Chapter 1

The cool air welcomed her as she stepped outside the classic doors of her father’s five-star restaurant.  She couldn’t stand listening to anymore business talk, so she informed her parents that she’ll make her way home as it was a school night.  

I should’ve brought a jacket. She thought as she started to shiver. Two men with lust coating their eyes started to approach the young girl. The way her tight red dress complimented her perfect figure, and the way her red shoes highlighted her long legs and well-rounded behind, drove them crazy.   

The young girl noticed the unwanted attention by the men and began walking away to avoid them.

“Hey y!” They called out. She rolled her eyes and quickened up her pace. I am not in the mood for this right now. I just want to go home, I’m tired. 

“Ay, playing hard to get is a little unfair, don’t you think?” One of the men asked, as he grabbed her elbow to stop her. They’re drunk. She realized getting a whiff of alcohol.

“Ahjusshi, I ask that you let me go.” She requested. The two men exchanged glances with each other and snickered. There was absolutely no way they were going to let her off without playing with her.  The man backed away with his hands in the air.

“Happy?” He asked teasingly.  She glared at them as she rubbed her sore elbow. The men ogled her s that slightly protruded because of her action. They their lips liking what they saw. 

The young girl started to take her leave, hearing the men’s mocking footsteps behind her. She whipped around angrily.

“Don’t follow me.” She warned through her teeth, before scurrying away. The two men smirked at each other.

“No can do baby!” They replied as they chased after her. They pulled her aggressively against a dark alleyway wall. 

“Ahjusshis! Please, let me go.” She begged desperately. Fear travelled throughout her body like a fallen droplet of ink on a piece of paper.  She tried to break herself free from their harsh grips, but it was no use.

She gulped feeling weak and useless.

The men admired how her long and wavy, dark brown hair, framed her face perfectly, and how her full lips resembled the colour of blood.

“Ay, calm down baby, we only want to have fun.” They laughed, trying to sound seductive. She began to tremble, afraid of what ‘fun’ they were referring to.

“I don’t want your fun.” She nervously spat through her teeth. It seemed like everything this girl did, made her even more beautiful. That was the last straw for both men. 

One of the men pinned her harshly against the wall and started to nip at her neck, whilst the other d her. 

Over, and over again, she kept telling them to stop. But communicating with them was like trying to communicate with a brick wall – useless.

As one of the men withdrew his head back, she mustered up her courage and spat in his eyes.

“Argh, this b*tch!” He cursed as he rubbed his eyes. Now that her arms were free, she clasped her hands together and hit as she could on the groping man’s back.  He retreated off her in pain.

“Yah, you should appreciate what we are doing to you. After all what guy would like a girl with stretch marks?! You fu-” His aggravated yell came to a halt, as soon as he was knocked out unconscious.

***

She sighed remembering the incident that changed her life just over a year ago. It changed a lot of aspects in her life, including the way she viewed men.  According to her, men were vulgar, pig-like animals that only focused on pleasing themselves.

Of course she knew that it didn’t apply to all men. She didn’t want to admit that to herself, only until she actually got the proof that gentlemen do exist. Well, modern gentlemen.

She’d always known her father to be an absolute sweet heart. He saved her from those two pigs that night. Ever since then, the only man she’d ever trusted and spoke to was her father. 

“Darling, are you even listening to me?” Her Appa questioned. He was trying to comfort his daughter on her first day at her new school, but she kept zoning out. She brought her senses back to reality and smiled sheepishly at her father.

He sighed as he pulled in the school’s car park.

“What I was trying to tell you was that, you should leave what has happened behind. It’ll only hold you back. One day when you’re too old to get married and too old to have children, you’ll regret forcing yourself to be lonesome-”

“I know, Appa. But I’d much rather be alone than to be with someone who has gotten laid by hundreds of girls, and someone who only views women as being objects.” She interrupted her father. He shook his head disapprovingly.

“Darling not all men are like that. You’re still in school remember? There’re nice boys your age.”

“Yeah, ‘nice’. I bet they all watch . Plus all the good men out there are either gay or taken.” She retorted, folding her arms across her binded chest. Truth be told, she was in some sort of a special relationship with a boy.  He was the kindest boy she knew, he chased after her but she kept turning him down due to her theories about boys. Nature took its toll and his life was swept away. I waited too long and the good one left.

Her father sighed once again and continued. He didn’t want to argue with his daughter, he hoped that the counseling sessions he had her attending would slowly help her. 

“As I was saying, I know that what happened when you were sixteen emotionally scarred you, but you’ve got to let it go. Don’t let two, ruthless drunkards, speak on behalf of all the male species. Now you’re starting at a co-ed school so that you can mingle with the other gender.” He explained to his daughter. She scoffed in response.

“Appa, you know the reason I’m moving to a new school was because at SM Ladies High, they all thought I was a lesbian.”  She pointed out.  It wasn’t her fault, the way she decided to groom herself let off the wrong impression. Ever since the incident, she became very self-aware and decided to change her appearance.

He laughed and ruffled his daughter’s hair. “Yes, I know.”  The school siren was heard by the duo, and the young girl pulled on her snap-back cap, tucking her long hair underneath it. She kissed her father goodbye and slung her backpack over one shoulder.

This is going to interesting.

***

“Lee Jaehee imnida.” She bowed, greeting the class. She looked back up to cop confused stares from her classmates. She scratched her neck feeling the awkwardness surrounding the air. 

“Class please make Lee Jaehee feel welcome.  I’ve got an appointment to attend to so I’ll leave now, please wait patiently until your next teacher comes. Jaehee, please take a seat.” The teacher concluded, gesturing for her to take a seat.

Jaehee decided to sit at a desk that was in a lonely pair. As soon as the homeroom teacher left, whispers flooded the classroom as students glanced at the new student.

Suddenly the door burst open revealing a boy being dragged into the classroom by the P.E teacher.

“I told you to get your filthy hands off of me! You’re gonna pay for my uniform to be dry-cleaned.” The boy yelled, being dragged to his seat. 

“Pft! You wish. Now you are going to sit in this seat, work at this desk, and attend this school, until you graduate. I’ve already spoken to your father and he is absolutely furious!” The P.E teacher informed. The young boy’s eyes widened in fear. As much as it was to his dismay, he obeyed the sports teacher’s words. Great. Now I’m in serious trouble. F you and your status Appa.

Jaehee eyed the boy that was forced to sit next to her. He sure is ugly.  She was disgusted to see the filthy state of his uniform, the piercings he destroyed his face with, and the condition of his overgrown hair.

Unexpectedly, she received a punch in the face. Tears welled in her eyes as she clutched her throbbing cheek.

“What are you looking at, you little punk ?” The boy yelled. Jaehee was too shocked and in pain to speak.

 “Oh Luhan! Don’t you dare even think about laying a finger on that boy again!” The teacher’s angry voice was heard from across the room. Luhan let out an aggravated groan and slumped down in his seat. He wasn’t going to let that little punk slip away. He just may have found himself a victim.  

“New student I suggest you move, for your own sake.” The teacher informed. No one dared to mess with Luhan, considering he was the heir to the country’s top banks and food companies. Generations ago, his ancestors were royalty, so the Oh family had a very high status in Korea. Jaehee, however was oblivious to this.

Jaehee sniffled, refusing to look at the ugly boy next to her. She numbly got out of her seat and sat on the only spare seat left – the seat in front of him.  She rested her head on the desk and wept.

It wasn’t the reality she wanted.

 A soothing arm rubbed her back so Jaehee looked to her side with blurry vision, at the person kneeling besides her. Se-Sehun? 

She immediately wrapped her arms around the boy she thought had left her. She cried on his chest, she thought he had died.

But he did die. I went to his funeral…

Realizing that she was hugging and crying on a complete stranger, she retreated and apologized. 

“It’s okay, you can cry on me any time.  I’m Mr. Kim, the P.E teacher, but students just call me Suho.” He introduced. Jaehee sniffled again and nodded her head slightly in acknowledgment. She mentally cursed, feeling embarrassed that she hugged and cried on her teacher.

Suho realized that Jaehee was actually a girl, not a boy. Her looks were very deceiving though, as she did wear the male school uniform. Her name, Jaehee, was also uni.

Jaehee just wanted to seem less appealing to males, that way, she thought they wouldn’t bother  her. She kept her long hair tucked under her cap, she spoke in an unlady-like voice, she binded in her s, and wore oversized clothes to hide her perfect figure.

Class continued and the incident beforehand managed to slip Jaehee’s mind, until lunch time. Luhan and his scruffy gang consisting of Chanyeol, Lay, Kai, Kyungsoo, Tao, Baekhyun, Xiumin and Chen, approached the ‘new meat’.  The nine member gang was known as EXO.

Jaehee was swept off her feet and her food tray fell on top of her. She landed on the hard, wooden, classroom floor, hurting her back. She clenched her teeth together as she swallowed down saliva. She  questioned what had she ever did to them. 

“Yah, little punk, what is your name?” Luhan hissed, pinning Jaehee down with his foot on her chest. Jaehee glared up at him, mentally cursing all the men in the world.

“Lee Jaehee.” She replied in pain.  EXO scoffed.

“What kind of a name is Jaehee? You could pass off as a girl.” He laughed. Jaehee was a little offended at his comment. She never would’ve thought she looked like a boy. The world spun around her due to her lack of oxygen.

“Get off, I can’t breathe.” She ordered timidly. EXO scoffed once again, appalled by Jaehee’s lack of respect. Luhan’s eyes and nostrils flared. Still keeping his foot on the latter’s chest, he crouched down and cupped Jaehee’s chin in his hand.

“You punk, don’t tell me what to do.” He warned harshly, squeezing in her cheeks.  Hatred and fury captivated her view on Luhan.

“Go to hell.” She weakly cursed, punching him in the nose. In response, his head was thrown back and he felt cold liquid stream from his nose. He began to loathe the girl he thought was a boy and seeked revenge.  

Jaehee received another punch, Luhan’s ring cutting her delicate skin. The boy was mental she thought. How could a normal rational person behave the way that he did?

“Break it up! All of you should be ashamed of yourselves.” Suho yelled, confronting the commotion. Luhan let go of Jaehee’s collar aggressively. Her head throbbed as it hit the ground she was lying on.  

Luhan signaled for his gang to follow behind him as he took his leave. Suho knelt besides Jaehee who was gasping for breath. 

“Come, I’ll treat your wounds.” He said helping her up. Suho led his unwilling student to the sick bay and made her sit on the bed. Jaehee was about to leave but she couldn’t find the strength to do so.

“Why is Luhan like that Mr. Kim?” She managed to whisper. She thought of him as a spawn of the devil. Then again, normally there is a reason behind one’s wrong doings. Like poverty or self-issues.

Suho sighed and disinfected her cut.

“He just is. That is all I can say. I’m not allowed to speak about student’s private lives. Now, let’s get you cleaned up.” He suggested, peeling a noodle off her cheek. Jaehee changed into a spare uniform and thanked her teacher. Before she even thought twice about Suho being not like other men, she convinced herself that it was his responsibility as a teacher. It was his job.

She avoided Luhan for the rest of the day; the both of them resented each other.  

Afterschool she dropped by her father’s restaurant to pick up dinner for herself. Her parent’s lives were work orientated so she barely saw them. Deciding to surprise her father, she sneaked upstairs to his office. She opened the door a little and peered through the tiny crack to spy on her target. However she was caught by surprise when she saw her mother by his side, discussing something important with another well groomed couple.  

“We are very willing to help you out with your crisis Mr. Lee.  My wife and I were talking and we think it would benefit both families, if we do supply your food for the restaurant, as long as my company will last. However there is a price.” The man informed. Jaehee’s father and mother smiled in delight.

“Yes, of course, how much should I repay you?” Mr.Lee asked getting out his check book. The other couple shook their heads.

“We wouldn’t dare ask you for your money Mr and Mrs Lee. We are more than happy to help you out as it was in the will after all-”

“Ah, the legend? Yes I do recall it.” Mr. Lee absentmindedly interrupted.  “So then, staying true to the will, how may we, the Lees, help you in return?” He questioned.

The other couple looked at each other guiltily before speaking so that Mr and Mrs Lee could understand.

“Due to our situation, we request for an arranged marriage between your daughter and our son.”

Okay so the first chapter wasn't as good as I had expected but it was like a little intro. I hope that you will give this a chance! Please do not hesitate to give me feedback, I'd really appreciate it!