CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

 

There are two types of students in the world; those who has to study and get good grades, Jongin is one of them, and those who never study and still get good grades, Soojung is one of them.

 

When Jongin snatches Soojung’s English exam, almost tearing it in half, he expected her to punch him or say an insult at least. But surprisingly, the girl was calm and didn’t really care. He then realizes the reason why she was acting all relaxed was because of her perfect score.

 

“What the ? How did you get this score?! You don’t even pay attention in class!” He says, slamming her exam in her desk as he hid his exam in his back. It was pretty embarrassing to show his, when he had 12 mistakes.

 

“Stock knowledge, my dear Jongin.” Soojung smirks as she points to her brain. “You gotta have it.”

 

“Are you calling me stupid?!”

 

“I didn’t say that.”

 

Angrily, he marches to his professor’s table and hands him his exam, not bothering to look if the professor made a mistake on checking his exam unlike his classmates. When he goes back to his seat, Soojung was still smirking.

 

“I guess you didn’t have a very good mark.” She teases him.

 

“It doesn’t matter that I’ve got a bad mark. What matters is that I study, and I pay attention in class, unlike some others.” He sulks in bitterly. “I shouldn’t have picked this stupid Advance English class in the first place.”

 

“Alright, class! Stop looking at your exams! It’s time to start a new lesson!” Their professor announces, earning groans from the whole class.

 

As usual, Jongin tries to focus on what his professor was explaining even though it really annoyed him that he was already explaining a new lesson when they literally just finished an exam. That was until Soojung starts to annoy him again by poking his shoulder…

 

“You probably don’t want to focus, but I want to Soojung.”

 

“Okay but, it just started to snow.” She says as she excitedly points at the window on her left side. “How cool is that!”

 

He glances at the window. It was indeed snowing for the first in the year. He then looks back at her and says, “So what? I’m pretty sure it’s not you first time seeing snow.”

 

“Yeah it isn’t, but isn’t it just pretty?” She turns her back to him, and goes back to admiring the falling snow. Jongin also found himself staring at the beautiful view – Soojung looking outside the window, with the snow falling.

 

As soon as the bell rang, Soojung was the first one to run out of the class. Even Seulgi, whom she always walks with to her next class, has no idea where she went.

 

“Well, if you see her somewhere, tell her that I’ve already gone my way.” Seulgi says and bids goodbye.

 

Jongin had no plans of searching her, having Maths as his next class. It was one of his favourite subjects apart from History. But an idea of where she is suddenly popped out on his mind, so after putting his books on his locker, he heads to where he thinks she is: the rooftop.

 

Why the rooftop you ask? Where else can you see the snow falling than there? Seeing how excited she was to see snow in class makes Jongin quite sure that she was there.

 

He was not really surprised to see her spinning around like a Disney princess catching snow in her hands. Upon seeing Jongin at the door, automatically turns into a wide grin. Soojung pulls him outside, and hurriedly makes a snow ball to hit him with. He tried to duck, but it was already too late

 

“So childish.” The boy says as he shakes off the snow on his face.

 

“Oh boo you, grandpa. I'm sorry that I'm having fun.” She sticks her tongue out. She was about to throw another ball when she felt a snow ball hit her head. “Game on!”

 

The two spent quite a long time at the rooftop having a snowball fight. Jongin doesn’t even remember when he last played and had fun like that. He felt like a little kid in a good way. He felt like he and Soojung were children again, and the exception was Soojung wasn’t a cry-baby anymore who would cry whenever he hits her hardly. Instead, she would fight back and even tried to rub the snow to his face, but Jongin being taller than her, Soojung had failed to do so.

 

Both of them freeze as soon as they hear someone clear his throat. Soojung was holding a snowball up while Jongin was about to hide. When they turn around, they see a teacher who didn’t look so happy compared to them.

 

“Well, well, well… Look who we have here. Mister Kim and his future wife. Cutting classes, I see.” He smirks.

 

“Shoot. I totally forgot.” Jongin thought to himself.

 

Soojung was about to say something about him mentioning her as his future wife, but she was too surprised when she heard him say ‘cutting classes’.

 

“What do you mean, sir? We’re not cutting classes. It’s lunchtime.”

 

“Miss Jung, I know you’re basically new here, but I consider you to look at your class schedule again because I’m a hundred percent sure that you’re supposed to be in class right now.” He frowns. “You too, Mister Kim.”

 

Jongin didn’t move any inch, but Soojung had her jaw drop, literally. “I-I’m sorry. I really thought that it’s lunchtime. I’ll be heading back to my class-”

 

She was about to leave when the teacher blocks her way to stop her. “Oh, Miss Jung. You’re not heading to your class. You and Mister Kim are heading to the headmaster’s office right this instant-”

 

“What?!” Both Soojung and Jongin shout in union.

 

“What are you going to do? Expel us?” Jongin says, outraged that they were about to be sent off to the headmaster's office. Sure it would be reasonable to be scolded for they've done, but that was too much for him.

 

“I’m going to inform Headmaster Son what kind of good examples you two are.” The teacher says in a sarcastic manner. “Now go on, I’ll be right on your backs.”

 

“Then Soojung and I shall tell the Headmaster how great of a teacher you are. I know you smoke at school when everybody knows that it’s prohibited, even for the teachers.” Jongin then eyes his teacher’s pocket as he tried to hide the cigarettes much deeper in his pocket. He then grabs her fiancé, who was still shocked, by her wrist and leads her to the headmaster’s office.

 

“Please, don’t tell this to my parents,” was the first thing Soojung said as soon as she sees the headmaster enter his office.

 

She has never been to the headmaster’s office because of a bad reason. She has never actually done anything rude at her former schools, nothing that teachers know. She had always had a great reputation among teachers and students, and now she thinks that it won’t be the same again.

 

“Actually, don’t tell this to neither of our parents, please.” She begs and low-key hopes that Seungwan has told her father amazing stories about her so he would spare her. She wasn’t really scared of the headmaster, she was scared of the fact that he might tell her parents and might make her less of a perfect daughter to them.

 

In comparison to the nervous and tense Soojung, Jongin was very much chilled. This wasn’t his first time in the headmaster’s office. It was actually his third time there, and wouldn’t want to think about the two times he was there. But he really likes how the office looks - it had a feeling of a home, it smelled like books and classical music was playing inside. It wasn’t really nice for him to see his ex-girlfriend’s father though.

 

“What’s up, Seojun?” He greets him casually to annoy him.

 

“Don’t call me by my name, Kim Jongin!” He shouts, startling poor Soojung and making Jongin chuckle. “Just because my daughter has forgiven you a few days ago doesn’t mean I’ll go easy with you!”

 

“Damn… I’m just trying to be friendly.” He mumbles.

 

Headmaster Son sighs as he looked at both of the students in front of him. “I would expect Kim Jongin to do something like this, but not you Miss Jung.” Jongin nods in agreement. “Why did you skip your class?”

 

“I just…” Before she could even say anything, Soojung suddenly burst out in tears. “I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean this to happen! Please don’t tell our parents about this!” She covers her face with both of her hands as the tears come out of her eyes.

 

Both the headmaster and Jongin were taken back. They weren’t expecting this at all.

 

“Jeez, I never knew your fiancée could be very emotional.” The headmaster tells Jongin.

 

“Tell me about it.” Jongin looks at Soojung with an eyebrow raised. He bet that she was just acting again. “Just forgive her. She’s from California, remember? She got too excited about the snow that she forgot about school. I heard that people there cry when it rains.”

 

“Hey! We do not!” Soojung suddenly stop crying to look up at both of them. When the headmaster looks at her, she starts crying again.

 

“I believe Miss Jung wouldn’t do something as stupid as that. I’m pretty sure you might have done something for her to be with you at the rooftop.”

 

“Okay, fine. It’s my fault. I forced her to come with me to the rooftop… Because I got too excited about the snow.” Jongin lied, but the headmaster seemed to believe it.

 

“Both of you will receive detention after class today-”

 

“Today?! Dude, I can’t. I have football practice.”

 

“Don’t dude me, Kim Jongin!” He scolds him, but the young boy didn’t seem to mind. “You two will be cleaning as many rooms as you can in two hours.”

 

“Two ing hours?! That’s insane!” Jongin groans. Now he won’t be totally be on today’s football practice.

 

“Don’t curse in front of me, Kim Jongin!”

 

“But shi-”

 

Before he could even continue his sentence, Soojung has covered his mouth with her hand. It was wet because of her tears so Jongin remove it as soon as she covered him.

 

“We’ll be going now. Thank you, headmaster.”

 

 

As they were instructed, Jongin and Soojung headed in one of the classroom that they to clean up. Both of them were given a broom to use, and both weren’t really doing what they’re supposed to be doing. Soojung had her face pressed into the window as she wanted to go out because of the snow, while Jongin was playing with the ball he stole from the school’s gym.

 

“I cannot believe that I have to miss yet another football session because of you.” Jongin says, dribbling the ball with his feet.

 

“Don’t blame me because of this! You didn’t have to follow me at the rooftop anyways!” She frowns. She then grabs her broom and starts sweeping. “But since you’re already here, just stop playing with that ball and help me.”

 

The boy ignores his fiancée says and continues practicing, much to her annoyance. She grabs the ball when it was in midair and throws it outside the window.

 

Jongin gets annoyed, but he didn’t want to hurt her. “You know what? I’m going to leave. I have an important match soon and I cannot miss any practices anymore.”

 

“What? You can’t just leave me all alone here!” She tries to block the door with the broom that she was using, but Jongin easily removes it from his way. Before he leaves, he ruffles Soojung’s hair as his sign of goodbye. Sighing, Soojung gives up and just lets him go. She thinks that it was her fault as well, so she decided to just clean alone. And by the way he spoke, it seems like he really needed to practice.

 

The only sound that Soojung was hearing was the ticking clock on the wall and the wind whispering through the windows. An hour hasn’t even passed, but deep inside she wishes that Jongin would return. It would be nice to have him as company even though he could be so annoying at times.

 

“Eh? Are you working part time as a janitor now?”

 

Soojung turns around to see Taeyong with his usual poker face at the door. She was so shocked that she dropped the broom from her hands. She’s really scared of this guy, she doesn’t even know why.

 

“That was a joke, Soojung.” He chuckles and gives her the broom that she dropped. Soojung just laughs uncomfortably. “So why are you cleaning here?”

 

“Me? Uh… I… I volunteered to clean this room. Yeah.”

 

Taeyong smiles. “As expected from a Jung. I have heard a lot of great things about you and your siblings.”

 

“What the is that supposed to mean?” She thought to herself. She hopes that she was being paranoid again and that he wasn’t talking about her. She was about to say something when he suddenly picked up the other broom that Jongin left. “What are you doing?”

 

“Volunteering as well.” He ignore Soojung’s attempt of stopping him of cleaning, and just started to clean beside her instead.

 

As she expected, it was awkward being alone with him. She knew that one of them should speak up already.

 

“Say, Taeyong… Have you ever been to Los Angeles lately?” It was a random question, but she had wanted to ask him that ever since her birthday.

 

“Not in the past 4-5 years. Why do you ask?”

 

Soojung shook her head. “Nothing, really.” It made her feel better knowing that he hasn't been to Los Angeles and that he probably never saw her and Derek before unlike Mark. She can finally stop being paranoid aroud him.

 

“So you and Jongin are really close, huh?” He asks randomly, and she just nods. “I guess you know about what happened with Ehra High before…”

 

She was about to say yes, when she remember that not a lot of people outside the football club knows about it. Seulgi knows because she’s the school president. She probably knows all about the school.

 

“How did you know about it?”

 

“I guess he didn’t tell you everything.” He smiles ironically before continuing, “I was a member of that football team, together with Jinwoo, Jongin-”

 

“But Jongin wasn’t part of that, right? I mean, the fights… and the stuff… right?” She didn’t mean to cut him out, but it just slipped off .

 

Taeyong laughs a little. “He was actually one of the most eager to do it.”

 

 

It was still snowing heavily outside when she got home, but all of her desires to play with the snow had dissolved. After Taeyang told her everything that Jongin should have told her last night, she felt so disappointed with Jongin that she ignores his usual stupid and annoying messages that he sends.

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Yo. I’m on the way to buy some new DVDs. Want to hang out tonight?

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Should I buy ???

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Can we watch in your room?

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Do you think your mom will freak out if she sees us watching ?

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Okay fine, just come over to my apartment.

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

I didn’t buy by the way.

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Why aren’t you answering??????

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Are you dead lol

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

Can I have your car if you really are???

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

I WAS JUST KIDDING PLEASE ANSWER ME D:

 

TO: Soojung

FROM: The Idiot Fiancé

SOOJUNG?!?!?!?!

 

She had enough. She switches her phone off and purposely leaves it on the car when she got off. The driver calls her name when he sees it in the backseat but she pretends that she doesn’t hear him.

 

When the servants bows before her, they realise that there’s something wrong with the heiress by how she just flashed a small smile. She would usually ask them how their day was, but that night, she was about to go straight to her room – until she heard a voice call her name.

 

She stops in the middle of the stairs and turns around to see a good looking young man standing up from his seat. She didn’t notice him when she entered so she got confused. She also wondered who he was, because she was certain the she didn’t know him…

 

“Wow, Jung Soojung… Is that… Is that really you?”

 

But those doe eyes and brown hair does look so familiar…

 

“I am sorry, sir but… I do not think that I know you.” She says half-bowing.

 

The man laughs. “Still as polite as ever, I see.”

 

Suddenly, she hears her sister’s voice from behind.

 

“Oh, Soojung. You’re home.” She says. “Do you remember him?” She then points to the man, who had smiled goofily. Both of the girls giggle.

 

“Unfortunately, sis. I don’t remember. Please enlighten me.”

 

Jessica looks at her sister in disbelief. “I can’t believe you!”

 

“Oh come on, Yeonyeon. I wasn’t able to recognize her at first as well.”

That’s when Soojung’s jaw drop. The only people who called her sister like that was someone very special…

 

“Oh my gosh, Donghae oppa?” The younger Jung shockingly looked at her sister as she pointed at him. When Jessica finally confirms that it was him, Soojung immediately comes down to hug the man. “I can believe you’re here! I thought I would never see you!”

 

Who is Lee Donghae, you ask?

 

He is, to Soojung, one of the kindest and sweetest men on Earth. And even Jinri would agree on that, they had a little crush on him back then. He was the son of the Jungs’ gardener, and every weekend he would help his father. He, apart from Jinri and her brother, was the one who would comfort Soojung whenever Jongin teases her. She remembers clearly that when Jongin pushed her into the swimming pool when she still didn't know how to swim, he was the one who jumped in to save her from drowning.

 

“It’s nice to see you, little Jung.” The older guy says, ruffling her hair. “Your sister and I are going out-”

 

“For an interview.” Jessica cuts him off. “This guy right here is actually an writer now. And he’s going to interview me for an article that he’s going to write.”

 

Soojung’s eyes widens. “Really?”

 

Donghae nods. “What? I don’t want to be like my father.”

 

“It’s not that, oppa. It’s just I never thought you would like journalism.”

 

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

 

“Anyways, we’re going now.” Jessica says as she puts on her coat. “Let’s go, Hae. I still have some designs to finish when I get home.”

 

“I wish you could come tonight. But I promise you, we’ll hang out soon-” He whispers.

 

“Lee Donghae! Come on!”

 

“Coming!” He shouts back at Jessica. “Goodbye, Jungjung.”

 

“Bye!” She waves goodbye to him as he walked away, catching up to Jessica. She smiles to herself, just thinking about how fun it would be to hang out with her old friend. She was about to head to her room again, but not until she glances at the two who were about to enter the car for the last time.

 

 

He doesn’t know what he has done wrong, but whatever it is, Jongin regrets it.

 

This morning, he threw a paper ball at Soojung’s head and it hit her perfectly. But she didn’t groan in annoyance nor glared at him like she would usually do. She didn’t even have any reaction at all. She just looked in front like she was listening to the English professor, which was weird since she never listens to him at all because according to her…

 

“I don’t need to listen to this. I already know this.” If Jongin’s memory is right, that’s what she said when he asked her to pay attention.

 

“She’s totally ignoring me, right?” Jongin asks Jinri and Chanyeol who were sitting beside him during lunch.

 

“You probably did something bad, again.” Chanyeol says.

 

“Or she’s probably done with you.” Jinri adds, and her boyfriend nods in agreement.

 

“What the do you mean? I’ve been annoying her for all her life! She can’t be done with me.” He runs his finger into his hair and sighs. This was making him feel guilty. Was it because he jokingly asked her to watch with him? “That little girl is making me feel like .”

 

“My best friend is not a little girl.” Jinri frowns.

 

“But she sure does act like one.” 

 

“Oh off Jongin.”

 

“Shh, she’s here.”

 

As Soojung walks to their table with Sehun beside her, Chanyeol shuts them off by stuffing bread into their mouths. Surprisingly, Soojung doesn’t look so affected by Jongin’s constant glaring at her.

 

“Oh, by the way guess who I saw last night!” Soojung shrieks as she looks directly at her best friend. “Lee Donghae’s back!”

 

Jinri almost chokes on her bread. “Lee Donghae? As in, the sunflower boy?”

 

“Who the is Lee Donghae?” Jongin whispers quietly at Sehun, but he just shrugs.

 

“Well, actually. He’s not back. I mean, I think he never left so…” Soojung scratches her head. “But anyways, yeah. I saw him last night! He was about to go out with my sister when I arrived. And he’s lot cuter as well… and also, a lot muscular.”

 

“Wait, with your sister?” Jinri and Jongin automatically exchanged looks. Neither of them has actually told anyone about what they saw in her birthday party.

 

“Don’t you remember? They were actually good friends back then. They were even still communicating when my sister and I lived in Los Angeles. Not sure when she moved to New York though.” Soojung remembers one time when the mail come and there was a letter from Donghae. Jessica immediately snatches it from her sister, even though she doesn’t really want to look at it. “Donghae oppa is a writer for a magazine now. They went out last night for an interview.”

 

“Why go out when you can just have an interview at  home?” Jongin mumbles, and Soojung hears it. She chooses to not to make a comment and just goes to greet Seulgi and the other girls who were on another table.

 

“Oh, I remember who Lee Donghae is!” Sehun grins proudly and points to Jinri. “Isn’t he that kid who gave you a sunflower when we were kids?”

 

“He wasn’t a kid, Sehun. He was older than us… But yeah, he did.” Jinri flips her flawlessly. She remembers it clearly when the twelve year old Lee Donghae gave her a sunflower from the Jungs’ garden. Well, she actually asked for the flower and he just gave it to her but of course, he won’t tell that to the boys. “We actually had a crush on him.”

 

“We?” The three boys repeat in chorus.

 

“Yeah, Soojung and I. And probably all of Jessica unnie’s old friends who took their own time to play with her during the weekends when Donghae was there.”

 

“Hey!” Chanyeol pouts. “I didn’t know that before!”

 

Everybody looks at Jongin and waits for his own reaction, but he just rolls his eyes.

 

“That’s cute.” He says bitterly.

 

It was on his way home when Jongin finally remembered that he might have done something bad to Soojung yesterday – when he left her cleaning the room they were supposed to clean. Though she didn’t look so disturbed when he left her, so he is still not so sure.

 

He had no idea where Soojung usually is on Friday nights, so he asked Jaejoong if he knew. He was about to ask Jinri, but he remembers her mentioning a date with Chanyeol that night so he knew that she wasn’t with her. He receives a text message from Jaejoong a few minutes after he sends his and immediately heads there.

 

“Maybe I should take Soojung to other cafes.” He thought to himself as he searched for a good parking space. He hasn’t actually to that place before. He didn’t understand why Soojung would rather grab coffee there when there was literally Starbucks just a few blocks away their campus.

 

When he got out of his car, his eyebrow instantly raises at the name of the café, a random word that was probably invented by the owner. He was about to enter when he swiftly glances at the glass window and freezes by what he sees - the beautiful uniform of Imperium Academy, worn by Soojung, was mixing up with the filthy black and brown uniform of Ehra High.

 

author's note: 

Was this too long? Sorry I really just want to write the Christmas chapter, and even though I won't do it on time, I like to think that I could.

I wonder how will Jongin react seeing Soojung with the Ehra High kids. :-)))

Donghae is probably the last character in the story who will make an impact to Soojung. There will be some celebrity cameos (lol, it's like a drama?) and mentions but I don't think I will add more characters. Please love Donghae. He's one of my first husbands bias hehehehe.