clouds. | lai guanlin

two

"So, exactly who lives here?" I ask Daehwi, there were a lot of people at the table eating dinner and I don't know any of them - except for Daehwi and his mother.

"Oh, lots of people. I mean, most of us just live with the head of the manor because why not?" I raise my eyebrows,

"I wouldn't suggest you can stroll in here and say you're living here." Daehwi laughs and nods

"That's true, my mother is good friends with the head of the manor - same with everyone else who lives here, we all sort of just end up 'serving' him I guess." He explains, I nod understanding what he meant "Other than all of us, there's the head of the manor and well, now, you."

"So, there aren't any other, um, 'important' people living here other than me and um," i lower my voice drastically, as if anyone would hear us - it's not like we aren't sitting under and tree outside the house and it isn't like we aren't the only people out here "how do you say his name?" Daehwi laughs once more,

"You think you'd at least would've learnt how to say his name before coming here." I glare at him, "I'm kidding, it's Im Jaesung - not too hard to pronounce."

"That's it." I go over the pronunciation in my head a few times in attempt to remember it, Daehwi taps me on the arm

"Okay but, do you really not speak Korean at all?" I sigh, I can barely speak a word of the language

"That's right, I know about three words in total."

"Well, looks like that's another thing I'm going to have to do - teach you Korean." Daehwi grins "But that's okay, I don't mind." Looking up at the sky I notice that the already very dark sky had gotten even darker.

"Should we go inside, Daehwi?" I ask, Daehwi ums and ahs for a few seconds before nodding, agreeing that it's a good idea to go inside now before it gets to dark.

"Hey, how are you going to survive at school tomorrow?" Daehwi says suddenly, I shrug. Truthfully I'm not sure, I won't be able to understand anything. We step inside the house again and Daehwi begins to show me to me bedroom, the lady who ran up to me when I first arrived stops us and says something to Daehwi before pointing to me. "Oh, okay, Guanlin the head of the manor wants to see you. I'll take you to his office, okay? We'll get some rest after." I gulp, I don't really want to see him.

"Guanlin, how are you?" Im Jaesung says in Chinese, leaving Daehwi rather confused.

"I'm okay." I mumble,

"That's good, I hope you'll like it here," I probably won't "I've made sure everything is perfect and up the the standard you deserve." Everything at home is the same why can't I have this there? I try and hold back my frustration, instead offering him an, extremely fake, grateful smile. 

"Oh, and you'll like the new school I chose for you. You'll fit right in, I'm sure of it."

"Uh, thanks." I mumble only just loud enough for him to hear me

"Just don't stay up too late and make sure to wake up at six am, you'll be late otherwise." I nod, hoping that this meeting is over "Daehwi, you can take him to his room now."

"Okay, Guanlin, follow me. Goodbye, sir."

So much for not staying up late and waking up early; I couldn't stop worrying about what my new school is like to the point that I couldn't sleep for most of the night and when I finally fell asleep? It was at around four am, and I slept past six. I woke up at approximately 7:32 to Daehwi shaking me awake and telling that me that we're going to be late. I got up, got dressed into my uniform that had been ironed to perfection the night before and was promptly told I don't have time to do anything else because we'll be late for the bus.

"You see, normally you'd be chauffeur driven here," Daehwi begins, the bus is rather empty at the moment only a few girls who were sitting at the back applying makeup to their faces are our company "However, the drivers are all on vacation and they don't come back until next week."

"Can't someone else just do the job?"

"Apparently not, so you'll just have to join me on the bus for the rest of the week." Daehwi grins and I furrow my eyebrows

"Wait, so, I get chauffeur driven but you have to take a bus?" Daehwi nods

"Yeah, it makes sense to me. I'm not rich like you are." Daehwi snickers for a second "Although you certainly don't look the part right now." He pats down my messy hair that I didn't have time to even try to tame

"How do you think, uh, Im Jaesung? Is that right? Nevermind, how do you think he'd react if I told him I'd take the bus with you everyday." Daehwi's jaw drops

"It wouldn't be a good reaction. You see, our school is divided into rich and not rich. The rich rule over those who aren't rich and make them do things for them and stuff like that. You'll be piled into the rich section the moment you get there and you'll hardly see me at all, so look forward making friends with those stuck-up brats."

"That doesn't sound very pleasant. Besides, how will they know I'm rich? I'm not arriving in a chauffeur like what they're used to,"

"They'll know, Guanlin, they have their ways. People have been taking about you coming for weeks, although truthfully, I don't think they'll get what they're expecting. Now, don't take that to heart but they were probably expecting the chauffeur among other things like perfect Korean and outstanding manners. Now, like I said don't take that to heart but you tend to be a bit aloof." Daehwi babbles on, "So I guess they might not think you're rich but we'll see how it goes." He grins at me again with an expectant look in his eyes, I nod and give him a tight smile back

"Right."