"Oma, I'm leaving for school!" a voice yelled up the stairs.

"Do Min Ji! Did you finish your breakfast?" her mother, Cheon Song Yi yelled back, rushing down the stairs.

"I'll grab something on the way. I'm in a hurry." Min Ji replied.

Her mother sighed. "Fine. I have a press conference this morning and a photo shoot late this afternoon. I'll be late. Your dinner is in the refrigerator. And answer my calls."

Do Min Ji rolled her eyes.

"I'm serious, Min Ji-ah. Do not stay out late." Song Yi said sternly.

"Yeah, yeah." Min Ji replied, rolling her eyes once more for good measure before heading out the door.

Do Min Ji was an extra ordinary girl leading a very ordinary life. She was the top in her class. She was a person that the girls envied and all the boys wanted to date – all except for one. Min Ji stopped by a convenience store and bought a rice ball and a yogurt drink.

She looked at her watch, stomped her foot and scolded herself, "Aish, Do Min Ji…you're going to miss your chance again!" She picked up her pace to make up for lost time, while shoving down the rice ball.

Once she arrived at school, she sat down on a bench near the entrance to the school and opened her English book. Please let him notice me today.

A boy rounded the corner with a group of friends. He was tall and handsome with eyes that had a depth to them. His smile was dazzling and his hair always ruffled in a perfectly messy way. Min Ji cleared her throat and sat up straight. Then, in a perfect accent, she began to practice her English. In truth, it wasn't necessary. She had already mastered five languages.

"Hello. How are you today?"

The boy turned around, "Pardon?"

Yes! The plan worked!

Min Ji pretended to be startled. "Oh, hi Jae Kyung. I was just practicing English. Are you prepared for the exam?"

Jae Kyung scratched the back of his head. "Ha…well you know…a bit."

Min Ji mustered up the courage to act shy and show off a bit of aegyo, even though she hated acting that way the most. Leaning forward, she placed her elbows on her knees and rested her head in her hands. "Shall I help you study?" she said in a tone, slightly higher pitch than usual.

"Well, I…"

"Jae Kyung!" another boy called out from across the school yard.

"My friend is calling for me. I'll…talk to you later, Min Ah."

"Oh, okay." Min Ji replied, trying to hide the disappointment in her voice.

Min Ah? Min Ah?! We've been in the same class for years and he thinks my name is Min Ah? Min Ji stood up and kicked at the dirt on the ground. Jae Kyung, you nappeun eomma.

"You should just give up Min Ji." Kim Seo Yeon flopped on the bench beside her.

"I know, Seo Yeon, I know." Min Ji said to her best friend with a somber tone.

Seo Yeon nudged Min Ji "Besides, how long do you think it would last if he knew you were a…"

"Shhh!" Min Ji covered Seo Yeon's mouth quickly.

"Well, anyway, he's not good enough for you. Should I beat him up for you, Min Ah?"

"You heard that…" Min Ji said pouting.

Seo Yeon chuckled and put her arm around her friend. "Aigoo, what am I going to do with you Do Min Ji? Let's get to class."

The two girls got up from the bench and headed towards the school.

Whenever Do Min Ji entered the classroom, it became somewhat of a production. She hated being noticed. The classroom always grew quiet as the girls whispered about her and the boys stared at her in an attempt to catch her eye. It was always the same routine. She cast her eyes down at the floor and rushed to her desk as quickly as she could.

The moment she sat down at her desk, the boy next to her passed her a note. She sighed as she unfolded the paper.

Min Ji, let's go to the norebang after school.
If you go as my girl, even better.
-Ji Yong

She looked up and saw Ji Yong looking at her with a cocky grin on his face. Ji Yong was the school jjang. He was ruggedly handsome. His hair was dyed a light brown and his eyes were intense, like a hunter scouting his prey. He never tucked in his uniform shirt and his tie was always loose around his neck. Saying no to him was like playing with fire – you were bound to get burned. Min Ji took that risk though.

Sorry, Ji Yong.
Have to be home early today.
Maybe another time?
-Min Ji

She folded the note and passed it back towards Ji Yong. It wasn't a direct rejection and left the possibility for a date in the future, although she had no intentions of letting that happen. It was easier to keep him waiting than turn him down completely. He opened the note and a scowled at the contents. She met his eyes and offered an apologetic shrug.

The bell rang and the teacher began class. Everything was so tedious. She knew the curriculum inside and out as she read the entire text book the first day of school. As the lecture began, Min Ji tuned the teacher out and began to let her thoughts drift.

Her mother was human and one of the most sought after actresses in Korea. Cheon Song Yi tried to provide a good home environment for her daughter, but it was a bit lonely. Her father, Do Min Joon, wasn't human. He lived far away - a place humans could never go. He was able to come home for a month or so at a time, but had to return to his home in the stars for even longer. The story everyone knew was that he was on business trips for most of the year. Only her mother, Min Ji and Seo Yeon knew the truth.

Being a hybrid was taxing. When she was a child, she had no powers. She was just a normal girl like everyone else.

It was on her 16th birthday that everything changed. Seo Yeon came to Min Ji's house for a sleep over. Clumsy Seo Yeon tripped and fell towards the glass coffee table. Min Ji panicked worried for her friend that was about to fall through the glass. She saw the pure horror on her mother's face. Suddenly everything around her froze. Blinking her eyes in disbelief, Min Ji looked at the clock on the wall. The second hand had stopped. She walked to the window and saw birds suspended in mid-air, their wings spread but unmoving. Tree branches leaned slightly sideways, leaves reaching in different directions resisting a wind that wasn't there.

"Min Ji-ah."

Startled, Min Ji spun around to see her father. "Appa, what's going on? Did you do this? It doesn't make any sense."

Do Min Joon sighed. "It was you, not me. I was hoping you wouldn't develop these powers. It will be hard for you to live on Earth."

"What do I do?" Min Ji looked down at her hands.

"We will talk about this later. But for now," he said as he walked towards Seo Yeon, "when things go back to normal you will have to act like this didn't happen." He gently picked Seo Yeon up and placed her back on her feet away from the table. "Happy Birthday, my precious daughter." He smiled at his Min Ji, gave her a kiss on the forehead and disappeared. Time started again.

Seo Yeon stopped mid-scream. "Huh? What…I just was…wasn't I falling?"

"What are you talking about, Seo Yeon?" Min Ji said in a shaky voice staring at her mother who looked away quickly.

"I could have sworn…" Seo Yeon scratched her head.

"Too much cake? Is the sugar going to your brain?" Min Ji forced a laugh.

"I…I guess." Seo Yeon walked around the glass coffee table and towards the bathroom. Song Yi looked at her daughter and shook her head before retiring to her room. Min Ji sank to the floor.

As time went on, a few more similar incidents occured before Seo Yeon forced a confession from Min Ji.

"Miss Min Ji? Hello? Do Min Ji!" Min Ji snapped out of her thoughts and noticed the teacher and the whole class room was staring at her. "Welcome to the class, Min Ji." Mrs. Lee said sarcastically. Giggles came from some of the girls.

"Sorry, teacher, could you repeat the question?" Min Ji said sheepishly.

"I asked if you could come to the front of the classroom and solve this equation."

"Yes ma'am." Min Ji rose from her desk and headed towards the chalk board. She knew the answer within the first 3 seconds, and could write it even faster. But she decided to act the part and pretend to work out the equation slowly on the board. When she was done, the teacher cocked an eyebrow at her. "Good work, but keep focused during class please."

"Yes, teacher." Min Ji bowed and returned to her desk. She sank in her seat trying to hide her embarrassment. Lunch time couldn't come fast enough.