The corridors were still empty when Shin Hye passed by. The staccato clicks of her heels echoed off the smooth floor as she watched the sky covered by a thin layer of fog in fascination. She had arrived earlier than usual because President Ahn requested her to visit the office before class hours. After a few more steps, she finally reached her destination. She knocked gently, turned the knob and allowed her head in.

"President Ahn? I'm here already.” Shin Hye’s voice faltered when she realized that the office was empty. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any signs regarding the presence of the president.

“I've met up with Ki yesterday and everything's fine... You should always tell her about your progress before doing something reckless... I do not care... It's not my problem anymore but if you want, my daughter can be of help...” The voice was coming from the private lounge connected to the office of the president. The door to the lounge was ajar and Shin Hye could hear a snippet of the phone conversation. She should have returned outside the office immediately like any normal person but curiosity got the better of her. The president was somehow talking in a hushed tone and it seemed like a serious matter for her to act that way.

“How long have you been here?” President Ahn inquired, jerking Shin Hye back to reality. The president had finished her talk and had entered her office once again. She was clearly surprised with Shin Hye's presence and eyed the latter warily.

“I just came in,” Shin Hye quickly replied and avoided the gaze of the president. She was not the type of girl who craved for gossip but she didn't know what made her eavesdrop the president's conversation. She must have adapted some of her sister's traits. Ji Won had always been the one who tended to break the rules among the two. Or perhaps she might have been influenced by her fellow teacher, Park Ha Sun, who seemed to know everything about everyone.

The president looked unconvinced with her response but she allowed the matter to slide. She took her seat and motioned Shin Hye to do the same.

For a while, only the occasional sound of the clock found in the president’s table was heard as the president continued to stare at Shin Hye. It seemed like she was troubled and wanted to ask Shin Hye about something. Shin Hye was mentally debating with herself if she should apologize because the president’s silence bothered her. She was about to open when the president spoke.

“If you can still remember, Soo Jung’s birthday will be in two days and I’m planning to throw her a surprise party. I am inviting you and Ji Won to join the celebration. I’m sure Soo Jung would love to see her friend,” President Ahn informed Shin Hye and handed her a card. “We’ll have a private dinner together to celebrate Soo Jung’s 21st birthday and the arrival of her older sister. I’ve already booked the reservations so I hope you’ll accept my invitation,” she continued to explain.

“Thank you for inviting us. I’ll inform my sister immediately President Ahn,” Shin Hye said with a smile. It had been a long time since she had last seen Soo Jung and she was pretty sure that Ji Won would be excited to see her best friend.

“Shin Hye, how many times do I have to tell you that you can drop the formalities when we are alone? I do not want Sung Ryung to think that I am treating her daughter like any other professors here. If I hear you calling me president instead of aunt again, I’m seriously firing you.” President Ahn said sternly which made Shin Hye flinch a little.

Shin Hye felt fear and hesitation but she was quick enough to mask her emotions. She didn’t know if it was the mere mention of her mother’s name or the possibility of getting fired that triggered those emotions.

“Hey, no need to feel bothered. I was just joking. Just try to loosen up a bit okay?” the president told her and Shin Hye could feel her shoulders relax a little. “And also, I want to ask a favor from Ji Won. I want her to keep Soo Jung occupied for the duration of the day so we can prepare for the evening celebration.”

Shin Hye sighed in relief and broke into a smile. “Okay… Aunt Yoo Sun.”

The scorching heat of the sun was irritating Ji Won to the core and beads of sweat had already lined up along her forehead. Even the cold breeze brought by the aircon was not enough to cool down Ji Won’s head as she slumped in one of the seats in the lab. She had been pissed with Woo Bin ever since he got a higher score in their pop- up quiz in World Literature a few minutes ago. She was too distracted during the quiz because her thoughts kept on drifting back to the note left by the culprit. So many questions bothered her and she kept on tossing and turning in her bed last night. Ji Won was sure that her pictures were of no value to anyone other than her family. So why would someone else took interest in her life?

Ji Won came up with the theory that she must have angered somebody though she had no idea who was it. It must have been some kind of prank aimed to scare her as a form of the culprit’s revenge. But then again, it was unlikely that someone would go through such lengths just to get back.

“But why would the suspect break in the apartment and steal my pictures?” Ji Won covered instinctively when she realized that she had spoken out her thoughts.

“Who stole your pictures?” a voice said and instantly, the object of Ji Won’s earlier frustrations appeared next to her. Ji Won raised her eyebrow and she eyed him from top to bottom in a very intimidating manner before finally speaking up.

“It’s none of your business.” Woo Bin chuckled and took a seat next to her. This girl was really something. “Of course anything that involves the welfare of my friend is also my business.”

“Correction, ex- friend.” Ji Won huffed and sent her death glares to Woo Bin but the latter was already immune to it. Ji Won had always been so competitive even among her circle in high school. If somebody beat her score, she would be distant for the rest of the day. In addition, even if she had better scores, she would still be unsatisfied though she seldom showed it. She aimed to be perfect, not second best.

Woo Bin resisted the urge to laugh at the current situation. Laughing at Ji Won would be like laughing at a raging bull. One wrong move can earn him either a smack or a cold shoulder. He took a deep breath first and chose his next words carefully to avoid upsetting her more. There was only one thing that must have made her cranky today. “Ji Won, it was just a quiz. You would still make it to the dean’s list even if you sleep in class.”

“That’s the point Mr. Kim. It was a quiz and I didn’t get the perfect score,” Ji Won stressed out. She didn’t even deny the fact that she was actually overreacting.

“I told you so many times already Ji Won. Don’t be too harsh on yourself.” Woo Bin paused and thought for a moment. Realization struck him and a grin appeared across his face. “It’s your time of the month isn’t it?”

Ji Won just rolled her eyes. “No it’s not. You’re just plain annoying.”

Woo Bin shook his head and smiled to him