𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠 // 𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢 𝐛𝐞𝐨𝐦𝐠𝐲𝐮

ch. 1 ♡︎

I look at myself for a moment in the mirror.
Pretty average, if you ask me. I'm not totally ugly, but I could use some work.
I shrug. "Meh."
I'll live.

It's early in the morning, and I just finished getting ready for school.
"Hyejin-ah! Hurry up and come downstairs!" I hear my mother calling from downstairs.
I sigh and reply with: "Okay! I'm coming!"
This is the usual morning routine, my family has a reputation of always being late.

I rush out the door and see Jaemin already sitting in the car, waiting.
"Sorry!" I apologize as I get into the car, throwing my backpack into the seat beside me.
"It's okay." He smiles as our mother backs out of the driveway.

"HYEJIN-AH!" My friend Seri greets me as I walk into the classroom.
She runs over to me and hugs me as if we haven't seen each other in years.
Something I love about her, she always lets the people she cares about know they're loved.
"Yes~" I laugh and hug her back.
The bell is about to ring and everyone is filing into their seats.
She walks me over to our shared desk by the window, our other friend Kayoko is already there, sitting on his desk in front of ours.
"Aishh. Always late, aren't you?" He pouts as the morning announcements begin and the class grows quiet.
He often likes to talk before class, but I'm usually late.
I just roll my eyes in response.
"Good morning class!" The instructor, Mrs. Kang greets us with a smile. "Aren't we all happy it's Wednesday today? We're halfway through the week!"
The class cheers unenthusiastically, most of them groaning.
"Well, to make things better, I have an announcement! This Friday we will have our annual school Activity Day!" She announces.
This causes the whole class to begin conversing and clapping in excitement.
"This year, we're gonna win." Seri leans over and tells me.
Kayoko quickly turns around with a questioning look on his face. "What's Activity Day?"
"It's a day where we do activities." Seri says with a deadpanned expression.
Kayoko takes a deep breath in to retaliate but the teacher shushes the class.
"Listen, I do not want anymore drama this year between the winning and losing teams, okay? This is a school activity day for goodness sakes." She says. "Also, as you know, we will be starting the partner tutoring sessions tomorrow. I will be assigning the partners, and I expect no complaining. Got it?"
"Yes, teacher." The whole class solemnly responds.
"Yes Seosaeng-nim!" A voice says loudly after the quiet crowd.
All heads turn to the back of the class near the door to see the class clown, Choi Beomgyu, sitting stiff in his chair with his hand over his eyes in a military salute, looking straight ahead.
His little posse of friends begin snickering and he tries to bite back a smile but instantly bursts out laughing with them.
A few girls laugh even though they don't find it funny-- they'll laugh at anything he says.
I roll my eyes.
It's not that I don't like him, it's just that he often does things just for attention.
He looks quickly at me as I turn back around to face the teacher.
"Anyway, it will be this Friday, so start getting in shape!" She says.
"We all know they need it." Seri says under her breath and shoots a glare to the still laughing girls as they play with their hair, swooning for Beomgyu.
"Ugh. Right." I agree.
"Okay! How about we get started on today's lesson?"
And with that, we all internally cry and open up our notebooks.

The day progresses slowly, and finally, it's lunch!
The PS and I grab trays and take our usual lunch seats.
Just then, people begin cheering and clapping and all heads turn to ace the entrance if the cafeteria.
What is it now? Surely not Beomgyu making a scene again.
In walks the Kool Club
Karina, Khloe, and Kylie.
The rudest, most popular girls in school.
However, no one calls them that but Kayoko, Seri, and I as a joke.
"Ugh. What snobs." Kayoko seethes through his teeth, jabbing his fork into a piece of meat.
"Yeah, at least you've only known them for one semester. Imagine having to put up with them since elementary school." I respond.
"Why is everyone following them like that?" Seri asks.
I shrug my shoulders. "Since when are people not following them? They've always got a crowd somewhere."
They come in all the way, as people begin asking for photos with them.
A fellow classmate, Changmin, is walking past our table and Seri shouts at him.
"Yah! Changmin-ah!" She grabs his attention and he walks over.
"What's all the fuss about?" She asks, nodding to the group of girls.
He turns his head to look in the direction.
"Oh. Apparently Karina got nominated to be in that online modelling contest they're holding. I'm not exactly sure but I'm pretty sure she's in first place right now." He answers.
"Ugh." Seri rolls her eyes. "I wish pimples upon every inch of her face."
"Uh--" Changmin's eyes widen and he nervously chuckles. "Don't worry, Seri, I think you're prettier than she ever will be."
"Yah! Don't say things like that!" Seri shoots laser eyes his way and he instantly puts his head down and bows apologizing multiple times.
"Go away!" She says.
"Yes~" He says and walks away.
"Hey, that was too harsh!" Kayoko scolds her and she just rolls her eyes.
I laugh and sigh.
"Well, what are we going to do about activity day? We can't come in third again." I say.
"Right." Seri begins. "And, we have to win, because this is Oko's first and only Activity Day with us."
"I told you not to call me that! It makes me sound like a little kid. Also, yeah. I want to win!" He answers.
"Hey, when are you going back to Japan anyway?" I ask, curious.
"At the end of this semester." He says.
"What? So soon?!" I say.
"I know!" He says sadly.
"Well, let's not be sad about it! Let's make the best of the time we have left~!" Seri says with a big smile on her face.
"Okay!" We all agree and finish lunch.