Episode 20: The storm

(Hyun Jin's POV)

*flashback*

After receiving the phone call, I quickly went over to my father’s office and judging from his tone, I could guess that he was very mad.

I was about to knock on his office’s door but I heard him say “come in” before I did.

“Yes father” I saw him looking from his office’s giant glass window from which I could see almost the whole city.

“What happened for you to get in this disgraceful state?” he asked coldly without glancing back at me.

“I apologize for coming to meet you like this” I bowed my head deeply.

“Anyhow…” he cleared his throat, I didn’t raise my head yet. “You should know that I have been keeping an eye on you for awhile”

I stiffened.

“I know about your relationship with Haruto’s daughter”

Yes of course, it’s not like we were put together in the same room by chance.

“And I must tell you that… I don’t want to see you go near that girl ever again”

I looked up at once, my eyebrows sprung open at him:

“F-Father…?”

“Silence!” He yelled, slamming his fist against the desk “I’m already kind enough to keep her in this academy and not kick her out”

“Kick her…out?” I stared in a loss at the floor “But…”

Isn’t Mr. Haruto one of his best friends? Didn’t they plan this whole thing together?

“I am sorry to tell you this but…” he sighed “Haruto is no longer in this world”

My throat dried as soon as I heard his words.

“Yesterday… his private jet crushed…” his voice lowered.

No, that can’t be…

I clenched my fists.

“His company went bankrupt suddenly, and his house was set on fire not long before that” he carried on explaining. “Even I found it hard to believe… that a successful man like him could crumble at once…”

“That doesn’t make any sense!” I found myself screaming, “Even if things like that happened, you… as his friend… should’ve done something to help him!”

My inside was burning with rage,

How heartless can someone be to allow his closest friend to sink without giving him a hand?!

“Don’t make foolish prejudgments, I am one of the investors in his company so of course I was one of those who were harmed by it, yet I wasn’t that heartless!” he paused “We were supposed to meet today and discuss the possibility of lending him the needed money, but his plane crushed unexpectedly” his voice shook.

“Impossible…” I murmured. “Then does that mean-“

“Haruto’s life was threatened even before his company collapsed, and it’s not something that I or anybody else can dig easily without being put at risk”

I was left speechless. Only thinking about the way Jin will feel after hearing all of this suddenly.

“Whoever committed those crimes, is not somebody that we can mess with, so… you must understand… that you and his daughter can’t be together for her sake!” he squeezed my shoulders “If anyone hears that she’s in this academy, it can be the end of her, being the only Heiress to her family”

My sight was getting blurry as I watched my father’s pained expression,

“The Medias will certainly start to look for her, so I took several measures to protect her existence… as Haruto’s friend, this is the only thing I can do now” he lowered his face.

"But.. why would me being her boyfriend... put her at risk to begin with?" I shook my head, not being able to submit to my father's will.

"You're my son, and I see clearly how famous you are!" he explained with determination "If she's your girlfriend, more people will hear about her, and things might get complicated!"

I pushed back the strands of my hair and lowered my head.

"I did my all... Even changing her name completely so that no one can look her information up" he pleaded "So please.. don't be selfish.."

It's because I'm trying not to be selfish that I'm saying this!

Why can't be there another way?

"Then I'll date her without anyone knowing!" I was desperate

"You should've done that when you had the chance, but no, you chose to brag about it and now you're the only one who can put an end to it" he yelled "And that's it, you're free to go"

Everything became dark and my heart was swallowed in agony, as I grew to understand what my father said.

I stormed out of his office without saying another word.

"This isn't fair! This isn't fair at all!" I yelled "I know that my leaving will only make her suffer!"

But I fell slowly to my knees, in front of the office's door.

I’m sorry… so sorry…for not being able to stay by your side for a long time.

__________________________________

(Her POV)

I was lying on my bed, staring at Jin’s.

“Why did you leave like that? Without saying anything to me?”

I hugged the Mario plushy that I found on his bed:

“Did he leave you too?” a tear escaped my eye as I looked down at the toy.

It’s all because of me…

“If I just didn’t meet Minho… he wouldn’t have been that upset”

Why am I feeling that my chest is tightening?

Why does it look like, he’ll never forgive me?

I sobbed into the toy,

“Is this how a broken heart feels like?”

To know that I was the one to make fun of Yumiko-chan when she didn't want to see me saying that she had a broken heart, I never thought that it was this overwhelming and painful.

***

The weekend passed without me seeing Jin anywhere, even when I tried to look for him, asking some students too, it was all fruitless.

I was fighting back sadness, and I tried to avoid Minho every time I saw him from a distance.

It’s not his fault, I knew that, but for some reason, I didn’t want to see him.

The day of the project was drawing closer, and although I didn’t meet with Minho, I kept working on it on my own.

It’s Monday today so I went to attend class knowing that I will have to face both of them, that if Jin didn’t manage to switch classes again.

“Hey!”

And here comes Minho, running at me as soon as I entered the room.

“Where have you been all this time?” he blurted “I didn’t see your face for 2 days, do you know how much I missed you?”

“Here” I took out the sheets, avoiding his gaze and glancing down purposely “I worked on the melody so you don’t have to worry about the project”

“What?”

“Take them” I put the sheets on his desk “You should be able to write the lyrics alone too”

I replied coldly and went to take a seat but he stopped me by the arm:

“What’s the meaning of this?” he asked abruptly, and I looked away.

“I don’t want the two of us to meet anymore, so we’ll work separately on this project”

“Says who?” he yelled, shaking me.

“Good morning everyone!” the teacher’s voice interrupted us, and I quickly shook off his grip and sat silently.

“Fine, we’ll talk about it later” and he went to sit at the desk behind mine,

“Don’t make a fuss and just sit over there” he instructed to the girl that was supposed to sit in his current desk.

***

Jin didn’t come to class and that made me even sadder.

I was getting up to leave but Minho pressed my shoulders and forced me to sit down:

“We haven’t finished our talk yet”

“There’s nothing else for me to say”

“But for me there is!” he yelled, making me flinch.

“Can’t you see how much I’m worried about you? I thought that something bad must’ve happened, I even went to meet that punk”

“You met Jin?” I glanced up at him,

“I met his new roommate” he glared at me “And you better stop looking for him or you’ll get even more hurt”

“Why? Did something happen to him?” My heart started to race in anxiety.

“Dummy!” he gritted his teeth and looked away “Do you really want to know?”

“Tell me where is he right now?” his hands let go of me slowly “Please!”

He stared at me in shock, and then sighed:

“Fine, if that’s what you want” he took my hand “I’ll take you to see for yourself”

***

He pressed the 13^th floor button in the elevator.

“Wait... Isn’t that…?” I couldn’t believe my eyes.

He lives now in the 13^th floor? With the 3^rd years?

“Yes, Jin lives with a sunbae” he confirmed.

We reached the floor, and Minho walked out first, looking like he knew the way well and I was looking around as I saw some older students here and there.

“We’re here” he stopped in front of a room. Then he started to knock on the door.

The doorknob twisted slightly and the door opened slightly to reveal:

“Who..”

My eyes widened as a beautiful girl appeared before us, dressed in pajamas. I covered my mouth.

“Hi, we meet again” Minho greeted her and bowed his head slightly, and so did she “Is Jin inside?” he asked, forcing a cheerful smile.

“Ah, yes, but he’s still asleep” she wasn’t using the formal form as she referred at him." she smiled. “But I can tell him that you came to see him”

“No need, sorry for the bother” Minho smiled back at her “We’re leaving now, good bye”

And he started to pull me by the shoulder knowing that I wasn’t able to move on my own.

**To be continued.