{ chapter four }

lollipop and one hundred points for Jin Hee!

“Wow.”

Jin Hee immediately clamped her hand on . She unconsciously blurted it out upon seeing her two older brothers present in the dining table the next morning. It’s not like she always sees them in breakfast. Sometimes, she thinks that the two were part time birds and they’re always up very early to look for something to eat so they wouldn’t have to eat breakfast with her.

I could feel the love, alright.

She sat down beside her aunt Soo Yeon, across her two brothers who sat side by side as if saying ‘We’re-all-in-this-together’. Jin Hee could slowly get the point; their father had forced the two to stay. Jin Hee felt bad for them. If her presence for them was really bothersome, then their father shouldn’t force them to stay around her. Sadly for her, she couldn’t do anything further for her father’s words were law in the house.

They started to munch down their breakfast. Her dad spoke; he was seated in the seat for him; in the end of the table.

“I need you all here early later. We’re going to have some visitors and they’re going to have dinner with us.”

Jin Hee blinked.

Se Hun discreetly rolled his eyes, “I have soccer practice this evening, dad.”

“Se Hun, just this evening. Besides, you haven’t been in this house much. Try spending time with us more.”

“It’s because she’s here…” he muttered under his breath.

Jin Hee gulped. She heard it but decided to ignore it. She always ignored those; she didn’t want any more arguments and fights. Jin Hee looked at her father, “I’m included?”

All of them looked at her. Se Hun across her scoffed.

“Actually, wander around while we’re having dinner. Wouldn’t want them to see the illegitimate daughter now, would we?”

Jin Hee bit back a retort. Nonsense, it’d be a waste if they won’t have a chance to see this beauty.

“Se Hun.” their father’s stern voice echoed, he then turned to Jin Hee, “Of course. Why wouldn’t you be?”

“Well, like Se Hun said, I’m illegitimate so…” Jin Hee shrugged, “they shouldn’t know about me, right?”

The man looked a bit taken aback. “It’s completely alright, dear. It’s the Mayor and his family who’s going to come, not some other businessmen so no worries. And it’s not that I’m trying to hide you.”

“Mayor… You mean the Byun family?” An uneasy feeling suddenly crept unto her. She didn’t feel like eating again or else she’ll throw up.

“Who else…” Se Hun mockingly whispered.

“You know Baek Hyun?” Chan Yeol’s deep voice asked Jin Hee. Right now, she couldn’t decide on where she should be shocked at; the Byun family coming to their house for some fancy dinner or Chan Yeol talking to her.

Jin Hee couldn’t stop smiling even though her heart pounded like crazy. Is this going to be the ‘meet-the-parents’ part?!

No, it’s going to be the ‘finding-out-the-secret’ part. She mentally frowned.

“Yeah…” Jin Hee trailed off, “he’s my classmate.”

And I like him, a lot.

After a wave of depressing and not so good thoughts, Jin Hee managed to turn it into cheerful and positive ones. She was able to go to school smiling like a fool. Chan Yeol had finally taken the initiative to talk to her after all. It was definitely good news and a progress.

Now she’s thinking on how to get Se Hun talking to her without sprouting s about her from his mouth.

It was ironic on how she takes the bus to go to school when his father owns a big company that manufactures cars. Her father was persistent about her owning a car but she was little extra persistent on declining it.

In the end, they came up with a deal. She’ll take the bus for a month, then she’ll have her own car and her father will be the one teaching her to drive it. When she had asked him about her license, her father merely winked at her.

Ah, rich people.

Jin Hee imagined a scenario in her head.

A police officer flagged her car down in the road and he asked through the opened car window, “Say the name?”

It sounded like the pop song she heard. Jin Hee excitedly smiled and shifted on the driver seat and was about to supply the next part but completely realized that the officer was just making her say her real age. , should she continue? But it would be such a good duet!

“No, no, I’m busy, sorry,” she abruptly closed the car window and stepped on the gas, zooming past the officer. Now, she’d have to change car models.

Jin Hee snickered at the scenario as she stuffed some things into her locker. She sure has some ridiculous imagination.

“Someone’s on a good mood.” Alex appeared beside her together with Stephanie who was grinning at her.

Jin Hee closed her locker and flashed him a sweet smile, “I’m always in a good mood, and I’m always good.”

“Girl, get out of here.”

“Have you seen Baek Hyun?” She asked her friends.

The idea of having a dinner with his family popped into her mind. Her blood boiled in excitement. The happenings were getting so good and she couldn’t wait.

Honesty is a virtue.

, I meant patience.

“Already in the classroom with his friends,” Stephanie shrugged.

“You hoe—“ Alex turned to the blonde half-American, half-Korean.

“Sshh, you’re the one and only hoe here, Alex.” Jin Hee butted in.

“—you’re crushing on Joon Myeon, yes?” Alex continued.

Jin Hee shuddered, “What’s with the sudden change of dialect…”

“Am not!” Stephanie blushed.

“You are, you little !”

Jin Hee walked ahead of the two. She thought that Alex’s soul must’ve been burning in hell at this very moment with all the dirty things sprouting from his mouth. The gay has a very vulgar vocabulary and if you’re not his friend or if you’re sensitive, you’ll run away from him crying and probably will hide under your mom’s dress.

She thought that’s what makes Jin Hee like him as her friend. He’s not scared to tell her all the things that he wants to tell and an extremely carefree friend could do.

But sometimes, she wished that he’d just shut his mouth.

Jin Hee walked to the room skipping and smiling. It was like her extra happy aura radiated throughout the room that her classmates turned to look at her.

“What’s up?” Baek Hyun asked her with his bored look. He had a lollipop in his mouth and she swore that it was the cutest thing she saw.

Except that whenever she looks in the mirror, she also sees the same.

Daaaang gurl!

Jin Hee raised a brow on him as she sat beside him, “What’s down?” she chuckled as she settled herself in her seat.

She threw him a glance when her seatmate stayed quiet and just stared at her amusingly like she’d just done several cartwheeling while singing.

“What?”

“You really want to know what’s down?” he started leaning towards her and his voice was suddenly a pitch lower than his usual and it sounded… sultry, to her.

Suddenly a scroll rolled down inside her mind and she began listing down the things she’ll do to him once they were married.

No, wait, —

“Oh for ’s sake!” Jin Hee exclaimed and face-palmed, “I didn’t mean that!”

“Settle down! Settle down!”

She exhaled while he chuckled. Just when she thought she’ll get the last laugh.

As always, Baek Hyun kept bugging Jin Hee by hitting her right hand whenever she’s writing, and Jin Hee always ended up writing weird instead of letters. She didn’t back down, she also did the same to him and their notes almost looked the same; full of lines that had no constant direction.

Abstract writing, she thought.

“Lee, Byun,” they both looked up to their teacher when she called them. The two rolled eyes on each other.

Seriously, how am I going study when he’s literally beside me? He distracts the out of me. She mentally sneered.

Every painter needs an inspiration, her second self retaliated.

Do I look like a ing painter? Jin Hee shook her head, but okay, he’s alright for an inspiration.

Alright? Girl, he’s damn perfect!

Jin Hee rolled her eyes to nowhere and looked at Baek Hyun who’s happily on his lollipop. Unfair, Ms. Song lets Baek Hyun eat while in her class! She thought that Baek Hyun could eat garbage and their homeroom teacher wouldn’t even bat an eye.

Of course, she wouldn’t! The slightly manipulative son of the Mayor is eating garbage! It’d be a spectacular sight!

She poked the boy’s shoulder and he faced her. Jin Hee pulled the lollipop out of his mouth and swiftly put it inside instead. It was still new, she thought, because it didn’t feel like the candy had lessened. She triumphantly smiled at him and went back to her notes. Oh boy was she being left behind. Ms. Song was a fast-writer!

Baek Hyun blinked ten times—in shock and confusion—before yelling.

“HEY!”

He sure did a good job on scaring the people inside the room, even Ms. Song jumped on her place.

Poor woman, again.

Jin Hee turned to him with her eyebrow raised, looking amused.

“What?” she boringly said, the lollipop stick dangling from the corner of .

She almost exploded in laughter. He literally looked like a kid that got his candy taken away from him, well, that’s what exactly happened to him! His face was almost red in anger and his eyes were hard. He didn’t even look like he’s going to complain about hygiene.

“That’s mine!” he exclaimed.

“Yeah, it’s mine now.”

“You two again! What are you fighting about this time?”

“Jin Hee put my lollipop into !”

What Baek Hyun said sounded so, so wrong.

“Oh for ’s sake Byun Baek Hyun, can you rephrase that?!” Jin Hee harshly whispered as she put up a discreet middle finger when her classmates erupted in laughter. One from the back whistled, while Alex hollered ‘you go girl!’

Ms. Song could only sigh. The woman p