Love, Life and Studies

Description

This is about Oh Ha-ni finding her one true love in Bong Joong-gu and she and her friends trying to better themselves in academics.

Foreword

A school day, just like any other. Oh Ha-ni sat on the benches next to the playground and was immersed in self-reflective thoughts. Does her life mean anything? Is her life to be fully consumed up in efforts to pursue Baek Seung-jo? Was she really that stupid?! just then, her best friend Joo-ri startled her. "Hello!! Still dreaming about Seung-jo?" she said. "You know me so well" Oh ha-ni replied. "Let's meet up with Min-ah in the canteen" said Joo-ri. 

Ha-ni and Joo-ri met up with Min-ah, the third of the trio. They noticed that her face was pale and gloomy. "Hey, what happened?" "Are you sick?" "Did someone hurt you?" "Tell me who hurt you, I will punch his face and break his nose" said Joo-ri. "No, no , no it's not that....My mom yelled at me" was the reply. "Why?!" Ha-ni and Joo-ri asked in unision. " Well...my marks for the first term exams were pretty bad, she was really upset about it, she was concerned about whether I could get into any good college or not......She ranted about how good a student I was back in 8th grade and how I turned lazy and sloppy since........I mean...uh..well...since I grew up". "That wasn't what you were going to say!" Ha-ni said. "Yeah, we can tell when you lie!" Joo-ri exclaimed. "Guys.....my mom blames my friendship with you guys for my crappy marks....She forbid me to talk to you guys...." .Min-ah said in a gloomy tone. "Huh?!" both Ha-ni and Joo-ri exclaimed. Just then, Bong Joon-gu came and joined them. He placed a very delicious looking dish in front of ha-ni and said " Ha-ni, this is freshly made Bulgogi! I made this for you!! Eat it, you look hungry!". Ha-ni at first didn't know what to say, Joon-gu was always like that. He always tries very hard to impress Ha-ni and win her heart. Anyways, Ha-ni was indeed hungry. She hadn't eaten break fast that morning. The situation in her home was sad. Her dad was very sick and he couldn't cook; their family restaurant was closed for the time being. Ha-ni was worried about that. "Thank you!!" she smiled and replied. Her smile made Joong-gu very happy; he beamed. Seeming very proud of himself for pleasing Ha-ni, he left. "That boy.....he never gives up!" said Joo-ri. "How is your father?" asked Min-ah. "Oh, he is so sick, he is concerned about the restaurant....We need to find a new cook, but we can't offer a good enough payment for a cook...What are we to do? You know I can't cook to save my life!!" replied Ha-ni. "No, no.. you don't cook, the last thing your father needs to hear is complaints from the customers about your food" Min-ah replied. Joo-ri, meanwhile was staring at the Bulgogi in front of Ha-ni and deep in thought. "Hey! I got an idea! Joon-gu could work in your restaurant! For you, Ha-ni, he will be ready to even work for free! He will be sooo happy to finally do something for you and also I'm sure your dad will be pleased. Joon-gu is a great cook, after all" Joo-ri said. "That's actually a great idea, Joo-ri!" Min-ah chimed in. Ha-ni pondered upon this for sometime. She didn't want to use Joong-gu, but this did seem like the only option they have. Also, she was pretty sure Joong-gu will be esctatic to hear this. "Okay, then...I'll ask him..." she said. "Hey! Look who's there!" Joo-ri said. Ha-ni and Min-ah looked at the direction joo-ri looked at. It was none other than Baek Seunj-jo himself. He was eating a sandwich at a table close by, surrounded by a few of his guy friends. Ha-ni looked at him the way one looks at a prized article that one can never possess. She had mixed feeling for him; she hated him for his cold demeanour, his arrogant attitude, but still had feelings of affection for him for reasons which even she wasn't sure of. Her love itself was unreasonable, she concluded. Just then Min-ah stated "I am jealous of Seung-jo, life is so very easy for him, he doesn't have to work hard for anything, he is a natural genius, I bet his parents are extremely proud of him". Just then, Ha-ni and Joo-ri remembered the initial conversation they had. Ha-ni said "From now on, we will study hard and try to get ourselves to the top 50 " . Min-ah looked at Ha-ni as if the latter was the biggest idiot she had ever seen; "Easier said that done" she replied. "Eh! Ha-ni was just trying to motivate us....what if we don't get into the top 50? We can still better ourselves from how we are now" Joo-ri said. "But who is going to help us? We need a smarter person tutoring us to teach us better and correct our mistakes" said Min-ah. "We don't need any person....we're living in the 21st century, just use the freaking internet!!" Ha-ni said. Joo-ri was impressed at her idea. Min-ah always uses the  internet for uploading her comics but never once thought of using it to study. "That's not a bad idea", Min-ah finally agreed. 

 

Joong-gu was busy working in the restaurant. He had gladly accepted Oh Ha-ni's offer. He will be getting a payment, though it is not much. He had always been in love with Oh Ha-ni since he joined the school in 8th grade. He used to be a very submissive, quiet boy in his old school. He used to get bullied there by kids in his own class and his seniors. He used to come home crying everyday. Finally his mother decided to change his school and that is how he ended up in Oh Ha-ni's school. He still remembers his very first day in their current school. He didn't want to have the same sort of experiences in his new school so he tried to change himself in his appearance, mannerisms, etc. He created himself a fake history. He told everyone he was one of the most popular boys in his school, that all the boys were either afraid of him or wanted to be friends with him and that all the girls competed with each other to get his attention. He tried to dress himself up in a way that made him 'look cool'. He started talking with an air of confidence and authority. He did get a bunch of guys who believed what he said and worshipped him. He didn't get any attention from the girls, though. On his second day of school, Lee Kyung Soo, a boy in his class who hated him started a fight with Joong-gu. Kyung Soo was incredibly strong for an 8th grader. He was 6 feet tall, too. Joong-Gu tried really hard to fight back and defend himself properly, but he barely could. Then he fell down, after receicing a blow on his ribs which pained him heavily, Kyung Soo was about to stamp him on the ribs right when something happens to hit his head and he faints. When Kyung Soo fell down, he saw Oh Ha-ni standing behind holding a big broomstick which she probably took from the Janitor's closet. Ha-ni rushed towards him and asked him  if he was alright and helped him stand up and supported him to walk till the nurse's room. He was admitted in the hospital afterwards. In the hospital bed, he was not thinking of the fight he had, rather the girl who saved him. He admired her. Despite her short and petite figure, she out of all people came to his rescue when even his buddies didn't. From that day onwards, his love for her flourished over the years. He liked her character. She was always very kind and gentle. He knew she didn't love him the way he does for her, but nevertheless, she was never rude to him and always smiled at him. Fortunately for him Kyung Soo soon left the school after his family migrated to America. A few days after the incident, he had asked her why she thought of saving him. She had replied to him that she can't bear to watch someone get hurt like that for no reason. She also told him that she understood that his supposedly 'cool demeanour' was all just an act and that she can understand that he is just a nice, innocent boy who's just trying to survive school. Joon-gu was very much impressed by how well she knew him in just a few days without even talking much to him. Joong-gu always noticed Oh Ha-ni and whether she noticed it or not, whenever anyone hurts her, he goes to that person and scolds him or her for doing so. He made sure that Ha-ni's life was blissful. He hated Baek Seung-jo for hurting Ha-ni's feelings numerous times. If not for Ha-ni, he would have happily beat up Seung-jo for humiliating her in front of so many people. And yet, it was Seung-jo that she loved. Fate is a , he thought.

 

Ha-ni and Joo-ri were staying over at Min-ah's house. They were immersed in their studies. Currently, they were learning Calculus using the Khan Academy website. It was really difficult at first, they weren't used to studying for hours together. But, their determination to better themselves drove them on. Min-ah's mom came in, gave them snacks and left the room. They took a five minute break. Joo-ri said "Hey, Ha-ni, I heard Joong-gu is doing well in your restaurant, the customers have really taken to him". "Yeah,it's as if he exists to make your life better, I wonder at which point he will decide to give up on you" said Min-ah. "When the sun rises in the west and sets in the east" Joo-ri replied. Ha-ni didn't feel like commenting. She tried to change the topic by asking Min-ah how her new comic is going.

 

Baek Seung-jo was in his room, resting on his sofa. He was thinking of how much Oh Ha-ni changed in the recent days. She didn't seem to be very interested in him as she used to be and for some reason that was bothering him. He didn't have a particular liking for her. He thought of how stupid she was and how she even had the audacity to give the love letter to him. How can she possibly expect someone like him to  fall for someone like her? He liked insulting her, almost as if he had a right to do so. He felt annoyed that he didn't get any opportunity to blame her for the past few days. He started to wonder if she moved on to some other person. Just then, Baek Eung-jo came in to ask him a doubt in science. Baek Eung-jo admired his brother. Not only was he just as smart and intelligent but also has the same cold character of Baek Seung-jo. Baek Eung-jo had a problem troubling him and he wanted to seek his brother's help. He was in love with a girl. And that girl was none other than Ha-ni's friend Min-ah. He had always noticed Min-ah hanging around with Ha-ni and Joo-ri in their school. He knew Ha-ni as the girl who dared to propose his brother, the famous Baek Seung-jo and he does share Seung-jo's despise for Ha-ni , but for her friend, however, he has some serious feelings for her. He can't understand it himself. He has never felt like that before. He was about to confront Seung-jo for his advice. Then thought better of it, then decided not to.

 

One evening, Ha-ni entered her house after her group study with her friends was over. She was surprised to find Joon-gu sitting next to her dad and talking with him. Oh Ki Dong, Ha-ni's dad noticed her arrival, and he said "Hey Ha-ni, come here! We were waiting for you! How are your studies going?" Ha-ni replied "It's going good, what are you two talking about? Ki Dong replied "Well...I was almost starting to feel better, so I decided to go and check how our restaurant was doing, Joong-gu is doing a good job! Everyone there likes him! I also feel there are more customers coming in than before, after the closing time we started talking, he told me he will walk me till my house and here we are, still chatting! He's good company! Oh, what will I do without him!" Ki Dong patted Joong-gu on the back as he said this. Joong-gu looked at Ha-ni happily. Joong-gu said "Oh! it's getting late, I lost track of time talking to you! I must get going, my mom will be waiting for me, Bye Mr. Ki Dong , bye Ha-ni!" and then he left their house. "Good lad, he is.....Is he your boyfriend?" Ki Dong asked. "Oh no, no, just......just a friend" Ha-ni replied. "Well, I believe you Ha-ni, I know you don't lie. But just to let you know, if you ever decide on dating him.....well....I won't be against it" Ki Dong said. "Uh......" Ha- ni was speechless. "Good night Ha-ni, sleep well" and off Ki Dong went to his bedroom. Ha-ni couldn't sleep that night. But this time, it was Joong-gu she was thinking about and not Seung-jo. That's a first. She felt happy that Joong-gu made her dad happy. She was impressed by Joong-gu's work and dedication towards her family restaurant. She knew that he was doing all this just for her. She thought of how much Joong-gu loved her and how hard he tries to please her. She also thought of Seung-jo who didn't give a damn about her and always humiliated her whenever she tried to convey her feelings for him. That night, feelings for Joong-gu grew in her. He doesn't even look that bad she thought to herself. He does look good actually, she just failed to notice it because she was head over heels for Seung-jo, she thought. 

 

The next day, Ha-ni confronted Joong-gu. "Hey, how about we have dinner together this Friday? Is that alright?". Joong-go was ecstatic " Sure, sure! Is it a......a.....a date?!" he asked. "Well, yeah, I guess" she replied. Joong-gu can't suppress his happiness, he started exclaiming "Ha-ni loves me!" "We're dating now!" much to the astonishment of everyone who heard. Everyone knew Ha-ni was behind Seung-jo and this news spread quickly. That day, during lunch, Min-ah asked "Hey, are you serious? Did you really forget Seung-jo?". "You're not playing with his feelings, right? Joo-ri asked. "Yes, I am serious. I really like Joong-gu. He's nice. I don't want to waste my time over that rude- Seung-jo anymore" Ha-ni said. "Whoa! Ha-ni!" her friends exclaimed. 

That night she was returning home from school. There was this lonely, narrow passageway she had to cross. While she was walking, somebody slammed her to the wall close by. It was Seung-jo to her surprise. "Do you really love him?" he asked. "Who?!" Ha-ni asked bewildered. "You know very well whom I am talking about!!" Seung-jo said almost angrily. "Yes, I do love him" Ha-ni said with an air of boldness. "Why should it matter to you anyway! It is none of your concern!" she retorted back. "You shouldn't love anyone other than me!" Seung-jo said. This took her by surprise. He then leaned in close to her and kissed her. This was too much. she held him back and slapped his face and kept on walking. 'Who does he think he is?' she thought to herself. Seung-jo stood behind utterly shocked. This was not the reaction he expected. 

The next day, in class, Ha-ni told what happened the day before to her friends. They were shocked. "I never thought Seung-jo would stoop as low to do that!" Min-ah exclaimed. "Exactly!" Joo-ri agreed. Min-ah said "Hey, something really weird happened to me yesterday too.....Seung-jo's brother just confessed his love to me!!" "What?!!" Ha-ni and Min-ah both exclaimed. "Isn't he a little boy?" Joo-ri asked. "Yes, but apparently he has strong feelings for me" ,Min-ah said. "What did you tell him" Ha-ni asked. "I let him down, obviously! How can I date a kid?!" Min-ah replied. "Aww....the poor boy would have been so sad" ,Joo-ri said. "Hey, but I let him down very gently!" Min-ah retorted. "Nobody was blaming you, Min ah" said Joo-ri.

It was Friday, Ha-ni just finished getting ready for the very first date of her life. She wore a pastel pink off shoulder  dress up to her knees and silver flats. She was sitting on the couch waiting. Just then, the doorbell rang. She opened the door. Bong Joong-gu stood there beaming. He wore jeans, a purple shirt and a black denim jacket. "You look great!" both of them exclaimed to each other. They travelled on Joong-gu's scooter. They went to a nearby mall to watch a movie. They watched 'I Saw the Devil' which was a horror movie. Both Ha-ni and Joong-gu gets scared easily. They got more comfortable with each other during the course of the movie. First they were embarrassed to even hold hands. Then eventually, Ha-ni found herself laying on Joong-gu's chest with his arm around her. To her surprise, she felt too happy, the horror movie ceased to scare her. She was busy thinking about her new life with Joong-gu as her boyfriend. Joong-gu was also thinking the same. There were tears in his eyes because of how happy he felt. It seemed like heaven despite the murderous scenes happening in front of them. They had dinner afterwards at Pizza Hut. He took her back to her house and right before she closed the door on him, they had their very first kiss. It was perfect.

 

Two weeks passed. During this time, their exams got over. Joong-gu had joined Ha-ni, Min-ah and Joo-ri in their study sessions. Exams weren't that great for them. But it was much better than usual. Meanwhile, Eung-jo got proposed by a girl in his class. He initially didn't have any feelings for her, but he knew how it feels to be let down and he wanted to give this girl a chance. She wasn't great in academics, but she was smart and very sporty. Despite their differences, he starts to like her. She often comes over to his house, where they play video games all day. They enjoyed cycling together and watching animes together and he almost forgot about Min-ah. He will definitely remember Min-ah as his first crush ever. But he never thought about her in the company of his girlfriend.

The results of the exams were published. Min-ah got into the top 50 as the 50th person. The others didn't. But their friendly teacher  Hwang Hyo-eun told Ha-ni and Joo-ri that their marks were pretty good too and they have the 53rd and 54th position respectively. The teacher also told Joong-gu that he managed to get the 60th position which indeed was a very big deal, considering how until very recently he owned  the lowest postion in the ranking. Joong-gu felt very happy and proud of himself. His relationship with Ha-ni had given him a whole new purpose in life. Until they started going out he didn't care about marks or getting into a college or any such things. But after Ha-ni became his girlfriend he wanted to improve himself and reach to a position which (according to him) will make him worthy of being with Ha-ni. All four of them were very happy and they decided to have a picnic on the beach to celebrate. 

Meanwhile, Baek Seung jo started to feel really bad about himself. He was very aware of his good looks and the power he had on girls. And yet, Ha-ni is now with Joong-gu. What could have been the reason for it? he thought. He never had feelings for Ha-ni nor any other girl or boy for that matter. But something about not getting the attention of Ha-ni was troubling him. 'Am I really that full of myself that I should be shocked to find Ha-ni dating Joong-gu instead of me when I did treat her like ? Maybe I am a self centred jerk after all' he thought to himself.

                                                                              ********************************************************

 

Years later, Ha-ni and Joong gu got married. Joong-gu owns the restaurant which was Ki Dong's. He is a qualified chef now. Ha-ni works as a teacher in a nearby kindergarten school. She loves her job. She enjoys teaching them alphabets and singing rhymes with them. Min-ah became a comic writer as well as a model. Joo-ri became a beautician in a popular women's salon. Min-ah married Kim yoo-jung who is also a model of the same modelling agency. Joo-ri is dating a guy who is an artist. She met him when he asked her for her permission to use her as a model for a painting. Seung-jo was still single. He realized that he was aual and that is why he never felt romantic or ual feelings for anyone. He also changed his cold demeanour and started to be friendly towards people. He ended up being a successful theoretical physicist. His younger brother Eung-jo just entered university. He was studying to become a lawyer while his girlfriend went to Sports Academy to pursue her dreams in the field of basketball.They hang out together during the weekends, cycling and playing video games just like they always have.

 

 

 

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Anndarkblue #1
To be honest I am not a fan of the Korean series playfull kiss...but if it ended this ...I think I would have definitely liked it...There were various aspects of love in this story...and I am really happy that as a protagonist oh ha ni uses her brain and loves some one who truly cares for her....as some one writing for the first time you did a great job... congrats on your first fanfic...I really loved it