Business and Politics Classroom

Taeyeon let go of leeteuk’s grip when the two reached the door leading to their classroom.

“um, just to be discreet.” Taeyeon said, still at daze of what happened last night. And still not getting used to being his girlfriend. She even forgot that they were in the first day of an exclusive relationship earlier at the car since leeteuk was doing his usual routine of reading the newspaper, not until when he offered his shoulder to her when she was trying to get a snooze.

She doesn’t want their classmates to look on them as a pair of beings only thinking about themselves although news might now appear that they are in item. A few of their classmates had already seen them holding hands in the elevator, though.

“wait, your bookmark.” Leeteuk opened up his bag and put out taeyeon’s favorite book mark.

“thanks.”

“ladies first.” Leeteuk opened the door and waited for taeyeon to get in.

“I’m sorry.”

“its okay.” Leeteuk whispered. He truly understood taeyeon’s sense of privacy.

------------------------------

Taeyeon’s POV

I shook my head in regret as I get inside the classroom as leeteuk followed me almost five steps behind. Although there are already a lot of eyes feasting on us as we get down, I tried to act simply by heading for the middle aisle where sungmin is. I don’t want people to think that this relationship is too much of a big deal, although it already is, since everybody knows leeteuk and his past history. Mixed reviews. I must be some kind of a movie right now where people wouldn’t stop talking about.

Leeteuk nodded his head at me when I took my seat beside sungmin who obviously knew about the details in our relationship. I woke the dude last night after I came back from the cemetery with leeteuk and he was absolutely thrilled about the incident.

“how’s the first day of being a girlfriend?” sungmin smiled at me.

“what’s this, honeymoon?” I joked, pinching him in the cheek. “fine I guess, just like the usual.”

I grinned at sungmin who obviously wanted to have more information at hand. I would probably tell the details later when not all eyes and ears are on us.

I glanced at leeteuk’s side and noticed eunhyuk and siwon waving at me. maybe they knew already, since leeteuk was silently smiling at the corner, with his face focusing on his notes. I tried to get a hold of leeteuk’s stare but to no avail because he was really determined to beat me up at the challenge I just gave him at the car ride earlier.

“a date?” I blurted , when I asked him about the consequence if he would win the quiz on sociology later.

“that’s what I want.”

“but its so easy.” His consequence would still benefit me.

“if you win, what do you want?”

“simple.” I smiled, crossing my arms and feeling my victory. “if I win, you have to give me all your school notes.”

“ah, my academic girl.” Leeteuk laughed.

“and you have to dye your hair blonde.” I continued.

Leeteuk looked at me in bewilderment. His innocent look always amazes me.

“blonde? You’re not sick, dear?” he said.

“just to give spice.” I smiled, patting him at the leg. “I’m sure that I’ll beat you so you better study.”

“I don’t know, I didn’t read last night.” He confessed, letting out a sigh.

I couldn’t help but to smile mischievously at the way leeteuk reacted on the consequences. I knew how much he loves his brown hair and the tidiness of the gel seeping on it.

Suddenly the door opened and the professor came in with a tall guy wearing an ultimate fashion statement.

“we start the discussion on stock exchange.” The professor said. “but before that, let me introduce you our new student.”

The tall student who seemed bored, eased himself infront of the curious stares of the crowd. His red jacket and striped pants made him appear really preppy and fashion forward. He must have been concerned on his appearance too much. I cannot help but to admire his milky skin and ultra feminine features despite of a real masculine aura he exuded.

“this new student just came home from Canada and he was here to continue his studies in business and politics.” The professor said. “mister kim, please introduce yourself.”

“kim heechul, nice to meet you all.” The student bowed. “I came from Canada, I will be pleased to get to know you all.”

“thank you mister kim, you may be seated at the back of mister park on the left.” Said the professor. “oh wait, mister park is the male wearing---“

“I know him.” Heechul smiled, pointing his finger towards leeteuk. I was surprised too. Sungmin tried to ask me if I know anything about them but we both just shook our heads in unison.

leeteuk immediately turned his head on leeteuk who by surprise was looking at him somewhat unpleasant, like a foul smell had reached his nostrils. Heechul smirked at him and headed towards his area.

He extended his hand.

“we meet at last.” Heechul said. “shall I introduce myself more to you?”

Leeteuk smiled and refused his offer.

“not necessary, thank you.”

“ah, coldness.” Heechul clapped his hands. “love it.”

“you’re blocking my view.” Leeteuk said.

“oh well, talk to you later.” Heechul grinned and went to an empty chair situated at leeteuk’s back.

I looked at leeteuk and tried to study his facial expression. Although I cannot tell, since he was backt to doing his usual expressionless look.

I think something is really wrong.

------------------------

School canteen

“yah, boyfriend.” taeyeon muttered, when she put down my tray of food at leeteuk’s table to join.

Leeteuk looked up from his salad and eyed the chair next to him for her to sit.

“yes, girlfriend?”

taeyeon laughed at his sudden statement and placed an apple she just bought on his tray.

“are you okay?” she asked. “you’ve been eternally quiet the whole morning.”

She had been stealing glances at him during the class, in which he would absentmindedly look on the blackboard without even digesting the contents of their lessons. Sometimes he wouldn’t respond to the teacher’s questions, not until eunhyuk would prod him at the elbow so he could answer.

Leeteuk unconsciously twirled the lettuce on his plate.

“you tell me later, okay?” taeyeon suggested, somewhat concerned.

“yes, sure.”

“you want to sit next to sungmin? You don’t want people staring at us, right?” leeteuk continued.

“anni, its lunch anyways, who would care.” Taeyeon said, even if a lot of familiar girls from his fan club were getting closer to their area.

“okay.”

Leeteuk watched as taeyeon placed a hefty amount of lettuce on .

“you’re on a diet?” leeteuk changed the topic.

“yes.”

“I don’t eat a lot, that doesn’t mean that you have to keep up with me.” he said, somewhat concerned.

“who told you that I’m thinking about you?” taeyeon laughed. “I’m just keeping my good figure because recently I’ve been indulging myself to sweets.”

Leeteuk rolled his eyes and smiled.

“good figure, huh.”

“why does it sound sarcastic?” taeyeon gently slapped his shoulder. leeteuk chuckled and helped himself to another batch of food.

“taeng.”

“yes?”

leeteuk cannot help but to think about taeyeon’s thoughts on heechul.

“that kim heechul, what do you think of him?” leeteuk asked her when she was putting another salad dressing to her plate.

Taeyeon creased her brows.

“he looks like he thinks of himself too much.” She confessed. “but he has a good fashion statement. Just like you.”

“why?”

“do you still remember what I told you about my step brother?” leeteuk forked a tomato.

“yes. All the details of it.” taeyeon said.

 then she stopped.

She looked at heechul on the other end of the canteen smiling at their direction, his face grinning above his hands clasped under his chin.

Taeyeon looked at leeteuk in shock.

“you don’t mean---“

“you’re looking at him.” Leeteuk said, looking at heechul too.

“oh my gosh.” Taeyeon cupped in astonishment. “that’s why he knows you.”

That all explains leeteuk’s sudden alarmed reaction when heechul approached the classroom and his expressionless stare on the blackboard, plus the constant innocence to the lesson.

“he should be.” Leeteuk said. “I know a lot about him.”

“oh my gosh.” Taeyeon looked again at leeteuk, at loss of words to say. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“its okay.” Leeteuk played with his fork. “you just owe me a trip to the sweets shop.”

-------------------------

Leeteuk immersed his face on the sink and submerged his face to the running water to cool off his hot blooded behavior. He cannot help but to feel his heart thumping irregularly again, making his oxygen supply a bit critical for breathing. He had a Socratic dialogue with the professor on economics earlier when heechul with his sudden foreign wits, turned the subject into a whole point of view. It turned out that the two of them debated for the best economic policy in Korea and the professor didn’t even raise a hand to stop the two. It appeared that the two were just equal at the end, with leeteuk a bit more experienced with his Korean studies.

He reached out for his glasses beside him when realizing that someone had took them.

“glasses really make someone intelligent huh?” heechul blurted, placing the glasses under the broad light. “gosh, really high graded thing, I cannot even wear this myself.”

“try not to.” Leeteuk said, getting his glasses back. But heechul raised the material above him.

“I’m disappointed that you didn’t acknowledge me.” he said. “hyung.”

“I’m not good at making friends.” Leeteuk said, getting the glasses. “maybe you should teach me.”

“ah, haha.” Heechul’s laugh immediately resonated to the four walls of the washroom. “I didn’t know that you’re so funny. Father always mentioned that you’re serious. I guess we should really get along.”

Leeteuk cannot think of what his father did to heechul. All he know was that something is really wrong.

“father said that we should get to know each other.” Heechul said. “you know, you teach me what goes through our family’s business and stuff.”

He sat on the sink and turned the faucet on and off irritatingly to leeteuk’s senses.

“hyoyeon right? She studies here?” heechul smiled, playing with the water. “I think I should get to know her too.”

“don’t.” leeteuk said, wearing a frown.

“why not, father says I should.” Heechul shrugged. Leeteuk could feel his hot blood rising to the mention of his father saying him things heechul should do.

“yah, park jungsu are you still there? Classes is about to start!”

Leeteuk’s frown immediately faded upon hearing the voice of taeyeon calling him.

“girlfriend’s waiting, should not make a girl wait.” Heechul looked at his fingernails. Leeteuk pulled out a tissue from the bin and headed outside.

-------------------------

Business and Politics classroom

Taeyeon’s POV

I glanced at my paper and grinned. One mistake. The exam was really hard but I studied the contents since last week so it was pretty easy on me. sungmin got five mistakes, and I knew from the gauge of that, the exam was really not easy. So what could be leeteuk’s score?

 I exited the classroom excitedly when I bumped myself accidentally to our new classmate.

Leeteuk’s step brother.

“gosh, I’m sorry.” I said, bowing.

Heechul looked at me from head to foot and smiled. he was really tall, as I noticed comparing my small frame on him.

“its okay miss taeyeon.” He said, brushing off something on his sleeves. What the—he thinks I’m a dirt? And he knows my name.

I wrinkled my brows as he realized that I was basically irritated on his gesture.

“oh, I’m sorry, I just do that all the time.” He said innocently. I heaved out a huge breath and nodded.

“I’m kim heechul.” He said, extending a hand.

“kim taeyeon.” I said back for formality.

“I know you.” Heechul said. “you had lunch with park jungsu. you guys are together, huh?”

Was he really that quick to realize that?

“yes, you could put it that way.” I said, flatly. I looked around the hall and noticed leeteuk behind the huge crowd of students waiting for me near the window at the left. He had the usual expressionless stare again on the floor, which would sometimes creep me out with no reason.

“say hello to him from me.” heechul smirked, looking at his direction too. I nodded and made my way to leeteuk.

“I accidentally bumped on him.” I explained as he hauled his bag and stood up from sitting near the window sill.

“yes, I saw it.” leeteuk said back. Did he really? He was looking at the floor as I remembered.

We walked towards the elevator when I realized about our deal in the exams.

“I got one mistake.” I said, trying to change the conversation to a lighter one since I knew leeteuk doesn’t want to talk about anything regarding the complexities of his family tree. “guess, you should dye your hair blonde.”

Leeteuk didn’t say anything and instead handed me his paper. I groaned.

“I knew it.” I rolled my eyes. “you got perfect.”

“why did you tell me that you didn’t study but still got nice scores?” I slapped his arm.

“ouch, ouch, blame my hormones.” He smiled, catching my hand.

“aigoo, then I blame your happy hormones.” I said.

Leeteuk stuffed the paper intricately on his notebook and looked at me.

“so.” He said, feeling his triumph. “shall we date?”

“and where do you want to go?” I said. we stopped at the elevator when leeteuk’s phone rang.

“sweets shop. Wait.” He said, holding out his phone. “yobuseyo?”

Leeteuk’s smile eventually faltered upon making a conversation to someone on the receiver.

“yes, I will.” He said, cringing his brows. “see you later.”

“you got an appointment?” I noticed, as he placed the phone back in his trousers.

“sorry.” He said. “you go home first, change your clothes if you want, then meet me at the sweetshop.”

“is it okay to you or you want to just take out?” he bit his lip.

“are you kidding, you won the bet, we’ll eat there.” I said, patting his back. Leeteuk nodded and sighed.

“really that important, huh?” I said, when we went inside the elevator.

“father puts it that way.” He confessed.

Sometimes I would question mister park’s parenting or maybe its just his son who’ really mysterious.

“just think of the chocolate you’ll eat when you’re with me.” I said positively, circling an arm around his.

Leeteuk nodded and kissed me on the cheek.

I got surprised by the sudden gesture and pointed to the elevator man who was innocently whistling as we go down.

“what? He didn’t see it.” leeteuk smiled.

-------------------------

Park Kyuwon’s office, Park Steel and Oil industries

Leeteuk closed the door behind him and situated himself on the velvet chair opposite Park Kyuwon’s table.

“you called?” he said.

“yes, son.” Mister park closed his folder and clasped his hands on the table, staring at leeteuk, eye to eye. he had missed his son so much, because of his priorities and career that almost let him to not see leeteuk except when having a family dinner.

“before we discuss anything, I want to tell you something.” Leeteuk said.

Mister park raised a brow and signaled a hand.

“go ahead.” He said.

“I’m undergoing surgery.” Leeteuk said, surprising his father. Mister park was speechless for more than a minute before he could digest what was really going on.

“well that’s good.” He said. “at least we try the possibilities here. shall I contact other heart centers?”

“taeyeon and I will look for a donor.” Leeteuk said, already discussing the matters with taeyeon when they met up at the cemetery last night. Taeyeon was more than willing to look for a heart center or another cardiosurgeon to work with doctor song on operating his damaged valves.

Mister park cleared his throat and nodded to his son’s wish.

“then I will just tell doctor song about it.” he finalized.

“you brought a bastard at the school.” leeteuk blurted.

“what?”

“do you think I don’t know what’s going on?” leeteuk eased his back and tried to rest comfortably on the chair.

Mister park sighed and rubbed the side of his temples.

“I don’t know that you’re so quick.” He muttered, didn’t know what to say.

“hyoyeon is studying at the school.” leeteuk rationalized. “and there are possibilities that he might just meet up with her and introduce himself.”

“I don’t think its bad to---“

“you hid the secret for more than years.” Leeteuk said, irritated. “and do you expect my sisters to accept the fact that you had another family? What is this, some kind of an adopting program?”

“even inyoung noona doesn’t know.” He whispered, toning his voice down from the possibilities of other employees hearing their conversation.

Mister park closed his eyes as leeteuk tried to compose himself.

“jungsu, its time for your siblings to meet their brother.” He explained. “I know they will accept it if you could just help me.”

“tell me.” leeteuk looked at him. “you had this plan ever since doctor song told you about my fatalities of my condition, right?”

“what are you talking about.”

“just tell me that you’re giving my inheritance to kim heechul.” Leeteuk said.

Mister park bit his lip and could feel sweat beading on the sides of his forehead.

“what, you don’t know that I can easily read your mind?” leeteuk smiled faintly. “father, I’ve been with you negotiating to other people, I know what goes through when you’re thinking.”

“I just have to go with the possibilities.” Mister park said. “besides you we don’t have anyone fit to inherit the company but heechul. I sent him to best schools same as you so that he will also have a good education.”

“you told heechul that you’re giving away my inheritance to him?” leeteuk asked.

“father, say it.” leeteuk said again, when mister park’s sweat trickled.

“yes.”

Leeteuk sighed and crossed his legs.

“I have nothing to say to you.” He said.

“son, just understand me.” mister park said. “I built this company for more than years, we need to have somebody to continue what we just started.”

“do you know that it hurts a lot when you realize that your own blood secretly wants to dispose you even if you’re still alive?” leeteuk said. “i’m sorry but I’m undergoing surgery and you cannot advance as long as I’m alive and protecting my siblings.”

Mister park nodded.

“the time my surgery is successful, I will  be dividing the inheritance to my siblings.” Leeteuk said gently. “even heechul will get a part of it. everyone will benefit. And you cannot say no because we already had an agreement regarding this.”

“I understand.”

“leave noona and hyoyeon alone for the moment, please.” Leeteuk said. “you made mom hurt, we cannot just accept things easily as you want it to be.”

---------------------------

Sweets shop

Taeyeon’s POV

Leeteuk arrived at the sweets shop almost an hour after I went in, wearing the same expressionless look on the face, the similar one when he came in contact with kim heechul at the class earlier. Since it really creeps me out, I waited for him to sit opposite me before I started making a conversation. sometimes, its just more proper to be silent than trying to get in the way easily. But I’m always the otherwise, the sneaky version of kim taeyeon would always want to snoop in.

“sorry, i had to fix something before coming here.” leeteuk told me as I ushered a plate of chocolate cake to his side. “were you here for more than…?”

“just one hour.” I said back, and he almost winced at the thought. “its okay, I understand.”

“I’ll make it up on you, okay?” leeteuk said while taking time to observe his food.

“that’s the same chocolate cake I brought you last time.” I said.

“ah, really, that’s good.”

“how was it?” I asked, referring to his conversation with mister park. I know how much leeteuk and mister park were on a different level. There was this really weird family history of the Parks that always remain hidden, such as donghae being leeteuk’s cousin, and the other family of mister park which corresponds to his mistress and heechul.

Leeteuk helped himself first on eating his cake before responding to my question.

“its not really good.” He confessed as I cupped my chin to listen, partly because I’m done with my strawberry crepe.

“what do you mean?”

“my inheritance is being taken away.” leeteuk said.

I almost knocked my plate when I heard his reply.

“what do you mean by being taken away?” I asked, toning my voice down. “you mean your father is planning to give your inheritance to someone?”

“he’s planning to give it to his bastard.”

“heechul?” I asked. Leeteuk nodded. I don’t know what to say. This family scene is really making me speechless.

I watched leeteuk took another spoonful of his chocolate cake in silence.

“father is a career oriented person.” he explained. “basically he  just wanted to have a successor after finding out about my condition getting worse.”

“but you told him about your plan to have a surgery right?” I prodded.

“yes.”

“why does a male have to be a successor?” I scratched my head. Oh right, its because of carrying the family name. and leeteuk is the only male in the entire family of the Parks.

“so, heechul oppa, knows already about this that’s why he’s being like that to you on school.” I noticed, when heechul looked as if he’s older and wiser than leeteuk.

“come to think of it, being a successor is really a big deal.” I continued.

“so if I’m poor, you’ll leave me?” leeteuk suddenly asked.

“yeah, the only reason I like you is because you’re rich.” I kidded, rolling my eyes. leeteuk chuckled and sighed as he drank the water the waitress had just given him.

“it just hurts a lot to know that I am still alive and he’s already planning to give what I worked hard for.” Leeteuk told me. I bit my lip and really pitied his condition so much. Leeteuk and his father, they have not been in good terms for so long because of the very confusing family tree and mister park’s career oriented mind.

I patted leeteuk’s hand as he took another batch of his food. Good thing he still has the appetite to eat.

“do you think mister park will tell heechul oppa about your plan?” I asked.

“no, I don’t think heechul knows about my sickness.” Leeteuk said. “if he knows that I’m sick he wouldn’t be agreeing at the first place.”

“wow, benefit of the doubt.”

“he’s still my brother.” Leeteuk said. “its not his fault that he was conceived.”

“I’m proud of you and your sense of equality.” I gushed.

“I thank mother for sharing me her good genes.” Leeteuk said, referring to his mother’s way of understanding people.

I looked around the shop and signaled the waitress on the counter to bring out the green tea cupcake that I ordered for leeteuk.

“you still have something to eat.” I said, when leeteuk finished eating his cake.

“you’re making me fat.” He noticed.

I snickered and let the waitress placed a green colored cupcake on leeteuk’s side. The cupcake didn’t look that bad despite of its color. Leeteuk was staring more at the icing on top.

It says happy first.

“first day of being together, you know.” I shrugged, rubbing my nose. “I know you had a tough day today, and I just want to remind you that you still have me.”

“are you really that fond of surprises?” leeteuk asked me with a look that tells me he was happy and shocked at the same time.

“oh come on, eat it before it gets cold.” I reminded him. I was happy for him too because despite of his day, he managed to acknowledge my surprise.

Leeteuk looked again at the cupcake.

“I really had a bad day, but it turns out that my girl neutralized the effect.” he smiled, biting his lip.

“the best girlfriend in town.” I just said.

“can I hug you? Why am I seated here opposite you anyways?” leeteuk laughed, edging to the side as I stood up and sat next to him on the soft bench. When I sat beside him, he extended his arms and enveloped me inside his body, his warm embrace calming the coldness of the air conditioned area.

I rested my nose on his collar bone and ignored the fact of my likeness to being discreet in relationships. Maybe I just have to loosen up a bit and enjoy the moment of his public affections. Leeteuk broke slightly from his hug and looked at me in the eyes.

“thank you so much, baby.” He said, and planted a kiss on my forehead. “this means a lot.”

And I swear, I wouldn’t bother making more surprises if this is always the consequence.