*Wooyoung's POV*

I was telling the story of how we met in case she didn't remember, but when I looked at her, she was staring into space. "Ai?" I snapped my fingers in front of her face.

She blinked and looked around her. She looked at me like she just remembered I was here. "Y-yeah?"

"You okae?" I pulled my hand away from her face. "You were spacing out."

Her face was tinted baby pink and she covered her cheeks. "Uh, I do that all the time." She smacked herself and shook her head. "Were you saying something?"

"Oh, no. I was just recalling the time we met." I said. "It's kinda cool that we're classmates now. It's like fate don't you think?" I smiled and she smiled as well.

A faint ringing was heard.

"That's the bell," I said, looking at the front of the school. I turned back to Ai. "We should head back now."

She nodded and we headed back to class.

***

My dad picked me up from school and we rode to the Amaryllis Hotel. He parked in the back where it says 'Employees Only'. 

I didn't want to say anything during the ride so I took the chance to ask now. "Appa, what are we doing here?"

He answered without looking at me, "You know how that friend of mine offered me a job here?"

I side-eyed him. "You took it didn't you?'

My father sighed. "Seonu already fired his previous CEO. We really need the money if we don't want to lose the restaurant or the house. Just please--don't do anything stupid or reckless. I don't want to get fired the first day. Do what you're told and help your father out. Please."

He looked at me with pleading eyes. I wanted to say no, but that we would be for my own selfish reasons. The restaurant was losing money and I didn't want to leave our house either. I hated the fact of working in a high class business, but I had no choice. I couldn't so no to my own father. "Yes appa."

He side-hugged me. "Thank you."

We walked passed the lobby and entered small double doors at the back. An employee stopped us, but when my dad showed him his identification card, he let us go. I stared at the identification card he had. He noticed me looking and slipped the card back into his wallet. I eyed him suspiciously but he didn't take note of it. We entered the double doors where it led to a hallway of various doors on each side. It seemed like my father knew where he was going because the moment we stepped inside, he turned right. I saw him counting the doors, looking for the right one. He stopped all of a sudden and I almost bumped into him. He was facing the door with a gold plated - Really? Gold? I rolled my eyes. Rich bastards. The name on the plate said 'Lee Seonu'. So this is appa's friend. 

My father gripped the handle and if I looked more closely, I could see him shaking a bit. He took in a deep breath and turned the handle. A blast of cold air smacked my face as I walked in. I hugged myself and rubbed my arms. "Why is it so cold in here?" 

"Shh," my father silenced me. The room we were in was white. Completely white. The walls were white, the floor was white--heck, even the furniture was white! It felt like being in a mental room. Only cleaner and more pure. To the left was an opening that led to another room. My father slowly walked towards it, with me at his back. He stood at the doorway and coughed. I heard a voice.

"Ahh, Minwoo! It's good to see you again!" The next thing I knew, a man came up to my father. He had chocolate brown hair and brown eyes to match. He looked fairly young for someone in his in thirties. However his eyes were just as cold as the room. When he looked at me and smiled, I felt a chill go down my spine. And it wasn't from the air conditioning. "This is your son?" He gestured to me.

"Yes. I'm sure you remember him." My father said, looking at the floor. 

Mr. Lee smiled. "Of course I do! You've grown up so much. A bit baby-faced, but so much more mature looking from when I last saw you."

My father's friend walked to me and put a hand on my back. "Come with me. Let's sit down so that we can talk." My father and I both hesitated, but we followed him in the room. I sat down on the white chair--this room is white too by the way. My father took a seat next to me and Mr. Lee sat behind his desk across from us. At least that had color. Black. Matches the room I guess. Across his desk were various papers and folders. A calendar--it was white too. A clock--oh guess what color it is! And a clear glass plate with his name on it. I played with the pencil holder, but I saw my father giving me an eye so I put my hands under the desk. 

Mr. Lee just smiled and looked at my father. "I assume that you're ready to take back your position as my CEO right?"

My father nodded. He was completely serious, a side I haven't seen in a long time. "Yes. And I assume that you'll help out my restaurant."

"Oh of course!" He stopped talking and looked at me. "Ah, Wooyoung-sshi, is it alright if I talk to your father in private? You can stay outside in the lobby. I'll call my son so that you two can talk. Catch up on stuff." He smiled but I didn't feel any kindness from it. 

I looked at my father but he shooed me away. "Go talk with Seonu's son. I'm sure you'll get along." 

I wanted to argue but I thought it wouldn't be the best thing to do. I bowed to Mr. Lee and my father and left the office. He wants me to talk to his son huh? I saw him in school sometimes, but we don't talk. There are times where we would catch each other's eye, but we acted like we didn't know each other. I really don't remember much about him. He had a face of a bunny and looked so innocent. He always did what his father told him and never complained. I sometimes would catch him crying in the bathroom, but once he sees me. He acts like nothing happened and walk away. 

I walked out of the 'Employees Only' area and sat down on a blue couch on the lobby. The seat was comfy and soft so I started bouncing up and down but stopped when I saw people looking at me. I apologized and stared awkwardly at the ceiling. 

"Wooyoung?"

I turned around and saw Mr. Lee's son, Junghwan.

"Oh," I stood up and bowed awkwardly. "It's nice to see you again." I think.

He smiled and took a seat across from me. "It's good to see you again too. How have you been lately?" He asked, trying to get a conversation starting.

"I'm fine. You?"

"Fine."

I haven't talked to this guy for so long that it was awkward. I mean, we didn't talk a lot before either, but it really just felt weird now.

"I heard you're running for class president," he said.

I nodded. "I did my speech this morning."

"I heard it. It was pretty good."

I just nodded and smiled. I really had no idea what to talk about.

"So Junghwan," I started to say but he interrupted me.

"Call me Sandeul. Only adults call me Junghwan. Unless you want me to consider you as an adult."

I gave him a weird look. This guy has weird logic. "Okae... Sandeul."

"Is there any special name you want me to call you?" He asked.

I shook my head. "No. It's okae. Just call me Wooyoung. Everyone does."

"So you've been working in the hotel business already?" I asked.

He shrugged. "Kinda. I'm still in training. My appa wants me to learn everything there is to know about running a business. Besides I'm going to be inheriting this hotel one day." 

"You don't look too happy about that," I said.

Sandeul sighed. "I never wanted to run a hotel." He looked around and leaned in. I leaned in as well to hear what he has to say. "I hate this. I hate everything my father tells me to do. I never wanted any of this." He stopped whispering and leaned back. "Honestly I was jealous of you."

"Waeyo?" 

"Because. Your father quit the business and you didn't have to go through everything I went through. At least, not anymore." He started playing with the pebbles in the bonsai tree that sat in the middle of the table between us. "Depending on how well you do, your training might take longer. But then again," he dropped the pebble and tossed it to the floor, "you were always better than me. My father envied your father for having a kid like you. Smart, bright, talented. My father pushed me to work even harder because I was always falling behind you."

Usually you would expect hatred and jealousy in those words. But I didn't hear it. He just sounded sad and exhausted. I pitied him a bit. 

"Now he's pushing me even further. Telling me what to do, taking everything away form me. He wants me to show off the years of skills I learned that you missed."

"Okae, what is this? Some sort of competition?" I asked.

"To my father it is."

I leaned my head back. Well this is annoying.

"Listen," Sandeul said. He looked me straight in the eye. He was serious. "I don't want to think of us as competitors. I don't want to go through this, and I bet you don't either. Right?"

"Yeah. I hate this hotel business just as much as you," I stared at the bonsai tree on the table. "I actually got mad at my father when he told me he wants to get back in the business."

Sandeul's face lit up then. "So can we be friends? I mean, we have a few things in common. We both hate the hotel business, we hate all this training we have to go through."

I was a bit taken back. This boy was really straight forward. "S-sure?"

Sandeul stood up and started shaking my hand. "Well it's good to be friends with you Wooyoung! I've always wanted to be friends with you, but you always looked so serious before, so I was scared. But since you left, you look so happy and carefree, I envied you a bit. But anyways, I've always wanted to be friends with you!"

"O... okae," I gave him a weird looks but he was just smiling brightly. 

"I see you've already become friends Junghwan."

Sandeul stopped shaking my hand and his cheerful smile faded. He let go of my hand and bowed to his father. "Uh, yes. I look forward to working with him again."

My father was behind him. Why does he look so pale? When my father met my eyes, he smiled. "Wooyoung!" He walked over to me. "Should we go home and have a feast at the restaurant? We're keeping the place aren't we?"

"Chincha?" I looked at my father and then to Mr. Lee. He had that same cold smile from earlier. 

"Yes," he said. "Your father loved his restaurant so much, I couldn't say no."

"Shall we go home Wooyoung?" My father said. Why was he in such a hurry?

"Uhm, sure," I said while my father was already making me turn around. I took one last look at Sandeul, who was waving goodbye. He was smiling, but it wasn't as cheerful as when we were talking. I looked at Mr. Lee and I felt another shiver go through my body. I turned around and followed my father out the hotel. I can now see why Sandeul isn't too fond of his father. I wouldn't be too.

***

My father and I went home and brought the good news to the family. My mother looked relieved, Yoobin was jumping up and down, and Mary looked happy to know that she kept her job. We drove to my father's restaurant in good spirits. Even I was in a good mood. 

Once we got down I saw someone I didn't expect to see.

"Ai?"

Ai was walking with some girl I didn't know. They both looked up and Ai smiled. 

"Wooyoung," she ran up to me while the other girl followed, but stayed a few feet behind. "What are you doing here?" 

I looked back to my family who was stepping in the restaurant. My father looked at me, but I gestured that I'll meet them inside. My father smiled and closed the door behind him. "This," I pointed to the mahogany painted building, "is my father's restaurant."

Ai gazed at the old-fashion lanterns in awe. Like how she gazed at the cherry blossoms a year ago. "Wow~ I didn't know your parents owned a restaurant."

"Well, now you do." I smiled and Ai smiled in return. I looked at the other girl who was standing behind Ai, looking around awkwardly. Ai followed my gaze and introduced me to her. "This is Soyoung. She's a new worker at the bakery." She turned to Soyoung. "This is Wooyoung. He's running for class president."

She smiled and bowed. "Hello," her voice was soft. "It's nice to meet you. That was a very nice speech you made today."

"Thank you," I replied. I noticed that her eyes were a bit puffy. I whispered to Ai what was that about, even though it's none of my business, and she said it was boy troubles or something like that. 

I looked back at the restaurant and through the large glass windows, I saw my family settling in on one of the tables. "I have to go now." I turned to Ai. "I'll see you tomorrow? Well of course, we're in the same class." I laughed and Ai laughed as well. 

"We keep forgetting that don't we?" We chuckled and the other girl Soyoung stood there awkwardly. We said our farewells and I push the doors to the restaurant open. The wind chimes sang as the top of the door hit it and swayed as I made my way towards the table my family was at.

I took a seat next to my sister and my parents sat across from us. Mary, who was also invited, took a seat next to my sister and they were playing. My father had a big smile on his face, the one he usually had when he's in a really good mood. My mother was also in a good mood. You can tell she's in a good mood when she chatters on and on. I looked around the table and I couldn't help but smile. Everyone looked so happy and I wanted it to last. My smile faded when I remember that it wouldn't stay this way for long.

I made some changes. In chapter 7, I said they would make the speeches on Friday. Well I changed it to Thursday. So for chapter 10, 11, and 12's setting is on Thursday, and chapter 12's setting is Friday. I wasn't planning on changing it, but I had to write something for Wooyoung's POV. I hope you don't mind the inconveniences. :)  

School is about to start and I'm not sure if I'll update as often. Ahh~ Hopefully I can have 13 and 14 up before school starts. I haven't even done any back to school shopping... -___-

I have 7 subscribers! >.< Not much, but thank you for taking interest!! Talk to me... Tell me what you think about my story...