I'm glad I took some notes. Thank you for sharing what you know about him, Jiwon-ssi. With this, I'll be able to write my book report easily."
"N-no thanks needed. I-I'm just happy that I w-was able to help you out in return, hehe."
"Yes you did. Well then, it's getting late now. Although I didn't really use it, I still have to return this book before I go home. You can go ahead now if you want."
Just when you were about to stand up, Jiwon felt like she wanted to say something first, which made her grab your hand all of a sudden, causing you to blush.
"Umm, if it's alright with you, can we...."
"Y-yes, w-what is it?"
Jiwon took a deep breath while putting her hand on her chest, as she tried to calm herself down.
"C-can we uhh, walk home together? O-only if it's alright with you, of course." She hastily said, making you feel happy once you heard her words.
"Sure we can. But like I said, I have to return this first. Then we can go home afterwards."
"Okay! I'll just wait for you outside."
Knowing how happy she is now, you wonder if this is going to be a good sign that you'll be able to be friends with her, and how this might give you the chance you never thought you'll have.
But you simply looked at the brighter side of things, and given the opportunity, you'll be able to help her open up to you, which would only be a good thing to help her grow as a person.
Back to the Present Day
"Looking back at it now, I guess I did manage to become friends with her after all, well maybe even more than that. Now she treats me as her ever-reliable assistant, and she's quite a handful indeed. Look at all this mess. It's like a storm just passed by." You said to yourself, as you looked at how messy her place is.
If any other person would see this "catastrophe", then you won't be surprised if they'll feel horrified the moment they do. But for you, this scene is nothing out of the ordinary, as you had gotten used to it by now.
In the middle of this chaotic scene was none other than Jiwon herself, sleeping soundly by the table while surrounded by her treasured Chemistry set. Those implements of hers can't help but give you goosebumps, as you can't remember how many times she tried to make you drink her concoctions which she claims will "benefit the populace."
But right now, cleaning the lab comes first, as you went to search for something you can use to help pile up the crumpled papers on the floor.
"I guess I'd better clean this up first before waking her up. Something tells me that she's going to do another mind-boggling experiment the moment she does." You said, just before you began doing your usual routine as her assistant.