`( the last mistress . 
                    ❝ hopeless...❞

 

"When we were children,we used to think that when we grown up; we would no longer be vulnerable...

but to grow up is to accept vulnerability...To be alive, is to be vulnerable..."

~Madeleine L'Engle~

“Annyeong, adjusshi! Have a good day!” I shouted happily to the bus driver as soon as I hooped down from the bus.

The old man waved and grinned back to me before he resumed taking the passengers to the other places. I stood there, watching as the bus moved away before it disappeared from my sight – then only I spun my body around.

“Hmmm...it’s good to be alive...” at least, that was what I thought every morning when I wanted to start a new day for me.

I took a deep breath, tightening the grip of my bag on my shoulder before I started taking steps into the huge front gate of my campus. Yeah, this was where I currently study right now. I’m taking major in Art and Music course since I love music so much. I got addicted to it since I was young and the passion growing deeper inside me since I started learning here.

I paced further into the main compound of the college. I could hear the noises and buzzing sound of conversation among all the university students. My lips twisted into a small, blissful smile when I saw them laughing cheerfully in many groups. I love this kind of life; happy, carefree and peaceful – or to put it in a simpler way, a normal life for a 23 years old student like me.

“Yah, Kim So Eun!” someone called out loud for my name and I glanced around towards where it came. My smile became even broader now when I noticed another young girl was running approaching me.

“Annyeong, Hina ah! Good morning!” meet my closest and most loyal best friend of all, Kwon Hina. She studied in the same course as mine – and insanely sharing the same dumbness as me!

Hina finally stopped panting beside me as I paused on my feet too. Looking down to her who was bending her body to catch up for her breath, I grinned teasingly upon her. I waited for her to become calmer and when she did, she straightened her body and intentionally grabbed my neck.

“Ya – yah!” I choked; trying to release my head from her but this chic was somehow stronger and tougher than me! Hina chuckled evilly to me.

“Heh! What are you laughing at just now, huh Kim So Eun? Are you trying to mock me that I was panting like an old ajumma just now huh?” Hina smacked me lightly on my forehead with her small fist but I gritted my teeth and flung her arm away from snaking around my neck.

“Urgh! Let me go! Who’s laughing for whom now? I didn’t say a word about you, being an ajumma!” I protested while shooting her a threatening glare but Hina pouted and I resumed walking again.

Then I raised my eyebrow sarcastically, “...but if you think of yourself like that, then I’m afraid that I have to strongly agree with you!”

I added mischievously before bursting out laughing madly to her. Hina stopped following me, putting her hands on her hips as her eyes narrowed grudgingly on me.

“Grrr...yah, Kim So Eun!!! You seriously wish to die, don’t you?!” she growled loudly to me before started chasing after me to try attacking my neck again. But I was aware of it this time and started picking up my paces to escape from her.

We ended up being Tom and Jerry, running nearby the main campus field until...

“Yah, look out!” someone screamed to warn us. Both Hina and I stopped to widen our eyes.

We saw a big football was flying high in the air, straight to us before I stepped in reverse and hastily pushed Hina by her arms.

“Hina, stand back!” I managed to shout and we both threw our bodies down to the edge of the field. I closed my eyes, enduring the pain on my knees as I felt my body landed on the ground. Then I heard Hina groaned next to me in her pain as well.

“Urgh! Aish! Seriously!!! Who the hell that is clever enough to play football so early in the morning huh?! Don’t you idiots know how to go jogging or something?!” oh my, she started it again. I knew that if I didn’t stop Hina from her anger now, she won’t be able to stop cursing and scolding the people until the end of this day.

I opened my eyes again and pushed my body to stand up. Hina had already stood still on her feet and she had her hands firm on her hips as she was glaring to the boys in the middle of the field. I walked over to her, “Hina ah...”

“Don’t!” she held up her palm to the front of my face. I blinked on it, “Don’t stop me from ripping away the heads of these brainless jerks!”

She squeezed her shoulders arrogantly while I tried to open my mouth, trying to find a word to at least calm her down but suddenly, a boy came running to us.

“I’m seriously sorry about that! I didn’t mean to kick it so far and high...I just...I mean, I didn’t see you girls here...” the boy started explaining to her but then Hina groaned again and she looked up to him after rubbing away the dust on her jeans.

“Yeah, sure the hell you’re sorry! You’re so – " I closed my eyes and bit my lips, waiting for her to blow off but unexpectedly, she didn’t. Feeling weird, I opened my eyes back and checked on Hina’s face.

Wait, did she just blush? I shrugged and touched her on her shoulder but Hina didn’t budge even a little. Instead, she stayed paralyze on her feet as her cheeks started glowing bright red now.

“Hina ah...are you okay?” I asked but then the boy just now chuckled a bit.

“I am so what?” I glanced around to him and I immediately recognized this boy. Haish, no wonder Hina was so starstruck. This shortie boy had always become her crush since the first day she saw him around the college. He was one of the kingkas in the new popular group in our college.

When Hina stayed frozen and didn’t say a word to him, he grinned again. Okay, now I knew why Hina was so head over heel for him. He was indeed, looking so much of a heart-throbber especially when he was grinning like that – showing off his eyesmile that was extremely cute. I laughed a bit under my breath but quickly covered it with my palm. I’m sure that Hina was dead by now.

And I was right because when I turned back to look at her, she was already smiling so cheesily that I swore I almost threw up now.

“Em...I guess you don’t have anything else to say to me...so yeah...can I have my football back?” the boy spoke again after quite a long minutes stretched between us. Hina was still too deep in her fantasy, staring intensely on him so I bent down and picked up the ball that laid forgotten beside Hina’s legs.

“Here you go...” I was about to hand the ball to him but suddenly, “Swosh!”

I blinked when it was swept away so fast from my hands and the next thing was that Hina had already giggling in front of the boy. I snorted and watched them.

“Hehe...very sorry for the misunderstanding just now...here is your ball...em, please be safe when you’re playing...don’t get yourself injure, okay?” suddenly she sounded very gentle, soft and care as Hina placed the ball carefully back into his arms. The boy smiled brightly again and nodded his head.

“Yeah, sure...thank you so much...you girls too, be careful on your way...” the boy replied her with friendly tone as he shifted his eyes to me and bowed a bit. I simply waved to him but then he looked back to Hina and...wink.

“Omo! Omo! Aigoo! Baekhyun ah!!! Don’t do this to me!” yes, the boy @ eyesmile kingka in our college was named Byun Baekhyun. He was the member in the popular crowd with his other big group. I didn’t exactly know most of them but I knew this Byun Baekhyun since...yeah, Hina was crazy about him.

“Yah, Hina ah! Careful you, dumbhead!” I quickly ran to support Hina by her shoulders when she was about to get fainted when she saw her crush had just winked cutely to her.

Baekhyun was running back to the middle of the field and he continued playing the game with the rest of his friends. I tried to pull Hina to walk away and resume walking to our lecture but she seemed to be rooted there, especially when she already set her eyes on Baekhyun.

“Yah, Kwon Hina! Stop spazzing around, will you? We have classes to catch up!” I scolded her, punching Hina on her shoulder but she simply clasped her hands together and continued drooling over the shortie Baekhyun! What’s so special about him anyway? He was just being a little bit cute, to me.

Hina shook her head while smiling unstoppably now. “Mianhae yo, So Eun ah...but I can’t move anywhere right now...because my whole world is here...he’s finally here now...” she mumbled dreamily and continued watching Baekhyun that was running and laughing freely in the field.

“Aish...what a fool!” I made a gesture to punch her again but on her head right now. Then I decided to let her be in her ridiculous heaven for another five minutes as I stood crossing my arms over my chest and looked ahead to the field.

“Kyaaa!!! Baekhyun is so goddamn handsome!!!” Hina was fangirling again beside me but my smile that was lingering to laugh at her stopped exactly the moment when I saw someone else.

I only got my eyes fixed on Baekhyun since he was the only boy that I knew among the group there but when he cornered and shot the ball into the goal, my eyes landed straight on the tall goalkeeper. My eyes were somehow locked to him until...he wiped away his sweat and turned looking to my direction.

I gulped down my throat and blinked. He stopped paying attention to his teammates as he also got his eyes glued on me. Wait, was it me or on somebody else? I tilted my head around hesitantly and saw no one except Hina and I who stood nearby the field now. I swallowed the discomfort feeling again and glanced back to him.

Oh God, he was still staring on me. Yeah, I’m pretty sure of it. I was kind of remembered him – or I did know him a little since...since I’ve heard a lot about him from my coursemates. They were all furious about him.

If I’m not mistaken, he was the weird and coldhearted leader of this new kingka group. But...what was his name again? Krease??? Kris??? Grease! Oh, well! Like I care...

Finally couldn’t stand the anxious feeling of being under his gaze, I tugged Hina by her sleeve and automatically pulled her away from the field. Hina tried to protest again.

“Aish...hish! Where are you taking me?!” she asked me angrily, sound irritated but I rolled my eyes.

“So Eun ah...are you sure you don’t wanna go back yet?” Hina was asking me by the time she walked over to the white piano and picked up her bag from top of it.

I smiled and looked up to her. Nodding my head, I answered. “Yeah...you just go on first...I’ll see you again tomorrow...”

“Right, music freak...see you later, darl!” Hina replied, chuckling to me. We were waving to each other until she left this music practice room.

Yeah, it was true as she called me just now. I am a music freak. I was so in love with this beautiful art until I won’t end my day here in college without playing at least a short song from this piano. I smiled on my thought as my hands started opening the cap of the keyboard.

Breathing shortly, then I placed my fingers on the black and white keyboard before I started pressing smoothly on it. Soft, calming melody drifted through the air and it filled the whole empty practice room until I heard it echoed throughout the corridor outside. There was nobody here anymore except me alone since the lecture time had long over for today.

I continued playing and humming the instrumental version of Lee Hi’s song entitled Rose before suddenly I heard a group of boys was laughing among them. My hands stopped playing and I looked through my shoulders to the glass window nearby.

I bit my lips, feeling curious to check on them since they sounded so close down this building. I stood up from the piano bench and walked over to the windowpane. As I stood next to it, I pulled a hem of the pink curtain to peek my head a bit from behind of it. Then only I saw seven boys – the kingka group was sitting while laughing and chitchatting among them on a wooden bench that situated across from this Art and Music Department.

I frowned. Did someone among them was a student from this course too? I don’t know and I don’t even have any time to think since I spotted Kris again. He sat exactly in the middle of the group as his friends were all circling him. Staring on his perfectly shaped chin, I had to admit that this boy was truly handsome and attractive on his own mysterious aura.

Though he rarely talks and smiles and would rather stay listening to all of his loud friends, but strangely I hoped...I did hope to see him smile. I sighed and looked down to my feet. Wait, what was happening to me?

Finally feeling stupid that I actually stood here just to peek on the kingkas, I raised up my head again and wanted to pull over the curtain to cover the window back but my hand stopped when I realized Kris had his eyes staring up to me. Again?!

Em...we gazed on each other for a second, a minute or...whatsoever before I quickly pulled the curtain and it broke away the eye contact that I had with Kris just now. I sighed in relief behind the curtain as I walked back to the piano. Sitting down on its bench, I put up a hand against my chest. Seriously, this weird boy got a strange effect on me. Everytime we were staring on each other, I could feel my heart actually trying to explode out from my chest through my sore throat. God, I guess Kris was powerful enough to make me feel like this...or maybe because I was just being insane after having the most popular guy in the campus had his eyes on me? Think again, maybe not!

“Aish! Get a grip, Kim So Eun!” I scolded myself, punching my head with my hands until I accidentally saw the time on my wristwatch. Great! I was late to catch up for the last taxi! Congratulation, Kim So Eun! Who ask you to be so stupid and spent your precious time thinking about K.R.I.S huh?!

I hastily stood up, closing back the piano with one hand while the other hand reached out for my bag. Then I slung it over my shoulders and started running towards the plug to switch off the electricity and so but suddenly, I heard someone pulling opened the door of this practice room.

“Oh, annyeong...look at what we have here...the heavenly beautiful Kim So Eun sshi...” I stopped dead when I saw three boys walked entering the room. I gripped on my bag in nervous when the last one to enter locked the door behind him after closing it. They arranged their steps to me, each with devilish smile on their faces.

I swallowed hard and dared myself to look straight on them. “Em...what...what are you guys doing here? You’re not supposed to be here since...since you guys are not the music students...”

“Yeah, we are...but we just want to hang around here without expecting that we will meet such a hot lady being alone here...” one of them answered me and the other two supported him by laughing irritatingly.

I simply nodded my head and walked pass them to quickly escape myself. I knew that they were dangerous from the demonic way they were staring on me.

“Well, enjoy yourself then...excuse me...” I said when I was about to reach the door but one of them ran straight to me and jumped exactly before me to block my way. I stopped glaring up to him.

“Wowowowo...where do you think you’re going, girl? Chillax, princess...since you asked us to enjoy...then we need someone as a play toy to have fun...isn’t it?” he asked me, his lips as he took his steps slowly nearing me. I breathed harder and quicker, feeling my heartbeats were increasing at an instant as I reversed away from him.

“What do you mean? Leave me alone!” I exclaimed but I wasn’t aware of another man who stood behind me until I bumped and tripped on his legs.

“Ah!” I yelled, losing my balance but the boy caught me by my waist and he spun my body around to trap me within his arms.

“Hahaha! Gotcha! Where do you think you are running huh?” he whispered to my ear as I started struggling inside his arms to free myself.

“Let...let me go!!! Please!!!” I managed to scream but another one of them came to stand in front of me and he got my mouth covered with his palm. They laughed out loud madly, ready to do something stupid that I couldn’t think would happen to me until out of a sudden...

“BUMP!” we heard something hard knocked on the door. All the three boys stopped moving, looking at the door that was securely locked but I seized the chance to save myself.

“Argh! !” I bit the hands of the one that held me before I kicked another boy that was blocking my way. They both howled in pain as the last one was trying to catch for me again. I closed my eyes, I was hoping that I’m fast enough to reach the door and unlock it before he got to touch me.

Fortunately, I did and when I groaned, pushing my body out alongside with the widely opened door, my body fell exactly on a pair of waiting arms. I opened my eyes again, realizing that there was someone stood facing the door right now and I looked up.

My eyes widened when I noticed that it was Kris.

I clutched tighter on his chest, trying to stop myself from stumbling to the ground but he held firmer on my arms and helped me to stand up properly.

“What...what are you doing here?” I breathed loudly, glancing back to check on the three boys who tried to disturb me just now. They had stopped exactly by the door when they noticed it was Kris who stood with me now. Kris slightly stole a glance down to my worried face before he changed his bloodshot stare towards them.

I changed my eyes questioningly from Kris and then to the boys. They shot me a threatening glare from the corner of their eyes but when they looked back to Kris, they smirked and simply walked away without word. I was totally stunned now. Did Kris was a ghost until they simply left me like they never intended something bad on me? Or did this tall boy has some secret magic??? I stupidly questioned myself but when the boys were gone from our sight, Kris let go of me.

“So...sorry...” I apologized, brushing my long hair to cover my reddening cheeks when I realized that I had just clung to him so close and tightly before. He didn’t say a word but just walked over to the door and picked up something laid forgotten next to it on the floor.

Oh...so the loud banging just now came from his football. Thanked God, football. I was so much grateful to you. Oh wait, maybe I should thank the one that was kicking the ball – Kris. I glanced uncertainly to him again but he hugged the ball closer to his waist and started walking away without paying any attention to me again. Didn’t he even bother to ask whether I am alright or not? After he did save me? Or...he just accidentally kicked his ball here?

There were so many questions rushing in my head but I hastily ran behind him when I realized that he had almost reach the end of this dark corridor. I stopped and paced closely behind Kris.

“Em...thank...thank you for saving me...” I whispered politely to him but he stopped walking so suddenly until I almost bumped into his broad shoulders from behind. I slightly yelped, covering my mouth to stop myself from screaming before I looked up to him.

He tilted his head to a side, showing me his perfect side profile with that pointed straight nose before he smirked and said,

“...only a fool will stay inside this empty building after the lectures are all over...” with that, he resumed walking down the stairs.

I blinked my eyes, watching him disappeared but never follow him again. I bit my lips and folded my arms, feeling dissatisfied with his words. Did he just say that I’m a fool?! Then he should be counting himself in as one of the fools too because he was also here when the day almost dusk now!!!

“Aish...I knew it...he’s a jerk after all...” I mumbled, shaking my head but decided to go back straight before I encounter with any other unnecessary people!

I finally reached outside the building, checking on the time whether I would still manage to find the last taxi or not when again, I was startled by the sudden loud ringing of my phone.

“My love is like a red rose...it may be beautiful now...but my sharp thorns will hurt you...” once again, Rose from Lee Hi played as my ringtone. I don’t know why I loved this song so much. Without thinking further about it, I picked up the call and heard the voice of my father.

“Oh, So Eun ah...” Kim Jonghyun, this is my father. I wasn’t really happy that the call came from him but I sighed and answered lazily.

“Yes, it’s me...what is it, appa?” I resumed walking to the main gate of the college but I slowed down my feet when I noticed there was a black car waiting outside there by the street. I frowned hesitantly.

“Where are you now? If you’re still in college, then get back home and prepare to go with me...we’re having dinner together this night...” he ordered me, like always. But I let out another tired sigh as my eyes kept focusing on the car.

“What? Why are we having dinner out of nowhere? It’s not my birthday or something...and why do you need to see me outside? We can eat at home...it’s easier...” I reasoned out to him but I heard appa was clicking his tongue impatiently over the line.

“Just don’t be stubborn and listen to me, will you? When I said outside, it means out! Get ready, dress up properly and see me at the usual hotel...get it?” he pressed his voice firmer and I was too lazy to argue, not after I almost being disturbed by those es just now!

Finally I sighed again and nodded my head as thought appa could see me, “I got it, appa...but I just want to remind you once again...though I know that you wanted to ask me out for a dinner outside but still...you don’t need to send your dog around just to tail me...I know exactly how to handle myself...”

I heard his breathing but I don’t wish to make the conversation longer and simply cut off the line. Knowing that he won’t call me back, I kept away my phone inside my pocket and walked straight to the car. As the person inside can see me walking towards him through the tinted black window, he pulled open the door and stepped out from the car. I stopped exactly in front of the man, frowning.

“Oh, honey...don’t show me such a displease face like that...you’re way too beauty to look mad...” Yunho oppa teased me but I didn’t laugh even a little. Yunho oppa worked under my father’s underground gang. Did I mention that appa was actually a politician?

Yes, he is but in the same time, he was just a pokerface. A very caring and responsible politician by the day but in the night, he was nothing but a corrupt and useless thug! I breathed out in despair at the reality of my evil father but what else can I do, he is my father after all.

“You don’t have to come and pick me up...I have money and I know how to find my own taxi to go back...” I told him coldly but Yunho oppa smiled a bit and wagged his finger in front of my face.

“Order is an order, So Eun ah...I can’t get your father angry with me for sending you late to the dinner...” he replied but I glared away.

“I don’t know what's so important about it...” he shrugged too before moved aside to pull open the door to the backseat for me.

“I don’t have any idea too...so c'mon in...you don’t want to be late...” he concluded and I stamped my feet loudly until I threw my body inside, still sulking. Yunho oppa drove us back to my home and I quickly got out from the car as soon as he parked it in front of the mansion.

“Get dress...I’ll be waiting here to send you there...” Yunho oppa yelled to me as I climbed up the stairs but I ignored him and resumed approaching the door. I was about to pull the knob but somebody did it from inside and I encountered with my oldest oppa by the door. I dropped my hand to my side when he looked down to me.

“Oh, oppa...” Jae Joong stared absentmindedly on me but a minute after that, he simply cleared his throat and walked pass me to go out.

“Jae Joong oppa...” I called for him again, following his steps with my gaze but he continued walking downstairs until he stopped by the car and started chitchatting to Yunho, his best friend in their DBSK group.

I made a gesture to punch him from behind but sighing when I knew how much Jae Joong loved to ignore me. Sometimes whenever I was around him, I felt completely like a wall. Wishing so much to ignore him like he did to me, I resumed entering the house and wanted to walk straight to my room.

“Yo, So Eunnie!” I stopped by the first row of the stairs when someone familiar called out my name. I tilted my head around and spotted my dearest dongsaeng there. My eyes brightened happily.

“Yah, Jong Dae ah! Come here, you kid!” I asked him to come to me but instead he opened his arms wide and I have to run towards him to throw myself into his embrace. Once I circled my hands around his neck, he closed his arms around my waist. We giggled together.

“Omo, Jong Dae ah...I missed you so much! Where have you been, dear?” I asked my younger brother as I Jong Dae by his hair. He chuckled but slightly let go of me.

“Chill, noona ah...I know that you’ll be missing me like hell...because I miss you too!” he said and kissed me lightly on top of my forehead. Aigoo, this little devil. He was my dongsaeng but now, he was way taller than me.

I pouted and pinched his cheek but Jong Dae yelled playfully to me back. I laughed, rubbing the spot where I twisted his skin just now. “You didn’t yet answer me, Jong Dae ah...where have you been?”

“Aish...don’t worry, noona ah...I’m not going anywhere dangerous...it’s just China...” my eyes widened when I heard him though Jong Dae looked completely in ease with it.

“What?! China??? Why did you tell me...aish! Why do you need to go that far huh?!” I yelled to him and now was attacking for his ear to be pinched. Jong Dae screamed in pain too but I ignored him and continued pulling his earlobe.

“Ouch! Noona! Let me go! It hurts!” he still trying to escape himself from me but I only freed him when I’m satisfied staring on his reddening ear. I nodded firmly to myself while Jong Dae was pouting to me in return.

“Yeah! Serve you right! Who ask you to go missing for a week and only came back saying to me that you were actually in China? You should be a bit clever if you don’t want to get your ear tear apart next time...” I warned him but Jong Dae stuck out his tongue to me.

“Whatever! You can’t stop me!” he said and clapped his hands cheerfully but I caught sight of something different on his left arm so I grabbed his wrist and brought it closer to me.

“Jong Dae, what is this?” I observed the black colored tattoo crafted on the skin of his left wrist and he simply giggling.

“I made this in China, noona...it looks cool, isn’t it?” he commented, tapping his finger on the tattoo but I was frowning on it. To me, the tattoo didn’t look cool but it scared me. The shaped of something hexagon like this was somehow reminded me of a logo of any dangerous thug group. Sighing worriedly, I squeezed tighter on his hand and peered up to him.

“Jong Dae ah...you don’t get yourself involved with something dangerous, do you?” I asked him concernly but he chuckled to me.

“No, I’m not...have no fear, noona ah...I promise...” he assured, nodding to me before he patted me on my hair. I wasn’t really wanted to believe him but I dropped his hand when I realized that I was being late for dinner with appa.

“Sorry, Jong Dae ah...I think I have to go now...appa wants to meet me outside...” I informed him, smiling as I reversed back to climb the stairs but Jong Dae smirked.

“Appa asked you out? Don’t go, noona...” I stopped on my feet when my brother told me like that. I turned looking weirdly down to him.

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t think something good will really happen during this meeting...tell me, noona ah...when is the last time you met appa and he didn’t cause you any trouble huh?” Jong Dae’s sarcastic question left my heart to start pounding anxiously in my chest.

But I chose to drop the matter and walked back to my room. As Jong Dae mentioned just now, it was true that there was something different with the dinner this time because it was also the very first time when appa left me with a pair of knee-length gown, colored in light purple on my bed.

“You look pretty tonight...” he praised me through the rear-mirror of the car when I was combing my hair with my fingers. I peered up to him but made no attempt to smile or feeling glad upon his compliment just now. Instead, I simply put on a small glittering butterfly pin on my wavy hair that was let loose to cover my shoulders since this dress bought by appa was the sleeveless one.

When I threw my sight outside of the window, I finally saw the hotel that appa mentioned earlier in his phone call. Yunho oppa stopped the car in front of the lobby and there was a worker came to open the door for me.

“Welcome, miss...” he greeted, bowing politely to me and I curved up a sweet smile to thank him.

I didn’t wait for Yunho oppa but instead I resumed made my way into the entrance. Of course, there was another one of appa’s dog was waiting for me by the door and he led me straight to the cafeteria that I was supposed to meet my father.

Weird. When I walked pass the glass wall that built up this cafeteria, the whole area was empty. I checked through the glass and saw that aside from appa sitting around a big table, there was also another old man – almost the same age as him who was in the middle of laughing with him. I bit my lips hesitantly and walked again. I knew that we were not alone.

I stopped forming frowns on my forehead when I was welcomed by at least two long lines of bodyguards in front of the door. As soon as they saw me, the puppets dressed all in lifeless black coats bowing down their heads 90 degree to me.

“Welcome, Kim So Eun sshi!” they said loudly in unison and I flinched a bit.

“Em...yeah...thanks...” I tried to smile but it turned to be awkward and I hastily pushed my body inside the cafeteria when one of them opened the door for me to step inside. I looked up to my appa and he glanced around upon hearing the click clack on my heels.

“Ah...so my princess is here...” he said proudly, standing up from his seat and walked over to me. I stayed waiting from where I paused from walking until appa stretched out his hand to me.

“Come here, honey...come to appa...” I felt completely weird when he suddenly being gentle to me. Well, he never was before so it was strange to experience it for the first time. I hesitantly placed my hand inside his and he led us to go nearing the table, where another old man was staring intensely on me.

Appa circled his arm around my waist and his other hand pointed out to the man. “So Eun ah...here, meet my long best friend of all the time...Mr. Lee Min Woo...”

I bowed down politely to him when appa introduced him to me and Mr. Lee laughed out a bit, nodding his head.

“Nice to meet you, So Eun ah...I’ve heard a lot about you from your father...” he told me and I raised up my head to exchange questioning look from him to appa. Really? They did talk about me? Why?

“Come, come...don’t be a stranger and take your seat...” Mr. Lee invited me. Appa signaled for me to take a seat next to him. We settled down before starting our dinner tonight.

Appa was surprisingly ordered for me all the favorite dishes that I wanted to eat. I was quite happy but boring at the same time since the two old men were discussing about South Korea’s business and so but at the end of the dinner, they finally said something that Inever expect will change my life forever.

Mr. Lee put down his fork and he laughed sarcastically as he stared on me from across the table.

“I like your daughter, Jonghyun ah...she’s the most beautiful and perfect young lady I ever met...” I wanted to smile on his compliment but my father was laughing proudly too.

“No, she’s not that flawless...but she’ll be a good wife, I’m sure of it...” his words changed my eyes to widen. Wait up. What? A good wife? What was that supposed to mean?

“Appa...” I called out but appa leaned forward to the table, looking straight to Mr. Lee and said again.

“So how is it? Are you going to agree to our deal?” What deal? I was growing impatient and curious until I touched appa on his shoulder, changing my eyes to Mr. Lee at the same time.

“Wait...what are you both talking right now? What kind of deal we have here actually?” I knew that something was so wrong here and I was down way right when Mr. Lee curved up a wild and mysterious smile for me.

“Sorry to surprise you, honey...but we will be having our wedding right at the end of this weekend...”

I dropped my hand from appa’s shoulder as I turned looking to him, seeking for a rational and realistic explanation. But unfortunately, that was it. Appa simply nodded his head and laughed out evilly like that old friend of him.

He was joking me right? He was actually trying to make me marry this old man? Mr. Lee Min Woo? No way!!! Involuntarily I stood up and pushed the table a little too strong from the impact of the growing anger inside my head. Mr. Lee and appa stopped laughing while I was shaking my head to them.

“No...that is definitely not going to happen! Mr. Lee, in case you don’t know this...then let me make it clear to you...I’m only 23 years old and I’m still in my college...I’m not being rude or anything but it has never be my intention to marry anyone...especially now! Sorry but excuse me...” I bowed for the last time to him and spun my body around to leave the mad place.

I’m sure that appa was staring angrily to me right now but I don’t care anymore. I quickened my steps until I managed to walk out from the cafeteria but when I reached the lobby, I heard running footsteps were following me behind. Next, it was appa’s voice calling out to me.

“Yah, Kim So Eun! Wait up!” he grabbed me from behind by my wrist and spun my body around to face him. I didn’t show any sign of being scared but I held my cold, stubborn eyes to his fierce face.

“No, appa...you can’t force me right now...” I started but he hissed to me.

“Oh yes, I can! I ing need money right now...right at this peak moment in my career and you’re going to help me easily get it too...so just stop being a and say yes to him!” he growled to me but I gazed in disbelief to him. My eyes had started feeling wet with my hot tears as I couldn’t believe what he just told me.

“Mo...money? Just because of money you’re selling me to that man?” I slipped the question from my mouth while my heart already broke into pieces by it.

“Yes, I am...and you’re not going to get away from it, So Eun ah...you’re my only daughter and I’m going to take full advantage on it...you better believe me...” he concluded before letting go of my hand.

He left me there, probably going to convince that damn Mr. Lee again but it was me whom left in high and dry here. I felt my whole body weakened but there was nothing that I can do to stop the time. I swallowed, feeling nothing but hopeless.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Author's note:

Annyeong, my dearest readers! Anyone missing me here??? Hehe, because I miss everyone like hell!!! I miss writing so much too!!! That's why I decided to write the very first chapter of this story.Okay, now...I know...don't get angry with me since I said that I'm going to finish writing The Wedding Planners first before posting this chapter but...aish...what to do...my pendrive got infected by virus and guess what??? All my wedding planners' file was deleted!!! Grrr!!! That's why I wrote this one first before rewritting the other story...haish...what a luck...but anyway, enjoy this first chapter and don't forget to comment! And also, thank you to all the new subscribers!!! Love ya~~~