OST: “Hide & Seek” by CNBLUE 

Where have you been hiding?

I’m searching where you are

You just left me

Why did you leave me

After closing my two eyes

I wander around like a fool

While following your presence

I whisper, “I’ll find you”

I’ll find you

"I don't understand." Yonghwa mumbled to himself as he stood and stared at the door. 

Here he is, holding a teddy bear, rose, and his guitar and yet the outcome wasn't as what he thought it would be. What should've been the beginning of a dream come true turned out into a nightmare. He tried and tried to think of a logical reason, recalling every law of science or whatever piece of knowledge his brain can fathom, but still, he is at a loss. There is absolutely nothing he could find that would justify what the hell just happened.

He did everything as Jonghyun instructed, down to the tiniest detail. Surely, his friend wouldn't do something as purposely say the wrong advice when it comes to dating, right? Wasn't he the one who constantly nagged him about getting a life? 

"Uh, dude? I think her royal highness has clearly rejected you. This is the part where you go cry a river, build a bridge and get over it; but first, you might wanna do that back home. Not here. Ladies dorm, remember? So off you go, nerdy boy." Some girl from the other unit opposite Seohyun’s told Yonghwa.

"Ya, Yuri-ah do you really have to tell him that? It's not like he's stupid enough not to understand the meaning of having a door slammed in his face." Another one scolded. 

"Hey, yo. What's your name? It's been half an hour. The princess goes to bed at midnight. Something about her skin or brain cells regenerating. Who cares. Might as well leave." The girl named Yuri insisted.

"Sorry about her. She's not usually this rude but you know how cranky people can be when a loud bang of a door wakes them up from a deep sleep." Her roommate apologized on her behalf. 

Yuri went inside and just when Yonghwa thought that would be the end of it, the girl went out and handed him a tube of super glue. He looked at her, obviously puzzled and confused about her gesture.

"Figured you might need it more than I do." Yuri shrugged.

"I don't understand?" Yonghwa replied.

"Super glue. Might help in sticking back the broken pieces of your heart. You might wanna start picking ‘em up before I step on it and crush it further.” Yuri chuckled. 

"Kwon Yuri! How can you be so mean?!" Her roommate pulled her back inside.

"What? He deserves it!" Yuri defended herself before turning back to look at Yonghwa and pointed at him accusingly.

"YOU! Do you know that this is the first time in three weeks I'm getting a proper sleep?! Obviously not but I’ll tell you anyway. I’ve been up all night to finish that hellish thesis and now that I finally got the well-deserved A+, I figured that a good night's rest is something I am entitled to. 

I was THIS close to a very deep sleep but you just had to choose this ungodly hour to bother Princess Seo about your pesky and obviously unrequited feelings. Why! I dare ask you, why?! How could you deprive me of my basic human right?!" Yuri was literally screaming her lungs out. Fortunately, her roommate Yoona was there to restrain her and bring her back inside their place. 

"Don't mind her. She's just unlucky to have been assigned in Professor Na's class. I'm sure you must've heard of that old hag's reputation." Someone else from yet another dorm unit called out. 

It was only at this moment that Yonghwa realized he had amassed quite an audience for his unsuccessful "confession." 

"Hey! Catch!" Another girl shouted.

By instinct and luck, Yonghwa was able to catch the object thrown at him. An ice pack?

"Don't wanna let a poor guy get burned by love." The girl chuckled.

Pretty soon, he's got a handful of souvenir to remind him of his failure. If this was how the privileged ladies of Seoul Uni show their support, Yonghwa still can't figure out if he's supposed to be impressed or offended over their creativity.

"Hyung? What are you doing here?" 

Yonghwa turned to his left to find his close friend, Lee Jonghyun, sneaking out of a dorm unit.

"What are YOU doing here?" Yonghwa threw the question back at him.

No reply was necessary on Jonghyun's behalf when the occupant of the room he just got out gave him a kiss on the cheek. Yonghwa stood in disbelief. How can that dimpled pale looking fool get all the girls? Why can't he? It's not like he wants a lot of girls. He's only ever sought after one. Seo Joohyun.

"Omo hyung. Is it? Seolma? You did not? I thought you were joking!" Jonghyun guffawed.

"And I thought you're on term break." Yonghwa replied crossly.

"I am but Hyuk and Shin called up & said they got us a gig at Blazing Rock tomorrow night. The underground club? I thought they sent you a text. That's why I cut my visit short and came back here. I'd rather deal with these lovely ladies than my old folks." Jonghyun answered as he inspected Yonghwa.

"Hyung. Jinjja I can't believe it! So it was you awhile ago? The one her highness slammed the door for?" Jonghyun snickered.

Furious, humiliated, and confused, he dragged Lee Jonghyun by the collar until they got out of the building. Once they reached their house, he gave the playboy the opportunity to recount the sad tale of his now dead love life. He might as well ask someone to prepare the gravestone. 

"She did what?! Jinjja hyung?!" Jungshin laughed like a mad man. 

"Ya, can you at least show some sympathy or something? You're supposed to help make me feel better not drown in misery!" Yonghwa nagged.

"Sorry hyung but we all believe you deserve it. Told you the princess has her limits. How long have you kept her waiting? Years? Ah jinjja hyung. Playing hard to get! I gotta give it to Seohyun-sshi though for doing something historical as shutting the door in front of your face!!!” Jonghyun laughed crazily.

"YOU!!! This is all your fault! You said all I needed was a rose, teddy bear, and a song! You said that trick works all the time! You liar! I should've bought her the unabridged manual for aspiring thespians and maybe she wouldn't have shut me out!!! I'm never going to listen to your advice!" Yonghwa accused Jonghyun.

"You should've bought her what? A manual? I think you’re the one who needs a book about HOW TO COURT A GIRL FOR DUMMIES.” Jonghyun mocked.

"I..ya! I would've gotten her a box of chocolate too..." Yonghwa said defensively.

"Still wouldn't make a difference. Hyung, that's Seohyun. Seoul Uni's princess. She ain't a nerd like you. No offence. There's just some people who value real life than books." Minhyuk added.

"But she's smart enough to get into this school!" Yonghwa argued.

"Psh. It's not her being "smart" but getting "special treatment." Isn't she the niece of the owner or largest stockholder of SU?" Jungshin asked.

"Niece. Her great great grandpa or ancestor whatever established Seoul Uni. In short, SU is just one of the many organisations controlled and owned by the Seo. Gotta use ‘em connections, right? Meanwhile, uri Yonghwa hyung over here is the son of SU’s largest stockholder and in his own right if he chooses to acknowledge it, he belongs to the same status quo as that of Ms. Seo.” Minhyuk corrected.

"Ahra smartypants! But still. I just can't get over Yonghwa hyung's face when Seohyun banged the door! The look on the other students' faces was priceless! The campus nerd gets rejected by the campus sweetheart! Such a heartbreaking moment! I wonder what headline will trend tomorrow." Jonghyun laughed again.

"Hyung, she's Seohyun. It wouldn't be out of character. What is more surprising though is why she's taken some fondness over uri Yonghwa hyung and maintaining that feeling for how many years already!" Jungshin said in disbelief.

"I'm hoping you'd be the dongsaeng who'd give me words of encouragement..." Yonghwa looked at Minhyuk.

"I..I'm sorry hyung but I can't. It's just too...puhahahahahaha! You should've seen the look on your face! Shin-ah, where's the photo?!" Minhyuk too was practically out of breath from his hysterical laughs.

The youngest of the four immediately brought his iPad. Yonghwa scanned the photos now going viral in the university's online community board and knew that the most embarrassing and heartbreaking night of his life was captured and stored in impeccable high definition. 

"Who let you inside that exclusive building?!" Yonghwa asked Jonghyun, suddenly remembering how he lost his pride to beg to the security to let him in. That particular dormitory is a highly-exclusive one for ladies of Seoul University, who are either rich, or under the honors program or both. He believes that the teddy bear and rose and guitar helped softened the ahjussi's heart. 

"Hyung, you do remember that by birthright, you’re a Jung, which means you are entitled to all these royalties so I honestly don’t get it why you choose to be, uh, like that. You don’t have some scarred family history or any of the bullsh*t from those chaebol stereotypes in dramas. You should've just told him who you were to save yourself from all that trouble!" Jungshin laughed.

"You pabo. He's trying to live a low profile, remember? Anyway hyung, you're not the only one with a privilege card. Gotta play the spoiled rich kid once in a while. I also have some "connections" there if in case some of my fake identities didn't work out." Jonghyun winked.

"Spare me from your affairs, Lee Jonghyun and do tell that bastard cousin of yours to stop bothering Joohyun or any of those related to me. If not, I'll be the one to make sure he never gets a future." Yonghwa warned.

"Dude, you know being a playboy runs in the blood, but don't worry, I got that pabo under control. Scout's honor!" Jonghyun reassured with a salute.

"I still can't believe she slammed the door at his face!!!! Puahahahahahahaha!!!" Minhyuk was practically rolling on the floor laughing. 

“You don’t have to remind him, Minhyuk-ah. He’s probably scarred for life. Took him years to build up confidence to finally talk to the girl, only for him to be shut out of her place. Such a tragedy!” Jonghyun teased again.

Yonghwa groaned and headed back to his room. Once plopped in bed, he closed his eyes and recalled everything that transpired between him and Seoul Uni's reigning princess or social butterfly from day one up to the present.

3 years ago

Sophomore Year: The First Meeting 

"Jonghyun-ah!!! Show yourself you coward! I'm going to murder you and get away with it!!!" Yonghwa screamed helplessly as he wandered along the campus in his "costume." 

The playboy managed to fool him about an acquaintance party for all pledges of a well-known fraternity. He doesn't know what really got into his head when he signed up for it but now, in his cowboy getup, he's determined never to push through with the pledge. 

"You think I'm joking? I can and I will do it! I'm smart enough to do so!" Yonghwa threatened uselessly.

"Oh there y're...." A slurry female voice called out to him. He was startled for a second. 

"I'm sorry but I think you got the wrong person...?" He wasn't able to continue because she almost fell all over him.

"Miss? I..I think you're drunk.." He said nervously. 

The girl looked up at him, and even if her hair was all over her face, she's undoubtedly the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. She's also the one that caught his eye two days ago during the freshman orientation but he felt saddened when she started to ask some guy on a date.

"Thank gogumas y'er h-here. So, how m-mwuch fowwww a nighhht?" She struggled to say. 

That made him lose his hold on her and just stared at her in shock, feeling insulted she thought of him that way. He can attest that the quote about not judging a book by its cover reeks the truth. He thought that maybe he really shouldn't assume she's that kind of girl because she isn't exactly sober at this moment. He was beginning to feel sorry for her until she puked on his shoes. 

He cursed and cursed not because he's disgusted but because his mother just bought him these boots and he knows he'll never hear the end of it once she finds out it's all ruined. 

"Look. I don't know what you're up to. You're drunk and I'm clearly not the kind of man you mistook me as." 

He debated on leaving her alone but being the old fashioned gentleman his omma raised him to be, he decided to stay.

"I'm sowwwy missterrr but pleeease help me? Prettty plwease? If yer upswet about yer bootzzz I pwomise to buy ya a new one..juzzz please help me?" She pouted and for a second he almost faltered. 

Perhaps the whiz kid Jung Yonghwa isn't immune to cute, angelic-faced girls, even one so beautifully drunk and captivating. 

"I don't think a one night stand will help you." He responded coldly.

The girl threw her head back and laughed. He swore he heard bells ringing. He must've spent too much time digging through books and getting involved with social/political issues to pay attention to his boring life. He made a mental note to try and get a date just to prove to himself that he can still act around his age.

"Oh no mister. No one's sleweeping with anyone. Aren't ya a strippeer? I mean howdyyy cowboy!!" She giggled.

He's supposed to feel offended but he scolded himself because instead of that, he found this lady cute, and she's not even trying to be that, given that she's intoxicated with alcohol.

"A soworityyy unnieeee needs one for her birwhday. Imma pledge so can I bring ya there so I can get mah badgeee or pin or scawrf..?" 

Before he could reject that, the nameless girl fell unconscious in his arms. It was at this moment when two men came jogging towards their way.

"Thanks dude. Thought we almost lost her. Whew! Wouldn't want to waste an investment, right buddy? Alright hand her over. We can take it from here." A tall bulky guy said as he reached out to take the unconscious lady.

Yonghwa recognized him as one of the members of the fraternity he and Jjong signed up for as pledges. As fast as the speed of light, he already saw the entire scenario in his mind: that these two bulkheads drugged the unsuspecting and vulnerable freshman who also happens to be a pledge of a sorority. 

He tightened his hold on her protectively and carried her in his arms bridal style. 

"NO." Yonghwa answered sternly. 

"What do you mean, NO? What are you, a sophomore? Who do you think you are to talk back to your seniors? Back off man. You wanna get laid then go find your own b*tch. This one's ours!" The other guy said as he lunged forward to start a fight. 

Unfortunately for the two, Yonghwa's backup came to the rescue. Lee Jungshin and Kang Minhyuk. The skilled men his father hired as his personal guards since they were in junior high. Yonghwa let the two deal with the fraternity guys and with a phone call, he knew that before dawn, the sorority and the fraternity involved would cease to exist in Seoul Uni.

It didn't take long for him to locate the exclusive dorm for ladies. The guard eyed him suspiciously but with a simple show of his ID, all doubts were cleared and he was granted permission to get inside the building.

He was met with the sobs of two emotional girls as soon as they saw their youngest all knocked out. He of course wasn't spared from their slaps and vile accusations. He can't blame them though considering the clothes he's wearing and again, thankfully, Minhyuk & Jungshin came to his rescue. They were just three minutes too late because Yonghwa already had multiple scratches and a black eye. 

Once the girl's roommates have calmed down, they began apologizing for their behavior. Yonghwa acknowledge their apology, bowed, and left. 

"Her name's..." Minhyuk was cut off by Yonghwa.

"I don't have to know her name." He tried to sound uninterested even if his curiosity says otherwise. 

"If you insist hyung." Minhyuk shrugged. 

"By the way hyung, nice outfit." Jungshin snickered.

Thoughts of murdering the mischievous heir of Lee Corporation occupied his mind once again. 

2 Months After The First Meeting 

"We're being followed." Jungshin said seriously, scanning the area for potential threats.

By instinct, the two of them naturally positioned themselves to keep Yonghwa safe while they surveyed the people around them as well as the surroundings. They tried to change up their path just to confirm their suspicions until they both relaxed and resumed walking like any other ordinary group of friends.

"Nothing?" Yonghwa wondered. It's unlikely for the two to be so complacent. 

"Nothing to worry about, hyung. Only your heart is in danger." Minhyuk teased.

"My what?" Yonghwa asked irritatedly.

"Nothing hyung. Just keep walking." Minhyuk smiled.

Yonghwa shook his head in a motion that translated to as "you two are strange ever since you started seeing those girls!" 

He tried to brush off the uneasy feeling brought about by the inexplicable grin on his friends' faces. Yonghwa did his best to concentrate on scanning the handouts as they walked but from the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of her.

"Forget it, Yong. She's the university's "it" girl. What good would such a free-spirited, party-going social butterfly would do to an aspiring lawyer? One who is also a stupid, awkward wallflower. Aish." Yonghwa thought. 

He tried not to be so obvious but every now and then, he'd take a pause, pretend to tie his shoelace or fix his clothes or anything that can be randomly done as he stole glances at her. She's very pretty and there's a certain aura to her that magnets every guy's attention. 

However, he wants to get to know the girl she truly is. He has this gut feeling that there's more to her than meets the eye and that curiosity is exactly the kind of distraction he cannot afford to have right now. He convinced himself that alright he's just a guy after all who is attracted to a beautiful girl who once mistook him as a stripper but....

"No, Jung Yonghwa. No "buts!" You entered college to study and not fool around!" He reprimanded himself.

"Just one last look and I'll go..." He bargained.

He tried yet again to subtly turn his head towards her direction and as if struck by lightning, the sight of her playing with a cute white puppy and hugging who he presumed as Professor Jo's kids did a double flip on his heart and stomach. He suddenly had this fast forward vision of her and him and what a beautiful, happy family they'd make in the future.

"There must be something wrong with me! Maybe I need to rob Jjong's stash of uh, those inappropriately explicit stuff.." Yonghwa deduced. 

"Hyung! Are you alright?" Minhyuk bent towards Yonghwa and looked at him with utmost concern.

"Y-yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Yonghwa randomly started wiping his glasses and putting them back on.

"You're flushed..if we didn't know any better we'd think you're actually blushing." Jungshin said seriously. 

"I'M NOT B-BLUSHING O-OKAY!!!! I'M N-NOT!" Yonghwa cried in defense.

Jungshin and Minhyuk's mouths hung open and their eyes wide in shock.

"Hyung..Yonghwa hyung.." Jungshin called.

"W-WHAT?!" Yonghwa asked nervously.

"You...you..." Minhyuk couldn't finish.

"I, what, Minhyuk-ah?!" Yonghwa insisted. 

"You're actually blushing and you even stuttered!!! The eloquent, Jung Yonghwa! For the first time in forever!" Jungshin exclaimed.

The two then started giving him congratulatory pats on the shoulder. 

"Hey!" Yonghwa pushed their hands away. 

"Omo hyung. I feel so proud of you! You're a big boy now!!!" Minhyuk tried to kiss his cheek.

"I never thought I'd see the day when the cold-hearted and brainiac Jung Yonghwa would fall in love! I must've done something heroic in my previous life to witness such a miracle!" Jungshin said dramatically.

"I'm getting teary-eyed. Should we call his parents? Siblings?" Minhyuk asked excitedly. 

"Ya! Get off of me!" Yonghwa tried to push his dongsaengs away. 

He made a mistake when he looked back at the pretty girl because their eyes met again and damn if that isn't the most beautiful pair of eyes he's ever seen. She smiled shyly and that's when he knew he was done for. Completely screwed over. The inevitable has begun and he's not even the slightest prepared for it. 

He felt his face burn and could hear the two laughing at his stunned expression.

"Her name's Seohyun by the way..." Jungshin said.

"She's majoring in performing arts..." Minhyuk added.

"She and her roommates mistook you first as a and second, a stripper..." Jungshin reminded.

"She's also single and ready to mingle. I heard she's got a thing for the nerdy type..." Minhyuk informed.

"Yeah. The brooding, antisocial kind of guy..." Jungshin added.

"I overheard her talking about being interested with guys who wear specs; black-rimmed, much preferred..." Minhyuk said. 

"I...I-I'm n-not i-int-erested!!!!" Yonghwa stammered. 

"Of course you're not. That's why your face is redder than a tomato and your words spoken like a drunk ahjussi. Don't worry. You're not the first to fall for her charms as evidenced by the horse-faced scumbags over there."  Jonghyun suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Since you're my hyung then I'll concede. She's not my type anyway. Talks too much. Seohyun is all yours. Congrats bro! You might want to start making a move since she's taken an interest on you so it seems. Wouldn't waste such a golden opportunity if I were you!" Jonghyun encouraged. 

"I d-don't l-like a-any-one ookay?! I h-have a d-ebate to uh worry a-about and..." Yonghwa tried to ease himself out the situation.

"Just quit with the denials otherwise you'd look even more pathetic." Jonghyun said.

"There's n-nothing to- uh dd-deny!" Yonghwa felt helpless.

"Alright. If you say so.." Jonghyun was unconvinced.

"It would at least help save some of your pride if you admit that you were looking." Minhyuk advised.

"FINE! SO WHAT IF I DID?! CAN'T A GUY LOOK AT A PRETTY GIRL?!" Yonghwa exclaimed.

He felt proud of himself for not stuttering midway but his friends gaped at him before screaming in joy.

"Did I hear this right? THE magnanimous and untouchable Jung Yonghwa, the king of all nerds, the guy with the most unhealthy & perhaps non-existent social life, this namja who is more inclined to have an affair with a stupid encyclopedia than a real woman, called a girl, "pretty?" Jinjja?! Tell me I'm not dead or something! Tell me this is real! Hallelujah!!!" Jonghyun said loudly.

"Hear ye! Hear ye! The magnificent Jung Yonghwa just referred himself as a "guy" and Seoul University's princess, Seohyun as a "girl." The world is about to end as the dragon's heart has been pierced and slain by a social butterfly! Woe to all the brainiacs who will forever be alone!!!!" Jungshin announced in a funny voice.

"Woe!!!" Jonghyun & Minhyuk chorused.

"Fools!" Yonghwa shouted.

"Geure! A fool in love! Babo cheoreom!!!!" The three exclaimed.

The four of them gathered quite an audience so before his friends could further torment his reputation, Yonghwa ran and didn't dare look back.

And so the time goes…

"Looks like your admirer is lurking behind the bushes hyung." Minhyuk whispered as soon as he spotted Seohyun. 

The four of them were casually hanging out at the university's vast lawn. Yonghwa pretended to recite the constitutional bills and other legal mumbo jumbo.

"Name: Seo Joohyun. Age 20. Nickname: Seohyun. Part time model for luxury brands, etc etc. Main hobby: stalking the campus nerd." Jonghyun said.

"Please pay respect to someone who is studying here." Yonghwa whined.

"Oops sorry hyung. You were never the type to get distracted even with Shin's snores.." Minhyuk laughed while trying to avoid Jungshin's attempt at assaulting him.

"Why don't we all gather some sticks and stones, burn incense, and build a shrine for the dragon who needs to be respected as he tries to cover up his feelings by pretending to study." Jonghyun announced.

"I'll go to the library and get some peace." Yonghwa said as he got up and took his books with him. 

"Omo, Seohyun-sshi!!!!" Jungshin called out in a random direction. 

Upon hearing her name, Yonghwa panicked and dropped his books on Minhyuk's head. As the poor drummer groaned in pain, the other two were laughing and sharing high-fives. 

"Confirmed. Jung Yonghwa is whipped! It only takes a butterfly to kill off a dragon." Jungshin laughed. 

Yonghwa realized belatedly