Shin Hye was definitely nervous as the next day would be her first day in a co-ed school. She was wide awake still staring into the darkness of her room despite the fact she knew it was almost 2 in the morning. She turned to her left then to her right but she couldn’t fall asleep yet. She had made arrangement with Jong Seok not to come to school together.

“Why?” Jong Seok sulked as he held her hand tightly in the library where they usually hang out.

“I… I just want to do this alone…” Shin Hye admitted.

“But…” Jong Seok wanted to protest.

“Please…” Shin Hye begged.

“Oh.. Well… I was already imagining how cool it would be like having my beautiful wife arriving next to me…” He touched her left cheek which made her blushed.

Shin Hye smiled at him, happy to see him allowing her to arrive on her own.

“Promise me one thing…” Jong Seok asked.

“What is it?” Shin Hye asked as she entertained Jong Seok playing with her fingers.

“You have to kiss me for 5 minutes tonight.” He asked unabashedly while Shin Hye’s eyes immediately flung wide open in shock of his request which he took a complete advantage of as he took her closer and kissed her deeply.

“Soo Jii-ahhhhh!!!!” Shrieked some familiar voice. Soo Ji turned around to see her close class mate running towards her.

“Seul-Gi yah…” She responded. “What are you excited about?” She closed her locker behind her.

“Your… Yourr… Jong Seok seonbe…” Seul-Gi mentioned.

Soo Ji tried to maintain her composure and smiled, “Soenbe? What about him?” She asked.

“He drove an expensive car.” Seul Gi mentioned.

“Ah… I see.. and so?”

“You’re lucky.”

“Na? Wae?”

“Wasn’t it obvious he likes you?”

“We are just friends. Friends are supposed to like one another. Beside… Didn’t you read the news?”

“News? Reading? Me? You must be joking.”

“Babo… yah… He is already married.”

“What?”

“Right after the holiday. Not long after.”

Soo Ji left her friend confused with the news which was quite old for most people.

As she walked into her classroom, she had to pretend she didn’t see those sympathetic eyes looking at her. Students in her school assumed that she and Jong Seok were in some sort of relationship as they usually hung out together.

“It could have been… But…” Soo Ji shook her head as she didn’t want to entertain her thoughts. She then remembered her most-probably last time meeting her long-time boyfriend, Lee Min Ho.

He smiled happily as he saw her appeared before him.

“Wah… When did uri Soo Ji grow more beautifully?” Min Ho commented to his girlfriend.

“Oppa… I am always this beautiful.” She twirled around for her boyfriend to see.

“So, what do you want to do first?” He stood up and took her hand as he looked into her beautiful eyes.

“Up to you.” She smiled at him half-heartedly.

Soo Ji was so good at hiding her turmoiled feelings from Min Ho since the night before she promised herself and her sister that she shouldn’t be shaken up by what had happened between her and Jong Seok. Beside, he was already married and as he promised, had not even contacted her at all.

As they sat on a bench, watching the sun about to set, Min Ho noticed his girlfriend was not as cheery as she usually was. Something seemed amissed.

“Are you feeling alright?” Min Ho asked his girlfriend.

Soo Ji nodded slowly without looking at him.

“Are you really sure?” Min Ho asked again.

Soo Ji sighed and turned to look at him and smiled again but Min Ho knew it was a bitter smile.

“You can tell me… I will not get angry…”He tried to sooth her.

“Really?” She looked down.

Min Ho held her chin softly and guided her to look at him. “I promise.” He smiled showing his dimple.

Soo JI suddenly cried out of guilt.

“Why? Are you sick?” He asked softly as he dry her tears.

“Mianheyo Oppa…” She sobbed. “I am guilty…” She sobbed.

“Wae?” He asked softly still. Not wanting to pressure her. “Take your time..”

As soon as she cooled down, she slowly told him about her and Jong Seok and the ring that she wore.

Min Ho seemed disappointed but he wasn’t over-reacting. He sighed in deeply and managed to smile at her eventhough deep inside he felt torn as he developed deep feeling for this girl who he was initially just entertaining her teenage crush towards him.

“Soo Ji-yah…” He said softly. “Maybe, we need to just take some time off…” He smiled at her. “We have been together for too long and I was your teenage crush.”

“Mianheyo Oppa.. This is my fault. I was the one who aggressively crushing over you and now… it is me who…” Soo Ji trailed.

“Ani… It’s my fault as well… Maybe I wasn’t honest when I agreed to go on dating you. It was initially because, of course, I know you are pretty and two, you made my life easier as in, I didn’t have to trouble myself with other women. I easily flaunt you as my girlfriend so that I don’t have to entertain other silly crushes and I could focus with my study. But… For the past two years, I have developed more feelings… I started to be eager to miss you and to see you… I find myself thinking about you… Mianhe, Soo Ji… I, myself, was not honest earlier on… but this feelings grow and I lo.. like you more.” He corrected himself as he didn’t want Soo JI to feel burdened.

“Oppa…” Soo Ji’s eyes filled with more tears. “Mianheyo…” She cried more. Min Ho hugged her and let her cry. He patted her back and her head trying to comfort her.”I don’t know what to do…”

He slowly pushed her lightly so that she could look at him, “Look at me…” He smiled to support her feelings. “I think… I am at fault as I also indirectly has stolen your teenage years… You are supposed to freely date your school mate, you are supposed to have crushes with boys of your age, you are supposed to be able to talk about other boys freely rather than being tied down at young age… I will make this easier for you.” He kissed her forehead lightly, “I am letting you go my flower.” When he said it, it was as if a huge burden was let off Soo Ji’s shoulders. She cried more.

“Yah… Soo Ji! Wake up.” Seul-Gi bothered her friend who seemed to fall asleep on her table. “Oh my goodness! This is a beautiful ring!” Seul-Gi’s eyes widened. “Don’t tell me… Are you engaged?”

“Yah! Seul-Gi! Ani… It’s a gift… and it just happened to fit on this finger.” She hid her hand. “Anyway, why are you being so loud?”

“I heard our class will receive a new student from the country side.” Seul- Gi snickered.

“Why are you giggling?” Soo Ji asked as she scrummaged through her bag pack to prepare for her next lesson.

“I mean… I wonder what she would look like? She’s from the country-side and this is like an elite school filled with us very up-to-date kids.” Seul-Gi went on.

Soo Ji shook her head in disbelief hearing from her very obnoxious friend, “I think the more we are being in elite, the more open minded we should be.” She shut her friend. Seul-Gi blinked her eyes a few times as she heard what her friend said. The bell rang and soon after their