Chapter 1 (1/2)

Prologue

It may be a clichéd intro, but let me begin by introducing myself. My name is Ham Donnie, 17 years old. I will become a freshman in high school after ten days.

Born and raised in an average family with an average appearance and character. I’m such a run-of-the-mill girl living a very ordinary life.

It truly is when looking at me every day until fourteen.

Then what happened in my life after I became fourteen?

That is so horrible, nasty; gosh, I can’t articulate it well in this short sentence…

To explain what happened, I should address something first. Have you ever heard about web novels? They were a popular online book series with novels like the story of a celebrity-looking teenage heir who skips classes and messes around, but he always manages to nab the spot of being a top student in the whole school. For some reason, this same person will fall in love with a poor average girl.

Bringing up this unexpected subject might be a little baffling, but in order to explain my life, it’s necessary to talk about this. I mean, for real.

Article 1. The Female Protagonist? She Lives Next Door

March 2, 2008, that was the day I had my middle school entrance ceremony. On the night before, I could hardly sleep, feeling nervous and throbbing. Therefore, I rolled around the bed and opened a book instead. When my eyes were about to close, I put my book down. When I opened my eyes again, the sun was already shining. I rolled out of the bed with a frizzy hair. At the bedside, there was the book I didn’t finish last night.

It was an ordinary morning until I went to the living room. My mom was making breakfast as I washed my face, brushed my teeth, and cleaned my hair. I was standing in front of my wardrobe with a calm mind. However, I grew speechless when I saw the all-white-from-head-to-toe school uniform hanging on the door.

What? I was watching it furrowing my brows and rubbing my eyes. Nothing seemed to change, so this time, I banged my head on the wall. Still, nothing changed in the wardrobe.

What is this? I wondered while holding the uniform. As I looked at the whole thing over and over, it seemed like a psychiatric hospital gown. The jacket was pure white as well as the skirt. The vest had a light beige color but it didn’t help. If I wear this and button up the jacket, I would look completely white from head to toe.

Despite everything, it was fortunate that the uniform was not for my school. My school uniform was a normal navy blue color.

My mind was blank for a while. I asked my mom,

“Mom, where’s my uniform?”

“What?”

My mom came closer to the door after cleaning the dishes. I shook the white uniform and asked her again.

“Mom, this isn’t my school uniform! Where is mine?”

“What are you talking about? You’ve ordered it a week ago. That is your school uniform!”

“No.”

“No for what?”

An awkward silence hung between us for a time. Then my mom smashed my back as if I were joking around and left the room. I would have yelled out in pain, but I stared at the uniform without even thinking about it.

I thought for a moment. The uniform was emitting lights under the sun as if it was a luminary.

This uniform is for my school right now? I should wear this thing from now on? This crazy, not-for-everyone-style kind of uniform?

I felt things were going wrong from the first day of school. There was a note of consternation in my face while wearing the uniform. My bad luck was not over yet. This was a prelude to the series of misfortunes I would encounter for the next 3 years.

I realized it as I took a step outside the front door of my apartment.

As I stepped out, I got surprised by a girl whom I never saw before, standing right behind the front door. If I opened the door a little wider, it could have struck her. The girl was that close. I mean, why was she standing that close? I turned around to look at her, trying to calm down my pounding heart. Then I gaped.

What a pretty girl. She was very gorgeous. It was the first time in my life to see such a beautiful girl that close.

Her soft skin was so pale it revealed her veins and her jet black hair fell straight to her waist as if it was a caricature drawn with a ruler. When the sunlight shed over her hair, a purple glow flowed on her pitch dark hair like an arrow. The light also smeared into her eyes, and they were glowing with a transparent purple shade. The parts hidden from the light’s way was completely dark like a pupil.

Her pouty lips had a glossy luster and her nose was small and sharp. As I was looking at her, her whole face seemed to shine.

I even forgot to go to school staring at her. Then I realized she was gazing at me in silence which brought me back to reality. Oh god, I was an obvious stranger looking at her!