Music:
CHAPTER 1
15 minutes left.
A synchronised tick tock of the clocks can be heard around the room. The scratching of pens and the faint footsteps of the supervisors added to the already tense atmosphere in the examination room.
30 heads concentrated on the task at hand: Final Mathematics examination (2hrs). Everyone was glued to the sheets of papers in front of them; working out logical answers to answer their current problems. Once in a while there would be a furrow of eyebrows trying to extract a formula they had crammed in the night before the exam. At odd intervals, there would be a movement of heads, a flick of hands to release the tiredness which had overcome their minds to regained concentration.
“Differentiate by first principles,” read Nicole. Nicole seated near the back of the room had drowned out all distracting sounds and ignored her surrounding the moment the examiners had said start two hours before. Formulas and number clouded her head as she quickly scribbled down the calculus formula. Although she was topping all her subjects she struggled to understand mathematics and grew to dislike the subject. Not only were the concepts and formulas hard to understand but the fact that there was only one answer to the problems annoyed Nicole the most. There was never one way to solve a problem. Mathematics, to her, was unrealistic. The detached nature of mathematics and pure logic hardly answered the mysteries of life. History and Art were better suited to Nicole views. Unfortunately, Nicole could not select purely Humanities subjects; she blamed the Korean education system for focusing too much in developing the stereotypical image of most Asians excelling in mathematics and science.
“Time’s up. Pens down please,” boomed the loudspeaker.
In response, a sign of relief and the clicking of pens erupted. A variety of expressions could be seen on the student’s faces. Some radiated confidence from the grins on their faces whilst others displayed grim expressions. Nicole, on the other hand, simply stared out the window as she waited for her paper to be collected. After taking quite a few exams in the previous years, she learnt not to place an expectation on the result, that way she would avoid being disappointed and always be content with her mark, if it turned out to be good.
A few moments later, students began to burst out the class room, savouring the taste of freedom from examiners and anything exam related. Although there was still another 2 weeks of school left and then the release of results and reports, the discussion of the annual school holiday trip was the subject of most of the conversations in school and the source of the constant excitement. Nicole had seen a similar situation the same time last when the school announced that the trip was to Italy. This year it was America, a place Nicole was familiar with.
‘Nicole!’
A voice interrupted Nicole’s thoughts. Nicole turned to discover Hara and Seungyeon behind her with beaming smiles, obviously happy that their finals were over.
‘How did you guys go?’ Nicole asked.
‘Who cares?’Hara exclaimed, ‘It’s all over! Time to party!’
Seungyeon nodded in agreement. ‘We can’t worry about it anymore. It’s done. It’s not like we can change our results now. Though, you probably aced it.’
Nicole simply smiled. She was glad to be around Hara’s upbeat personality and Seungyeon’s carefree attitude after the three hour test. They allowed Nicole to be herself and not worry about her prestigious reputation of a smart scholarship student from a lower middle class single parent family.
Nicole remembered her first day in Carpe Diem High School. The school was renowned for accommodating the rich. Majority of the students were destined to takeover Korea’s most influential corporations, the fate of the Korean economy laid in the hands of her classmates. Nicole was one of the lucky few scholarship students in Carpe Diem high, though; she had the ‘poorest’ family background. Others came from the upper middle classes, pressured into going to Carpe Diem by the parents who placed their hope in their children in hope to become in-laws of the rich. Nicole, on the other hand, applied for a scholarship after she heard of its high educational excellence, being one of the top ten high schools in the world. She aimed to become a lawyer after her father’s death and Carpe Diem provided the education and resources for her to achieve this, or so she hoped.
Being the ‘new kid’, she had to survive a year constant bullying and alienation from her classmates for a simple reason of ‘being too poor’. She began to hate life, hating others, distancing herself from everyone and anything, learning not to be too emotionally attached and worst of all, not to trust. It was the lowest point of her life. After a year of constant fights with her parents and almost quitting school, Nicole was finally able to shy away from her dark corner and open up just in time for the beginning of a new year of school.
The new year began with Nicole carrying negative expectations. Oddly enough, everyone seemed to forgotten their need to bully, and simply ignored her presence. That was until Hara and Seungyeon came into her life. They were put into the same class and they hit off immediately. At first Nicole found it difficult to believe that Hara’s dad was the CEO of Korea’s major fashion brand, KARA, and Seungyeon’s dad was the famous Park Jin Young, CEO of JYP Entertainment. None of them acted spoilt and smug, in fact, to Nicole’s surprise, they seemed like simple average teenage girls aside from once in a while whinging about the hardships of their luxurious lives.
‘Anything planned for the weekend?’Hara asked, not directing the question to anyone in particular.
‘Dad’s making me go to 2PM oppas’ concert,’ moaned Seungyeon, ‘It’s not that I don’t want to go. I mean the oppas are nice and all and their music is great, but it’s boring just going with the bodyguards…all they do is, well… GUARD. They’re so cautious when they’re around me, acting emotionless and professional just because my dad forbade them to have any physical or, even, eye contact with me. He’s so protective.’
‘A concert’s better than a photo shoot. The designer suggested that I model for the latest designs for our new catalogue and dad approved. I swear, if I have to wear another one of those t-shirts I’m going to run away from home,’ Hara stated boldly.
Nicole could not help but laugh at her friends’ superficial complaints and wondered how many girls wished to be in their position at the moment.
Hara turned to Nicole, ‘What about you? Have anything planned?’
Before Nicole could reply, Seungyeon interrupted, ‘Let me guess, working at the café again?’ Seungyeon read Nicole’s guilty expression. ‘Seriously, you need to give yourself a break once in a while. I know you want to help out your mum a bit, but give yourself some pampering once in a while. Sometimes I wonder how you juggle between work and school, especially with results like yours’, lectured Seungyeon. Nicole only rolled her eyes. And...Cue the worried faces, thought Nicole. As expected, they appeared on both her friends’ faces.
‘I do give myself breaks’, Nicole said in her defence, ‘Just..’
Nicole’s explanation was cut short when 2PM’s Heartbeat erupted through the hallway. Seungyeon flushed noticing all the attention on her. ‘Oops, forgot to put it on silent,’ whispered Seungyeon as she dived into her bag to stop the music. Hara and Nicole burst into laughter. Typical Seungyeon.
‘Hello?...Yes dad…I get it.’ And she hung up.
‘Sorry guys, dad wants me home. I better go before he files in a missing persons report,’ said Seungyeon apologetically and she ran off disappearing around the corner.
‘So, Nicole, have you heard that we’re going to America this year?’ questioned Hara, referring to the annual school trip as they walked slowly towards the entrance of the school.
Nicole turned to face Hara knowingly, ‘you’re just going to ask if I’m going this year, aren’t you?’
Hara could only smile at the response. ‘So are you?’
Nicole sighed, ‘you know I can’t. Like I told you last year, there’s NO WAY we can afford it. Plus, I have a part time job. I can’t miss that…But I wish I could,’ she added in to herself
Nicole had once lived in America for a few years during the end of middle school and the beginning of high school. She had friends there and was doing quite well in her studies, picking up English in a very short amount of time. Her family had settled in. That was until the accident which forced her to move back to Korea and start anew, again.
‘I knew it. Can’t you not work for once? Take a break. I swear you’re going to overwork yourself. I’m sure the café has other people who can take your shift for a while. I don’t want you sick Nicole or who else is going to tutor me and help me pass my exams?’ Hara smiled, ‘Well, Seungyeon and I discussed this. The money, we can handle, we just need a Nicole who wants to go to America. Last year when we went without you it felt like something was missing. We felt bad leaving you alone here. This year you’re coming with us. Plus, don’t you miss America, I mean; it was your home for a few years.’ Before Nicole could argue, Hara walked off towards her ride, greeted the driver and stepped into the car. The window rolled down, to see Hara’s waving hand and the car drove off.
As Nicole reached the gates of the school, a sudden uproar of squeals and screams enveloped the school court yard. Nicole turned to see a crowd of students (mostly girls) surrounding what Nicole could see were three guys. There’s something called noise pollution. Nicole rolled her eyes. What’s the deal with those guys? It’s not like they’re angels sent from heaven. Then it hit her. Heirs to a huge fortune. She shot a disapproving glare at the crowd before checking the time and gasped. ‘Oh my Gosh!’ she exclaimed in English, ‘I might miss my bus!’ She bolted off towards the bus stop just in time to catch the bus to work, dismissing the crowd and unaware that she was being watched.
Author Notes:
Slow start to the fanfic but please don't give up on me. I'm still trying to get a hang of writing properly after a month of not picking up a pen and writing properly. I blame the holidays. Haha
Remember comments are loved.
Enjoy!
Chapter 2 out tomorrow.
:D
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