Lesson of the Day: “If you’re unwilling to take any risks, you should not be expecting good results.”

Ever since that day at the café, Kai had been finding excuses to avoid meeting Jiyeon as well as Hyomin and that was frustrating the two of them.

“What do you think is wrong with Kai?!” Jiyeon cried out in frustration as she laid in Hyomin’s comfortable couch.

“U-Uh… I guess he is really busy?” Hyomin tried to defend the said man.

“Oh come on, you know he isn’t, why are you defending him? Don’t tell me you like him?” Jiyeon asked jokingly but had not expected her friend’s face to turn bright scarlet upon her statement.

Jiyeon’s demeanour changed in an instant. “You really like him?”

Hyomin nodded shyly, as would someone who had just revealed her crush to her best friend.

The Chemist’s heart sank as words blurted out from her. “Since when? Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” And probably we won’t fall for the same guy.

Hyomin had not noticed the change in Jiyeon’s attitude as went on to confess to her best friend. “I don’t know when it began, I just found out that I like being with him a lot and that I feel very safe when I’m with him.”

And I too. Jiyeon cleared once and managed to recompose her expression. “Hey,” she nudged her friend casually, “you going to confess to Kai?” Cause if you aren’t then I am going to.

A tinge of red appeared on the Biologist’s cheeks as she stammered and stuttered. Hyomin’s indecisiveness was acting up again. “I-I-I think so? B-But I don’t know if he likes me… I don’t want to ruin our friendship. I guess I am waiting a while.”

No risks, no results. “I see…” Jiyeon merely nodded understandingly but said nothing more.

**

Jiyeon could not get last night’s heart to heart conversation with Hyomin – about Kai – out of her mind.

The digits on the treadmill kept shooting up as she pressed furiously against the speed-up button, ignoring the increasing pain in her right knee. This cannot be happening. Why hadn’t I notice that Hyomin had feelings for Kai? Those questions kept repeating in her mind. An audible click sounded from her knee and the athlete found her own knee give way out of her own will. Jiyeon screamed and cried out in frustration because she was powerless to do anything in this situation.

Besides that, the pain was making things worse for her. Her sports event was in a week’s time and yet her injury is encumbering her training progress. Right, her injury… and the sports event… The teacher was suddenly enlightened.

Should I…?

Jiyeon gulped and shook her head as she battled with her inner-demon. But Hyomin is my… best friend…  

**

Luhan leant back heavily into his high-back chair. He had been ploughing through proposals after proposals since early that morning and it was near evening now. The CEO had not even gotten his lunch nor have he had plans for dinner yet.

The door to his office flew open abruptly and in strode a grumbling Sehun, his cousin. A hand was held up to cover his eye. Sehun has a tall, lean frame and pale complexion. His good looks coupled with his filthy rich family background contributed to his play-boy personality but despite so, Sehun is a rather nice boy. The boy was also a few years younger than Luhan and was his closest cousin. Yet, their characters were worlds apart.

“I don’t believe this, seriously!”

Luhan let out an audible sigh as he anticipated what was about to come.

“She actually threw a punch in my eye! Hyung, can you believe that? A punch into the eye of Star Empire’s prince,” the tall boy complained aloud and removed his hand to show the injured eye to his cousin.

Luhan could not contain his laughter and chuckled loudly. “I should give that girl an award. You deserved it. Who is it this time? Jane? Mary? Sally?”

“Oh please,” Sehun rolled his eyes over, “I don’t go for girls with common names.”

Luhan was amused, he spun himself in his high-back chair to face Sehun directly and spoke with his arms crossed in front of him. “But you do often go for girls with common personality.”

“Oh no I don’t!” Sehun protested, got up from the sofa and wrapped an arm over his cousin’s neck. “I just have bad luck with feisty girls.”

Luhan laughed even harder as he easily snuck out from the loosely-wrapped arm around his neck. “That is because you are attracted to feisty girls.”

Sehun threw his head back and whined like a child. “I can’t help it. They have this certain charisma surrounding them.”

“Then I pray for you to find a decent, feisty girl instead of any one ill-tempered girls from clubs.” Luhan stretched his neck as he spoke and had unfortunately strained it. “O-Ouch,” the CEO complained as he held the strained area causing his cousin to break out into fits of laughter.

“Hyung, you are really getting old.” The younger boy remarked.

“Try scouring through proposals after proposals, you will get this too.” Luhan spoke spitefully as he massaged the strained area.

“You need to take a break man.” Sehun clapped his cousin on the back and right then an idea popped into his mischievous mind and he leapt excitedly onto the impeccable leather couch, with his shoes still on. “Shall we go on a trip to Malaysia?”

“Malaysia?” Luhan asked confusedly.

“Yea, Malaysia. We’re constructing a laboratory there anyway, we could go there to inspect and at the same time, use a break. You need it man.” Sehun went on enthusiastically.

Luhan over his lips as he pondered over the suggestion. He indeed felt like taking a break but was still sceptical about Sehun’s suggestions. “Why? Are you sick of Korean girls? You want to hit on Malaysian girls for a change?”

Sehun’s eyes lit up in an instant, “that was a good suggestion! I could probably use a change as well.” The boy grinned cheekily.

Luhan shook his head disapprovingly. Serves him right for getting hit in the eye. “I will consider your suggestion, now would you please exit the room gracefully like how a prince would?”

Sehun showed the whites of his eyes to the CEO and stuck out his tongue playfully before he did so.

“Hey girl, you look pretty in that dress,” Sehun complimented a secretary in the walkway.

Luhan shook his head in contempt once more.

**

“Jiyeon, I think you should withdraw from the competition,” Hyomin urged her friend who was busy adjusting her knee guard.

“I am fine,” Jiyeon spoke resolutely, flashed a grin at her friend before continuing with her own preparations for the upcoming race.

Hyomin looked on worriedly, “b-but your swelling hasn’t subsided.”

“It doesn’t matter, I feel okay,” The Chemist then jumped multiple times on the same spot to prove her point.

Truth was, the Chemist had injected a small dosage of morphine into her injured area in order to remove the pain temporarily. Jiyeon knew perfectly well that the effects of the drug would wear off soon enough.

The announcement of the start of the teachers’ race drew loud cheers from the spectators. From amidst the crowd, the cheers for ‘Jiyeon’ was distinct amongst other teachers’ names.

“See, I wouldn’t want to disappoint those kids. I will be fine, don’t worry about me,” Jiyeon assured and placed a hand on her friend’s shoulder.

Hyomin returned her assurance with a wry smile, “maybe you’re right but be careful okay? Call for me, no, for the medics team if you don’t feel comfortable. And-”

Jiyeon waved a hand before her friend to cut her naggings off then placed both her hands firmly on Hyomin’s shoulder. “I will be fine, don’t worry.”

A look of apprehension clung onto Hyomin’s face as she looked on the race, unaware then Kai was actually beside her, watching with her as well.

“Hey,” Kai bumped the girl with his shoulders, causing her to jump.

“S-S-Since when did you appear?” Hyomin asked, startled.

“What is wrong? You look like a mother who is sending her child off to school for the first time,” a small smirk played over his lips as he leant towards the girl to observe her features.

Too close.

“Told ya, their relationship is legit!” A girl whispered audibly to her friend as they passed the pair of teachers.

Hyomin’s heart leapt, she felt embarrassed yet slightly happy at the same time.

Kai raised a brow, the physics teacher was mildly surprised. There really are rumours flying around about us. The physics teacher thought, he knew he had overreacted that day when the trio was at the café, in actual fact, he did not mind those rumours since it was with Hyomin. As long as it is with Hyomin. Nevertheless, he corrected his posture then cleared his throat once. “So I was wondering, what made our Ms Park look so worried?”

“U-Uh,” the female teacher stammered, apparently still affected by those passing rumours, momentarily forgetting what she was previously occupied with. It then hit her. “O-Oh it’s Jiyeon…”

The Biologist then began explained what occurred to Jiyeon and the more she explained, the closer Kai’s brows were drawn together.

“She was injured? Why didn’t you stop her from participating in the event?” Kai said accusingly.

Hyomin temporarily shocked by Kai’s accusations. “I-I did.”

“Yea, yea. But she participated anyway,” Kai looked and sounded annoyed. “That girl, what is she thinking? She is sporting a torn-ligament injury but is going up for the 400-metre race? That’s it, I’m going to pull her out from this event.

It was too late, the signal for the start of the race sounded even before Kai had gotten to make his move. Kai’s mouth dropped open unknowingly.

Jiyeon could feel her painkiller wearing off even before the race started. Her knee throbbed as she made her way to the starting line. Bear with it. She told herself. Her tolerance towards her pain was temporarily forgotten as her line of vision diverted to where her friends were. Indeed, the closeness shared between Hyomin and Kai was so natural and that had inflamed her jealousy like never before. She turned her head away from the couple and focused her attention on the race. It would be good if she could complete the race but it would be even better if she did not.

The starting pistol went off and Jiyeon was off to a great start despite her injury. Fatigue began to build up within her but that was nothing compared to the accumulating pain in her knee. Jiyeon gritted her teeth as she pressed on. She had promised herself that her priority was to complete the race and if heavens should allow otherwise, then it was fated. She wanted to convince herself that she had not created the scenario intentionally, it made her feel less guilty. True to her expectations however, her body could not stall the injury for long. 

Hyomin clung tightly onto Kai’s lean arms as the pair watched their friend nervously. Jiyeon had made past the 300 metre mark and just as the pair thought she would complete the race after all, the girl collapsed heavily onto the track. Hyomin could not mask her worry and let out an audible gasp as with the audience. Kai raced towards the fallen girl with no time to lose and Hyomin trailed behind.

Jiyeon laid on the ground gasping and clutching knee as her injury tormented her. It was unbearable, her body trembled and broke out in cold sweat.

The girl laid there in agony but later felt a warm presence. Lean arms caged her body shortly afterwards. It was Kai. A smile broke through her agonised face despite herself expecting his presence. I knew you would come. Despite his lean physique, Kai lifted the injured girl up in one swift action and made his way coolly towards the medic tent.

“You are an idiot,” he chided the injured girl though Jiyeon could sense his concern for her. A sweet smile crept into her face once more.

Kai laid Jiyeon gently onto the benches set up in the tent as Hyomin began to give a flurry of instructions to the first-aiders. The first-aiders winced as they inspected Jiyeon’s injury. It had swollen to the size of a small melon and Hyomin decided that it was not to be taken lightly. The teacher-in-charge then began making arrangements to send Jiyeon to professionals to be taken care of.

“You’ll be piggybacking me again right?” Jiyeon said to Kai, an attempt at a joke despite her pains.

The Physicist scoffed, “of course, who else would do the honour?” His words were dripping with sarcasm, as it always did.

That brought another smile to Jiyeon’s face. Kai, I like you. What transpired later became a blur for her as her consciousness slipped away leaning against Kai’s back.

Hyomin watched the pair anxiously from a distance. She chided herself for not having put in more effort to dissuade her friend from participating in the race and guilt gnawed at her.

Please let Jiyeon be fine. Hyomin prayed.

**

A new set of rumours began flying all over the school the following week. This time, it did not concern only the usual duo, it involved Jiyeon as well.

“Actually I think the other Ms Park is Mr Kim’s girlfriend.”

“Which one? You mean dino Park?”

“Of course, haven’t you seen how Mr Kim cared for her when she was injured during the Seuta’s High Sports Festival?”

The trio was beginning to become more and more distracted by the rumours in school, especially Hyomin. The Biology teacher was most hurt by what was circulating around, especially since she truly liked Kai. Just as she was about to dismiss those rumours as mere speculative thoughts by students, things took an unexpected turn.

“Be my boyfriend.” Jiyeon confessed directly to Kai in a crowded walkway.

Students cooed and cheered at the bold confession, some threw punches in the air as they did so while others urged the Physics teacher to respond.

Kai felt his mind spinning at the sudden confession and could not say anything more. Hyomin, after witnessing this brazen confession, found herself making her way through the crowd quietly as tears found their way to her eyes. I don’t get what is happening. I thought you were my friend.

**

Author's Note:

Hi guys! Back with an update, like finally. I know, I know. *flashes a guilty smile*

Introducing Sehun in this chapter! Surprise, surprise!!! I was actually deciding between a few male characters to be included and it turned out that Sehun was the best candidate. In case any of you guys were wondering if Sehun's character is an important one then I can directly give you a yes. Well... and since this is a story with a romantic plotline, Sehun would definitely be embroiled in one of the character's love relationship. Read on to find out who :D

Oh and Jiyeon finally confessed! That is actually the highlight of this chapter and hence the title. Well... Jiyeon may not sound like an all-good character but I have to emphasise that Jiyeon is not the antagonist here, she is just human. In fact, I'd rather approve of Jiyeon's actions in this fiction up to this point after all she is just being true to her own feelings and there is nothing wrong with that. So yea, I am defending my character.

As for Hyomin, despite her being my bias, I would have to say that it is just too bad... Hyomin's character up to this point is really fickle-minded even though we are sometimes like that, I cannot help but get frustrated when I meet people like this. She will change however, this I promise :D and that is actually the whole point of this fic. A lesson learnt. We are all learning by the way.

So once again... hello guys I am back! I've been doing so many updates lately and I've count how many chapters I've done. I thank you all for being so patient with me. I also have to thank you all for your subscriptions and comments :D I will update a fic no matter what happens and whatever comments I receive :D 

Enjoy reading guys :D