Jen sighed as she flopped down on her bed and pursed her lips before hugging her pillow close to her body. Today had been a long day and exhaustion was beginning to take over – her eyelids drooped lower and lower and as soon as they closed, her phone began to ring.

She groaned then rolled on her side, grabbing her phone off her nightstand and put it to her ear. “Yeoboseyo?”

“Jenny-ah…” her mother began, her voice sounding extremely hoarse.

“Eomma,” Jen said with worry and sat up on her bed, “Are you alright?”

“We… your father and I…” her mother said while choking back tears, “They fired us…”

“Wait, what?!” Jen exclaimed in disbelief, her eyes growing wider. She knew what her mother said but her brain wouldn’t let it process it.

“We were fired today,” her mother stated quietly before bursting out into soft sobs.

A few hot tears slid down Jen’s face and she wiped them away. “Eomma…”

“I-I don’t know what to do…” her mother sobbed and gasped slightly to catch her breath, “We didn’t even do anything wrong. I don’t understand…”

“I’m coming home,” Jen said suddenly and wiped away her tears with a spark of determination in her eyes.

“No I-,” her mother began hastily.

“I was offered a job at the Tavern before I left for America and the offer is still standing,” Jen interrupted, “I can work until you two find a job and I can always come back.”

“I-,” her mother began again, once again trying to argue with her stubborn daughter.

“Please mom… I have to do this,” Jen begged firmly.

“Well… I… I don’t know about this,” her mother said, her voice cracking every so often.

“I can do this… please just trust me,” Jen implored and got off her bed, already packing her bags, “I’m leaving tonight.”

“But-,” her mom began.

“I’ll see you soon,” Jen concluded and hung up the phone.

---

Kai’s P.O.V:

‘Aish… where is that annoying girl?’ Kai thought as he paced around his room. He hadn’t seen Jen at all around campus since school ended and he even went to her dorm again. Some people said that she was with some other guys and that made his blood boil. She wasn’t supposed to be around any other guys beside himself.

‘Pabo-ah! I should be resting now not worrying about some commoner,’ he thought as he continued to pace and fiddled with his beanie, ‘but who were those guys she was seen with?’

“Aish” he hissed and threw his beanie down and scratched his head, “this girl is going to make me go crazy. I don’t even care anyway… Wait, what if it was that Hakyeon guy?!”

He stormed towards the door and put his hand on the doorknob but only froze in his place. “Then… who would the other guy be? And why didn’t she tell me she was leaving the campus?! Having me running all around looking for her… aish!”

He punched the door in his frustration and leaned his head against it and sighed heavily. ‘Jen-ah… what have you done to me?’

Kai clenched and unclenched his fists several times as he remained leaning his forehead against the door. ‘She has to be in her dorm by now,’ he thought and put on a coat. He didn’t care that it was almost midnight – he needed to see her whether she was still mad at him or not.

---

Kai rushed outside and looked up at the night sky; the stars were twinkling brightly but one shone much brighter than the others. At the sight, he had a funny feeling tug at his heart but he brushed it off and made his way to Jen’s dorm.

He quickly walked in the dorm hall and knocked on her door. “Jen!” He waited and even pressed his ear against the door to see if he could hear anything but he received no answer so he knocked several more times. “Pabo! I know you’re in there!” He banged even harder on the door until one of her “neighbors” came out while rubbing her eyes sleepily.

“Do you know what time it is?” the girl asked and yawned, leaning in the doorway.

Kai tch-ed and looked at the girl up and down in disgust. “Yah! You don’t think I know what time it is?”

“If you knew then you’d stop being so noisy,” the girl retorted and rolled her eyes.

“You…” Kai began and took a step forward.

“You’re looking for Jen, yes?” the girl asked, interrupting him.

Kai stopped in his tracks and looked completely flabbergasted. “How did you-,”

“Are you? Yes or no?” the girl asked impatiently with a hand on her hip.

“Maybe,” Kai grumbled childishly and looked away, his lips slightly pouted.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” the girl smirked, “you’d better hurry though… but she’s probably on her flight by now.”

“F-Flight?!” Kai stuttered in shock, his mouth forming a perfect ‘O’.

“You didn’t know?” the girl asked innocently before a smirk tugged at the corner of , “she left about an hour ago.”

‘N-No… No, she can’t be gone…’ Kai thought as he took a few steps backward in shock and made an abrupt turn before running out of the dorm hall.

---

Jen’s P.O.V:

Jen sat in the airport and swung her legs while humming 2NE1’s Lonely to herself before she sighed heavily and looked at the time. ‘How much longer do I have to wait?’ she thought and closed her eyes, while leaning back in her chair.

Her flight had been slightly delayed due to some mishap with refueling the plane so she had no idea how much longer she would have to sit there.

She took out her little journal and pen and was about to start writing a small poem when a slip of paper fell out on the ground and she picked it up. It read: You’re welcome, Tarzan.

Jen smiled a bit at the paper before frowning again and slipped it back into her journal. He had treated her so nice back then and now she was being a total to him. What was it to her whether he dated Jessica or not? It’s not like she could do anything about it… However, she couldn’t deny the fact that it hurt~

She sniffled a little bit and wiped away the tears threatening to fall before putting her journal back in her purse. She then looked at the ground before her and saw a pair of shiny black shoes. ‘What the…’ she thought as she slowly looked up to see Kai standing in front of her. His hair was a complete mess and he looked disheveled despite the fact that he was dressed nicely.

“Pabo…” he breathed.

“M-Mwo?” Jen asked looking confused.

“How could you?” Kai asked sharply.

“How could I what?” Jen retorted with her own question.

“You were just going to leave without telling me?” Kai questioned, his eyes looking a little glossier than usual… wait, were those tears?!

Jen felt a pang at her heart and looked away while pouting. “W-What does it matter to you?”

“Can you just stop?!” Kai bellowed, causing Jen to hop up out of her seat in a defiant manner.

“I-,” Jen began.

“You treat me like I’m the worst guy in the world, yet you’re nice to everyone else!” Kai continued angrily, “What is it, huh? What is it about me that you hate so much?”

“I don’t-,” Jen began before being cut off again by Kai.

“Yes, you do, Jen,” Kai said, his voice cracking a little, “What is it? What have I done to you?”

“You haven’t done anything!” Jen yelled as bitter tears fell from her eyes and she wiped at them with her sweater sleeve, “And I don’t hate you…”

“Then-,” Kai began.

“You had your time to say what you needed to,” Jen interrupted him, “now it’s my turn.” She took a step closer to Kai and looked him straight in the eyes; her eyes burning with ferocity.

“You… you’re the one who hated me since I came here,” Jen continued, “wouldn’t it only be natural that I hate you too? But no… I don’t. I’ve never hated you… I only feel sorry for the fact that you find comfort in torturing others. Now you’re here assumingly trying to get me to stay when you wished so badly that I would leave.”

Kai’s face turned redder as Jen continued to talk and he looked anyway. “So that’s how you feel?”

Jen looked down at the ground and hesitantly nodded a few times. “N-Ne…”

“Geurae… I won’t bother you anymore,” Kai said and jammed his hands in his pockets, “From now on we’ll be strangers.”

---

Jen sat on the plane and stared out the window, looking down at the twinkling lights of the city below. She hated how things had to end on a bitter note with her and Kai but she knew she had to get him to agree to let her go.

Her number one priority was always going to be to her family… and right now her family needed her more than ever. Even if that meant she had to work at the Tavern in downtown Seoul then she would do it. But… the Tavern was such a horrible place. The only reason the job offer was still standing was because the erted old owner had a crush on her. He never admitted it but she knew it… she could see it in his eyes.

~Flashback~

Jen was walking back home from school when she was in high school when she accidently ran into a middle-aged man stumbling out of the Tavern.

“Watch… watch where… you going girlll…” the man slurred his words and steadied himself against the wall.

‘He’s obviously drunk,’ Jen thought in disgust. “Mianhae,” she apologized and bowed quickly before turning to scurry away.

“Wait, young lady!” an older man shouted from behind her.

Jen made a reluctant face before turning around and bowing her head timidly. “N-Ne?”

“I’m sorry about him,” the man smiled in a way that made Jen’s skin crawl, “I’d like to make it up to you if you’ll allow.”

“Anieyo…! that’s okay,” Jen slightly exclaimed and found herself unable to maintain eye contact with the man.

“Are you sure?” the man purred as he leaned closer to her and smirked in a seductive manner.

Jen shuffled away from him and he regained his posture with a chuckle. “Well, if you ever need a favor, call me… I’ll be waiting.” He took out a business card and slipped it in Jen’s hand and then kissed it. “You’ll forever have a spot at my Tavern, beautiful.”

~End of Flashback~

Jen shuddered at the grotesque memory and rubbed her arms to get rid of her goose bumps. Disgusted wasn’t even a strong enough word to describe how she felt at that moment. The way his eyes only focused on her chest… the creepy smile he showed… the erted sensual tone of voice he used… It was all… nasty.

She told herself she would avoid this place at all cost but now that her family was in trouble, she had no other choice…

---

Kai’s P.O.V:

Kai watched as Jen walked away and part of him wanted to run after her but his pride kept him glued to the ground. How dare she talk to him like that?! But… what hurt the most was knowing that everything she said was true – he just hated to hear it.

“Aish!” he bellowed and kicked the chair Jen once sat in before storming out of the airport.

‘Stupid girl… making me fall for her and then leaving!’ Kai thought as he got into his car and sped off.

‘You haven’t seen the last of me Jenny Park… not just yet.’

Sorry for the long hiatus and then such a short, lame chapter ;o

Been super busy but I hope to be able to update more regularly soon!

Now a kissus from Krisus~ ^3^