Kimi Chen

SHS character
Kimi Chen
Aliases	"Perky Sue" (Paige Lenx), "Pig Girl" (Brinna) "Fashionista" (Logan)
Gender	Female
Hair	Black
Eyes	Brown
Age	15-16
Occupation	Student
Grade	Sophomore
Relationships
Family	Mrs. Chen, Lily Chen, Daniel Chen
Love Interests	Kevin Delucca (possible: dated; broke-up; kissed after)
Former Romantic Interests	Phil Ramirez (date), Cameron Clark (date), Marcus Jones (date), Lee Chen (date), Skazz van Tooten (date), Chris (date), Logan (prom date)
Friends	Emily Kessler, Sam Hill, Zoe Davis, Paige Lenx, Allison Applebee, Delilah Horner, Amanda Applebee, Spencer Cooper, Owen Harris, Autumn Brooks, Erik Ericson,
Enemies	Brinna, Logan, Lindsay Vale, Maria Gonzalez, Dominique Clark
Appearances
First	The Candidates
Final	Series Finale

“	Emily, Emily, Emily. Don't be so naive. Right now, as freshmen, we're a fresh commodity here. Sure we're not popular yet, but I'd like to think one day we could be. If we start hanging out with guys like that, it's never going to happen. We'll be branded nerd girls forever.	”
–Kimi to Emily Kessler, Surviving High School: The Novel

Kimi Weiyun Chen (nee Karen Kerfuffle) is a character in Surviving High School. Entering high school with her best friend Emily Kessler in A New Start, Kimi was considered one of the least popular girls in school due to a list she made of rating all the guys in school getting out. Over the course of the year she began to rebuild her reputation and she dreams of becoming the most popular girl in school. Kimi used to be in a relationship with Kevin DeLucca and is currently in her sophomore year. Her most notable storyline has been creating a music video that went viral over the course of 24 hours in How To Be A Star.

Duration: Season 11: The Election- Season 4: Troublemakers

Storylines

A New Start

When Kimi starts out at Twin Branches High, she is desperate to become popular. Kimi is also desperate to have a hot boyfriend and kept a list of pros and cons of all the guys in Centerscore. When her best friend, Emily Kessler becomes popular as she is considered a celebrity because of her strong swimming ability, Kimi and Emily sit at the center table and Kimi becomes popular. Kimi then meets Phil Ramirez who she eventually starts dating although Kimi starts to lose feelings for Phil as she starts to gain feelings for his friend, Marcus. She then breaks up with Phil and attempts to get Marcus to take her to Homecoming. One of the school nerds, Amir, accidentally shows the whole school Kimi's list of pros and cons for the guys in the school making Kimi become extremely unpopular. When Emily is not interested in Kimi's problems, Emily and Kimi have a fight and no longer stay best friends although Emily later apologizes and they become best friends again. Kimi is kicked off the center table and has online hate groups about her created. Amir's friend, Kevin, who is also a nerd, feels sorry for Kimi and hacks the online hate groups to make them fan groups. Kevin then takes Kimi to homecoming and Kimi develops a crush on him.

Kimi later makes a hilarious music video online and she becomes a celebrity and extremely popular in school. The cheerleaders then kick Zoe off the squad and host try-outs for a new cheerleader. Kimi initially does not try out although Maria, the head cheerleader, is desperate for Kimi to join the squad because of her popularity even though Kimi did not try out. Maria lets Kimi on the squad making the cheerleaders more popular. It is then revealed that Maria and Kimi were good friends back in middle school and Maria saved Kimi when she was badly injured at a party.

During the summer Kimi competes in the Game of Cones, in summer school, in order to get the last week of summer school off. Since she and Emily are in between cliques (Nerds and Cheerleaders), Emily ends up with the cheerleaders, and Kimi ends up with the nerds. That competition almost ruins Emily and hers friendship but they make up for it.

After that Kimi competes in the Back to School fashion show. When there, Kimi announced to Mrs. Chen and her younger sister, Lily, that her designs on the models would be coming out first. While setting up backstage and waiting for the show to start, a showrunner stepped up to Kimi and told her that her clothes violated the schools dress code: unapproved hats, bare midriffs and too much leg. A girl named Brinna had been listening nearby and suggested that her designs be used instead. Kimi, appalled, had watched as Brinna organized her models in front of Kimi's after receiving approval from the showrunner. Nervous about disappointing her mother and sister, Kimi decided to disobey the showrunner and allowed her models to go out first instead of Brinna's. The show had started moments later and one of Kimi's models strutted on the runway before the showrunner jumped on stage and wrapped the model in a blanket, shooing her off stage. The showrunner cancelled the show and sent the audience home. Rumors of why the show was cancelled, the most popular theory being Kimi's too risque clothing, circulated soon after earning Kimi a bad reputation.

Troublemakers

A few weeks later at school (her sophomore year), she spends nearly every day after school with the Troublemakers club due to what she did at the fashion show. When the Troublemakers are forced to do a clothing drive their original plan is for Kimi to give makeovers to people who donate, but she is not allowed to. After nobody else's prize for donating works, she is talked into giving the makeovers. She is covered by everybody in the Troublemakers! However since Brinna is still mad for not getting the spotlight at the show, she is even more mad since now people are asking Kimi for makeovers rather then Brinna. She threatens Kimi to make up for it. They later uncover that Brinna had messed with their float in The Float which almost killed Allison and broke Spencer's leg to get back at Kimi.

While she reluctantly accompanies Paige Lenx on her impossible mission to become the Queen of the Winter Royalty, Kimi additionally starts receiving multiple love letters from an anonymous student, who shows his feelings for her in the letters through metaphorical resonances. Kimi prepares herself to meet her secret admirer at the Winter Dance, but soon learns that the supposed admirer is actually Brinna, who sought revenge against Kimi. She is subsequently humiliated in front of the entire school when she is tricked into being chased after animals on stage. Kimi is labelled as 'Undateable' and the students begin to refer as 'Pig Girl'. When Kimi reunites with Allison backstage, she is heartbroken with the thought of never finding someone who loves her like her friends have. 

Saddened by the thought of never falling in love like her friends, Kimi asks the help of the Troublemakers to set her up on a few dates. She is set up on dates with Skazz, Chris and Lee, but does not continue pursuing any of the relationships.Starting to accept that she will never find someone who loves her, Kimi bumps into Kevin. As they chat, Kevin confesses that he was never this observant during their relationship but that he's capable of change. Kevin admits that he's been trying to cut back on how much time he spends playing video games. Just as she thinks this, Kimi nearly runs into Logan, the nephew of Ms. Lee who's recently joined their school and the Troublemakers program. Kimi's initial reaction, besides his rudeness, is how cute she thinks he is. Their relationship begins to grow when Kimi uses Brinna's infatuation with him to her advantage to get back at her. When trying to find out what Logan's pet peeve is with fans at shows so she can trick Brinna into embarrassing herself in front of him, the two share quick moments of banter that warms him up to her. Kimi impresses him when she shows that she is unlike all of the other girls in school who fawn over him. Kimi's plan to humiliate Brinna works when Brinna attends Logan's performance that Friday night and jumps up onstage to sing with him. Kimi watches smugly as Brinna is told off by Logan and laughed at by the audience.

Attending Prom with Logan, Kimi feels snubbed by him when he acts bored throughout the night. While he disappears to find the punch, Kimi talks to and shares a dance with Kevin. Kevin admits to her that he wishes he treated her better when they were dating and that he hopes she finds someone better than him and Logan. After the DJ announces the last song of the night, Kimi searches for Logan and feels betrayed when she finds him making out with Nicole. When Logan brushes her off and refuses to apologize, Kevin and Logan get into a fight. After Ms. Lee puts Kevin in the Troublemakers program as punishment for pushing Logan into the punch table and subsequently ruining Brinna's dress with the spilled punch, Kevin and Kimi reconcile with a passionate kiss.

In the series finale, Kimi is invited to Chris's party along with the current and past students of Twin Branches/Centerscore. In the bonus scene of the episode, Allison has the chance to talk to everybody individually and record their final sentiments on tape. Kimi admits to the camera that high school "sucks" but it's worth it as along the way, people will find friends, fun, and love.

Relationships

Romantic Interests

Kevin Delucca

Kevin is Kimi's ex-boyfriend as of Homecoming Kiss. However, the two get back together in Prom are currently in a relationship.

Meeting in the first novel, Kevin and Kimi were friends before entering into a romantic relationship despite the underlying attraction that was shared between them.

Kevin initially is met with disapproval from Kimi as he is already an established nerd within the school when she decides her seating plan with Emily. Their first piece of interaction includes Kevin inviting them to eat lunch with him but does not let it bother him when she rejects the offer. Despite her want to be popular and refrain from being seen with people who are not, Kevin only offers her compliments and kindness when she is targeted by the mean girls in school. Kevin, as a way of showing his sympathy for her when his friend emails the school her 'pro/con' sheet of the guys, hacks into all of the hate groups online and changes them into fanclubs. This, as well as them going to Homecoming together, builds a foundation for a friendship.

Flirtation between the two begins in seasons 5 and 6 where Kimi's attempts at flirting are met with mixed responses. Kevin sends mixed messages, going back and forth between treating her as a friend and treating her as something more. His naivety is the downfall of their relationship when he forgets all about planning an extravagant proposal for Homecoming despite her constant reminders and hints. Kimi splits up with him in Homecoming Kiss when he asks if they're going to Homecoming together and she realizes she's had misplaced expectations of him and their relationship.

What's left of their relationship is shown to be extremely strained following their breakup. When the students find out that the school administration have been spying on them through the technology they were given, Kimi is hesitant to do so when Paige and Allison ask for her help covering up their secrets. Kimi, knowing that Kevin is among the group of nerds working on taking down the students private recordings posted on the school website, becomes scared that if he finds out that she helped Paige disband the cheerleading team he will use it against her. Kevin is hostile towards Kimi when she tries to talk to him, still angry that she broke up with him. When she asks Kevin to skip over Allison's file, Kevin refuses to do so for her but out of respect for Allison.

Kevin and a sad Kimi bump into each other in the hallway. While they chat, Kevin admits that while he wasn't observant during their relationship, he can change and even reduced the amount of time he plays video games. Kevin cheers up Kimi, as Kimi contemplates whether or not she would consider going out with him again. Though she attends the dance with Logan, Kimi accepts his offer to dance, after Logan makes an excuse to leave her. Later on, after finding Logan making out with Nicole in a corner, Kevin punches Logan for her. She thanks him for this, following a passionate kiss between the two. Kimi asks if it's the start of something but Kevin denies this, saying that he thinks it's the end. While he's not sure of what, the episode concludes with Kevin adding that she should ask him at graduation.

Cameron Clark

When Kimi's video goes viral, Kimi is encouraged by Maria to take advantage of her popularity to date one of the more popular boys in school. Kimi goes on a date with Cameron to the beach but due to miscommunication and lack of chemistry, it goes poorly. Cameron admits to Kimi that he only went out with her because Maria told him Kimi had a crush on him and he had a reputation. The two go their separate ways at the end of the night. 

When Kimi's new friend Allison develops a crush on him, Kimi advises her on his reputation and gives her advice on how to proceed with their relationship. Kimi is happy for the two of them until Cameron breaks Allison's heart and end things with her outside the Homecoming dance.

Phil Ramirez

“	I mean, I disappear from a party with one of the hottest, most popular guys in school, who also happens to be totally nice and who also has an awesome car, and you’re not even curious?	”
–Kimi to Emily Kessler, Surviving High School: The Novel

Kimi meets Phil on her first day of school in Surviving High School: The Novel and instantly develops an attraction to him. While creating a list of pro's and con's of every guy in school, Phil rates the highest and the two of them begin hooking up and attending parties together. Their brief relationship ends when Kimi develops feelings for his best friend, Marcus Jones.

Marcus Jones

While Kimi develops feelings for him in the first novel, the two do not go on a date until the second novel. Marcus justifies not taking her to Homecoming in the first novel because she had just broken up with his friend but feels better about being with her now that Phil has had time to get over it. Kimi is flattered when he asks her out on a date to a fashion show he was invited to. Marcus shows his true intentions and colors when he proves to be incredibly vain, high maintenance, and more interested in fame than her.

Logan

The nephew of the Troublemakers advisor, Ms. Lee, Kimi is first greeted by Logan roughly, who warns her to watch where she is going. Though she does not find him sweet, she does think he is attractive. She later attends Prom with him, but admits to her friends that Logan has been acting bored all night. Kimi finds Logan soon after, making out in a corner with Nicole. She demands an explanation from him, but Logan only brushes her off. Kevin punches him for her.

Friends

Emily Kessler

“	You're my best friend and I love you and we shouldn't let some stupid game get in the way of us!	”
–Kimi to Emily Kessler, Game of Cones

Kimi has been Emily's best friend since before their freshman year and had been at Emily's house with her when she heard the news about Sara Kessler's death. While very different (Kimi was more interesting in parties and boys while Emily was more focused on swimming and school), they're both really supportive of each other. They always have their monthly sleepovers (the only time Emily is allowed to have a friend over and stay up later than usual). Emily is more involved and apart of the popular and main group of the school as opposed to Kimi but she invites her to sit with them anyway. In How To Be A Star: The Novel, Emily is concerned about how much weight Kimi is losing when her video goes viral and she stops eating to lose weight. They fight about how Emily is always with Ben and how Emily feels that she's been replaced easily as well, but make up at the end of the novel. Their friendship hit a hurdle in Season 7, when they were propped against each other in a competition for the last week of summer school off. Kimi expressed annoyance over how she always had to sacrifice things for Emily and the two argued until A Clash Of Queens where it's shown how well they know each other and care about each other, teaming up to take the rival team down.

Even as friends, Kimi always felt as though she was a sidekick of Emily's. Emily was far more known, as she was Sara Kessler's little sister, who herself was not eminent until her notorious death.

Paige Lenx

“

Because under that mean exterior, there's a heart of gold... probably literally!

”

While the two of them had limited interactions during Kimi's freshman year, many of their interactions revolved around Paige's relationship with Owen which Kimi was fond of and advocated. Kimi helped Owen, whom she met through her friendship with Emily, break into Monarch Prep to see Paige when she was sent away by her mother.

The beginnings of their friendship started between the summers of A New Start and Troublemakers. When Paige experienced a painful breakup with Owen, Kimi helped her craft a new rebellious and dark image to contrast her previous one. The two of them were placed together, along with others, in the Troublemakers program where they were to make up for their destructive actions (Kimi for her inappropriate clothing line and Paige for theft) through community service and have stuck together ever since. The two of them worked together to bring down Maria and the cheer team when Paige set her sights on winning the title of Winter Queen in order to go on a luxurious date with Owen. Not wanting to risk her friendship and respect with Paige, Kimi immediately asks for Paige's blessing to go on a date with her ex-boyfriend, Lee. This moment showcases Kimi's respect for Paige's opinion and approval.

Allison Applebee

Meeting through the Troublemakers program, Kimi developed a close friendship with Allison when she helped Kimi get out of trouble with Ms. Lee and get back into designing clothes. Kimi offers her advice on boys and kissing when she notices the spark between Allison and both Spencer and Cameron. Kimi is the only person Allison confides in when she begins to have feelings for Spencer's enemy, Nate. She receives support when Kimi is humiliated by Brinna in front of the entire school and finds out Kimi's secret admirer is fake.

Rivalries

Brinna

Brinna and Kimi are enemies, as of The Fashionista, when it is revealed that Brinna holds a grudge against Kimi because the fashion show had been her moment to shine but Kimi had ruined it with her "lazy" designs. Later, Brinna vows vengeance against Kimi, which works in The Float, when Brinna tampers with the Troublemakers' float, by damaging the breaks. Brinna takes revenge on Kimi once more by pretending to be Kimi's secret admirer and sending her fake love letters. These letters and clues set Kimi up to be embarrassed in front of the entire school during the Winter Dance where she is chased by petting zoo animals and receives a new embarrassing nickname "Pig Girl," along with a sign above her that reads "Undateable".

Maria Gonzalez

When Kimi was in the third grade and Maria in fifth, the two had been next door neighbors and best friends. Maria and Kimi were inseparable despite the two year age gap and constantly built pillow forts and played endless games of checkers. They started to grow apart when Maria entered middle school and started rebelling. Once Maria's family moved across town into a new house, they lost any remaining excuses and reasons to continue hanging out.

The two avoided each other once they both reached high school until Kimi's music video went viral in How To Be A Star. Kimi's attention was chased by Maria who placed her at the top of the cheerleading pyramid because of her new celebrity status. Unfortunately, Kimi found out later that she was only being taken advantage of since Maria envied her new found fame and wanted some for herself. Kimi and Maria ended their friendship when Kimi's brother, Daniel, reported that a mean blog leaking embarrassing photos and videos of Kimi was tracked back to Maria's computer.

Lindsay Vale

Both Kimi and Emily are targetted by Lindsay and her friend Dominique in the first novel through teasing remarks. Lindsay's resentment of Kimi expands when Kimi begins eating with Lindsay's group of friends at the Center Table because of her popularity and fame in How To Be A Star. While the other girls attempt to build a friendship with her, Lindsay sticks by her hatred of her and treats her no better than before. Kimi's fall from popularity is met with smugness from Lindsay.

Personality

Disappointed upon entering high school and getting caught in her best friends shadow, Kimi sets herself apart from the rest by her fashion and perky outlook on life and relationships. Dreaming about becoming the most popular girl in school, Kimi is always conciously aware of what others think of her and tries to insert herself in the popular crowd through Emily in the beginning of the series.

While usually gushing about her friends relationships and her passion for designing clothes, Kimi is shown to be incredibly insecure in her aspirations, physicality, and relationships. In How To Be A Star, it is revealed that Kimi feels constantly compared to her sister and older brother, Daniel, as she has not yet found a hobby worth sticking with longterm. When her music video goes viral, Kimi stops eating in order to lose weight and look better in front of her new friends. Because of Kimi's insecurity and jealousy of those in relationships, it sometimes put a strain on her friendship with Emily who became popular through her relationship with Ben and her swimming. When Kimi is targeted by an enemy who pretends to be her secret admirer, Kimi is crushed by the thought of never finding love like her friends.

Despite her unconfidence and occasional shallowness, Kimi is incredibly loyal to her friends and goes out of her way to help them out when they need advice.

Appearance

Kimi in High School Story

Kimi's last name and appearance suggests she is Chinese, or at least of East Asian descent. She has brown eyes and black hair with pink and white striped headband with a bow on top of her head. Additionally, she wears a burgundy-colored vest over a white collar shirt and black tie.

Age

Having entered Twin Branches in Year 5, Kimi was a sophomore at age 15-16 by the time the series ended.

Quotes

“	It's so unfair. If I eat even, like, two extra cookies, my jeans don't fit anymore.	”
–Kimi to Emily Kessler, Surviving High School: The Novel

“	Sure. Take my bottle. And I'll tell you exactly where you can shove it.	”
–Kimi to Marcus Jones, How To Be A Star

“	I've got to look normal! Not like some friendless dork with overprotective parents who watches way too much Project Runway!	”
–Kimi to her friend Emily, How To Be A Star

“	Who do you think you are, picking on her? You should try picking on someone your own status!	”
–Kimi defending Allison Applebee, Troublemakers

“

Dear Universe: Please hook me up with a boyfriend. He doesn't even have to be hot, just mildly cute. Sent from my desperate state, Kimi.

”

Trivia

• It is possible she is related to Amy Chen from Cause of Death.
• Kimi is the main character and protagonist of the second novel, How To Be A Star.
• Kimi used to be good friends with Maria Gonzalez in middle school.
• Kimi thinks Paige and Owen make a cute couple and often root for them to stick together and work out their issues. She occasionally uses the couple name 'Powen' around them and admits to having been supportive of them since their Psych class project. Ironically, Kimi did not sign up for that class as she was a freshman at the time so it is unknown how she knows details of this.
• Kimi has given a makeover to Paige, Nicole, Andrew, and Taylor. 
• She had a brief romance with Phil Ramirez in the first Surviving High School novel and his friend Marcus Jones but her most prominent relationship has been with Kevin Delucca in the books and in the game.
• Her online username is ChEnigma22.
• Her favorite TV show is Friday Night Showcase.
• She appeared in High School Story along with Owen. She and Owen participated in a Just Dance-A-Thon where she was locked in a room with Autumn's friend, Julian. After Twin Branches won with the help of Autumn, Kimi invites her and her new friends along to a luxurious lakehouse where they stargaze and take hikes. Kimi has since appeared in multiple other quests with Owen.
• Kimi celebrates her sixteenth birthday in a High School Story quest. When none of her friends are able to attend, Kimi reveals that it brought up past feelings and experiences of feeling alone on her birthday.
• She used to take kickboxing, fencing, and tennis lessons.
• Of all characters in Surviving High School, Kimi has went on the most known dates with a total of six.
• While Daniel Chen's absence is explained with his classes at Stanford, Kimi has never had a close relationship with her brother. While he lived at home, Kimi admits that the two never talked a lot unless he was showing her his computer software programs.
• In Battle of the Schools: Guy, Kimi was passionate about track unlike how she truly is in this universe.