Jan Di rushed down the long green hall of the Songdo Building toward her first lecture of the day. How was it that she was running behind again? She sighed and clutched tighter to her backpack, as she bolted down the hall. She dashed in just at the moment class was to start. The professor glanced coldly at her but said nothing. Then, she caught sight of Ji Hoo.  She took a seat beside him in a solitary row in the back.

Ji Hoo glanced over briefly, then looked down and gave his trademark smile characterized by amusement mixed with affection. Jan Di frowned at first, but his smile was easily able to transform her expression. She gave a small smile and sighed. After the hour lecture ended, Jan Di slowly gathered her books. Ji Hoo looked over at her. "So, what's your excuse for nearly being late this time?" He gave her a semi-serious, chastising look.

Jan Di sighed. "Well, I had a problem with my bike, and I had to run here."

"You should have called me. I would've given you a ride," he said, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. He followed behind her as she walked down the stairs. Jan Di gave the professor a sheepish look and a quick bow before exiting.

"I know, but I didn't want to trouble you."

"It wouldn't have troubled me. I'm not that far away."

"It's OK, I made it, right? Hopefully Professor Kim doesn't hate me, though…"

Ji Hoo smiled. "What happened to your bike?"

"Well, there is a problem with the brakes."

"You always have some situation come up," he joked, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"Sunbae!" she exclaimed in her typical tone indicating she couldn't believe he just said that. "Hey, my situations are getting less dramatic, though, right?"

He nodded. "I suppose brake problems and nearly being late for class are low on Geum Jan Di's problem scale."

She feigned hurt and chuckled. Ji Hoo smiled. "I hope you're more timely to your other classes that I'm not in with you. Come on, I'll give you a ride."  Ji Hoo knew her class schedule and knew that she had a break before her next class.

"It's OK. I was just going to walk to the library to study a little before my next class," Jan Di said.

"I'll go with you. I have a little time and could use a quick nap." Ji Hoo still had the habit of falling asleep randomly in odd places. The library was a favorite spot of his.

"Sunbae, I feel rather jealous that you have time to sleep while I'm studying like crazy all of the time. I think this comes too easily for you," she said with a small pout.

"It's not easy. I have to study, too," he poked her cheek. However, she didn't fully believe him.

They walked along in stride and entered the library. Jan Di found her favorite table and pulled out a sizable pile of books. Ji Hoo smiled and slumped down in the corner next to her table. He shot her a quick glance, noticing she was in full concentration mode. He smiled contentedly and closed his eyes. His now darker bangs fell lightly over the right side of his face.

After about 45 minutes, Jan Di glanced at her watch. "Oh."

She shut the anatomy book she was thumbing through and walked over to Ji Hoo, who appeared fast asleep. She knelt down and waved a hand in front of his face and whispered his name, the new quieter way she'd become accustomed to waking him up in. She was sure he appreciated not been startled from a nap by her screaming and ranting, as in the past.

He opened his eyes, a smile forming immediately upon seeing her face. "Hi," he said.

She pointed to her watch. "Now who needs to worry about being late?" She knew his class schedule by heart, too.

"I'm your firefighter, and you are now my alarm clock, then?"

She nodded and smiled. "It's the least I can do."

"It'll be fine. I have my bike, but I'd better go." He suddenly felt the urge to kiss her goodbye, as a boyfriend would do, but he quickly recalled their status and gave her a quick 'see ya later' instead. As of late, he sometimes had to remind himself that they weren't actually a couple but just friends. He wasn't sure why he should have to remind himself of this at all, considering there was no reason anyone would mistake them for a couple, right? Of course, they were always together, seemed to know what each other was thinking, and sometimes even finished each other's sentences. She no longer lived with him, which he had to admit he kind of missed, despite it driving him mad. He'd become comfortable, though, and managed to push his feelings deep down, even after being rejected.

He thought about this as he exited the library, hopped on his bike around the corner, and took off toward the building of his next lecture. He had never imagined being so close to someone. Even with Seo Hyun he was not this close. Of course, he had been young then. Even so, he felt that he and Jan Di belonged together, just as the monk had said.

She would give him a family... He had thought and secretly hoped that it meant something else, but one way or another, he knew that he needed Jan Di in his life. She claimed that he was her savior, but she was his, too. She had changed his life in innumerable ways and though it still hurt, he couldn't imagine not being around her as much as possible. He sighed as he parked his bike and walked into his lecture hall, hands in pockets.

Jan Di was back in her dorm. Jan Di could have lived at home, but she wanted to experience university life fully. And even though she loved her family very much, she enjoyed her independence. However, she did have a roommate. Her roommate was nice and fairly quiet. They had different class schedules, so they weren't always home at the same time.

Jan Di thought back to her brief stay at Ji Hoo's house. Though she felt uncomfortable at first, that quickly melted away, and she became very comfortable there, as Woo Bin had intuitively commented on before. She missed it, though she did enjoy her newfound independence.

***

Jan Di was studying again after having a bit of ramen for dinner. The phone rang, and she immediately knew who it was, as Joon Pyo had demanded his own special ringtone. Joon Pyo was 13 hours behind her in New York City.

"Hello, Geum Jan Di!"

"Good morning, Joon Pyo," she smiled upon hearing his voice. He seemed surprisingly vibrant for 6 in the morning. Joon Pyo would often call her prior to going to the office in the morning, while she was home finishing dinner and studying.

"How was your day?" he asked sincerely. "Were you causing trouble again?" he smirked on his end.  

She frowned. Wasn't it bad enough that she had Ji Hoo Sunbae teasing her about her constant mishaps? Though, she didn't tell Jun Pyo about every little thing that happened to her.

"It was fine, and no, I wasn't causing trouble! But my bike was."

"What? You just need to get a new one!"

"Well, unlike someone, I'm not the heir to a multi-billion dollar company," she teased.

"But you are engaged to one," he grinned satisfactorily on the other end of the phone.

"Hey, I never agreed to that! You still have to return as a great man, don't forget!  And besides, I want to make it on my own, you know that. I'll fix my bike on my own or save up for a new one."

He laughed. "That's my Geum Jan Di alright. Is school going well?"

"Yes, it is. It's hard, but I love it."

"As much as swimming?"

"Yea, as much as swimming, or maybe even more…," and she smiled contentedly.

"How is Ji Hoo doing?" he asked, pausing for a moment. He still felt slightly uncomfortable that Jan Di and Ji Hoo were in school together and so close. He had no fears of Ji Hoo stealing her away and he trusted them both deep down, but he couldn't help but feel a little strange. He knew that risking his life for his best friend had made Ji Hoo feel indebted to him. There had been some distance between them since then.

"He's good…Have you talked to him?"

"A little bit," Joon Pyo responded simply.

And they both decided to just move on from there.  

"I miss you," Joon Pyo whispered sincerely.

"I miss you, too," and Jan Di sincerely did.