Unspoken Definites

01 Estranged

"CONGRATULATIONS, Yuna!" The homeroom teacher announced with a proud smile on her face as she handed back the top student's test paper in her fifth grade class.

Kim Yuna stood from her seat and walked up to the teacher's table to get the hard-earned result of her exam. As she did, the murmur inside the room swelled up. When she got back to her seat, the sniggers grew louder.

"Everybody, be quiet!" Ms. Yamamoto immediately called the attention of the unruly pupils, "I hope that the rest of you will do well in your next exam just like Yuna." She said and gave the girl sitting by the window a comforting smile. "That's it for today. Good bye!"

The pupils stood in unison and greeted their teacher, "Good bye, Ms. Yamamoto!"

As soon as their teacher shut the door behind her, other pupils started to get up and take their break before the next teacher arrived. Yuna remained glued to her seat.

"How could she go to this school when she's not even Japanese?" A girl asked loud enough for Yuna to hear; her accent was heavy.

Yuna's eyes were fixated on her desk but she felt theirs swayed to her direction. She sighed a bit and got her book to read. She learned the best way to annoy these people, ignore them. She kept her stone-faced expression.

The hostility of her new classmates surprisingly did not affect her at all. It had been two months since she started attending her new school but it seemed like the new girl syndrome had not worn off yet considering that she still got special attention from her classmates and now, topping the monthly exam just made her another target for their unfriendliness.

"She doesn't even look like anything close to us!" Another offensive blow came from one of the girls who started the ruckus.

She picked up her pen and started answering the practice test on the book. The blustery did now slow down though.

"I heard her family came back here because they don't do well in Korea." One said.

Yuna slammed the pen she was holding on the wooden desk. The room fell silent as she rose from her seat. It was the first time they saw such act from the usually indifferent transferred student.

She could take every stupid thing or rumour that they would say about her, but not about her family.

She glared at the girls talking about her just few moments ago. Her heart was pounding hard against her chest as she walked up to where they were. She smirked as she saw how their tiny bodies tensed up in her approach. By the time she stopped walking in front of the bullies, they had their guard raised up.

"W-what do you want from us?" The first girl asked, her voice shaking. The tables had obviously turned.

Yuna flashed her bright smile. "Didn't you know?" She spoke in Japanese. Her Pyeongchang accent sounded distant now.

They instantly exchanged curious glances.

"W-what?"

"Those rumours about my family aren't true." She said calmly.

Silence was their sole reply to her.

"But I know one thing is for sure..." Yuna walked past them. "My score in the test is higher that you all three combined. Please listen to the teacher's advice. Study well next time."

She walked straight out of the classroom while the girls wailed in anger.

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Three months ago her life was different.