Jaehyun's voice caressed her consciousness in soft murmurs, "Jiyeon, it's time to rise and shine."

She stirred slightly, then her eyes fluttered open, and she found him sitting beside her. To her surprise, he was already dressed in his school uniform. His features seemed to glow like the sun, a grin on his face, a warm glow in his eyes.  "Good morning, my love." Jaehyun reached out a hand and touched her face, just a whisper-soft caress with his fingertips across her cheek, but it stirred a million butterflies to life inside her.

Smiling brightly, Jiyeon sat up. She wrapped her arms around his neck and planted a kiss as light as a feather on his lips. "You're a morning person, huh?"

He lovingly her hair as he replied, "I enjoy waking up before sunrise to witness the most beautiful hours of each day. It's my favorite way to connect with my intuition. The magic at dawn is like nothing else."

She pouted, disappointed. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier so I could have watched the sky turning from night to day with you?"

"I tried, but you were dead to the world," Jaehyun replied, rubbing his nose against hers that made her heart melt. Then his expression turned curious. "Were you dreaming about the voice?"

Jiyeon shook her head. "I didn't hear the voice since we arrived at the beach." She beamed a big smile, and her eyes grew moist with tears of joy. "I think the voice has finally disappeared from my life."

"I'm so happy for―"

She hugged him so tightly, and Jaehyun gasped, "Jiyeon, you're choking me!"

Jiyeon laughed, let go and tousled his hair. He ran his hands over his hair, smoothing it back. "I've made you breakfast, but you have to take a shower first," Jaehyun added, and in one sure motion, he lifted her into his arms as if she was weightless.

She giggled and threw her arms around his neck. "I enjoy being carried in your arms," Jiyeon said as he carried her into his bathroom.

"I love carrying you in my arms." Jaehyun pecked her lips, and then set her down. "You can wear my sister's clothes. She never wore them." He pointed to clean clothes on a glass shelf in the corner near the toilet.     

"Thank you." Jiyeon smiled. He gently patted her head, smiling.

I feel so lucky to be loved by you. Jiyeon watched as he stepped out of the bathroom and shut the door behind him. She then the shower and peeled off her clothes. Smiling, she stepped under the warm spray. As she soaped up her body, her mind wandered, wondering what it would feel like if Jaehyun stepped in with her and took over the job of scrubbing her clean. She shook her head to clear the dirty thoughts. Feeling greatly refreshed, she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. Grabbing the towel from the shelf, she dried herself off, and then fastened her bra and slipped into her underwear and a blue shirt, which fit her body perfectly.

"Jaehyun, I don't wear skirts." Jiyeon tossed his sister's dark blue skirt into the laundry basket and picked her black pants she wore yesterday. She wore it back and quickly ran a brush through her hair. Done with that, she went out of the bathroom and walked over to his table. She snatched her blazer that her lover had draped on the back of the chair and pulled it on. Grabbing her bag, she slung it over her shoulder before moving to open his bedroom door.

The door opened before she could reach for the handle. His eyes scanned her from head to toe and back up again. He opened his mouth to speak, but Jiyeon interjected, "I hate skirts and dresses. Hated them since I first saw how easy boys run, jump and climb without getting wrestled down by yards of cloth."

Jaehyun smiled, and a little laugh escaped his throat. "I don't really care what you wear. I'm happy with the way you present yourself. Your heart and mind are what matters to me." He lifted her into his arms again. Jiyeon wrapped her arms around his neck and held on tight.

"I offered you my sister's clothes because I thought you might feel uncomfortable wearing the same outfit you wore yesterday to school," Jaehyun added as he carried her towards the stairs. He then paused at the head of the middle staircase and gazed down at her, curiosity flaring in his eyes. "I'm just curious why you wore a dress, something you hate on our first date."

She took a deep breath before speaking, "My mom forced me to wear that dress and wanted to take me to Mrs. Kim's house. I ran away from her after knowing she was trying to set me up with Mrs. Kim's son, who turns out to be a therapist. She seems to think he can 'fix' me."  

Jaehyun didn't say anything. Jiyeon smiled while he kissed her forehead tenderly. His kiss traveled to all parts of her body. It was so peaceful and comforting to her. She leaned her cheek against the firm pillow of his shoulder as he continued his descent down the stairs and headed over to the dining room. In the dining room was an elongated table with six wooden chairs. There were two glasses of water, two plates sitting on the table with forks on the left-hand side and knives on the right. Each plate contained steak and two boiled eggs. Her nose twitched at the heavenly scent of steak.

Jaehyun set her down on the chair gently and took his seat beside her. It somehow reminded her of what Baekwoon did in her dreams. "Steak and eggs are natural superfood," he said as he placed her bag on an empty chair. "You'll have tons of energy and feel amazing during the day."

"Is this grass fed meat? And free from lab-made chemical injections?"

A slight smile crossed his lips. "You don't need to worry. I got the meat from my grandfather's farm. He grows grass and raises cattle without giving cattle injections."

Jiyeon heaved a sigh of relief. She quickly grabbed her knife and fork and cut the steak into small pieces; it was perfectly cooked with just the right amount of juice and redness. This has to be the best steak I've ever seen or tested. She popped the meat into . The meat didn't have a flavor; it was rather bland with the exception of the salt she tasted as she chewed the meat. It was amazingly delicious. A satisfied sigh escaped her lips. She popped another piece of meat into and chewed it with relish.

Jiyeon couldn't help but feel curious. "You cooked this by yourself?" she questioned as she watched him cut off a piece of steak. She stuffed another piece into .

Jaehyun smiled before saying, "Of course. Cooking steak and eggs is very easy." He popped the meat into his mouth and chewed. "Are you enjoying the meal?"

"Yes, I am," Jiyeon mumbled with full.

Silence blanketed them; the only sound that could be heard was the metal forks hitting the glass plates as they devoured their meals. Jaehyun watched as Jiyeon cut the soft-boiled eggs in half, carefully separated the silky yolks from the whites and ate only the whites.

"Why don't you eat yolks?" Jaehyun asked. "Are you afraid of cholesterol?"

Jiyeon huffed in exasperation. "If I were afraid of cholesterol, I wouldn't have eaten red meat. I know yolks are a rare source of dietary vitamin D, but I can't eat it. I can't stand its fishy tastes." She grabbed her glass of water and drank half of it in one gulp. She sighed with pleasure. "I'm satiated." She put her glass back on the table.

"I'm glad you're not one of the victims of the big pharma cholesterol propaganda. There is no such thing as good and bad cholesterol. This is a big lie to sell drugs. If cholesterol is bad, then why does the body make it?" Jaehyun took her plate and stacked it on his empty plate in front of him. "Cholesterol is the body's great building block. Sunlight hitting cholesterol in our skin cell membranes turns the cholesterol into vitamin D. Cholesterol is a vital constituent of bile acids that are produced by the liver. Our steroid hormones are made from it, every cellwand of every cell in our bodies are made from it. It repairs damaged cells. It's very basic and life sustaining stuff. Lowering cholesterol with man-made drugs is the dumbest thing people do. Our body isn't making cholesterol to kill us. Our body knows how much cholesterol it needs. "  

"The brainwashing from the medical/pharmaceutical establishment is just so strong that it's hard to convince people that fat and cholesterol are good. Sixty percent of our brain is made up of fat." Jiyeon placed her elbow on the table and propped her chin in the palm of her hand. A slight smile formed on her lips as she watched her lover devouring her yolks.

"I personally don't trust the medical profession most of what they preach is scaremongering or simply ignorant. They brainwash people into thinking that they have to have a pill or they can't survive." Jaehyun took his half-full glass of water and drained it one gulp. He rose to his feet. "I'll take care of them," he said as he picked up their empty plates and glasses and carried them to the kitchen.

With her bag slung over her shoulder, Jiyeon followed him to the kitchen. Jaehyun stood at the sink washing plates and glasses, the muscles of his shoulders moving as he worked. Standing behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "When will your father return home?" she asked.

Jaehyun smiled at her over his shoulder. "Tomorrow evening." He placed clean plates and glasses on the dish draining cabinet above the sink then turned off the faucet.

"If you don't mind, I'll sleep over here again later tonight." She dropped her voice to a whisper.

He dried his hands on the washcloth laying on the countertop before he turned to face her. His eyes glowed with love as he gave her a sweetly warm glowing smile. "Of course, I don't mind. I promise I'll wake you up before sunrise so you can witness magic hour with me," Jaehyun said, lightly caressing her cheek with the back of his hand. She nodded enthusiastically, beaming at him.

Jaehyun pecked her lips. "Our shoes are outside the front door. Let's go." He took her hand and interlocked their fingers as they walked from the kitchen to the living room, and he grabbed his school bag from the couch.

"What does your father do?" Jiyeon asked as he led her towards the front door.

"He's an organic chemist." He opened the door, and they stepped outside.

"No wonders, Teacher Im said you're good at Chemistry," Jiyeon remarked as he closed the door, locked it and put the key in his pocket.

He looked at her, smiling. "When I was a young boy, my father took me into the woods and taught me how to live off the land. He taught me that we are natural beings governed by the laws of the Universe. The further we deviate from these laws, the further from health and closer to disease we move. No supplement can replace our need for exposure to and connection with nature. Nature is the ultimate source of health and healing. He never remarried after my mother's death." Admiration laced his voice.

Jaehyun's father's devotion to his mother touched her heart. "If you don't mind telling me, how did she die?"

His eyes grew moist as he spoke, "She was shot and killed during a DGB bank robbery. She worked there as a manager."

Sympathy for Jaehyun washed over her. She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly to her. "I'm really sorry, Jaehyun," Jiyeon whispered. "Money has become a god, and it's killing us off little by little."

Jaehyun remained silent, motionless for a moment. "People have survived thousands of years without money. When will humans realize money can't be eaten, that is has no value? We aren't destroying the earth. We're destroying all life on it," he said before gently extricating himself from her embrace.

Her heart skipped a beat as he knelt down on his knees and helped her put her feet in her shoes. He then slid his feet into his school shoes and straightened up. "What's your father?"

"My dad is a math teacher. He is the one who inspired me to become a math teacher." Jiyeon smiled. "Let's go to school together." She held out her hand to him.

Jaehyun gulped. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, I'm serious. Acting like nothing ever happened between us tortures me." Jiyeon stared deeply into his eyes. "It feels like we're admitting we do something wrong. Loving someone is not a crime."  

He took her hand and held it tight, staring back into her eyes. "I know we do nothing wrong, but the society we live in, deems our relationship morally wrong. I have no problem if I get expelled from school because I know school's purpose is indoctrination. Sciences, economics, literature―any core course you can think of are politically influenced. The only exception is mathematics. I'll never let school get in the way of my education," Jaehyun said. "You enjoy teaching math, don't you? Are you sure you won't regret if you get fired?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I'd rather lose my teaching job than let our society, which is so materialistic, dictate my life. My relationship with you is much more important than material things and social status." A deadly seriousness laced her voice. 

"If you say so, let's go to school together," Jaehyun said, and they left his house. They swung their clasped hands as they walked down the sidewalk. They reached the corner just as a cab turned into the street, and she raised her hand to hail it. As the car slowed and came to a stop, Jaehyun opened the back door of the vehicle. Jiyeon climbed into the back seat and smiled as he climbed beside her. He closed the door and told the cabbie, "Daegu High School, Sir."

The cabbie nodded, and he dropped off. Jaehyun and Jiyeon lapsed into silence, holding each other's hands. The smile never left their faces. Moments later, she lightly bit her bottom lip as she noticed a familiar figure stand beside the school gate. The car slowed and stopped near the gate.

"You go first," Jiyeon told him. Jaehyun nodded and got out of the car. He slightly bowed his head to her mother as he walked over to the open gate, heading towards the school building. She paid the fare and took a deep breath before stepping out. Some students stopped in their tracks and stared at her, whispering to each other. She stared back at them sternly, which made them duck their heads down. As they continued on their way, her mother approached her and grabbed her wrist.

Jiyeon quickly jerked away from her mother's hold. "Mom, don't scold me here…" her voice trailed off as she noticed the dark circles under her mother's eyes. It looked as if she wasn't sleeping well. A prick of guilt speared her at the realization she'd made her mother worry about her and wait for her all night. She hugged her. "I'm sorry for worrying you," she whispered.

Her mother squeezed her shoulder as she hissed, "So you spent all night with him?"

"Yes, I spent all night with him. His name is Jung Jaehyun. We didn't have ―" Jiyeon paused as she heard the school bell ringing. She softly continued in a murmur, "Please go home and take some rest. I have to teach now. I promise I'll go home after teaching, and you can ask me whatever you wish to know." She released her hug and kissed her mother's cheek befeore walking away.

Her mother grabbed her arm before she had taken more than two steps. Jiyeon turned around to face her. "The first period has started. Please―"

"Your father will return home this evening," her mother interjected. "We've agreed to get you engaged to Kim Junmyeon."

Anger bubbled up from Jiyeon's gut and filled her with a burning rage. Her eyes bulged as she declared, the fury in her voice unmistakable, "My life belongs to me. You and Dad have no right to decide my life."

Her mother didn't flinch. She held her gaze, saying, "We're the ones who brought you into this world and raised you, so we have the right. Do I make myself clear?"

Jiyeon gritted her teeth, trying very hard to keep her anger under control. "That's right. But that doesn't mean you and―"

"Get inside. I'll come back here and pick you up." Her mother patted her cheek before she walked away.

She was ready to scream, but swallowed the urge and closed her eyes. After taking a few deep breaths, her anger melted away. Jaehyun, I'm totally ready to leave my parents. Let's fulfill our dream of living off the grid, away from the things that ties us down to being robotic each and every day.

Jiyeon turned back around and continued her way to the school building entrance. She walked briskly through the empty corridors and stepped into the classroom. The students were talking about her and Jaehyun going to school together, except Taeyong, who was staring out the window. She dropped her bag on the desk with a loud bang and stood directly in front of her desk, staring at them. They stopped talking. Everyone sat up straight, facing the front of the class, eyes looking straight ahead.

Seconds later, one of her students, who sat nearest the classroom door, spoke, "Teacher Park, did you sleep over somewhere last night? You're wearing the same outfit as yesterday."

"Well, except that blue shirt!" her friend, who sat one row behind her, chimed in, pointing her finger to the shirt beneath Jiyeon's black buttonless blazer. "She wore a white shirt yesterday."

Jiyeon's jaw dropped, disbelief flooding her. She didn't think someone would have noticed it. The entire class turned to look at her, more precisely at her shirt, and then erupted into spewed chatter.

"I guess that shirt is Jaehyun's. They spent the night together."

"I heard Jaehyun get an F grade on the math test…he slept with her to get a better grade."

"Aw, that's disgusting!"

The accusation made her blood boil. Jiyeon gritted her teeth. Her fists clenched at her sides. "Don't accuse―" She was interrupted by Taeyong slamming his fist on the table loudly, making everyone shift their gazes to him.

"Do you guys not notice that shirt is a bit too small to be his?" Taeyong pointed his finger to her shirt. "Going to school together doesn't mean they spent the night together. Our youngest teacher might have run into Jaehyun on the street and offered him a lift."

Eunkyo clapped her hands together. "Where's the old you gone, Yongyong?" she remarked with amusement lacing her voice. "It just amuses me to see you defend our teacher. Usually, you're the one who loves mocking her."

Irritation crossed his features. "I don't defend her, Kyokyo. Jaehyun is my best friend since middle school. Seeing him being accused of sleeping with her for a better grade pisses me off," Taeyong retorted, slamming his fist on the table again. "He isn't the kind of person who would bribe."