Six years ago, Edilberto Astares thought it would be best for her daughter to attend a prestigious school overseas. Thanks to a business partner he had in South Korea, he was able to enroll Belen into a private school where only the wealthy students attend, and students who received scholarships enroll. As Edilberto began to register Belen into the school system, he first asked if his name was well-known. To his delight yet surprise, his business partner said no one knows of them because Koreans only focus on idols these days. Therefore Edilberto enrolled her into school but decided just in case to change her last name as Astartes.
But because South Korea's school system is different from the United States, classes started since March, its been three weeks since the course has begun, so he quickly readies her to depart. But as he was making plans for her depart, he begins to doubt himself, "If she lives on her own …what might happen? I can't hire a stranger to look after her, but then who?" He begins to look around at places like student dormitories, but those are only allowed to University students. When finally he finds a home, "she wants to live like a normal person, if I send her there, I'll be able to know what she's doing, and there will always be someone looking after her…yes, this is for the best."
Therefore Edilberto sent Belen to finish her last year of high school in South Korea and attend their most elite private school. And stay in an orphanage.
***
Though as Belen arrived, she did not react strangely to her situation, instead she embraced being in a different country. And her favorite country so happened to be South Korea, but her new profound expectations quickly squashed with reality. As she saw that she'd be staying in a run-down missionary orphanage with many other children and nonetheless attending a new school two hours away from where she'd be staying.
She arrives late at night, as 39-year-old woman named Mi-Sun comes out to welcome her carrying in her bags. "I understood from your father that you speak our language, you'll be staying here, in this room for now," she says, opening a run-down room with hardly any doors but a heavy thick blanket as doors, and weak walls as if made by bamboo.
The orphanage during this time was on the verge of closing down, very little help provided since its an unpopular orphanage operated in a small rural village.
Though Belen's first impression was not that great, nonetheless, she still accepted the conditions thinking, "it can't get any worse than this, right?"
Mi-sun asks whispering, "it's late, are you hungry?"
"No, thank you," she answers timidly.
Mi-sun warmly smiles, "well then, get a good night rest. I'll wake you up tomorrow morning so we can go register you at school."
"Tomorrow…" she whispers to herself.
Mi-sun asks, "did you say something, dear?"
Belen quietly shakes her head.
"Then I'll come to wake you up tomorrow morning, goodnight."
As she left, Belen used her phone as a light to look around the small, cramped room carpet floor. She notices a white pillow with a single puffy pink blanket on the corner, guessing its for her to use. But the more she searches, "nothing, not even a futon…are they that expensive? Then I guess I have no choice but to sleep on the ground, ha! Maybe that's expected."
She closes her eyes, hoping, "it's different, but this is what I asked my dad for, and he listened, I shouldn't be quick to judge," she yawns.
***
Morning comes, and the loud children's yelling, screams, and crying wake her up.
"What the heck is that noise! It feels like if their right next to me!"
She woke up with bed hair, Mi-sun enters with a smile, "oh! Dear! I see you're awake! Come, let's get you something to eat! Oh! Wait. Before that, if you have to go to the bathroom, it's down the hall 3rd door to your right."
Everything is so new, she watched many videos to prepare herself, so not a lot is shocking, but to experience it herself she does feel strange in her new environment where she's regularly being taken care of instead of watched. But that all disappears when she arrives at the prestigious school after a two hour trip on the local bus. She looks out, amazed out the windows with her eyes brightly shining yet shaking out of nervousness and excitement.
Though Belen is proficient in speaking their language, she's still worried about being misunderstood since she's a foreigner. With heavy nervous yet hesitant steps, she enters the school ground with Mi-sun walking into the office.
But as the teachers continued to go about their business suddenly seeing her, making them unable to look away. When Mi-sun pats her back gently, "go ahead, she is your teacher."
She looks up to see a tall slim Korean woman who looks no more than in her mid-20's when she extends her hand, "Nice to meet you! I'll be your homeroom teacher for the rest of the year. You may call me Professor Young."
"there's a shocker," Belen thinks to herself, shaking her hand, "I'm."
"Oh, don't introduce yourself yet, come I'll take you to the class you'll be attending, follow me."
Belen looks back at Mi-sun, waving with a warm smile on her face, somehow making her feel like a mother or at least wish.
***
On their way to the classroom, Professor Young explains everything there is to know about class time, study time, classroom rules, and more to Belen. She stops at a rowdy white door outside a classroom, assuming it's hers as she sighs, feeling troubled at the students loud chattering. When she signals her to enter, but automatically as they both did, the students quiet down, going back to their seats in awe, seeing Belen come right behind Professor Young.
"Everyone, I'd like you to welcome a new student, she came from the United States."
Belen lifts her head making eye contact with the students only to make her more anxious, but her loud smooth, refreshing voice resounds within the quiet classroom.
"My name is Belen Astartes! Nice to meet you all!" she looks around, confused at the silence when she remembers, "of course!" and bows.
After she did, Professor Young sits her in the back middle row next to a quiet boy with handsome features. She can feel their piercing stares like snipers ready to shoot! She sits next to the boy putting away her backpack as the Professor begins to teach.
She notices the quiet boy ignore her glance when she sighs, "and here I thought I'd make some real friends."
The class continued. Belen had to share a book with her deskmate in between all classes. When finally lunchtime came around, she takes out a paper of the time schedules but isn't clear about something when she turns to ask the boy only to see that he is gone she sighs glancing around the classroom. She becomes dismayed at the fact that she needs help but is timid to ask others when a group of girls approaches her desk.
"What's your name again? We didn't catch it the first time!"
"Belen…or you."
"so! Your name is Be-Len!"
She gives up with a faint smile, "sure…"
"come hang out with us. Its lunchtime, so we'll show you around."
Unsure whether to trust them, "okay."
But they convince her, "leave that paper. You're going to eat with us. You won't need it" "that's right! We can help you." "Do you even understand us?" they all laugh except for Belen feeling strangely intimidated by their attitude stays quietly unable to tell if their making fun of her or being sarcastic.
Throughout her time with the group of what she calls, snobby rich girls, an irony she feels uncomfortable eating with them when she tries to excuse herself, "umm, do you know where I can go get my books for class?"
"oh, your books for the semester? You can get them at the library!"
The other girls in the group giggle maliciously, "ooh! Okay, thanks."
"Well, see you back in class!"
"Alright, thanks."
As Belen walked away from their sight she shakes her head as if shaking off a cold sweat run down her spine. "oh I'm sorry!" she accidentally bumps into someone, but when she looks up to see the quiet boy, her desk partner she asks, "why are you carrying these books?"
He timidly answers, "for the next class."
"Oh! I guess we'll be sharing books again…I'm sorry, I'm on my way to the library to get them so I won't bother you again."
"the library?"
"Yes, some girls told me to go there to get my books for the semester."
The boy hesitates to speak up, "you need your school ID first."
"where can I get that?"
Just as he was about to answer, the group of girls appears pulling her away from him, "oh! Belen! We forgot to tell you something, oh you're with him?"
"come! We'll show you where to go!" "Oh! And just a bit of advice! Don't get close to that boy."
She confusedly asks, "why not? He's my desk partner?"
"He's too old!" "Yeah, he's an orphan!" "I heard he got accepted into this school on a scholarship!" "Ha! He only places in the top 5 I don't understand how smart that is!" "What spot did you get in your old school? Be…umm, what was it?"
"You can just call me Belle."
"Ah! what a cute nickname!"
They crowd her like hungry hyenas trying to get out every bit of information they can. Belen can't help her insides cringe when the bell rings. "saved by the bell," she thinks.
"We'll see you at the classroom" they quickly disappear, leaving Belen alone within the vast halls.
"wait was that the first bell for class or the second bell, where's my schedule…damn, I left it in the classroom."
***
"Empty, wait I know I left my schedule here on the desk, did it fall? Man, I bet those dumb rich girls took it! Ha! I guess this time I'm getting bullied normally…" she crawls under the desks looking for her schedule.
But at that moment she overhears someone enter the classroom when she gets up to look, "you!" she points at the boy she was talking to earlier, in other words, her desk partner.
He jumbles, "w-what, are you doing here?"
"what?" she widens her eyes when he pulls her outside, hiding her from the boys running into the classroom to change.
"Today it's the boys turn to change in here. You were supposed to take your stuff and go to the other classroom."
Embarrassed, flushing bright red like a tomato, he whispers, "I'll bring your bag, stay there."
As he came back and gave her bag, Belen quietly yet unsure, says, "Thank you!" But the boy runs off shyly back into the classroom.
***
Belen finally appears in a different class shyly entering knowing she's late, but the teacher stops his lecture and shouts, "You are late! What is your excuse?"
Belen twitches when the girls all turn to smirk at her when they stand up, "Professor Kang, she's a new student!"
"Oh, are you?" he lowers his voice, "I think I saw you this morning, well…what are you standing there? Sit down!"
Belen sits down with a blank expression hearing the group of girls giggling when she looks down to see her class schedule. A girl throws a note to her desk, "we brought your schedule, sorry."
She chuckles, trying to hide her fury by crushing the note in a fist. "so that's how it starts? Honestly, this is no different from schools I've been to, and here I had higher expectations."
***
Ding! Dong! Ding! The school bell rings, and everyone is off to their extra classes in and out of campus. Belen, on the other hand, decides to ignore the girls earlier who pulled such a stupid prank on her by walking past them, ignoring their gazes while confidently walking to the office but notices the quiet boy as she runs to him, "hey! What's your name?" she tilts her head, making her soft ebony long wavy hair swift to the side so graciously like a model. Her piercing pale brown eyes gently staring at him like sunshine, "did you hear me? What's your name?"
"ah, um, Jang Haneul."
"Nice to meet you! Umm Haneul? Or do I call you, Mr. Jang? Sorry I really don't know" she smiles clumsily, making him widen his eyes to smile, "just Haneul is fine."
"Oh, great!"
But they quiet down, hearing the group of girls walking by, but Belen shakes her head and asks, "what are you doing?"
"you're not going with them?"
"who?"
"them from earlier?"
"oh! Do you mean those snobby rich girls? No thanks! I'd rather be alone," she smiles at him.
"Why are you talking to me?"
"because you helped me earlier! I was wondering if you can help me. You see I haven't explored the school yet and I need to get my books and ugh actually it's a lot…it's okay, you don't have to, umm I'm sorry for bothering you" she walks away, but he says, "I can help you."
"Really?! Thanks! Haneul!"
During this time, Haneul is showing Belen around school while having small conversations on the side. They both bond with one another so quickly, especially since he speaks English so well without an accent, they end up mixing their languages. He even helps carry her books. As the sun begins to set, she notices the time and worries if she must leave. Haneul sees her worried expression when he sadly asks, "do you have to be somewhere?"
"Yes! But I don't know how to take the bus on my own yet, I have the directions! Do you think you can help me? If it's not too much trouble?"
"Can I see?" he takes a piece of paper from her binder and starts looking up possible transportation, but the more he looks into it, he begins to wonder, "I know this…wait!"
His eyes widen blankly, staring at Belen, "she's an orphan?"
"Are you staying at a missionary called Dream Fountain?"
"Yeah! I am! Do you know how to get there?"
"umm yeah, actually…"
"Ah, perfect! Can you take me there! Please!"
He smiles at her vulnerability, "sure. We have to get on the 8'o clock bus, come on," she follows behind him.
***
On the bus, they continue talking, strangely enough, Belen becomes super talkative throughout the ride, "um sorry, for talking too much, its probably annoying right." She looks at him, shakes his head, "not really. I've never met a foreigner, so it's interesting and fun to hear."
"I don't know much about you, why don't you tell me about yourself?"
"I'd rather not."
"oh…I'm sorry I guess I shouldn't have asked, I didn't mean like anything personal just like what do you like to do in your free time?"
"I don't know. I don't have any hobbies. I mostly like reading and taking care of children, I guess?"
"you like children? Hmm, no offense, but you don't look like the type!" she chuckles, making him laugh as well.
"Yeah, I don't really like it either, its…tiring, but I have no other choice."
"Of course you do! Just tell your mom you don't want to take care of them!"
As she said, this Haneuls smile fades, "I-I'm an orphan."
She stays quiet, thinking, "great! I blew it! How can I be so dumb! Those girls said so earlier that he was an orphan, but I didn't take it literally!" but she knows that merely staying quiet won't do so she distracts him by saying, "what kind of books do you like reading?"
Taken aback, "what?"
She smiles, "what kind of books do you read?"
"umm any?" he shrugs.
"hmm? I like to read web novels, oh! And webtoons!"
Finally, the bus comes to a stop, and they get down walking to the orphanage, but the awkward silence bothers Belen so much she does not know what to do or say, "can I tell you something?"
"Sure."
"My mom and dad got divorced. I have two older sisters, well actually one, my older sister ran away, and well, my sister and I can't see eye to eye. My only family is my little brother and my dad, and I miss them already," she sighs, "I live here now!"
He enters ahead of her, bringing in her books, "so you're an orphan now, the brother and dad you miss so much abandoned you, huh! Is that why you're so optimistic?"
"W-What do you mean?"
His sudden change of tone surprises Belen, "you're not going to get any luckier now that you're an orphan, it'd be best if you never tell anyone where you live!"
"…"
He puts her books on a nearby bench underneath an apple tree marching away into the missionary.
"What just happened? Did I…does he think I'm like him? Abandoned?"
***
That night Belen found out by chance that Haneul also lives in the orphanage by Mi-sun, but she didn't try to know more. Instead, she felt its not her place to pry into his life. Since that night, Haneul's been avoiding her. At the same time secretly helping her like catching the bus to school but sitting apart. She awkwardly glances back to see him looking out the window with his earphones on.
Fortunately, she's begun to open up to classmates, especially getting the attention of the boys in her class by her flirty smile. Slender hourglass shape body, compared to other girls. She sticks out in class like a sore thumb, but the one person she wishes she can talk to won't even bother to look at her the same anymore.
A month later, Belen's name has spread throughout the school, making her very popular by her perfect grades, but sometimes being too noticeable isn't that great. Little did Belen know that the boys are not only interested in her but planning to harm her differently.
Haneul, an outcast, overhears their conversations, "why don't we try to set her up?
"what do you mean?"
"Hey, midterm exams are just next week! If she scores at number 1 again, my mom will kill me!"
"same! Ever since she came, my ranking has dropped to third place!"
"And the girls are on in as well!"
"Yeah? What they say?"
"They'll help us!"
"Good! We need to lure her out!"
"Hey, guys, isn't this a little too risky? Why don't we threaten her?"
"Are you kidding for all we know she could be an important rich girl!"
"she does emit that aura, but then I don't want to be part of it!"
"Yeah, man! I don't want to go to jail!" "We're just going to scare her so that she can stay at a hospital for like during midterms week!"
"with her out of the way, we'll be sure to get our spots back!"
"I guess a fire wouldn't kill anyone, right?" "Hahaha! She's fine! But I got to say she is a little arrogant!"
"when is the plan?"
"were you not listening? Next week!"
As the boys left, Haneul stayed speechless, unable even to mutter a single word because as they were talking, he felt their malice down his spine. But one thing is right, "I should let her know about this! But how? Should I first tell the teacher? No… they wouldn't believe someone like me, they'd think I want attention, no! But then…" he panics, trying to think.
***
On their way home, Belen's shocked to see Haneul sit next to her. But because of her ego, she gets up to sit in the back of the bus.
He discreetly sits in the back a few seats away, but while trying to get her attention, he notices, "really? Now you chose to look out the window? When many other times, you're the one who first looks at me!"
Even as they got off the bus and walk to the orphanage, he tries to talk to her, "umm Belen! I have something I need to tell you!"
She ignores him, again he tries this time sighing, "look I really need to tell you something, no better yet warn you! Will you please hear me out?"
As he said this, she stops when he continues, "listen! Those friends you call in class aren't your friends at all! They're trying to harm you! Actually, they're making a plan to put you in the hospital! You have to stay away from them!"
She coldly replies, "why should I? why should I believe anything that comes out of your mouth? I thought you were going to apologize, but I guess your stubbornness comes with age too, huh!"
"Wait! Belen, that's not!" he realizes, "you know my age?"
"Yeah! Pretty sad, but whatever it's none of my business and also just because you're an outcast does not mean you should make me one too," she proudly walks inside the missionary yard.
He stops sighing to himself, "ugh, this is bad! She won't listen! Should I try…no, maybe they won't even try to do anything, I shouldn't waste my time worrying about her."
***
Days later.
"Alright, students! Today is technically midterm week, but today you'll all have study hall. Here are the schedules for this week's midterms. Write it down, memorize them, for the next three days its midterms, and of course Friday there will be no school! The campus will close to all students! Unless you're a Professor like myself, you'll be here correcting the midterms! Anyways! The ranks for the midterms will be out first thing Monday morning next week! Now then I think that is all for announcements! If anyone has any questions, ask your peers first and then come to my office for explanation…no questions? Good! That is all!" Professor Young leaves the classroom as the students begin to crowd Belen.
"Hey, Belle! Why don't we ditch the study hall and hang out?"
"Yeah, we can come back later!"
"Plus, we seniors are allowed to walk out of campus"
"Oh better yet, why don't we all come back later at night at study!"
Belen asks, "but won't campus close?"
"Not if we come at 8 pm, right, everyone?" "I think it'll be fun! What do you guys think?"
"sure, why not?"
"Oh, sounds exciting!"
"We should make a bomb fire!"
"sounds cool!"
"Then why don't we try making one inside the senior yard?"
"NICE!"
The rest of the class excitedly murmur as Belen nods, "that sounds good and all, but I have to study, or else my dad…umm I'll get in trouble."
"aww, come on!" "Don't be like that!" "you're going to let us hang?" "come on, Belen!"
"Alright, alright! How about this, I'll wait for you guys all here at night? Deal? I'll be in the library for the meantime."
The class all agree, walking out of the classroom excited feeling happy. The bomb fire is just the beginning. They'll have to think of a way to harm her in a way that won't exactly kill her.
Belen grabs her bag heading to the library, when she notices Haneul following her, "what do you want?"
But he walks past her into the library, making her feel ominous. Though Haneul, on the other hand, is angry because no matter how hard he tried to let the teachers know what he heard, none believe him. The reason he stayed behind was that he felt unsure about leaving Belen alone. He felt the need to protect her; something inside of him wants to know for sure that she'll be okay on her own.
Time passes, it's gotten dark, and her classmates haven't made it back yet as they promised, so Belen decided to stay in the library studying until she smells something burning. "Could they have gotten here already? Smoke…the bomb fire?"
Fear grows within her, "no! Something is burning! But where?" as she stood up to face the doors of the library both closed and smoke seeping through the library entrance doors, she shockingly yells for help banging on the windows.
Adrenaline rushing through her body, heart racing, trembling in terror, unable to think, "what should I do?!" the smoke becomes like a thick cloud within the library, making her cough and cough, "my throat hurts! I-I can't breathe!"
Her eyelids become heavy, her body like a corpse laying on the side of the window no longer able to move, "I don't want to die!! Please, someone, help me! Help me! Go-" her vision darkens.