*ring ring ring ring*

                "Ella! Pick up your phone!" Haneul barged into Ella's pitch black haven. Haneul chucked the device in the general direction of Ella's bed and heard a grunt. The sound of shuffling blankets told her Ella was awake. "Just pick it up! Who the heck is calling at this hour? It's freaking 5 am. I need my beauty rest!" she picked up a slipper and threw it at the bed. It hit Ella on the head and she hissed in pain. Satisfied with the response, Haneul slammed the door shut and stalked off to her own room.

                "Aish, that hurt," Ella mumbled and rubbed her already bruising forehead "For a girly girl, she's got one heck of an arm," grumbling half asleep, she picked up her wailing phone. "Hello?" she managed to croak.

                "Come over here now and help me get ready. It was the last voice she wanted to hear in the morning. It was also the last thing she wanted to do. Was she going to let him strip her of the only time she had to herself? "NOW!" Yes......

                "I just woke up. Give me 15 minutes to get ready and I'll be over in 10," she rubbed her eyes.

                "I expect you here in 15," he hung up abruptly. It took her a couple of seconds to register what he had said before her eyes shot open and she scrambled out of bed. 'Ugh, I meant 15 minutes to get ready! Ah! No time to complain! Must hurry or else I'll be late!'

//

[MC Tales: And Dictator Jin strikes again. Why is he interrupting her sleep?]

//

                Ella stumbled out the front door and ran as fast as she could. 'Ah! Only 2 minutes left!' she whined. With all her might, she pushed forward and sprinted all the way to Jin Young's house.

--

                "Aish, where is that girl. She's 5 minutes late," Jin Young tapped his foot impatiently and glanced at his watch again. A light pattering of footsteps carried along with the wind caught his attention. He looked up and squinted into the distance, noticing a small blob coming towards him at a fast pace. 'There she is,' he grinned. Before she got close enough to notice, he wiped the grin off his face and replaced it with a frown.

                Ella ran hard, harder than she ever had to in her life. The consequences of showing up late haunted her, forcing her to push past her limits. Upon reaching him, she doubled over, gasping for air. Her lungs burned with every breath she took; stung with a metallic after taste. She struggled to catch her breath and sank to the floor.

                "Hey, you're late," Jin Young glared at her. His expression, however, did not reflect his emotions. It pained him to see her suffering and know that he was the cause.

//

[MC Tales: That's a first. AH! I was kidding! Do I need to file a restraining order on you, Jin? GET OFF ME!]

//

                "I'm sorry. It's just, I didn't have enough time to get ready and run here," she managed to gasp.

                "Why didn't you ask for a ride?"

                "I can't bother my parents for such a small favour. They've got more important things to take care of, like maintaining a job to support us. If I ask for just 5 minutes of their time for a ride, that's 5 minutes of precious time that I am wasting," she frowned at the floor, still doubled over. His expression softened at her reply. Why was she so modest? Was she trying to make him fall for her even more?

                "Whatever. Since you're late, we’ll go buy some breakfast. I was going to make you cook it, but there's no time left. Come on," he tossed his bag at her and walked ahead. 'No time left? It's not even 6 in the morning,' she sighed and jogged after him.

--

                "Get me a coffee and some pancakes. Make them chocolate chip pancakes. Hurry, I'm hungry," he sat down comfortably and handed her some money.

                "It's okay. I'll pay today. I was late this morning, so this will make up for it," she placed his bag on the chair and hers on the floor before going to the counter to order. Jin Young gazed softly at her. 'Aish this girl,' he smiled. He picked up her bag from the floor and placed it on the chair. He watched her order the food. Every move she made every word she spoke, it mesmerized him. It took him deeper into the pit called love. He didn't want to admit it. He didn't want to admit that he succumbed to that girl, the girl who ruined his shoes, the girl who signed his slave contract, the girl who had changed him.

                "Can I change your heart?" he murmured.

                "You want to change your order? I swear you said chocolate," Ella pouted at the tray. Jin Young snapped out of his daze.

                "Change? I didn't say anything about changing my order," he frowned. Ella stared at him, puzzled. She swore he said he wanted to change it. Jin Young mentally wiped his brow. 'That was close. Note to self, NEVER think out loud.'

--

                Ella roughly pushed the washroom door open. She was pissed beyond imagination. Never had she felt so humiliated. Jin Young was acting like a jerk. Wait. Scratch that. He was acting like a spoiled child who couldn’t do anything for himself. 'What? Brush my hair? It's not April Fool’s Day, is it? I swear it’s November,' she grabbed the edge of the sink, breathing hard. All day, Jin Young was making her do ridiculous tasks. The most recent one was the last straw for her and she had to walk away before she did anything stupid.

//

[MC Tales: Okay Jin, what did you ask of her to make her so mad? It must've been something extremely ridiculous and juvenile for her to react this way. Hey, back off. I've got a restraining order in the works as we speak. Not one step closer, man! Help!]

//

*First block*

                (Bring me a bottle of water. I'm thirsty.)

                Ella stared at her phone and sighed. Was he kidding her? Did he really expect her to bring him a bottle of water in the middle of class?

                (I'm not joking. I'm dehydrated from the pancakes.)

                Her shoulders dropped. Although she didn't want to miss the lecture, his word was law until the contract ends. When it is over? Who knows?

                (I'm coming over now.)

                (I want you to bring it to my desk.)

                Ella nearly choked on her spit as she read his text. Bring into his desk? And interrupt his teacher? She could get in so much trouble for it. 'But I have no choice now, do I?' With an exasperated sigh, she raised her hand and asked to go to the washroom.

--

                'I wonder if she'll actually come he--' Jin Young's thought was interrupted by a light knock on the classroom door. The teacher glared at the door and stalked over, clearing his throat to prepare to give a mouthful to the person who dared bother his class. He slid open the door and was mildly surprised to see his best student, Ella, standing there.

                "Ella, how can I help you?"

                "Um, Jin Young sshi asked me to bring this for him. Could I please come in?" she sheepishly rubbed the back of her neck and showed him the water bottle. Her cheeks threatened to burn red with embarrassment as she stumbled to the back of the classroom. The teacher shook his head and watched with pity as she gave the bottle to Jin Young. It was bad enough that the whole student body knew of her slave contract, it was worse that entire school faculty also knew of it. She always received looks of sympathy whenever she walked by her teachers, making her feel a little upset and embarrassed.

                "If that's all he wanted, you should go back to class, Miss Choi," the teacher led her out of the room and lightly pushed her out the door, making sure to give her a sympathetic look. Ella sighed once again and trudged back to her classroom before her teacher grew suspicious.

//

[MC Tales: I only have two words to say. LAZY .]

//

*Break*

                (Come to the roof.)

                'What? The roof?' Ella scrambled out of her class, sprinting to the staircase as fast as she could. Sandeul called after her, but it was left unheard. Worst case scenarios raced through her thoughts as she climbed the flights of stairs. 'What if he asks me to do a favour and isn't happy with the results. He might jump!' she burst through the door and searched around for him. He was leaning against the wall of the radio tower, headphones in and music blasting. She quietly made her way over and lightly tapped on the shoulder.

                "Hey! Make some noise next time you sneak up on me! Gave me a heart attack, Ella...." he tapped his chest and turned away from her.

                "Making noise while sneaking up on a person kind of, sort of, defeats the purpose of, well, sneaking up on people, doesn't it?" Ella giggled at his dumbfounded expression.

                "Don't sass me, Missy," he poked her head playfully. 'He seems to be in a good mood. Maybe he just wanted to talk,' she smiled at him. Jin Young held out his backpack.

                "My bag is dusty. Air it out for me. I want it done before break ends. You can find me in the caf when you're done up here," he dropped the bag and walked away leaving Ella flabbergasted. He just assigned her a task even housekeeping services wouldn't even do.

                "You're kidding me, right?" Ella spun around only to find the rooftop empty. "Well, have to move quick if I want to get this done before the bell," she sighed and picked up his bag.

//

[MC Tales: WOW. Really, Jin? Air out a bag? Bet it built up from lack of use.....]

//

*Lunch*

                "Buy me a sandwich no mayo, just mustard, 2 slices of black forest ham, 3 slices of mozzarella cheese, 2 pieces of lettuce, and freshly squeezed orange juice. It better be made exactly like that. Now hurry, I'm hungry," he stared at her blankly until she walked off. A smile formed on his face and he couldn't help but laugh at her confused, and slightly pissed off, expression. His laugh was short lived since Sandeul joined him at the table. "What's up, Deullie?"

                "Eh." Jin Young was puzzled by his usually cheerful friend's curt response. At that moment, Ella came back his food. "Ella! I haven't talked to you all day. It was like you were busy running silly errands or something," he smiled warmly at her, quickly glancing over at Jin Young just in time to catch his hardened expression.

                "Hello, Oppa! Ah, sorry I didn't talk to you. Did you eat yet? I can go get some food for you too," she offered, completely oblivious of the subliminal message he directed towards Jin Young.

                "No, it's okay. I brought a lunch. I even made some for you too! Come here; sit and eat with me," he patted the seat next to him. Ella giggled and skipped over, plopping down onto the chair. "Aigoo, such a cutie," he chuckled and pinched her cheek.

                "Ah, that hurts, Oppa. Feed me," she pouted cutely at him. He smiled at her cheerful mood.

                "Say ah," he held out a Kim Bap. She bit into it and gobbled it up.

                "Yummy!" she squealed, opening for another one. Sandeul laughed heartily and fed her another piece. Jin Young glared at the couple. His breakfast threatened to come back up. Just the sight of them together irked him. Seeing them feed each other made his blood boil. 'I should be the one feeding her,' he grimaced at the sound of her light laughter. 'Wait, when did I become do possessive? She's not even mine,' he looked down at his sandwich, his appetite suddenly gone.

                "I'll see you guys later," he abruptly stood up from his seat and stalked out of the cafeteria. Ella stared after him confusedly. She looked at Sandeul, who looked back with a shrug. 'I wonder if I should go after him...' Ella glanced at the door, contemplating whether she should go after him.

//

[MC Tales: *cough* Somebody's jelly....]

//

*P.E.*

                Ella ran laps with the rest of the class. She made sure she paced herself so that she could run longer. Haneul faked her period for the second time that month and sat out with her friends, who conveniently got theirs as well. Suspicious? Not to the gym teacher. Jin Young ran with Sandeul on track 2 while Ella ran by herself on track 1 with the other girls.

*tweeeeet*

                “Okay, that’s enough for today. Hit the showers!” the teacher dismissed the classes. Everyone dragged their sore, tired bodies to the locker rooms. Ella took a quick warm shower and was out in 10 minutes, giving her 20 minutes of free time until the bell. Jin Young exited the boys’ locker room and spotted her sitting on the benches alone, combing her hair. He glanced back to make sure Sandeul wasn’t there. The coast was clear, so he jogged over to her.

                “Hey, brush my hair for me, would you?” he sat down next to her and turned so that his back was facing her. Ella looked at him incredulously and scanned the gym. Everybody was still in the locker rooms. As embarrassing as it was, Ella forced herself to comb his hair.

//

                [MC Tales: Oh, that’s dry. If we see a little kid getting his hair combed by his mother, then that’s fine. Seeing a teenage boy, who is capable of combing his own hair, asking a girl to do it for him, is LOW. A bit ist. Just saying.]

//

*Afterschool*

                Ella jogged to the front gates, scoping out the grounds for Jin Young. She had waited for him at the library, but he didn't show up. Another tutor had come in to tell her they just saw him leave the school. She scanned the area, looking into store windows as she walked by. As she was about to give up, she found him at a cafe down the road, sipping on a hot cup of coffee while reading a book. Relief washed over her, only to be replaced by a befuddled expression. Why did he skip lessons today? Didn't he look forward to them now? She always thought he did from his determination to get perfect in their sessions. She marched over to his table and sat down. He didn't take his eyes off his book, but she knew he knew she was there.

                "Hello, Miss. Can I get you anything?" the waiter asked her. Ella shook her head.

                "No, I think I'm okay. Thank you," she bowed her head as the waiter walked off. A painful silence hung in the air as she sat awkwardly in the chair, twiddling her thumbs, waiting for him to start the conversation. He silently flipped the pages of his book and took sips of his coffee, obviously in no rush to say anything. The silence was killing her and she couldn't stay quiet any longer. "Why didn't you come to tutoring today?" she leaned forward, waiting for his answer. Why did it seem to bother her so much? 'Because he's my student and I want the best for him. Missing lessons at this time of year may be detrimental to his marks, and I can't let that happen.' Jin Young closed his book and placed it onto the table. Ella noticed it was one of the titles she recommended to him a while back.

                "Why did I skip today, you asked?"

                "Yes. Why did you skip?"

                "Just because."

                "Just because?"

                "Yeah. Just because. Is that not a good enough answer for you?" he raised an eyebrow at her.

                "Well, I don't get it. It looked like you really wanted to go to lessons, but all of a sudden you want to skip? There has to be a reason why. And 'just because' doesn't make any sense," she frowned. He drank the rest of his coffee and called for the receipt.

                "If you really want to know, follow me," he placed the money on the table and left the store. Ella followed after him. He led them to a nearby park and sat down on one of the benches. Neither of them spoke and they sat there, watching the clouds floating by. Again, the silence enveloped the pair and Ella couldn't stand it.

                "Okay, I followed you. Now can you tell me your reason?" she stared at him with a hard expression. His strange behaviour was starting to scare her. She missed his bossy demeanour. Silence always scared her because it was always followed by disappointment.

                "Fine. I'll tell you why I skipped. It's payback."

                "Payback? For what? Did I do something wrong for you to want payback?" Ella mentally back tracked through all the events that happened from the day before until that hour, but nothing came up.

                "Yes. You broke your promise," he snapped. He turned away, frustrated with himself for being weak and at Ella for being so naive.

                "My promise?" Ella couldn't remember making a promise to him. Her blank, clouded expression was a clear hint to him that she had no idea what her promise was.

                "See. You can't even remember it. Am I that insignificant to you that you can so easily forget the promises you make with me?" he looked at her, hurt. The pain in his eyes tugged at her heart and she didn't know why she wanted to hug him and tell him it was all her fault. But, she was scared he might snap at her if she touched him. He was in a vulnerable position, and she knew that if she were in his position, she would want some space.

                "Insignificant? I would never, ever, think of you as an insignificant person in my life. You're quite important to me," she whispered. "Please, tell me what promise I broke and I'll try to make it up to you," she pleaded. He let out a heavy breath and faced her.

                "You promised you would never cancel a lesson. For anything. But, you did. And for what? A date? Not just a date, though. It was for a date with one of my closest friends," his voice rose with his anger. He stood up and paced back and forth. 'I can't let my emotions take over. Calm down, Jin.' Ella's jaw dropped and the colour drained from her face. She remembered now. She remembered the exact and place and time that she made her promise. 'I can't believe I forgot my promise to him. He has the right to be upset with me,' she looked at the ground, disappointed in herself.

                "I'm so sorry, Jin Young sshi. What can I do to make up for it? I feel so horrible," she grabbed his arm. He shook it off and walked away. Determined, she followed him. He walked a ways ahead, all the way home to his house. Not once did he look back at her. 'He must be so angry with me. I can't believe I was so stupid!' she hit her head, but was stopped when somebody grabbed her wrist. Jin Young looked down at her with blank eyes and she stared back, getting lost in his deep brown eyes.

                "Do you really want to make up for your broken promise?" he whispered. Ella nodded her head without any hesitations. "And you're willing to do anything for it?" he mumbled, leaning in towards her. Sweat dripped down the back off her neck and her gaze shifted from his eyes to his lips and back. "You didn't answer me." She gulped and locked eyes with him again. The usual hard, dark eyes she was used to seeing were now vulnerable to her. Unconsciously, she nodded her head.

                "I'll do anything," she reiterated.

                "Sure?" he asked one last time, making sure her choice was certain.

                "Yes," she replied instantaneously.

                "Okay then. Your punishment is...." he stopped. She tilted her head, urging him to continue.

                "What? What do you want me to do?" she asked. Jin Young leaned in a bit closer, closing the gap to less than an inch.

                "Kiss me."

--

[MC Tales: DID SHE KISS HIM? Find out in the next chapter. I hate to leave all you hanging like that, but what's a story without a cliff hanger, eh? Until next time!]

So, I kinda felt in the mood to update. Been stressed out with midterms and projects, so I dedicated a day to writing this chapter. Hope you enjoyed it!

It's 3/4 edited LOL I got lazy, so parts of it might be....yucky. 

Comment replies in the comment section~~

See you in the next Chapter!

-greenninjapanda GNP-