HaYan Highschool has a hierarchy.
Generally a school made for the richest of Korean citizens. A prestigious academy that a normal person on a normal payroll could never dream of enrolling in. It isn't only expensive, but equipped with the state-of-the-art learning equipment and respected connoisseurs from around the world. It was also highly recognized for all the successful students who passed out from their highschool and college.
Scholarship opportunities and international transfers were created in time. People from different countries in different continents enrolled and individuals born from familes of lower class were able to get in, through the tremendously difficult exams; exams held once a year with the penance of a pricy entrance fee. Only the smartest of the smartest truly passes the exams and advance to free enrollment. Thus, HaYan Highschool is not only the school for the aristocrats of society, but for smarter minds.
Those who couldn't pay neither the general prize of the school fee or the discount form proceeded to passing the exams at all cost.
The aristocrats of HaYan Highschool generally despised the idea of inviting people not of their status into their society. The impoverished were outrageously discriminated and soon the hierarchy was created.
Crimson, Platinum and Bronze.
The Crimsons were the complete aristocrats that had it all. Money, beauty, power, paid intellect. They didn't need the scholarship exams to enter, except they had their wit to prove.
The Platinums were the middle class aristocrats. They didn't have as much exhorbiant income as the Crimsons, but managed to pay the discount fee for the school tution. They were rich, but not as rich as the Crimsons.
The Bronze. The end of the food chain in the school, the role who got in through the exams, or connections, the bottom of the pyramid. Discriminated and driven to the corner, they stayed low and on their own, supporting each other as best as they could. Some resulted to sucking up to Platinums and Crimsons to survive but eventually end up being pawns.
Class A-1 students were purely Crimsons. The elite class of HaYan Highschool. They weren't also known as the most elite students, nor for comprising the members of the student council. They were recognized as the sons and daughters of progidies and stars. Even the son of the director and his best friends whose family were well-known were the highest members of Class A-1. Class B-1 were of some Platinums and mostly an embody of the Bronzes who managed to make high marks without paying millons for lesson like aristocrats.
They could already see it, attempting to co-act as a cooperative classroom should end up catastrophically. Thirty Class B-1 students were chosen to move over to Class A-1, while some Class A-1 were moved to Class B-1 and Jojo and her best friends happened to be part of the pair moved.
Jojo stiffly sat at her new desk that morning, timidly looking around the monotonous classroom. It had cream walls and brown furnitures, it had been arranged differently from the other classes. She also found it ridiculously pristine straight from the neatly waxed furnitures to the neatly mopped floors and perfectly stacked textbooks on a row of shelves beside the lockers. A few charts decorated the light cream walls with three notice boards with dozens of probably important posters clamped on it.
Blinking up ahead of her, she stared stealthily from under her bangs to where the few remaining Class A-1 gathered around at a desk discussing the absolutely absurd announcement.
"Ugh, I can't believe Director Park literally mixed us up with those..." The girl who was talking shot her and the others a sour glance, her thin lips pulling up in a snare. "Trash."
A fellow Class B student winced at her words, biting down on her lips and glaring down at her desk. The degrading wasn't as triggering for her as it was for other people. She heard a lot of discriminating words in the years she had lived in Korea due to her abnormal features. It had been so bad back then that she had developed a tolerance for them; clearly they didn't worry her as much as people thought. She royally didn't care.
"What was Director Park even thinking agreeing with the ultimatum." Another person said in a low hiss. He pushed his hand through his neatly combed hair in frustration, gazing at Class B with a casual look. "Look at the lot of them, this is an insult to have Bronzes in our elite circle."
Ra-im had half the mind to take a stand and blow them off for being so discriminating. But if she were to do that, the hope for at least peace for their class would be gone.
"At least they're not all Bronze. That we can manage." Another person had commented craning her neck." Only if the Platinums in that class are sensible enough to reach our expectations."
Suddenly, everyone's attention was drawn to the entrance of the classroom when the door slid open to reveal the three most respected and popular male students of HaYan Highschool. Eunyeok Park, the son of their beloved Director Park, placed third in general rankings. His chocolate brown hair captured his matching chocolate eyes perfectly. Taking his six foot six height from his father he was fit as a result of his meddling in sport. He was their best basketball player. Eunyeok Park had a playful and approachable sense of humor surrounding him. He got along with everyone, Crimsons, Platinum and Bronze alike. He was adored by his teammates on the sports field and always kept an amicable smile on his face. But this time, his usual enthusiastic face was devoid of emotion
Dowha Goo, one of his childhood best friends stood at his left. Being the shortest in the friend group, well only two inch shorter which was taller than most of the people in the room he was nominated as second rank. His light blonde hair added a kind of cliche bad boy loner vibe to the permanent scowl on his face; but his calm brown eyes added a kind of softness to his feature. Dowha wasn't the enthusiastic type or the kind of person that would willingly move out of his comfort zone to socialize and meet new people. His group of trusting friends was limited, but he wasn't a bad person to be around. His preference of solitude and cool aesthetics personality made him appear difficult to get along with, but he was in truth generally a good person to befriend.
Lastly there was THE Suho Nam, Eunyeok second and last childhood friend. With height equivalent to Eunyeok his natural white hair and purple contacts made him stand out most in the school. Suho Nam was born an albino, with milky white skin and red eyes circulated by the rumor of his preference to conceal with contacts, he was nominated rank one. Being the best in the taekwondo team, his body was physically fit with a few noticable muscles showing off under his shirt. Suho was a unique fusion of both the personalities of Eunyeok and Dowha. His friendliness and enthusiasm in socializing was limited. His politeness and gentleness earned his admiration from all students, workers and teachers. He was known as kind, strategic and playful but everyone knew he also valued his time of solitude. He wasn't as mute as Dowha usually liked to be, but sometimes he would go silent and lose his interest in conversing. He was handsome too, they were all handsome as a matter of fact.
Everyone watched as they strode into the classroom with a sort of presence, sliding the door shut behind them.
"Well," the girl who had been speaking prompted getting up from her seat. " did you get an answer as to why your father decided to disrupt the system of the school?"
Eunyeok's face cringed in exhaustion and distaste as he looked down at her short form." We didn't have to." He hummed with a serene shrug brushing past her over to his seat at the windows.
Jojo tuned into at their conversation. Director Park's and the board of directors unanimous decision to a reshuffle irked her too, she was curious to know the reason why it was brought about in the first place. And who best to know the answer to that question but his own son.
" What do you mean you didn't have to." A immaculately dressed boy asked tugging impatiently at his collar.
"It was already discussed at the council meeting earlier this morning. My father's plan for the new semester that is." Eunyeok explained with another unbothered shrug.
Jojo narrowed her eyes at him. For some reason she felt that he was purposely stalling their prompt in order to avoid answering their question personally. Council meeting business stayed between the members. Disclosing details of their discussion wasn't their ideal, even if it wasn't something worth keeping nor meant to be kept private.
The girl strode towards Eunyeok seat and settled herself in the desk beside him crossing her arms. " You're beating around the bush, Eunyeok, what is it."
Eunyeok rose a brow at her tiredly for a short moment." Firstly, he believes that it would aid and improve the Association Program. "
" Firstly?" Someone echoed
" The Association Program? "The girl scoffed standing up." What are you talking about, it's a flawless system. "
" But is it though? " A new voice remarked from the entrance to the class. Everyone had been so focused on the conversation to notice the sound of the door sliding open. There stood another known candidate of the student council and Class A-1. Anika Andriamifehy, nominated fourth in the general rankings and elected as vice president of the student council. Hailing from a country in Africa, she carried a sort of cultural and friendly vibe that greatly affected the people around her. She liked to style her black puffy Afro hair in a traditional way and dress clean. Her Africa beauty was on par with models and her skin glowed. She was perfect, despite her leg injury that resulted in the walking stick she used.
"Anika." Dowha greeted in deep low tones, blinking blankly at her.
Anika acknowledged him with a lopsided smile. " Dowha" she bobbed her head in greeting stepping inside the classroom, with two other girls following behind. One an Indian and the other American." Morning class, I can see that you're all still yet to recover from the news the assembly had to offer on the first day of senior year. "
" Recover?"Another person scoffed, an Indonesian, flinging her hair behind her. " Director Park dropped a literal bomb on us, how can we not react. And now he says that it's because of a system that's perfectly unflawed."
Anika let out a low chuckle." Ah that's where you are wrong, Indy. Yes, it is true that the system has helped people ameliorate in many disimproving area, but is it really increasing their knowledge?"
She took a moment to let the class ponder on her words, letting her dark eyes scan the face of the people in the room." Class B gets paired with other Class B and having both the same level of intelligence as per being in the same class, the partnership improves lesser than it would if they were partnered to a Class A student. And I think it's a great idea. "
" This is absurd "
" What's the second reason then."Indy asked turning to Eunyeok." You said firstly–"
"It's the dumb hierarchy." He interjected." My father wants us to cooperate and seize this useless feud Crimsons have with Bronze."
Jojo smirked to herself feeling happy that Director Park had taken notice to the way lower classes were treated and tried to make a change. But the students disagreed going as far as to begin an argument of disagreement. Their voice rose above normal speaking level, mixing in with each other creating an unpleasant cacophony.
The sound of the bottom of Anika's walking stick hitting the ground created silence throughout. Everyone immediately stopped talking and faced her displeased face." Enough all of you. I will not have our day begin with useless disputes. Director Park has declared and so it will stand, end of discussion. And I surmise you all should learn to cooperate with your new class mates." She declared.
Anika's walking stick sounded through the silent classroom as she began making her way towards the seated Class B student who watched the scene unfold in interest. It was astonishing how a single change in the school's system arrangement could cause such anarchy in higher classes.
"Hello new classmates." She spoke to us with a wide smile on her face. This was the first Class A-1 students the Class B students had seen with a genuine look of excitement on their face." My name is Anika Andriamifehy, I am the vice president of both the student council and the classroom. I hope we can all take care of each other and get to cooperate well too."
The door slid open before anyone could answer. Everyone made their way to their seats as Mr Jang stepped inside holding the class register in his hand. He flashed the Class B a warm smile bringing a bit of calmness in the anxious driven minds of the Bronzes in the sea of aristocrats. Another teacher walked in clutching a checklist to her chest and a box of ID cards in the other. The class burst into whispers at the sight of her. It was unavoidable, she was beautiful.
Her healthy and glossy black hair cascaded down her waist in waves, her dark eyes glistened under the light and her slender figure complimented the black floral dress she had on. She had smooth fair skin, not to mention that the woman wasn't lacking at all. She drew the attention of the entire class both boys and girls, Crimsons and Platinums and Bronze.
"Class attention. Salute." Suho Nam ordered, his voice laced with authority as he stood up from his seat. Everyone followed suit, getting up from her seats too and standing at attention. "Greet the teachers."
"Good morning teachers." Everyone announced taking a respectful bow.
"Good morning everyone." Mr Jang was the first to speak. He placed the register upon the table and opened it up." My name is Mr Jang, and I will be your new homeroom teacher, due to Director Park's reshuffling. And this here–" he pointed to the woman beside him " is Miss Woo and she will be our assistant homeroom teacher to help fill in areas where I won't be able to and help out in organizing our class."
She gave them a wide smile that caused people to swoon and a head nod of acknowledgement.
"I will take roll call first then Miss Woo will begin the pairing." Mr Jang announced popping open the cover of a pen." Eunyeok Park."
"Here" Eunyeok called with a puppy smile raising up his hand. Jojo found herself smiling, he really was a golden retriever type. Just this morning he looked annoyed but now he was all smiles.
"Suho Nam"
"Present." Suho answered in a low tedious tone, slumping on his chair.
"Dowha Baek."
"Here." He rose his hand timidly.
" Gabriel Hope "
" Present "
" Juniper Dagwood. "
" Present "
" Ra-im Baek."
" Oh, present. " Ra-im, who had sat behind Jojo rose her hand.
" Juyeong Cha"
"Here Mr Jang" Juyeong rose her hand slowly
" Sol-reong Jim."
"Ni hao." She announced.
"Kim Jojo."
"P-present." Jojo stuttered. She hated roll call, because she hated attention.
"Hasaan Gujarati"
" Here here. "The Indian girl who had been following Anika called fisting her hand in the air.
"Anika Andriamifehy."
"At your service Mr Jang." She said with a soft smile, giving a gentle mock salute.
Mr Jang seemed to like her sense of humor, flashing her a winning smile. "Appreciate that, vice president. Carla Winters."
"Present." The other American girl who also followed Anika answered.
"Mohammed Enoch"
"Present sir"
"Dayeong Yu."
At the mere mention of the name Jojo stiffened. Her heart beat thumped heavily and nerves scattered around the place. Dayeong Yu, a middle school nemesis who Jojo had tried so hard to avoid. A monument of despise etched into one of the many bad memories of Jojos elementary school years. It couldn't be her right? Jojo thought. She couldn't be the only Dayeong Yu there was in HaYan Highschool. There were just too many to be certain.
Nevertheless, she found herself raking the class with quick glances waiting for the so called perpetrator to show herself. Just one glance was what she needed to recognize.
"Hmm, present." A girl said and Jojo's eyes immediately shot to her direction.
Long dark brown hair hung up by bows in pigtails, framed oval shaped face, spotless skin that had a glowing effect under the sunlight that fell on her and natural light brown eyes that shone with mischief as she stared directly straight at Jojo.
Breath hitching in Jojo immediately looked away taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. She hadn't seen her for a long time but there was no mistaking it. Even if she had grown taller and more beautiful, she was still the same Dayeong Yu she remembered. And clearly, by how curiously she stared back at Jojo, the roll call must have spike some recollection in her too.
For the rest of the roll call Jojo couldn't think straight, shutting herself off from Mr Jang's voice she couldn't help the anxiety that engraved itself in her mind. She was ambivalent on either accepting the fact that that Dayeong Yu was the one she knew back in elementary school or not. She didn't want to believe it.
Eventually, the pairing begun, and Jojo nerves rattled less. At least she wasn't going to be paired with her and anyone else that could make a repeat of middle school come to life. It would be a disaster if she ended up partnering with Dayeong but she had hope. Mr Jang had promised and he always saw her through.
Taking in a deep breath she tried to relax and keep her mind off stealing a glance at her assumed nemesis. Dayeong looked unbothered, twirling a a thick strand of one of her ponytail and looking ahead as Miss Woo held up the checklist. She had to calm down, and focus. Mr Jang's promise to pair her up with either Ra-im or someone nice lingered in her mind. That at least made her feel much more relaxed and better.
However, everything crashed the minute her name and Suho Nam's was called. Class A-1 females were both terrible and irritating especially when it came to their precious Suho. He was rich, generous, brilliant and extremely handsome. Dozens of eyes were set on him, both boys and girls, for friendship or a relationship running deeper than that. Everyone would kill to be in her position, but there Jojo was during that moment, trying to slide further into her seat and hide every single trace of her existence.
"Suho Nam and Kim Jojo please step out to the front of the class and collect your IDs." Miss Woo ordered, dark eyes searching over the heads of students in search for Jojo.
Jojo's mind was now focused on the fact that everyone had their eyes scanning the class, waiting for someone to stand up and declare her identification. Taking in a deep breath and collecting her scattered thoughts she got up from her seat. The moment that move was executed, all double eyes of every living soul in the room swirled towards her. And at that moment, her heart skipped a beat.
Jojo despised attention. Her palms got sweaty, heart beat accelerated, fingers tremble and lips itch whenever a few eyes were solely focused on her. It was a form of her personal phobia, it twisted her way of interaction and life in a way that made her value that want to live as an NPC character.
Miss Woo gave Jojo a warm smile as she walked in front of the class and towards the desk. Jojo tried her best to ignore the low slurs and dirty looks from the people as she moved stiffly towards Miss Woo, which took a while considering her short height. She took her ID silently, bowing and stepping aside.
Suddenly, Suho Nam brushed past her, a whiff of his scent invading her nostrils for the first time ever. Wine. He smelt of thick, undiluted wine. And not just the one with alcohol in it, a fruity original scent that seemed to have derived straight from a brewing process. It was intoxicating.
He collected his ID from Miss Woo, flashing her one of his winning smiles capable of making a girl float back to her seat and turning to face Jojo.
"Kim Jojo." He nodded to her, in a smooth and deep tone. For a moment, Jojo resisted the urge to cringe in coy at his once over over her body." Well be working together during this semester, let's take care of each other."
Take care of each other he said..... Jojo almost scoffed. What she would be doing this term is watching her back. It was bad enough that she was added to Class A-1 sea of piranha students, now her pair with Suho has put her in molten lava.
Yeah... She thought. Let's take care of each other.