Jae Joong was just coming back from YoonAh’s crematory when his phone rang.

                   ‘Hello.’

                   ‘Hey, Jae Joong, it’s me, Yoo Chun. Are you busy? I’m sorry to burden you but can you please do me a favour?’ His voice was so desperate for not wanting to hear negative answer. So Jae Joong decided to help him so he asked him why and what.

                   Yoo Chun sensed a favour. ‘Actually, it’s Eun Hye birthday tomorrow so I want to take a leave but the professor said I can do so only if I have a substitute for my tomorrow lecture. Of course I didn’t tell him the reason for my leave. So please my dear friend, can you?’

                   He let the sentence unfinished in the desire for Jae Joong to make a conclusion.

                   Jae Joong didn’t want to delay his friend’s date so he readily said yes. Besides, since it was Sunday, he had nothing to do after visiting Yoon Ah as of now.

                   ‘Oh, thank god. I tried to ask Junsu and Changmin. But they said they are already occupied with lecture work. So you’re the only one left. By the way, I haven’t prepared the powerpoint presentation. The topic is ‘…’. If you don’t mind, fri, will you do that too? Bye.’ He quickly hung off the phone, afraid Jae Joong would refuse.

                  ‘Wait, wait, hello, hello…’ All Jae Joong could hear was the line going blank (tee…tee…tee). ‘This guy, he didn’t even give me reference.’ He could just let out a laugh. He had no choice other than going to library. On the way, he was thinking of Yoo Chun and his girlfriend, Eun Hye. They were one of the popular CC(campus couples) during college life. Yoo Chun being the giver and Eun Hye being the receiver, they made the perfect couple. They were additive of one another. Even he was envious of them sometimes if not every time.

                 It was getting late when he arrived at the library. He saw birds returning to their respective nests in the sky. In the Uni compound, street lights were lit. In the library, there were a few students here and there, some in groups, some alone. They were studying diligently even on Sunday, Jae Joong was glad for them.

                After he got reference books relating to the lecture, he took a seat near the window at the end of the hall. He planned first to take notes, write them down, then afterwards to prepare powerpoint. He was so concentrated on his work that the night became darker and darker.           

                Looking at the watch, he realized he was in need of coffee and decided to get a hot coffee from the vending machine in front of the library. As he left the room, the students were present less than before he came in. Grabbing his coffee, he again returned to the room. Then, he noticed the girl studying at the table opposite the entrance. That was the one haunting him days and nights these late months. He knew he should not be like this in remembrance of Yoon Ah. He hated himself for being the way he was now. He wanted to get to know about this girl, how she felt about her life, what she was thinking in her mind and whom she paid respects to, etc.

                 The girl whom he refered to took no notice of the surroundings, absorbed in her study. She was wearing her study glasses, in casual pink shirt and black short pants. She did not recognize Jae Joong approaching her.

                 ‘You’re Eun Jung, right?’ He pronounced the name clearly to her, embarrassed of himself at the same time.

                 She looked up at the voice owner and was surprised at the encounter. She saw the man who was wearing blue waist coat with white shirt under and jean pants. She straightened from her chair, stood up and greeted him with a polite bow. Since he was her cousin’s friend, she took courtesy for him.

                ‘Nice to meet you, sir. Yes, I’m Eun Jung, Seung Gi oppa’s sister.’

                Jae Joong showed a soft smile at her. ‘Are you ready for the exam? With the thesis coming up and the exam, you must be really exhausted by now.’

                Eun Jung was in need of an advisor for her thesis. So she decided to ask help from him. ‘In fact, I found some things needed to be fixed in my thesis. I was wondering if you can give me some references.’ She had already taken some advice from Yoo Chun too but it was no help. She wanted to make her thesis to be faultless and flawless though she thought maybe Jae Joong was not free to help her.

                ‘Why not? I’ll be delightful to help a talented and bright student. Which part do you find difficulty with?’

                She blushed at his compliment. She gestured him to take a seat before him and discussed her thesis. Upon hearing his opinions, she was really thankful and wondered if her prejudices about him were wrong like Seung Gi said.

                2 months ago when she unexpectedly found out that Jae Joong was Seung Gi’s friend, she took a call to Seung Gi to enquire about him. As soon as she went back home from Boram, she phoned him because Seung Gi was not the one who would befriend Jae Joong who she thought as a ert.

               ‘Oppa, it’s me. Where are you?’

               Seung Gi scolded her, ‘What the hell? Eun Jung-ah, it’s 1 o’clock in the morning. I’m just sobered up and was about to fall asleep in my sweet bed. Oh, my headache!’

               She heard continuous whining of Seung Gi but she could not care anymore.

               ‘Oppa, listen. I want to tell you something. I don’t know if you’ll believe me though I swear all the words I’ll state to you are the whole truth.’‘I met your friend, Jae Joong-sir (she emphasized ‘sir’) few weeks ago at the club. And…’.

               Eun Jung determined to reveal to him the whole event.

               Seung Gi’s eyes were now wide open. He got up from lying down and leaned against the pillow.

              ‘No, Eun Jung, you must be mistaken. He’s not like what you’ve told me. He’s the most faithful and good-natured guy that I’ve ever had as a friend. And I’ve known him since college. I also swear he’s not the ert.’

              ‘If you don’t believe me, let me tell you a story. Then you can decide if you want to trust my words or not.’

I'm sorry for the short chapter. I'll post a longer chapter next week. Thanks for reading.