It was one of those mountain training trip that their law faculty had organised. She has been contemplating if she wants him there with her. As he sat across her at the dining table, busying typing away on his laptop, she wondered if she should succumb to peer pressure and bring him along to the trip. Afterall, all she needed to do is open and ask. Looking back, she never once wondered why she felt confident that he will definitely attend and it is all a matter of whether she asked or not. 

"What are you doing?" Her tone was sweet as honey, innocent as a child. If only he knew how loud her heart was beating.

The gentle sound coming from the keyboard never stopped. Startled, she didn't expect him to pierce her with his gaze together with a slow drawl, "What do you think, love?"

She looked away quickly, twirling the ends of her hair with her index finger whilst not forgetting to give herself a mental kick in the shin. She could have asked a more intelligent question. "Work. Right. Silly me."

"In fact, quite the opposite. I was writing an email to enquire on a family function." The keyboard sound came to a stop just as he finishes his sentence. He shifted his posture and leaned his chin on top of his tightly clasp hand. "What can I help you with today, love?"

He has been smooth and unyielding with his terms of endearment. She has not a single clue when did he decide he will address her as love. Jennie concluded that he was brainwashing Chae Young with that particular word.

"He calls you love so that you will think of him as love and then you will slowly think you are in love with him. Goodness I hate this guy." That was what Jennie said.

"At least he refrains from 'Baby'." Lisa rolled her eyes.

"Are you planning anything on 29th this month? It's one of the weekends."

He raised his eyebrows, his gaze still locked on her, intense as ever. "Am I suppose to?"

"You see, we have this mountain training trip going on and... and my seniors has been asking me to invite you over. They are inviting their lo-- partners as well." She almost let the 'L' word slipped.

Damn Jennie and her brainwashing technique speech. She hoped he had not caught on. 

Six days later, she was dragging her feet as she walked towards the crowd gathered in front of the varsity's bus stop. The chattered died down a bit before the crowd break into huge grins.

"So there he is, the legendary Mr Jung who bagged our Chae Young."

***

Chae Young did not know and will never predict that when this trip ended, she would eventually find out how easily will Lisa and Jennie be swayed. By the end of the trip, Ji Soo was smiling brightly at Chae Young's husband and Lisa were singing praises. Jennie completely kept quiet and her insults were nowhere to be seen.

'Such shallow friends. With them, who needs any enemy now?' She thought.

'Sweet child.' He thought.

Their training trip started off with treasure hunting which requires a team of five. Naturally, the four of them needed to let him in as their team member. Since they were supposed to be future eloquent and cunning lawyers, the games were not exactly for the pea brained. In fact, the organisers probably mistaken that the participants are Mensa members because the easiest riddle was written as, 'Mo / cha'. They need to guess the word associated to the clue.

They were stuck with that question for ten minutes and the other teams weren't making any progress either. Frustrations built up when one of the all-male team managed to crack the code. This resulted in Jennie and Lisa almost on the verge of spewing vulgarity. All this while, Jin Young had been keeping quiet and silently observing her friends. Amused, he finally took charge and answered, "Coffee break." 

If Lisa was impressed, she made sure to not let it show. When they finally bagged first prize, thanks to his brains and wits, she became a convert right there and then.

Lisa knew that he had intelligently hidden the fact that he knew the answer to the coffee break question the moment he looked at the clue.

Heck, everyone knew because he had stupidly or rather-- conveniently forgotten to pretend to be at least an average-brainer when answering the more difficult questions and riddles.

***

Another agenda arranged was a hike up to the waterfall and then jumping from fifteen metre above into the water. That was the particular reason why Ji Soo was sold to the idea that maybe, he will be good for Chae Young. Ji Soo was the laughing machine, easily amused and very much sensitive to the vibes around her. To put it simply - a gentle, alert and sensitive soul.

Throughout the hike, Jennie and Lisa charged in front with Ji Soo leading close. Chae Young was the last among four of them this time round. Ji Soo had always looked back to check on Chae Young throughout the entire hike up. During the hike down, her mind was at ease. She did not need to turn around every thirty seconds or so.

Ji Soo's ease of mind was proven when Jennie exclaimed after finding out Ji Soo being the first to reach back to base camp. "You are fast! Did you abandoned Chae Young?"

"Why not. She is in good hands. Very much abandon-able." Ji Soo smiled with a mischievous glint. Whoever thought Ji Soo was an angel, forgot that birds of a feather flock together.

He eases her mind.

Whenever Ji Soo turned to check on Chae Young, she saw him, two steps behind her friend. His posture was calm but he had shown her that he was alert of Chae Young. There was once she almost lost her footing and his arm almost enveloped her before she finds her footing again, all thanks to Ji Soo's quick hands. 

'Almost.' That was what Ji Soo needed from him. To her, it was good enough.

When Chae Young was standing at the platform, ready to take the leap of faith and jump into the water, she had quietly observed her from down below. He had not jumped yet, which irated Jennie to no ends, claiming he was not a man for letting his wife jump first. But Ji Soo understood why he did not make the jump.

His pursed lips showed her concern. His unblinking eyes showed her his readiness to jump in if anything were to go wrong. He did not want to exhaust his energy unnecessarily. He would not know when she will need him and he was always on guard. He understood perfectly that he had to take care of himself first, before he can take care of her. To that, she was very grateful for his maturity and stability as they are what Chae Young needed the most at this point of her life.

To her, his assuring presence were the best.

Besides, ten people had jumped before Chae Young made hers so Jennie's argument can be thrown out of the window.

And now that Chae Young had jumped, Ji Soo can jump too.

***

When dinner was over and campfire games started, the newly weds were clearly the target of some good old jolly nitpicking. The group of seniors had bombarded them with countless of questions and the atmosphere was getting slightly high as the booze continued to flow. They were relentless with their interest in Chae Young and Jin Young's relationship. Sometime around 10 minutes to eleven, one of the fervently drunk boy senior asked pretty carelessly, "So, how did you manage to mend this broken soul?"

Jennie, contrary to her sweet look, was the tomboy of the group. She rewarded the drunk senior with a punch in his stomach. 

Nobody knew what to do. It was a forbidden question asked by a forbidden person. 

Lamely, Lisa the convert smiled and tried her very best to divert the building tension, "Idiot meant, 'How are you going to show your love to our Chae Young?'."

That was the exact moment Chae Young knew Lisa had changed.

Jennie gave a look to Lisa, questioning her intelligence and whether is that the best smokescreen Lisa can throw. In retort, Lisa gave Jennie her 'At least I tried!' face. 

Jennie hoped he had not caught on. She had hated the idea of Chae Young getting married so hastily and to such a shady guy, no less. She does not know and neither does she want to contemplate what will happen if he finds out Chae Young has a past he is probably not so willing to accept-- considering his borderline physchopatic behaviour. She has classified him physchopatic because for one, he does not date. Secondly, he is too calm and reserve, almost emotionless. Plainly, he is a very dangerous man-- difficult to read, impossible to grasp.

So, eventhough she was projecting an annoyed face, deep down she was holding her breathe to hear his response. It can go both ways, he answers Lisa's question or he probe further to the unintentional revelation. She prayed it was anything but the latter.

Lisa tried throwing another smokescreen. While waving, she asked, "Hello? Answer me. How are you going to show her your love for her?"

"All I need to do is choose her, isn't it. Irregardless of what comes our way."

"And who."

Jennie caught how he paired his emphasis on the last word with an extra bright megawatt smile while directing a very familiar kind of gaze to the particular drunk whom she just hit in the stomach.

Right there and then, she knew he is as wicked as her. 

Shakira believes hips don't lie. Kim Jennie believes gazes don't lie.

Right there and then, she decided she likes him enough to promise to drop all hostility. 

"Please. Cut your cheesiness."

Well, Jennie did not promise to be nice.

Chae Young should not have invited him to the trip.