“Ah…it’s okay, Joo Hyun”, Yonghwa immediately extricated his hand from Joo Hyun’s hold and awkwardly sipped his iced Americano.

He concentrated on his food that he was not able to see the smirk that graced Joo Hyun’s lips.

“I just realized that I like you, Yonghwa; and this time I won’t run from what I should have with you years ago”, Joo Hyun told herself.

“Joo Hyun, I think I better go ahead. I’m sorry if I won’t be able to accompany you…I have to go visit the office of The Palace…I have to look at the interior designs left by Victoria Song”, Yonghwa said before he drank the last of his iced Americano and wiped his mouth with the table napkin.

“Ah…really…its fine…it’s nice seeing you again, Yonghwa. I hope this won’t be the last time”, Joo Hyun forwardly said.

Yonghwa did not say anything…he just bowed politely and left the table.

“You’ll be mine, Yonghwa. I swear…you’ll be mine”, Joo Hyun said to herself before she sipped her cappuccino.

She regretted leaving Yonghwa when they were young. He was a very good friend to her when they were in grade school until their high school until she decided to leave with her parents for Busan. She smiled at the memory of them together….

“Please, please, give it back. It’s my lunch”, Joo Hyun cried as she was being held by two of her male classmates while the other one was opening her lunch box.

“Wow…this is my favorite!” the one who opened her lunch box smirked.

“Please, that’s mine”, Joo Hyun was already crying in earnest as she struggled to free herself.

“Yeah, man, eat it…eat it”, the two who were holding Joo Hyun urged.

Without hesitation, the boy ate young Joo Hyun’s lunch while the other two were laughing.

“Will you stop crying, pest!”one of the boys holding her scolded as he yanked Joo Hyun’s pigtail.

“Yeah…stop crying!” the other one slapped her cheek.

“I hate you! I hate you!” Joo Hyun angrily retorted which earned her painful yanks on both of her pigtails.

“What’s happening here?” someone shouted from the alley at the back of the school.

Joo Hyun raised her face and saw that it was Yonghwa holding a piece of wood.

“Back off, Jung, it’s not your business unless you want to be bullied, too”, the one who was eating the lunch snarled at Yonghwa.

Yonghwa was not frightened as he approached them. The one who snarled threw the lunch box at Yonghwa who dodged and hit him with the piece of wood. The boy’s face felt the impact of the wood and he fell on his bottom on the ground wiping his bloodied lips. The other one let go of Joo Hyun and attacked Yonghwa.

“Please, be careful”, Joo Hyun shouted in panic at Yonghwa who dodged the attacker’s fist and retaliated by a kick and another hit of the wood on the attacker’s face. The attacker fell on the ground, too. It prompted the other one to free Joo Hyun and attack Yonghwa with a knife.

“Joo Hyun, just relax there”, Yonghwa said as he was dodging the knife.

Yonghwa focused on his fight while the other two attackers were already gaining their feet and would have wanted to incapacitate Yonghwa when another shout from the alley was heard.

“Traitors! Bullies!” It was Hyun Joong who followed his cousin to the alley way. He was also holding a piece of wood he grabbed at the trash can nearby.

Upon seeing Hyun Joong, the attackers realized that if they were beaten bad by Yonghwa alone how much more if he would be helped by Hyun Joong.

“Let’s go…let’s go”, the leader of the bully shouted as they ran as fast as they could away from Yonghwa and the fast approaching Hyun Joong.

“Are you okay, Joo Hyun? Do you want to go to the clinic?” Yonghwa approached Joo Hyun and helped her to stand from where she fell on her bottom after the third attacker pushed her to the ground before attacking Yonghwa with a knife.

“Yeah…are you okay?” Hyun Joong also asked as he gathered Joo Hyun’s lunch box and things from the ground and handed those to her.

“Y-yeah…thank you so much. If not for you they might have done worst to me”, Joo Hyun said in awe and gratitude to the two especially to Yonghwa.

They were only in grade five that time but she realized that she already fallen in love…with the heroic and gentle Jung Yonghwa. They became friends…close friends but she decided to take her time before she would say her feelings for him until she lost all the chances during her second year when her parents were asked by her grandparents to manage the family’s textile company in Busan.

“I heard that you’ll be leaving the school and Seoul tomorrow”, Yonghwa said as they met at the school’s playground.

“Yeah…” Joo Hyun replied dryly and sighed deeply trying to control her tears from falling down.

“Can’t you stay here in Seoul at the school’s boarding house? I mean I’ll miss you”, Yonghwa asked sadly.

“I’m sorry, Yonghwa, but I can’t stay here. I need to be with my family in Busan”, Joo Hyun replied.

“How about me? I thought you’ll not leave me ever?” Yonghwa asked his voice already on the verge of tears.

“Yonghwa, Yonghwa, please don’t cry you’ll find another best friend who will love you and care for you the way I did, okay?” Joo Hyun comforted Yonghwa wiping his tears.

“Joo Hyun, promise you’ll not forget me, okay?” Yonghwa pleaded.

“Of course…of course…I promise”, Joo Hyun agreed as they embraced each other tightly.

The next day, the Seo Family left Seoul for Busan.

“I’m sorry for breaking my promise to you before, Yonghwa; but, now I promise you that I’m here for you…I won’t let you be with Park Shinhye”, Joo Hyun told herself as her black Mercedes Benz entered the parking lot of the condominium building where she was renting a unit. After she left, she heard that Shinhye entered Yonghwa’s life and the two were so happy together…she would have left them alone until she heard from a family friend that Shinhye was promised to marry Kyuhyun that her desire to have Yonghwa resurfaced.

She left her parents in Busan and decided to live temporarily at Seoul to try to see Yonghwa again. She wanted to see him again after all those years. She went out of her car when someone approached her…

“Excuse me, Miss Seo”, someone called.

“Yes, do I know you?” Joo Hyun asked surprised.

“I saw you at the restaurant with Mr. Jung so I decided to approach you because someone wants to speak with you”, the man explained.

“Someone wants to speak with me? May I know first who are you, anyway?” Joo Hyun asked confused.

“I’m Siwon…Choi Siwon…my boss, Secretary Cho wants to speak with you”, Siwon said.

“Secretary Cho? The Secretary of Education? The candidate for senatorial race this election?” Joo Hyun asked puzzled.

“Yeah…so let’s go”, Siwon urged Joo Hyun.

“Okay, just tell me the location. I’ll just ride my car there”, Joo Hyun said. She was surprised with the man who approached her and she preferred to drive in her car for in case the man was not telling her the truth she could just drive away from him.

“Okay”, Siwon said as she handed her a piece of paper inside was the address of the office of Secretary Cho.

Joo Hyun got the paper and opened and entered her car. Siwon on the other hand, felt his heartbeat accelerated after talking with Joo Hyun. The woman had the face of a vixen and the body of a temptress…the type which he really liked a lot; too bad Secretary Cho wanted her to help in the plan of separating Jung Yonghwa and Park Shinhye.

Hi friends! I just introduced here my new set of characters that will spice up my story...Seo Joo Hyun and Choi Siwon. Siwon fell for Joo Hyun for the first time but Joo Hyun was determined to have Yonghwa...another minor intertwined thread. Anyways, friends, thank you for all your support...more tears, laughter and love along the way. Love you all!!!!