The Journalist

Soccer Star Park Chanyeol breaks up with his fresh-faced girlfriend

Park Chanyeol throws his iPad away in anger seeing the headline that was gracing their school magazine’s front page. It wasn’t like he had been any interested in the stupid magazine but when they put up his life like that, just out there for everyone to pry… it really got to his nerves.

Besides, who said they ‘broke up’? He had worked so hard to even talk to her and now that they were so happy together for THREE months, he lost her to some bull some girls made up, and now everyone was out there acting as though they were celebrating their break up.

His phone buzzes and he growls seeing his coach call him. Classes were over for today and he’s supposed to be in the field already but he really was NOT in the mood. Everything has been ty since Kwan called him up last night and told him off today.

They were good as strangers? He scoffed. No. No way. He cannot go back to being strangers with her… Not after all the things and all the efforts he had made to get to her.

But Kwan… Why was she being like that? Why couldn’t she understand? He had told her everything… Why wouldn’t she believe him? If she told him that, he would definitely believe in her.

He goes and picks up his iPad again and scrolls down the article reading through.

‘The campus’s favorite couple might have hit the rocks a little sooner than anticipated. Yikes! Who knew that the couple that we were all rooting for would separate so fast? Our sources managed to whisper to us about their break up, however, have held back details on why they broke up.’

Chanyeol grits his teeth seeing a photo of him and Kwan at the park today. He looked livid with his hands on his hips in the photo while Kwan looked terrified. Gee. The photographer certainly got the talent to make it look like a bigger scene than it was.

That, of course, did not mean he felt any less guilty looking at her beautiful face all scrunched up in fear. He should have been more careful. He should not have raised his voice… What was she going to think of him now? On top of thinking he lied, she must also be thinking he was a violent person when he was not.

He ruffled his hair angrily and continued reading the article.

‘Eye-witnesses today says they saw the couple fighting in the T Park with the soccer star almost throwing hands while the fresher fought back.

‘It looked messy…’ Says a student, ‘even from far away, I could feel the tension.’

Is this really the end of our beloved couple? We hoped not. Keep up with the L University Times and we assure you, we will bring the full news. For now, we can only hope for the best.’

“Pathetic,” Chanyeol mutters and stares at the photo of them again wishing it was a better photo… they did not even have a photo together.

He sits quietly for some time lost in his thoughts until he is too frustrated at the situation and at the stupid article and at everything… especially those ing girls who for reasons cannot be seen anymore, so he decides to throw on his Jerseys and run out into the field hoping to vent it all out.

* * *

Kwan sighed and rubbed her forehead at the assignment laid before her. They were in the first year, for goodness sake. Why would they give such a complicated assignment? To find ONE proper source was hard and to think the professor wanted TEN sources! He was clearly mad and she was just nearing the edge of giving up.

It was just one assignment, right? The professor would understand that they were only first years and cut them some slack… Besides, it wasn’t like she hasn’t started. She’s already collected four sources… so that should be enough right?

But, she sighs and pulled her hair with her hands, she needed that scholarship. She needed it. She looks up from her laptop and looked around the library, probably for the first time she’s ever done in her 7 months of being in this university… but then again, she’s never been this lost.

There were a lot more students here than usual owing to the deadlines approaching all too quickly.

She sighs softly again as she looked at the people seated around. Except for two or three people like her, most of them were in groups sharing books and exchanging articles and probably sources. She notices some of her classmates and the books she used on their tables. Was that easier? Exchanging sources? After all, four hands are better than two… Six brains were better than one.

But she pouts a little knowing she had no one to go to. This whole time she had been running from classrooms to classrooms even when they approached her… But if she doesn’t work when she’s free, who would go to her part-time job for her? Who would do all those studying for her?

And also, of course, it was always a little easier doing things by yourself.

The last three months had also been crazy busy considering she had to take out some time to accommodate Chanyeol into her schedule. They studied on Wednesdays and Sundays as those were the only times she did not go to her part-time jobs. Other than that, they have lunches or dinners here and there just because that was what couples do. Apparently.

Speaking of Chanyeol, she sighs a little… does she miss him? Because when she was not doing anything or even when she was doing something, she finds herself thinking about him and wondering when they will meet up next.

He had texted her ‘it is the truth’ and nothing else other than that after they had parted ways some hours back. She had obviously not replied to him but it nagged her the fact that he seemed so confident about the lie… was there more to it than just that?

She sighs and shook her head, hands on her face. This cannot do. She had so much to do and here she was, thinking about something so trivial.

Maybe a run would do her good. These days because of this blasted assignment, she’s only being confined to the library, classes, and her room. She was missing the track and the air in it. She was missing the way the wind flew past her face and the way her hair danced as she ran.

She needed that. Her body needed that. If she keeps up with this, it was not going to be good for her. Besides that midnight run, she was missing out on her daily morning runs and even evening ones.

She sits up straight with the mindset that she will wrap it all up and go to her dorm, dump her stuff and go for a run. There was still an hour left before dinner time.

“Hello?” A voice greets her on her left ear making her jump a little, dropping the pouch on her hand. “Oops! Sorry. Did not mean to startle you.”

She frowns at that and looks at the boy who had just turned up. Was this a classmate of hers? She had probably seen him somewhere but couldn’t pinpoint it… Wait, wasn’t this that boy with the camera?

“Can I take a seat?” He asks, his voice still soft as he points to a chair next to her making her frown even more. What does he want? Can’t he just ask and go?

He seemingly doesn’t bother with her silence or her frown and simply pulls out a chair and takes a seat.

“Are you working on Professor Hong’s assignment? He gives out nasty ones.” He says with a chuckle as though he had known her forever and it unnerved her but she agrees with what he said so she nods while still putting her things away.

“Oh, you’re leaving?” He asks, his voice curious and innocent. She pauses her hand and turns a little to look at him. He was a rather handsome man as well as someone who probably dresses properly.

“Oh right,” He laughs like he just discovered something ridiculous and it made Kwan look around a little hoping she can disappear. She was really not good at conversing. “I am not even introducing myself! How can I be that rude?”

You can leave me alone if you did not want to be rude… She wanted to say that but kept quiet, arranging her things a little slower.

“I am Kim Kai,” He says flashing his perfect teeth and crinkling those perfect eyes while stretching out his hands to her.

How can a man be this handsome?

“Kwan Chay…” She whispers her reply, shaking his hand and retrieving it as quickly as possible. “Can I help you?”

“Oh no!” He says with his eyebrows shooting up and his hands raised to indicate he wanted nothing from her making her feel a little bit guilty about how she had asked that question as though he was disturbing her. “I only came here to say hi.”

Wait. He was disturbing her. In fact, he is messing with her newly planned schedule. So now she began packing without feeling much guilt.

“I am a sophomore,” He says after a moment of quietness. “You know, I could give you a hand regarding his assignments. After all, last year I was the only one who brought in the full ten sources and even an extra one. Got an A.”

Her hand literally paused in clamping down the laptop and she turns around to look at this Kai guy with a newfound interest. 11 sources? How on earth did he do that? She had literally scoured the entire library twice… at least and their library was a three-storied building.

“Yeah…” He grinned looking proud as he ran a hand through his hair. “I could help you with it.”

“Really?” Kwan tilted her head in surprise at the offer. “Why?”

At that, she turns to look at her classmates who were struggling like her. He could go and help them as well, they were better options… so why her? Did he want something from her?

“Come on…” He says with a dramatic pout, “I am just a senior helping out my junior. We do that all the time. It’s a college… not a jungle. Am I right?”

He ends with finger guns making Kwan cringe a little. He was right though, that college wasn’t a jungle… After all, jungles were better than colleges. So she stares at him with a slight glare. If it was anyone else with any other proposal, then she would be already at the tracks running but when there were only two days left for submission and still 6 more sources to find… it was too attractive of an offer to decline. Besides, she could re