CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

“Oh, hell no. There’s no way that I’m doing that!”

Upon hearing Soojung’s unbearable request for him to apologize to his ex-girlfriends as her actual birthday gift, Jongin had lost his . To his defence, he explains that he hasn’t done anything offensive to Seulgi, Seungwan nor Sooyoung for him to apologize.

“Dude, you broke up with them in a text message. When you dated them, you didn’t even care about them. You didn’t send them good night messages or any cute stuff like that.” She looks at the boy driving beside her in disbelief. “They also told me that you always forgot their birthdays.”

“Let me guess. They told more stupid things about me, didn’t they?” He asks, frowning.

“They told me that you sleep , which I know that it isn’t true… I think?”

“Okay, I do sometimes.”

“And that you’re also into Taylor Swift…”

“What the hell? No I’m not!”

“And… they also told me… about that time with some Ehra High kids.” She says in a low voice. It was something that Seulgi told her that she hoped wasn’t real. “It’s not true, right?” Soojung asks, but he kept quiet.

As Seulgi told her, after the humiliating 5-1 defeat of Imperium Academy to Ehra High held in their very own school, the boys of the football club made a terrible mistake of getting revenge outside the field. It eventually started with framing the then captain Yoon Doojoon. He was charged with shoplifting and was later released, but it didn’t stop there.

Days after that, they decided to sneak in and trash their rivals’ campus in the middle of the night but they had no idea that there were still some students doing their own things so they were caught and was only able to do half of their plans. They managed to go out of their gates, but the bloody fight just was about to happen there – Ehra’s football team were just about to leave.

And this happened just a year ago, when Jongin was a junior.

Despite all the evidence of the boys breaking in and the injuries that the kids of Ehra High sustained, the parents of the elite school’s football players were still more powerful compared to the school, so it didn’t make a lot of headlines like it should and just remained as a dirty little secret to the students and only the football players could know the truth.

“Let’s not talk about it now, can we?” He says after a minute of silence. He was driving and he didn’t want to be distracted.

“Alright, let us not. But can we talk about my request?”

“Soojung, honey, I’ll buy you anything, even the moon. But I will not do what you want me to do.”

“Jongin, love.” She copies his tone and says, “You asked me what I want and now that I’m telling you-”

“Can you please keep your mouth shut? I swear to God, if say another word about Seulgi, Seungwan or Sooyoung I’ll crush this god damn car.”

Soojung kept mum, just because she didn’t want to die that night. Jongin didn’t really look angry but knowing that money nothing to him, she wouldn’t really surprise if he actually crashes the car that he is driving. His cars were just like toys for him.

“Okay but have you noticed that all your ex-girlfriends’ name start with the letter S? You must have a thing for the girls with names that start with S.”

“Your name starts with a S.” He glances at her with an eyebrow raised.

“Oh.”

The next day, Jongin actually did apologize to the girls. Not until the classes are finished and the halls of Imperium Academy were almost empty though. At first both Sooyoung and Seungwan didn’t want to go when he called for them, but Seulgi told them that it was something important. She didn’t know what it was about as well, but they were glad they actually listened.

The apology lasted short, with Jongin blaming his football practice. But deep inside he was glad that he had to leave early. And that Soojung wasn’t around when he did it. Because surely if she was around she would have probably forced him to make a longer apology.

“So, uhm… yeah. Sorry for everything.” He says awkwardly as he scratches his head. “I just realized… how ty I was to you three…”

Of course, the three girls were very surprised. Even Jongin didn’t know what to do after. Seulgi held her hand to him, saying that she didn’t want to be friends with him but since she might need some help from him in the future, she might as well accept his apology since he asked so nicely. Jongin had no idea what she was talking about but decided to play along anyways.

When Seungwan came to the voice club, a little late than everyone else, she immediately went up to Soojung to hug her. “It was you who told him to do it, right?”

“What did I do? Who is he?” She says in confusion, but hugs her anyways.

“Jongin. He apologized to us.” She whispers with a smile on her face. “We broke up a long time ago and I still felt the pain inside of me. And now… I don’t know. I’m just so happy.”

“Wait, he actually did it?” Soojung thought to herself. They didn’t actually talk about it after he dropped her off in their mansion last night so she thought that he wouldn’t do it.

“Hey! Where’s my hug at?” Seungyoon says after the girls break off their hug. As usual he had his guitar beside him. He then opens his arm widely waiting for one of the girls to hug her back.

Seungwan, being in a good mood, hugs her close friend as well. Soojung just smiles as she looks at her friends. She couldn’t wait for voice club to end so she could talk to Jongin.

“Oh, S-Soojung. H-Hi.”

By the way Jackson looked like he saw a ghost when she saw Soojung. He just threw something outside the café when he bumped to her as she was also about to go to the café. He looks at her from head to toe since it was his first time to see her in her uniform. Since the boys already knew everything, she decided not to change her clothes anymore when she goes to the café.

“Am I not allowed here anymore?” She jokes. She wasn’t really planning to go there that day, but since Jongin hasn’t finished his football practice, she has decided to go there instead of going back home.

“O-Of course not! Please enter.” He laughs nervously as she thanks him for opening the door for her.

When she entered, she sees Youngji at the same table where she usually does her homework and Mark at the counter. He looked as surprised as Jackson when he saw her.

“The usual please.” She frowns at how they act, and proceeds to Youngji’s table. 

“Coming right up.” She hears Mark say.

“They are really acting strange.” Youngji looks up to see a worried Soojung. “Is there something wrong with me?”

“They are always strange.” Youngji says. “Don’t worry. There’s nothing wrong.”

Both of them look at the two boys who were whispering at the counter, not wanting to be heard. Soojung just nods. As Youngji goes back to her homework, she takes out her phone to entertain herself when Mark brings her a plate of croissant and a cup of coffee.

“You’re wearing your uniform?” He says as he places her ordered food at the table.

“Uhh… yes?”  There was definitely something weird between the boys. Was it because she was wearing her uniform? Do they really hate her school so much that they even hate her uniform?

Minutes after, the café’s door opens, which was unusual since nobody really comes to the café since it was really hard to find. It may be the older co-worker Mark and Jackson have, but it wasn’t. There were three boys who entered the café wearing their high school uniforms, and they didn’t look lost.

“Oh, you guys actually came.” Mark says. Jackson then comes out of the staff room looking excited and does that man hug-fist bump thing with the other three boys.

 Youngji doesn’t look up, not even for a second. She was too busy trying to solve a math equation. If Soojung was asked to describe them, she would say that they all look scary except for the shorter guy who looked around the empty café. They lock eyes and much to Soojung’s surprise, he smiles at her and even greets her.

“Soojung! I didn’t know you’re here.”

“Ah… Hello.” She awkwardly waves at him and he waves back excitedly even though she had no absolute idea who the hell the guy was. The two other boys greet her as well.

“Woah, Youngji you’re here too?” The tallest guy, says. This causes Youngji to finally look up, and when she did, her jaw drops.

“What are you all doing here?” She asks.

“Nothing really. We’re just going to discuss some stuff about the football club with these idiots.” The guy says.

“You must be talking about yourself because you’re an idiot, am I right Mark?” Jackson says with a grin on his face. He waits for Mark’s reply but his best friend just covers his face in embarrassment. “Right, Mark?”

“Who are these people?” Soojung whispers when the boys started fighting and turned their attention away from the girls.

“You don’t remember? They were at the club we went to before your birthday.” Youngji laughs. “They’re members of my school’s football team.” She points at them one by one and starts to name them. Kim Taehyung was the one who greeted her, Kim Seokjin was the quiet one and Kim Namjoon, the scary one for Soojung, was the school’s football captain.

And with that, Youngji goes back to her math homework. At first, Soojung just tried to recall what happened in the club when suddenly she remembers that she was wearing her Imperium Academy uniform…

“, Youngji, we need to get out of here.” She looks at her in horror. “My uniform…. They will know-”

“Oh, God.” Youngji had the same expression as her. She didn’t even finish her homework and just started packing her things. Both of them glance at the boys who continued fighting. They pass by them silently but not until one of them catches them.

“Eh, why are you two going home early?”

Soojung didn’t even bother to stop to say goodbye unlike Youngji. She knows that the shorter guy had noticed as she heard him gasp when she was about to step out of the café. She doesn’t even know them personally, or how big their hatred for Imperium Acedemy is, but what she knows is that she has no plans to come back on that café. Not now.

“It’s over, Youngji! I ed up! Now everybody will know my secret…”

As soon as they got home, Soojung wouldn’t stop freaking out about the fact the three young boys from Ehra High saw her hanging out with another three Ehra High students. She could already imagine her friends turn their backs against her just because she was with some of their rivals.

Youngji tries to calm her down. “Relax, Soojung. I’ve known Jackson and Mark for years and I don’t think they would just tell them your secret. And besides, even if they do, I doubt that Namjoon and the other boys would just spread it.”

“You’re the one who told me that people from your school don’t like people from my school.” She says.

“Yeah, but people from your school have done some horrible things to us so of course, they hate your schoolmates… but you haven’t done really anything to us so they wouldn’t do anything mean to you. I think…” She mumbles the last part and tries to smile, but Youngji herself wasn’t really sure as well.

The next day, both of Jongin and Chanyeol weren’t there during lunch time because they had a match at another school, but Jinri came so they were just 3 at the usual table. Soojung was being unusually quiet, still scared that the Ehra Kids might do something against her for being an Imperium Academy student. 

“Soojung, honey… What’s wrong?” Jinri asks her best friend worriedly, putting her fork down. “You haven’t eaten anything and our next class is going to start soon.”

“What? I have totally eaten half of my food.” She says as she stuffs her salad inside not so elegantly. But knowing Soojung, Jinri knew that there was something wrong.

“You know, you can tell us what’s bothering you.” Sehun says. “Speak up.”
 

“Alright, you got me.” The girl sighs. How would she say that she has been hanging out with some students of their school’s rivals? “I just… Uhm… What do you think about Ehra High?”

Sehun and Jinri exchange looks by her sudden weird question.

“A school full of jerks – never go near them, Soojung.”

“I don’t even like to insult people, but I have to agree with Sehun.”

Soojung frowns. “But what if there are students from Ehra High who are really nice?”

“We are simply not meant to be friends with them.” Jinri explains. “Wait… are you asking this because you’ve heard of what happened with Jongin… and uhm-”

“I have, but I haven’t talked about it with him. But I really want to know the truth.”

Sehun clears his throat awkwardly. “Is that the bell I hear? Well, I have to go. See you later, ladies.” He hurriedly leaves the group before she could even ask anything.

Soojung looks at Jinri. She quickly sips her juice with her straw even though it was almost empty. It was obvious that she didn’t want to talk about it. The girl sighs. She guesses that she has to wait to hear it from Jongin again.

“I have good news. Well, actually two good news.” Youngji says upon entering Soojung’s room. She usually knocks and bows first before talking to her boss, but she got so excited that she forgot.

Soojung, still feeling a bit worried, just looks at her without saying a word. She was on her bed, watching some random videos on Youtube.

“You don’t have to stop going to the café. The boys said that you’re cool on their book because apparently you helped them with that beer pong thingy last Saturday.”

“I did what now?!” She immediately stood up. She doesn’t remember playing beer pong with them.

“You probably don’t remember.” Youngji chuckles. “Also, remember that Jackson and Mark are trainees in a company? They said that they’ve been chosen to join a group and that they’re debuting in January-”

“That’s great!” She grins.

“-They’re having a party at the same club this Saturday to celebrate it, and they invited you.”

Soojung’s smile fades. There’s no way that she’s going back there.

“I know that you don’t want to go partying again, but Mark and Jackson get along with you really well. They would love to see you there.”

“Would they really?” Soojung bites her lips as Jinri’s and Sehun’s words about them echoes through her mind. “Do they really think I could be a great friend even though I’m from Imperium Academy?”

“Of course.” Youngji nods enthusiastically. “Even I consider you as my friend, even though you’re technically still my boss. After finding how nice you really are, I think even my whole school would want to be friends with you.”

Soojung cluches her chest dramatically after hearing Youngji’s words.She literally hugs her like a koala and doesn’t let her go until she asks her to. It was really nice to hear someone who isn’t from their social class say that. It was like not a forced friendship by business. It somewhat reminded her of her friends back in California.

Back in Ehra High’s football club, Namjoon stays later than the whole team. He didn’t give any reason why, but nobody really questioned since he’s the captain. He was about to give up on what he was doing but he finally found what he found after a long time.

He pulls out an old magazine at the top of the shelf, a football magazine exactly. It was published two years ago so it was a bit torned. The magazine features both local and international football players, and that particular issue featured a well-known football player that he himself has played against with.

“Kim Jongin, the future of Imperium Academy.” He reads the title.

Not only an heir, the youngest and only son of Mr. Kim Junseung, Kim Jongin has got everything in his hands and even on his foot. A regular on his school’s football team being only 16 years old, he is already considered the school’s  future with Kim Jinwoo – son of the former Juventus player and Korean Captain, Kim Hyunjun.

The young heir has scored 8 goals in 15 games, and is expecting to score more in the next season. Imperium Academy’s football team, also known as the Golden Eagles, have not yet lost in any of their games since the season started. They are expected to win their next game against their greatest rival, Ehra High, next month.

Meanwhile the national team’s coach, Lee Shiwoo has already had his eyes on the player but Kim has already declined the offer.

“It’s an honor to be asked to play for my country, even though I’m still not on the right age, but football is just a hobby that I enjoy doing. I don’t want to focus on it,” He says. “I have yet to focus on my studies, and my family’s company.”

Namjoon closes the dusty magazine. “I bet those things aren’t the only things that you’re going to focus on this year.” He smirks.

author's note: 

ty chapter. I know. I don't even know what I'm doing honestly. But I'll update soon. Y'all might not like the next one though.

So the christmas chapter that I was talking about... I don't think I will do it on time. My vacation starts on the 23rd (like seriously, what the ?) and even though I'll probably free on the days before that, I wont be able to write because I'm going to France. (Do I have any French readers? More specifically readers who live in Bordeaux?) I was really excited about writing and posting it on time on Christmas, but I guess we have to wait for that. :(

Also, one of the main themes of the story is school rivalries. So it's going to be Imperium Academy vs Ehra High. They loathe each other on and off the football field. SMH where are their teachers at.

And since we're on chapter seventeen, let me introduce my favorite rookies of this year, Seventeen. They're a bunch of idiots, but they're talented idiots. They chreograph and write their own songs. How cool is that bruh. They're not promating anything as a group now, but please check them out!