A/N: Hi guys, I'm back with another chapter. I would like to apologize for the late update and for the short chapter. I'll try to update the next chapter as soon as possible since I'm already halfway done. Again, I apologize for the slow phase, I just have to finish the flashback then the flow would finally be faster.  I'm also open to any suggestions and comments so that I can improve my story. Anyway, thanks for dropping by. Enjoy reading!

“I’m sorry.” She softly whispered, looking at me in the eye and I just sat there, frozen.

She gently sat across me, holding her stare on me. It took me few seconds to realize the intense eye contact we have and so I shifted my gaze to break it off. “What are you doing here?” I asked senselessly, mentally kicking myself for the stupid question. I was expecting her to mock me or to laugh at me but she just lean forward with a light smile in her face.

“I came to apologize.” She simply stated as she once again gaze on me with her dark brown eyes. I hated it when a stranger look at me in the eye without hesitation but Yoon Bomi is the exception. Her gaze is somehow alluring and captivating and at some point, breath-taking, just like now.

“You don’t have to…it was me who popped out all of a sudden anyway.” I looked away, avoiding her stare.

“Still, allow me to apologize. It was mean of me to treat you like that.” She leaned back as she watched me awkwardly work on my laptop. I tried ignoring her as I recoup my focus. I glanced at her few minutes later just to realize that she’s already reading my proposal. She busily flipped a page of my written output, sighing every now and then.

“Yah, keep your hands off that file. It’s confidential.” I warned as I attempt to take the file from her but she just sneered at me and jerked my hands away.

“You made this?” She looked up, staring at me in muse.

I nodded proudly and she just sighed in return.

“Yah, what’s wrong with it?”

“Theoretically, nothing is wrong with this. It’s actually quite amazing if you look at it in a Good Samaritan’s perspective. But in reality, this is bad, really bad.” She openly stated, shaking her head at one point.

“What do you mean bad? When did a scholarship program become a bad thing?” I asked worriedly. I always have confidence in my work, especially in this one. I had a lot of sleepless nights because of this. But she has this look in her face which alarmed me a little.

“Social Care Group?” She pondered at the name of my proposal.

Social Care Group is the scholarship program I’ve been working on for quite a long time now. I considered it as a way for the rich students such as myself to contribute to the community by allowing poor but intelligent and gifted students to enter the academy under full scholarship. Most schools and universities, even private schools, provide scholarship programs and so I hope the academy would do the same. It took me a lot of work and effort to push the proposal for approval because I’ve been longing to break the strict social class system we have.

“Do you really think this would work?” She suddenly asked, pulling me out of my deep thoughts. She stared at me warily that my confidence started to sink. She seems to have something in mind which she’s holding back.

“You seem to think that this would not work? Why is that so?” I asked back.

“This could work…but not in a social conscious school like A Cube Academy. A Cube Academy has always been known as the home of Korea’s richest kids, a niche for the future CEO’s, major stockholders and politicians. Only one percent of the society can attend this school and that what makes this school prominent and prestigious. We already have four social classes, who carry prestige from the different prominent sectors of the society. Adding a social care group would totally ruin the social class system that we have.”

I knew it! She’s just like most of the students here who only care about the image of the school. I took the file from her hands, somehow disappointed. “What’s the point of discussing this with you, you wouldn’t understand anyway.” I hissed.

She gave out a soft chuckle as she stares at me intensely, “It’s you who doesn’t understand how the real world works.”

She clicked her tongue and I mused at her. “What do you mean?”

“Yesterday, I went to the canteen to eat lunch and guess what I felt?” She beamed at me, asking me to take a guess but I just stared back at her, clueless.

“I felt aloof. Almost all the tables are occupied and you can’t just take an empty seat without considering your social group. I didn’t even know until yesterday that sitting next to a student who belongs to the first and second group without asking permission is considered rude. And oh, there’s this table located at the canteen’s balcony which is restricted. I heard that only the three heiresses could use that table.” She gave me a sly smile and I rolled my eyes, ignoring her smooth mocking.

“The point is that there’s an immense form of discrimination and alienation in this academy because of the strict social class system we have. All the students in this academy, including you, Park Chorong, are contributors in this immense form of discrimination and alienation. However, there are no apparent victims of these discrimination and alienation yet because all the students have the same prestige; they are all part of the one percent. Adding your social care group would, however, turn things around. Students who would be part of this group would be the final victims because they belong to a lower social status. They’d be deemed as powerless and poor no matter how smart and talented they are. ‘Why would I threat you as a friend if in the future, you’d end up as my mere employee’ – that would be the common notion of the students with regards to the scholars. You’d only end up punishing them instead of helping them, Park Chorong, because that’s how the real world works.” She cracked a grin to cover up the dark atmosphere she created while I leaned on my seat, a little bit disoriented. It took me few minutes to totally absorb her thoughts.

Yoon Bomi never strikes me as the smart one. She had a strong personality but I didn’t thought she’d be this cunning. She has a point and that point made my entire proposal worthless. Now I get it why the head master was hesitant about the approval of my proposal. I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. Her point never crossed my mind because I’m too oblivious as to what is really going on.

“Yoon Bomi-shi, why didn’t you show up earlier. I’m so ruined.”

I heard her chuckle for the second time which made me glance at her. She leaned forward, with her arms resting on top of the table. “I think you’re smart, Park Chorong-shi, you’d be able to come up with another idea.” she whispered, looking into my eyes. It was like she wanted to say something more but stopped herself. However, I don’t have the time to care because I have a deadline to meet and I’m back to square one.

I glanced at my laptop, ignoring Bomi’s watchful eyes. I have to come up with a new proposal fast and Bomi’s presence isn’t helping me think. I wanna ask her to leave but I don’t know what to say. Nevertheless, Bomi being the cunning one realize my dilemma and decided to leave me alone as I dive into a pool of desperation.

An hour passed but I never came up with a new proposal that is worth presenting to the board of directors. I covered my face with my palm as I try to ease up my apprehension when I felt a tap on my shoulder. I look up and met Bomi’s eyes. She gave me an reassuring smile,“Cheer up, Park Chorong-shi and allow me to ease up your burden.”

I frowned at her, “and how is that so?”

She just shrugged before she took my hand and motioned me to follow her and surprisingly, I got up and trail behind her. “Where are we going?” I managed to ask.

“Skipping class!”

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Preview(Spoiler) for the next two Chapters:

Chorong

“She’s okay. Average but she’ll do.” She added. I saw her clench her jaw, a gesture which I’ve learned through the years, as a sign of jealousy. I watch her as she secretly studied Bomi whose busy getting us drinks and I can’t help it but smirk.

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“Are you not going to entertain him? He’s been secretly watching you for quite some time now.” She teased and I just nudge her in the shoulder. “Let’s go somewhere more peaceful.” I pulled her out of the event reception to avoid an awkward encounter with him.

“Ooh, he’s quite a stalker. He even followed us here.” Bomi continued her mischievous teasing while I stood there in terror. “You think this is fun? He had never done this before.”

“It’s your fault for agitating him and making him jealous.” She muttered and I glared at her.

“I thought he would stop liking me if he thinks I’m dating someone else. He seems to be a nice kid and so I thought he’d understand.”

“Chorong noona…”

He called out. I saw him coming out of his hiding as he slowly walked towards us. I looked at Bomi in horror and she stared back at me anxiously. “Bomi-ah, do something, quick!”

“You’d hate me for this…” She warned before pulling me closer to her. Few seconds later, I felt her warm lips on mine.