Jinyoung, who is also genuinely surprised to see a female student from their school be the victim of L. Joe’s hit. Now should he comes forward instead and apologizes? He knows L. Joe just that well that he will never say the word that is believed to be a taboo in his life. The word of s-o-r-r-y.

            “Dude?” Jinyoung scratches his head. “What you need me to say sorry?”

            L. Joe shrugs. He never says sorry before, and he knows that Jinyoung knows that. It’s just that, this time, it is not somebody else. It’s different. This concerns Jiyeon.

            “Well…” L. Joe drawls and scratches his head as well. He looks over at Jiyeon before making sure what he should do next.

            “Go ahead. I don’t think I should… ya’know, it is really-..”

            “Not you style? Dude, I got this,” Jinyoung cuts across his sentence swiftly and gathers his feet to approach Jiyeon.

            “Hey are you alright...?” Jinyoung now forgets what he should say next when Jiyeon lifts up her head and meets his eyes. Her expression was really sympathetic that Jinyoung himself feels injustice of L. Joe to hurt such a fine girl.

            But thanks to his best friend’s miss-shot and the refusal of saying sorry, he now gets the chance to meet into Jiyeon.

            “You need a plaster or anything?” Jinyoung finally pulls himself together.

            “No, thanks,” Her voice is bitter. She fixes her hair and takes a last touch at the wound. Thank God it doesn’t bleed.

           “Did it hit you that bad? Should I give you a piggyback ride or whatever, you know coz I thought you couldn’t walk in such state, and to be fair this is a very hot evening.”

            Jiyeon forces a smile. So this is the jerk who dared to steal her last Coke and have her forehead to be in terrible pain. You’ll be dead by the time I have enough strength to strangle you down your Goddamn throat, she thinks to herself.

            “It did hit me tremendously, but I should be fine with it. I can still walk my way home. Don’t trouble yourself.”

            Jinyoung bends over to pick up the can when Jiyeon is already doing it. They both bump their heads together, causing the wound to become more unbearable.

            Now Jinyoung feels really bad. He grabs her shoulder when Jiyeon clutches at her forehead once again.

            “Oh God! I’m so terribly sorry. Are you feeling alright?”

            She frees herself from the grasp and forces another beautiful smile again. “Yes, I am feeling much better now.”

            Upon hearing the sarcasm coming out from Jiyeon’s mouth, Jinyoung decides he should make it up to her. She is obviously lying.

            “I know exactly how are you feeling, and I’m truly sorry for putting you in such trouble. I’ll make it up to you tomorrow. How does that sound?” Jinyoung beams at her and fixes her bang with all the tenderness in the world.

            “That sounds really alien to me since I’ve never seen your face before.” She is honestly touched by what he has just done, but it still doesn’t mess with how she feels about L. Joe after all the years of keeping it locked up down the bottom of her heart..

            “Will I get to meet you tomorrow?” Jinyoung turns around to ask for her confirmation.

            Jiyeon looks back at Jinyoung, her face impassive. “No.”

            Jinyoung smiles even broader. Wow, he wants her.

            Jiyeon walks with heavy steps when a guy is in her way. She looks up and notices it is L Joe. Whoa, what a day! It’s not like she never encounters him at school, but the feeling is totally different when she gets to see him outside the school.

            But Jiyeon acts cool and normal. She lowers her gaze and simply walks past him even though her heart is skipping anxiously. His presence near her has always managed to affect her.

            L. Joe coolly watches her leave. Well, it always works that way. They are, after all, strangers. And like any other strangers in the world, they should just ignore your presence.

* * *

            Jiyeon is pondering into the night starless sky. Sure she is done with her English essay on expressing her opinion why this world should start showing real love, but she never comprehend how some people would willing to risk the beauty of the love by loving someone for all the wrong reasons. She has read this kind of drama in novels, and even thought they usually have a happy ending she knows that life is not some kind of fairytale. Not every love story has a happy ending.

            Some people profess love when all they want is money, or just to get laid. She lets out a heavy sigh. Love? She snorts when the word crosses her mind. She doesn’t even know how love really works. It’s just something that everyone in the world fusses about.

            With her window wide open, she is disturbed by a passing convertible car. Okay, so it’s L. Joe. What makes she really helpless about love is when L. Joe seems to be carefree when it comes to dating. Jiyeon always wants an innocent love but she knows damn well L. Joe can’t give her that. It’s just preposterous of him to do so. He is a playboy, isn’t he and as a playboy, he can’t possibly be the right one for a girl who believes in the power of true love.

            Alright now. Jiyeon should really stop making lame guesses at what will happen in her yet-to-have love life and should really start getting ready to sleep. It’s already 1.12 a.m.. and some hideous eye bags will not do her face pretty.

* * *

            L. Joe carefully tip-toes on his feet when the light suddenly comes alive. Perfect, he is caught red handed, again.

            “You dare to sneak out again?” Mr. Lee asks in a stern voice. He’s definitely losing his patience. How the hell did L. Joe become such bad child?

            “And to even dare driving around in my car? What were you thinking? How did you get so daring in all of the sudden? I remember last time I caught you, you weren’t driving my car. How did it change in such a short period?”

            L. Joe never really bothers to answer any of his father’s lame questions. Why can’t this old man be nice and already in his bed by this hour?

            “Look young man, either you quit behaving like a rotten jerk or I will get you married and tied down to a commitment of work once you’re done with your SAT. Do you copy?” His father’s expression is really serious that L. Joe feels he needs to voice out.

            “I’m only 19 for screaming out loud, and already you want me to have a wife? Not that is a bad idea, but seriously what kind of father are you?”

            “A father who wants his son to appreciate women more, that kind. I know what you’ve been up to your sleeves all time you sneaked out of the house. I was 19 too and I surely remember knowing some guy like you during my age. They think they have all the women they want just because they inherited a deadly good looks form their fathers.”

            L. Joe yawns when his father starts to open up story of his golden age. Gosh, if only he can fast-forward this part.

            “Dad, you’re a very loving father who wants the best for his son. But really, I’m like 19, okay? I just wanna have some fun, creating some beautiful memories just so I can tell my kids like what you are doing now. And I truly appreciate women dad. So sgood night.” And with that, he walks away from his dad and his foolish idea of having him married. To whom exactly?!

            Mr. Lee sees his son off. Oh well, so the idea didn’t work. He should go to his bed. It will be a big day tomorrow for him considering he’ll have a client coming over from Japan for a sealing a deal of opening another car-selling store in city.