Yong Hwa stayed in the front porch after washing the dishes with Min Hyuk. His hand still ached, and he was worried that a closed blister had formed. Many home remedies had been taught by the folks back home, but he had recently read somewhere that he should not put anything on burns. 

Shin Hye, meanwhile, saw him looking at the stars again, so she walked past him and sat a few distances from him. Still, both were too proud to admit their mistakes back at the lunch room in school.

Shin Hye's POV

Yong, I hate to admit this, but I'm sorry... I just want to ask...or to...Aish... Eotteokhaji?

I just want to comfort you and your hand....

Mianhae....

Yong Hwa's POV

Argh, the blister is throbbing.... 

End of POVs

Shin Hye fumbled with her hands and looked at Yong Hwa. Just then, the gate opened, and in came Jiyeon from her self-study sessions in school.

"Annyeong haseyo?" she greeted the two politely in her tired voice.

"Have you eaten?" Shin Hye asked her cousin in concern.

"Ani... I am too tired to eat," Jiyeon said. "I want to flop in bed..."

Shin Hye and Yong Hwa knew that feeling. High school in South Korea is hell. Shin Hye could see that her cousin was studying hard since middle school for the CSAT this coming November.

"Just eat, huh?" Shin Hye told her, holding her cousin's arms. "You are getting thinner and thinner."

"My Seobang wants me thin," Jiyeon said.

"Why are you calling him 'Seobang'?" Yong Hwa asked her. "You're not even married."

"But I like calling him such," Jiyeon said.

She did not notice the drift between the two, so she bowed before them and climbed up the porch. 

*****

Jiyeon climbed up the stairs and met Jung Shin, who was coming down from the principal's study.

"Eun Jung-eonni, I am so sleepy..."

"I am not your Eun Jung-eonni," Jung Shin told her.

He got a glimpse at the sleepy girl's face, so he held her arms.

"Are you sleepy?"

She nodded.

"You wanna eat?"

She shook her head.

"Oppa, I want to sleep...."

And she collapsed. Jung Shin was about to panic, but when he saw her peaceful face, he was thinking that she might be that tired after all.

"I understand you very much," he said. "I'll play as your Eun Jung-eonni for tonight."

He did not know where Jiyeon's room was, so he asked Bom where it was. The demure lady accompanied him to the high school student's room so he could place her on bed comfortably.

******

Meanwhile....

Shin Hye looked at Yong Hwa.

"Mianhae..." she said in a low voice.

He turned to her and looked with a smug expression on his face. "For what?"

"For... damaging your career...for the hurtful words I said back there...."

Yong Hwa resisted the urge to tell her that he thought math genuises don't know how to apologize, but he realized she was just a person, after all.

"Mianhae..." he also told her.

Shin Hye stood up, walked, and sat beside him. She got his hand and examined the burn.

"You said we should not cross each other's paths," Yong Hwa reminded her.

"I know..."

Both of them suddenly got silent, enjoying the peace that they bestowed for each other. Suddenly, Yong Hwa felt like throwing away his revenge, and he liked the feeling of her fingers around his blister. Her touch was smooth and so girly.

"You know," started Yong Hwa. "My halmeoni used to put some herbal medicines on wounds when I was a kid. When I grew up, I learned that it would not help."

"I agree," she said.

Yong felt really comfortable when she blew gently on the blister because it made the wound less painful. A smile began to light up his face.

"Gomawo..." he told her.

Shin Hye smiled as she let go of his hand. She adjusted her dorky glasses and looked at the stars with him. 

"I envy you coz you can see the stars without glasses," she told him.

"Oh? How come?"

"If I take off my glasses, everything's a blur," she said. "Then, I'd fall or trip or get into unfortunate things."

She tried to take off her glasses as she looked at him. He could see that she was squinting so that she could focus on his face.

"Maybe, years of studying hard and not taking care of my eyes led me to this," she said.

He waved his hand on her face.

"Are you waving your hand?" she asked.

"Ne."

She put back her glasses and blinked. 

"I guess you better be careful with your glasses, though," he told her.

Someone broke the moment, telling the two of them to get up and go to sleep.

"I'll be there in a jiffy, Jong Hyun-ah..." Yong Hwa called out.

"It was Min Hyuk-ah," Shin Hye replied.

"You think I don't recognize my friend's voice?" he retorted.

"Omo, but I recognize the voice, and it was Min Hyuk-ah!"

The head of the person involved peaked.

"Are you quarreling?"

It was Jong Hyun. Yong Hwa smirked because he won the battle, so he stood up and walked away with Jong Hyun. Shin Hye pursed her lips in irritation, but she suddenly burst into silent laughter. It was so good to be with him....

♥