“Can I therefore conclude that Mrs. Kim hates my guts?” I frown, looking at the crumpled test questionnaire in my hand “B+, seriously? What kind of opinion is she looking for at this point!”

“Hate? That’s less intense to describe it. I’d go for ‘despise’” he chuckles at himself not looking at me. Obviously making fun of my misery right now

I can feel the raging smoke coming out from my nose and ears fuming in frustration.

We received our scores today from examination we took last meeting to recover from the previous test where more than half of the class failed. And still, there are only few who have their grades overturned.

I couldn’t figure out where I went wrong

Only quarter of those who took the examination with me got an A while the rest of us can only mutter a curse of detestation on Mrs. Kim. With this, there’ll be a lot of student scholarships that will be put on risk; including mine.

When Seunghyun realized I wasn’t in the mood for a joke, he looked up from the note he’s currently writing “Hey, it’ll be okay”

“I don’t think so” I can feel my tears building up on the side of my eyes

“Don’t give too much time sulking on what already happened. It is now a sunk cost”

“I might lose my scholarship because of this selective course!” I want to cry thinking about the possibility of it happening

Seunghyun closes his book to look at me “You won’t, okay? That’s only 1 examination. You still have three more that you can prepare now and ace later”

“How will I ace it if I don’t get the gist of her criteria in accepting our views?”

“That is why I’m here. I will help you in any way possible until you beat me to it. And look,” he snatch my examination paper from my hand “your grade somehow improved, right? Next time you take the test, you’ll definitely sweep it”

“Getting an A+ from Mrs. Kim? In my wildest dream!”

“Very optimist, I see. An essential characteristic of a student to pass her subject”

“It’s hard to stay one when you know you’ve done your best but for the other person it is not. I shouldn’t have taken this elective course in the first place”

“And miss out the opportunity of meeting me? Hell nah” Seunghyun tried to lighten the mood

I pout. There’s no way I will feel better today.

“Hey B+ is not bad! Everyone else occasionally gets that too. And for some, that’s already their holy salvation so don’t look down on it” he reached for my Philosophy book and started flipping the pages. Once he found the page he was looking for he tossed it in front of me “Here. Instead of wasting your time being emotionally inclined to what you can no longer change, save yourself from further self-hate”

I stared at the book, not feeling any motivation to read something I will never understand. The words in front of me are whirling in disinterest. I can hear them laughing at me for having a weak conviction.

I’ll deal with this later but for now none of this would do

“I can’t. Reading this is too appalling at this moment”

“You’re going to read it sooner or later though. There’s no escaping to it” He started writing down again on his notes

“I don’t feel like studying today” I rest my chin on the back of my heads and lazily lean on the study table

“Alright!” he said in dismissal and began packing his books to his bag “Let’s go eat and feed your remaining sanity to knock you off from your blue woes”

He walked to my side to put my rumbled things on my handbag

“Dara, get up. No more time for sulking”

I faced him with a pout on my face

“Don’t give me that look. C’mon where do you want to eat?”

“I don’t have an appetite”

“Are you sure? I was thinking of treating you a bucket of spicy wings or ask if you would want to go to a samgyeopsal instead”

As if a bright light appeared in front of me with an open door to another dimension, I got up in my feet in flash and grab my bag then walked ahead of him “What you are waiting for? Let’s go!”

“I thought you don’t have an appetite?” Seunghyun said with a smirk on his face

“Forget about it for now. That will come back once in a while but for now let’s go on because only a fool would decline to a feast. Hurry up, pretty boy”

Another roar of laughter from him earned few heads to turn around to us, annoyed.

Seunghyun slips his hand on mine, intertwined walking along the hallway. Swift. Crazy how a simple act of showing affection could set your heart on fire.

I steal a quick glance from his side and I see a tug of smile on his face

He knows it gets me paralyzed every time he holds m hand inside the campus and at the same time he knows how much it uncontrollably drives all the butterflies inside my stomach.

There could really be no one that is as annoyingly sweet as him.

He walked a little ahead of me, with our hands still locked and faces me.

“Where will you be this Sunday?” he asked me while walking backwards

“Why?”

“I’m asking you” he chuckled “Don’t answer my question with another question”

“Grumpy!”

“So…..?” he waits for me to answer

“Where else would I be on a day without school? I’d be home, of course” I shriek a little when he almost bump into a guy on his skateboard. Since when students were allowed to ride their boards inside the campus?

“Be careful!! And stop walking backwards. Don’t you get dizzy?” I frown at him

“Not when I’m looking at a beauty that attracts nothing but my full attention”

“W-“ I couldn’t finish whatever I was supposed to say. All the body heat in me went to my face

If it’s possible for a human body to have melted, I’m long gone in a liquid form.

“What?” he asked

“Nothing” I said shyly; still blushing from his words

He held my other hand and playfully swing it “Let’s go on a date this Sunday”

A huge smile formed in my lips

“I’d take that as a yes” he lets go of my left hand and started walking beside me

“I missed you” he blurted with a grin on his face

I snorted “Stop overreacting. We’re always together. How will you miss me?”

“Feelings need not be explained nor interpreted. It does not contain hidden words to decode. It’s just the way it is. Don’t make the simplest things look complicated. Life already is” he stopped to look at me sweetly. His eyes are speaking to my soul “Can’t I just say that I miss you?”

How could a person who loves me this much be so perfect? If I won’t be holding his hand right now, I’d bang my head against a wall to stop myself from fantasizing. It’s almost scary how hard I fell for him. He’s slowly getting under my skin- becoming part of me.

Where would that leave me if one day he felt he no longer have the same kind of love he has for me as he feel right now?

I tried to hide the worries in a tight smile. Reminding myself that there is no good in having too much of anything. It will eventually burn out in one way or another. However that will be for us, I hope we’ll be able to overcome it together and never lose each other in the end because he’s the first one to have made me feel this kind of emotion and I want him to be the only one to do so

“Silly. You always say you miss me”

I look sideways to see if there are a lot of people and there’s only few. So I bring my face closer to his, enough to have a good look at his hazel brown eyes

“I must say, in this relationship, you’re the one who got his head knocked so hard” I joked

He throw his head backwards, laughing. Amused at what I said.

“I thought I didn’t made it obvious enough”

I squeezed his hand in affection “Okay, Romeo, where are you taking me today?”

PRESENT

“You know who I am?” I asked Siwon in a patient but struggling voice

It took more or less than a minute before he pointed my note beside my opened laptop

“It’s carved in your notebook cover. ‘Atty. Dara Park’” he answered

“Oh…” I let out the uneasy breath I held in relief and awkwardly chuckled “I didn’t think you’d see that”

“It’s written in a tolerable size so it’s readable” his expression suddenly changed to a concerned look “Are you fine? You look paled”

I touched my cheek in alarm “Am I?”

“Yes” his brows furrowed “Can you make it to the nurse’s clinic?”

“Yeah. I’m alright, though. My lipstick must have been already brushed off that’s why” of all things I could say why did I say that? I really should learn to control what I have to say when I am caught in a tough spot

He has confused look before he snorted to what I said “Okay then. I’ll leave you my calling card” he took out a wallet from his jacket pocket and pulled a card “I’m sorry I have to go now. I have a meeting to catch”

Not a second later, he turn around and say “And oh before I forgot, do not hastily put a title on your name like that. I’m afraid you’re going to jinx it”

I rolled my eyes

You can’t jinx a dream you worked so hard for

The calling card he handed me were printed in a matter black, oozing with so much elegance from its simplicity. The guy have a taste.

SIWON CHOI
[email protected]
Legal Division
Slyth and Kay Group of Companies

He looks familiar and his name somewhat rings a bell. Like I’ve seen him from somewhere before. Where else could I possibly seen him?

I jumped in shock when my phone vibrates from the table. Chaerin is calling me

“Unnie, where are you? I thought your class will be over before 10 am?”

“Fixing my things. I’ll head out soon. Where are you?”

“Well, I’m not exactly sure where I am but driver Song dropped me at a building he said where he often picks you. I don’t think it’s the law building though. The students don’t look very… law”

I gag at the stereotype “How does a person exactly look like a LAW, Chaerin? You’re impossible!”

The room I was in were starting to be filled by students for the next class. I hurriedly toss everything in my handbag and hugged my laptop to quickly get away with the building volume of students

“Compare to you they don’t look like they’ve been verbally slapped by their professors during their recitations” I almost missed the hint of innocence in her words

“Harhar that was funny harhar. Hey, ask the person close to you or whoever will pass by you on which building are you currently in. I’ll go over there so wait for me”

Tonight is Bom’s fashion event so Chaerin and I are going to their house to pick up the dress she said she personally designed for us to wear in this event.

Bom insisted that we wear the dress she made even when we persisted that we don’t have the body worthy of being wrapped in her creations. As for Youngbae and Jiyong, Bom said they could take care of themselves.

When we arrived at Bom’s room, she’s already in her furry bathrobe with her phone stuck on her left ear. Probably doing last minute fix in the event.

As soon as she ends the call, she picked a cookie from the jar on her bed side table “Dara-ah! Chaerinie!”

We were welcomed by her tight clingy hug

“I am more than excited to show the dress I made for you two!

Heaving another sigh escapes my mouth, looking for Chaerin or Youngbae through the pool of crowd. I settled in the cocktail table where they left me almost an hour ago, watching people come and go as they make their bids off from the set of collection displayed on the exhibit

I’m still in awe how much these people are willing to splurge to keep to themselves the design they wanted. Though it may not be as grand as those coming from the reputable brands off in the market, but they do trust the creativity of the young aspiring ones from the university. That being said, it’s another successful event for Bom.

Speaking of one of the key people of the event, I haven’t seen her since the show started unoccupied. Either she’s introducing a dress worn on a mannequin or talking to business people with a glass of champagne in her hand.

I’m going to take a mental note of this version of her to later when she’s start acting like a kid arguing with Youngbae again

I unlock my phone for the nth time hoping I’d see how fast the time went by. I scrolled and scrolled and scrolled looking for anything that would humour me while I wait for any of my friends to come and keep me company

When I felt my feet were starting to sore form standing and wandering around the exhibit to make myself look like half interested as much as these people, I found a lounge where few people from the show are resting

Moments later as I am too absorbed with what I am watching from the television, I jumped when an unknown number flashes through my screen calling me

I don’t really answer unregistered number without any prior message from them informing me who are they or what will be the call all about. So I flipped over the screen of my phone, ignoring it

“Aish, I missed the part where they showed the main culprit” I muttered in annoyance

Then another phone call comes in

“Dara? Where are you? Let’s go home”

“I’m at a lounge near south gate. Are you going to come here or I’ll go where you are?” I answered while my eyes and attention are glued to the television show

“Let’s meet at the car park instead”

Bom always pick the right time to show up!

A car stopped few meters in front of Bom and I with its headlight blinding us in the darkness of the night. I raised my hand to block the gleams coming from the car before the engine died down and the light fades away

That’s when I saw Donghae came out from his Audi, walking towards us

“I guess I didn’t made it in time” he started

“No, the event is only about to start” Bom rolled her eyes on him then turning back at me again “Would you mind if we go grab some late night meal before going home? I know it has been tiring day for you as well. You only stood there the whole time!”

“Because my sister and Youngbae left me there! And Jiyong… I haven’t even seen him. He’s probably been flocked by many people before he could step the main door”

“You stood there for hours?” Donghae asked in astonishment

“Not really. I found a lounge after quite some time so I got to rest even for a while”

“You’re too introvert for someone who’s gone through many debates in her life” Bom said

“Socializing is very much different from debates, Bom. You don’t argue with a stranger you talked to for the first time”

“That would be an interesting way of introducing yourself. Passive, aggressive!” she stretch out her hand that it accidentally hit Donghae’s face

Though I’m not sure if that was intentional or not. But with Bom, everything could be.

I wasn’t able to respond to what Bom said after because I was too emerged with my soring feet from the heels she lent me that consumed all the energy I have in my body. I cannot imagine how tiresome would this be if I haven’t found the couch earlier

“Are we still going out for a quick bite?” Donghae asked no one in particular then look at his wrist watch

“Yeah, I didn’t get to eat during the event. I was busy doing all the talk to promote the collection. Don’t worry, it’s on Donghae. It’s his treat” she winked at me then started walking towards Donghae’s car

“How did it suddenly became my treat? It’s not my event” I heard Donghae complain from our backs

“Because you weren’t able to come. Should you have been there, Dara would have someone to talk to at the very least” Bom said before shutting the passenger door so hard.

“It was fine, Bom. You shouldn’t blame him for my character” I intercept “Anyway, did Youngbae or Jiyong already left?”

“Youngbae left early because he has practice tomorrow morning and Jiyong took Chaerin home”

“Eh? They left me there?”

Donghae sits on the driver sit and presses the ignition button

“You guys were both looking for each other. Were the even that packed you can’t stop any of them?” Bom said

“Or maybe they weren’t even looking for me. I bet they purposely left me there” I exhaled in exhaustion

We roamed not too far from the gates of the university where we found an almost empty 24/7 Mcdonald’s. As soon as Donghae slowed in the intersection and Bom saw the Mcdonald’s she shouted at his cousin to pull over immediately. There is no doubt that Bom is hAngry.

When we got inside, Donghae volunteered to do order for us so Bom and I could have a rest for awhile

“Dara, are you fine?” Bom look up from her phone to look at me “You’re stuttering a bit”

“Maybe just a little cold and tired. I don’t know. My feet seems numb from the high heels I was wearing earlier”

“Then you’re nowhere near being fine, duh” she placed her handphone on the table and turn around to look for Donghae who incidentally just got back to our table with the foods he ordered for us “Hey, Dara says she’s cold. Let her wear your suit for a while”

Donghae didn’t bat for a second thought and took off his suit in an instant

“I already borrowed your slipper now I’m taking away your suit. I feel like a charity at this point” I said while reaching for my burger and fries from the tray he earlier carried

“No worries. I’ll gladly sponsor you” he flashed a smile

“Hey! Are you flirting with my bestfriend?” Bom scowl at her cousin

Donghae sighed, ignoring Bom’s comment “Finish up your food so we could go home already. Aren’t you tired?”

“I am. Duh. But I’m really hungry right now to feel any tiredness so let me enjoy my food” then she started digging on her quarter pounder burger

“Sure. We can see that”

Donghae and Bom were arguing over something the entire time we were eating. I decided it was not safe for me to engage in their conversation or else that would mean sharing from Bom’s wrath.

I unlocked my phone to check the time – 12:07 am. Luckily, I do not have a test today or I would be coming to class beat again. I scrolled on the home page of my youtube app to look for anything that’s interesting to watch than Bom’s live mukbang show and face off with an experienced lawyer.

I saw a clip of a Pomeranian and Bichon Frise dog playing on a backyard so I clicked it. They are my stress reliever! It is such a pity that Chaerin is allergic to dog furs so no matter how much I wanted to adopt one, I couldn’t

After a few second of the clip of the dogs jumping and circling around the garden, a scary bloody woman flashed through the screen. It awakens every nerve in my body that has fallen into asleep from weariness. I’ve seen my phone flying across the table and Bom screaming in shock with me too.

Some of the crew from behind the kitchen came out to check on us.

My careless self has caused a little commotion in a public place!

Oh my gosh…

I am truly the embodiment of embarrassment

“Is everything alright?” the lady with an earpiece, wearing a mcdonald’s uniform asked

I swallowed hard, still catching a breath “Yes. I’m sorry. I was watching a clip on youtube I didn’t know it was a prank” I explained in a rush with words coming out from my mouth so fast

She looked at me like she wanted to laugh but controlled herself in a respectful manner “I thought something happened that I needed to call for help”

I shake my head “No, no. I’m really sorry”

“It’s okay. At least you’re fine. Though I doubt I could say the same for your phone” she turn her head to the ground where I saw Donghae already picking up my crashed phone. She gave me an apologetic look before heading back to the counter again

“yah! What was that?!” Bom asked when Donghae get back to his seat and handed me my smashed phone. I thanked him.

“You heard me. I was watching a cute dog clip on youtube then suddenly a scary bloody woman appeared before the video ended”

“You’re unbelievable! I thought I would die when I choked on the food I was chewing when you screamed!” she complained

Honestly, I didn’t saw her when that happened because I immediately shut my eyes in fear. But thinking about how Bom would probably look like, freaking out because of someone else is a view I shouldn’t have missed. And not to mention she was devouring a plate of chicken nuggets that time

Bummer

I’ll make sure to relay this story to Youngbae first before Bom makes fun of me in front of them

I laughed, “Why did you scream too?”

“Because you startled me!”

“You’re a walking comic, Bom. Hahahaha!!!” I

“You’re the one to talk to. You went nuts! Just how scary was that old woman look?” she grab her half-filled coke to drink

“Scary enough to make someone shriek in shock without even seeing it” Donghae bats

We high five in amusement in making fun of her

“Oh you guys are that close now to be teaming up to piss me?”

Donghae defended, “Guess you have that natural effect to bring people close in to go against you, Bom”

“Whatever. But I’m glad to see you two getting close. You both have the least people hanging around on your free time. Is that like a pact when you enter law school or what?”

“You’re stereotyping again” I said

“I don’t know. I’m a new guy here, remember?” Donghae shrug

“Oh cut it my dear cousin. It’s already been a while since you got here. Still no friends from work?”

“It’s a work place not a social club to ask people to be their friends” Donghae sighed before continuing “The corporate world would eat you, Bom. I’m worried”

“Why?”

“If you think everyone around you in your office space could be your friends”

“Are they that devious?”

“Most of them are sly. Manipulative. They’ll see you as a competition once they feel you’re threat to their career advancement”

“That also happens in legal world?” I ask innocently

“It’s even worse”

“I will kick your if I learned you’re also doing those kind of schemes, Lee Donghae. I’m serious” Bom warned

“You have so little trust in me, cousin”

“I have faith in you but hearing those people…”

Donghae picked the last nugget in Bom’s plate making the latter groan in annoyance “And you want me to be associated with them?”

“Hey! That’s my nugget!!” she slap Donghae on his arm “I didn’t know, okay. Gosh! You have a knack in making me eat the words I say”

“I’ll take that as a compliment. Now, if you’re done munching everything off on this table can we go home?”