A New Beginning.

Lara clutched her backpack tightly as she stared at the massive building before her—Seongsu-dong High School. This was it, her dream school. Her heart raced with excitement and nerves. She had planned a surprise for Minji, and she couldn't wait to see her friend's reaction.

As she stepped inside the school, a girl, who looked like a senior but was probably around her age, guided her to the staff room. She was strikingly pretty—of course, even the students here looked like they belonged on magazine covers. Lara's nerves bubbled up again as she was introduced to her homeroom teacher.

"Bae Lara, right?" the teacher asked, her voice calm but authoritative.

Lara quickly bowed. "Yes, ma'am."

"I'm Miss Hara, your homeroom teacher. Please, have a seat." Miss Hara's smile was kind, putting Lara slightly at ease. After a brief overview of the school and its rules, Miss Hara led her to class 2B. Lara's heart skipped a beat—this was where Minji was, and where the fun was supposed to begin.

"Good morning, students," Miss Hara greeted as she entered the classroom.

The class responded in unison, and Miss Hara introduced Lara. To her relief, she didn't have to say anything. Lara's eyes quickly found Minji in the crowd, but her friend's reaction was far from what she'd expected. Minji looked shocked, almost as if she'd seen a ghost. Lara smiled, ready to wave, but Minji turned away, her expression unreadable.

What's wrong with her? Lara thought, confused.

Miss Hara instructed Lara to take a seat at the back of the class. As she made her way there, she hoped Minji would glance at her again, but she didn't. Is she avoiding me? But why?

"Hey," a girl seated in front of her greeted warmly.

"Hello," Lara smiled back.

"My name's Kim Ji-won," the girl introduced herself. Her soft, round face and gentle demeanor gave her a shy but endearing charm.

"I'm Lim Su-ryeon," said the girl next to Lara—the same pretty girl who had shown her to the staff room earlier. Lara had initially thought she was a senior, but now that she looked closer, she realized they were the same age.

Lara smiled at both of them. "Nice to meet you."

"I hope you enjoy your stay here," Su-ryeon added with a friendly smile.

"Thanks," Lara replied, though her mind was still on Minji.

Time flew by, and before long, it was lunchtime. As Lara walked down the corridor, someone suddenly grabbed her and pulled her into a corner. She was ready to scream until she saw Minji standing there.

"So, you want to talk to me now?" Lara asked, a hint of sarcasm in her voice.

"What are you doing here?" Minji asked, her expression a mix of confusion and annoyance.

"Nice to see you too, Minji," Lara retorted, pulling her hands free from Minji's grip. This wasn't the warm reunion she had imagined. After a brief pause, she continued, "It was supposed to be a surprise. But I guess I should've told you at least some of it."

"Yeah, you should have," Minji replied, her tone softening.

"So… now you know. Are you still mad?" Lara asked, raising an eyebrow.

Minji sighed. "No, I'm not mad."

"Good. So can we grab lunch together? I'm starving," Lara said, trying to lighten the mood as she reached for Minji's hand. But Minji pulled back, a troubled look on her face.

"No one can know that we're friends," Minji whispered, her voice tinged with fear.

Lara frowned, utterly confused. "Why?"

Minji glanced around nervously, then ran a hand through her hair in frustration. "I don't want you to get into trouble because of me. I've got… people who don't like me, and if they find out we're friends, it won't be pretty."

"I don't care," Lara said, stubbornly.

Minji looked at her, desperation in her eyes. "Please, Lara. Just do as I say. We can still meet up in school, but let's keep our friendship a secret, okay?"

Lara could see how serious Minji was, and though it wasn't the reunion she'd dreamed of, she decided to give in. "Okay," she said with a fake smile.

Minji smiled, relieved, and hugged her before quickly walking away. Lara watched her go, feeling a pang of disappointment. I guess I can only talk to her comfortably at her home, she thought to herself.

Lara waited for Minji after school, planning to go to her house together. Unlike before, Minji now had a driver who picked her up—things had definitely changed for her friend. Minji's family was doing well, and their company had clearly flourished.

"Wow," Lara remarked as she stepped into the sleek, black car.

"My parents said Seoul is too crowded, so they hired a driver to take me to school and back," Minji explained, sounding nonchalant.

The drive to Minji's house didn't take long, and Lara was stunned when they arrived. The house was huge, even larger than she had imagined. Minji led her inside, where they were greeted by Minji's mom—and to Lara's surprise, her own mother was there too, sitting on the couch.

"Lara!" Minji's mom called, smiling warmly.

Lara greeted her politely before heading upstairs with Minji. When they entered Minji's room, Lara was taken aback by how spacious it was. It even had its own bathroom.

"Lara," Minji called, breaking her thoughts.

"Yeah?" Lara replied, stepping out of the bathroom.

"Come here," Minji patted the bed beside her, and Lara sat down.

"Do you have good taste in boys?" Minji asked suddenly.

"What?!" Lara exclaimed, caught off guard by the question. She blinked, trying to process. "Uh… probably?"

"So, I think Hyunmin likes me," Minji said, a hint of excitement in her voice.

"Hyunmin who?" Lara asked, still trying to catch up.

"Joo Hyunmin," Minji clarified, her eyes sparkling.

Lara tilted her head. "What makes you think that?"

Minji leaned back, her expression thoughtful. "He's really nice to me."

"And… he isn't nice to other people?" Lara asked, trying to hide a smile.

Minji paused, as if processing the question, then sighed and flopped onto her back on the bed. "Well… he is."

Lara lay back as well, staring at the ceiling. "Are you sure you're not the one who likes him?" she asked teasingly.

Minji blushed and glared at her, making Lara laugh. "Who's this guy that's making Minji blush?"

Minji sat up quickly, like a dog hearing a treat bag rustle. "Joo Hyunmin is the most popular and richest boy in the whole school. He was a K-pop trainee, but he left to become a dancer. He's also super smart, and—"

"Wow, okay," Lara interrupted, surprised at how much Minji had memorized about him. "Is he in our class?"

"Yeah, but he's on a family vacation, so he didn't come to school today," Minji explained, sounding slightly disappointed.

"I need to see him to give my approval," Lara joked.

"I don't need your approval," Minji huffed, "but I'd love for you to meet him. I hope he's back tomorrow."