YEARS APART

Ordinary Life .1

Bell ringing sound

*Running .... Running*

"Damn that clock!" she thought, realizing she was running late for class. She knew Ms. Jang wouldn't go easy on her this time. As she entered the classroom, her teacher was already there. She quickly apologized and took her seat, avoiding eye contact with anyone. But why bother? No one cared anyway.

Ms. Jang addressed the class, reminding them to submit their work on time. And then, in a stern tone, she warned them not to copy from Athiee, as she could easily figure it out.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson, Athiee's classmates gathered their belongings and made their way out of the classroom. Everyone exchanged pleasantries with their teacher before heading out to enjoy the rest of their day, but Athiee just quietly packed her bag and left the room.

As she walked through the crowded corridors, Athiee couldn't help but feel out of place. Her classmates were laughing and chatting with each other, catching up on the latest gossip and news, while she remained silent and unnoticed. Despite her academic achievements, she was an outsider, always on the fringes of social circles.

Athiee was known throughout the school as the academic genius, the one who always received top marks and praise from her teachers. But her success came at a price. From the moment she arrived at the school, she was bullied by her peers for her intelligence, and this left her with a deep-seated fear of social interaction. She had learned to keep to herself, to avoid the hurtful words and actions of her classmates, and to focus on her studies.

But as she made her way home, Athiee couldn't help but feel a sense of sadness and isolation. She longed for the companionship of others, for the warmth of friendship, but she didn't know how to reach out and connect with those around her. For now, she would continue to walk alone, hoping that one day she would find a way to break free from the walls she had built around herself.

It was lunchtime, and as usual, the students grabbed their meals and went off to eat with their groups, except for Athiee, who always ate alone. However, the atmosphere was different today as Athiee's group had made her favorite meal, and this simple gesture lifted her mood and made her happy. While she was peacefully eating, she noticed a pair of eyes watching her, but she couldn't figure out who it was.

Suddenly, Jessi's voice broke her trance, "Ahh seriously! How can someone be that boring?" Lia joined in, "Not to mention, a total loser." Athiee felt embarrassed and wished she could disappear. The girls laughed at her, and Athiee tried to ignore them while peacefully eating her potato porridge with chicken.

After she finished her meal, Athiee gathered her things and cleaned her place. She was about to head towards her next class, history when a familiar voice stopped her.

"Look who's here! The genius kid herself," Felix said with a smirk. Athiee turned around and saw his face, but she wasn't pleased to see him. Felix used to tease and even bully her, so she wanted to avoid communicating or talking to him if possible. He was popular at school, and all the girls were crazy for him and his friends, the Stray Kids gang.

They named themselves Stray Kids because they act like stray children, but in reality, they are very different. Each one of them was a young, rich, and handsome boy with different charms and personalities. They were indeed dangerous, yet desired at the same time. Felix, Hyunjin, Bangchan, Seungmin, and Changbin were the school's hotshots.