“Ya, what happened? You totally ignored him.” Chanyeol murmured as they sat down.

“Oppa,..I just realized,”

“What?”

“How close he is.” She replied, Chanyeol grew confused.

“With all my problems. He’s too close.”

“Heeji~”

“I accept that…I finally accepted that I was tricked by my family, but…Ahyoung and him…me being his wife. And being..” She let out a shaky breath.

“Ji, you don’t have control over this. Don’t~”

“When I look at them, I worry, oppa. You know what she’s capable of, and what if because of her, his claim to the throne will be in peril?”

“You? What about you? You’re in danger here too?”

“I know what you mean, I wont tell him. I don’t want to be that person.” Heeji said firmly.

“Still,~”

“Noona,” Jaehyun approached their table, Chanyeol blinked at the younger male.

Heeji sighed and just stood up.

“Don’t let that happen again.” She muttered before opening her arms, Jaehyun sighed in relief before hugging his cousin tightly.

“I’m sorry, noona. But they warned us not to~”

“I know. I meant with Ahyoung. Don’t let it happen again.” She said as she pulled back, Jaehyun nodded.

“I have to get to class. Buy me lunch.” She patted his arm before leaving the lounge room.

Heeji heard the bell ring, she gathered her notes and quickly dunked them in her bag and headed out of the room.

“You were very bold yesterday.” A voice from behind her made her stop, she turned.

“You too.” She replied, Ahyoung smirked at her.

“I already told you, stay away.”

“Heeji, I am still~”

“No, you wont be related to me and my family in a year. You’ll be graduating, remember?” Heeji smiled at her, the students bowed politely as they walked past her.

“Don’t act so high, bigung. I can destroy you if I want.” Ahyoung said with gritted teeth.

“Go ahead and try, bigung or not, I’m still the LG heiress.” She chuckled before turning away from her.

Heeji saw her two guards making their away towards her.

“I can tell him the truth, then he’d finally see that real you.” Ahyoung stated.

“Then, he’d see the real you too. You .” Heeji glanced at her.

“Do you think he’d believe you?” Ahyoung snapped.

“I’ve known him since I was two, how long have you known him?”

Ahyoung halted, the guards arrived and bowed before speaking,

“Bigung mama, we will you to your next class.”

“Hi, hyung.” Jaehyun said carefully as Taeyong joined their table, Jaerin shook her head.

“Oh, you got my favorite.” Heeji walked up to them, then she paused when she saw her husband.

“How’s your day so far?” Taeyong asked as she sat down, Jaerin felt the tension between the two.

“It’s okay.” Heeji said shortly as she picked up her utensils. Jaehyun puffed his cheeks.

“We have this even tomorrow to attend, pyeha~”

“Can we discuss palace matters later? We’re at school.” Heeji met his gaze evenly, Taeyong’s forehead creased.

“Of course.”

“Johnny and Ten just arrived, don’t you usually have your own table? That is Chanyeol oppa’s seat.” Heeji said.

“Heeji,” Jaerin said softly. Taeyong nodded and stood up, he glanced at her briefly.

“Enjoy your lunch.” He said before walking away.

Heeji started to eat.

“Noona, it’s not his fault.”

“I just don’t like being around him at school, okay? It reminds me of too many things I don’t want to be reminded about. Problems that I shouldn’t be having and..” She just shook her head.

“It’s just too much.”

“Huh. Were you just kicked out of their table?” Johnny blinked.

“So it is true,” Johnny continued.

“What?”

“I heard some classmates talking, some girls saw Heeji and Ahyoung talking earlier, it looked like they were arguing, but they couldn’t hear what they were talking about.” He stated.

Taeyong paused.

“It must be about you.” Johnny nodded; Ten flinched at his friend’s bluntness.

“It could just be rumors, don’t talk like that.” Ten stated.

“I don’t understand, something’s wrong.” Taeyong said as he glanced at Heeji again.

“I have to talk to her.” He stated as he stood up.

“Where are you going?” Ahyoung stopped in front of him, Taeyong halted, and he blinked as he looked at her.

Ahyoung smiled at him, before taking his hand.

“Let’s eat.” She nudged him and pulled him back to his seat.

“We agreed to eat together, remember?”

“Oh..right.” Taeyong nodded quickly, Ten looked at Johnny.

“Yeah, but he was sitting with Heeji earlier.” Johnny murmured to himself.

Heeji leaned back, and stretched her legs before her. She was already in her room, preparing to finish the book she was reading.

Then she heard the door open, she looked up, it was Taeyong.

“Can you talk?” He asked as he walked in, she nodded and set her book aside.

“Go ahead.” She nodded, Taeyong sat down on the foot of her bed.

“Heeji, I don’t know if I’ve done something wrong, but~”

“No, you haven’t.” She said carefully.

“I something wrong? Did something happen?” Taeyong met her gaze, he saw her lips quivered.

“Nothing happened. Why?”

“At school….why did you do that? I mean, I get that you like having your friends around, but..what you said about Ahyoung and I~”

“I just don’t like her, okay?” She said, her tone was measured. Taeyong paused, confused.

“Heeji, if you get to know her~”

“I don’t want to. And I don’t need to. That’s it, no other reason. I’m not mad at you, I just don’t like her. That’s why I’m keeping my distance.”

“Heeji, I don’t understand, is there something you're not telling me?” Taeyong pressed, Heeji shook her head.

“This is what I wasn’t telling you. Don’t expect me to be chummy with you girlfriend, jeoha. I can’t do that.” She said as she slid down from the bed.

“Jiji,” He caught her wrist, she rarely called him jeoha, and somehow it stung a little.

“At least talk to me.”

“Aren’t we talking now?” She replied.

“But this is different.” He said as he looked at his fingers around her wrist.

“I’m going out for some fresh air.” She said before shaking him off and leaving the room.

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