No One’s POV:

It’s only been a few days after Joo Eun broke up with Jiwoong and ever since that day, she had been kind of awkward around him for the first few days. Even though he was always smiling and being like usual, she still couldn’t forget that she kind of used his feelings and hurt him by being unable to reciprocate it until the end.

However, Jiwoong kept pestering her with his usual friendliness until she finally gave up on being awkward and distant and eventually got back to her usual self.

Even through all this drama, their fellow college mates assumed that these two were just having a lover’s quarrel and they getting back to their usual selves only confirmed this to the others.

A few weeks later, it was announced that some of the staffs would be going away for a 3-months training and the list included both Sooyoon and Hye Jin.

“Are you okay?” Jiwoong asked Joo Eun who was still staring at the noticeboard.

“Yeah,” she gave him a half smile before turning away and walking towards their class while he simply followed her without uttering any word.

Joo Eun hardly showed any change in her emotions since then and even when all the staffs attending the training program boarded the bus, she hardly batted her eyes and carried on with her work.

“Doesn’t it bother you?” Jiwoong asked as he took a seat across her in the cafeteria.

“Doesn’t what bother me?”

“That Sooyoon and Hye Jin are going to be together and away from your eyes?”

She paused for a moment before continuing to eat her lunch, “If his feelings has changed, then it’s not his fault. I broke up with him remember?”

Even though she was acting strong, Jiwoong knew her better. So he decided let the matter slide and diverted the topic instead.

As the days passed by, even if she wanted to carry on as usual, there were some people who didn’t let her be. Just in case they happen to come across a picture of Sooyoon and Hye Jin together, they purposely made sure she was aware of it.

On one such day, Jiwoong has finally had enough. “Can’t you guys just leave my girl alone?” he asked them, irritated.

“What did we do? We were just sharing a friendly gossip. Is it that wrong to consider her as a friend with whom we could gossip, instead of isolating her and bullying her? Are you saying we wouldn’t change at all and that once a bully, will always be a bully?” the girls put on some innocent act.

Jiwoong snapped hearing that and angrily stood up but Joo Eun quickly grabbed his wrist tightly and shook her head. No matter how angry he is, he still can never act against Joo Eun’s wish. He let out a long sigh and sat back down beside Joo Eun.

“I appreciate your friendliness and thank you for sharing the gossips. So as a friend, I would like to give an advice. I cannot always control his anger and you know how he is when he loses his head. So please leave before he get out of my control and actually does something.” She smiled at them sweetly while the girls looked at the two of them and slowly walked away since they also knew not to test his patience much.

After the girls went out of their sight, “I appreciate your friendliness and thank you for sharing the gossips.” He mocked what she said earlier and then he sulked like a small kid.

Joo Eun let out a chuckle at his reaction and simply shook her head. “I, myself am not that bothered with their antics. Then why are you getting worked up at it? Once you stop reacting to them, they’ll eventually get bored and stop. Well, once you were a bully too. So you should be familiar with this.” She .

“Yah! That was a long time ago. How long are you going to bring that up?” he pouted.

“Until you learn to control your anger?”

“Fine! I’m sorry. I’ll try to have a better control of myself the next time.”

“Atta boy!” she patted his head, teasing him once again.

“Yah!” he shouted while she stood up quickly and ran away, with him chasing after her.

Months passed by, that Joo Eun and her classmates were in their final semester. They were all so busy with their thesis that most of them didn’t even react much when Sooyoon and the others returned from their training.

Joo Eun and Jiwoong still had their friendship going strong and only she could still keep him get going with his thesis without any hassles. Meanwhile Mijin was doing internship under James. And soon enough, Sooyoon was given a permanent position in the department while Hye Jin was holding a post doc position.

On one hand, people were still gushing from time to time on how Sooyoon and Hye Jin looked good together. On the other hand though, whenever they got to hang out, Moon was always behind Joo Eun, teasing her on how she’d be getting out of the college soon and that she could once again hit on Sooyoon.

A few days before their graduation, Joo Eun, Mijin and Jiwoong went shopping for their graduation dress. Well, more like Jiwoong just tagged along as usual.

“Joo Eun-ah, why don’t you ask Sooyoon out on the graduation day?” Jiwoong suddenly asked, taking a sip of his drink.

Joo Eun split out her drink hearing him and was almost choking. Mijin patted her on the back while glaring at Jiwoong.

“What? I was just asking. Weren’t you thinking the same too?” he asked Mijin innocently.

She recovered a second later and replied, “Jiwoong-ah, that’d be nice. But it looks like he has moved on. I don’t want to trouble him with my feelings.”

“Are you sure of that? I mean that he has moved on? If you meant he’s with Prof. Min now, then you gotta think again. From what I see or hear, they don’t seem to be going out. And also you’ve said how Moon teases you. Why would he do that