REPOSTED AFTER AFF SERVER MALFUNCTION

“Oh, Chan Yeol-ssi,” Tae Sung said with a surprised look as he saw Chan Yeol standing in front of him. He had a threatening look in his eyes.

“What were you doing with Ri Ah out here?” he asked in a low voice.

“We were just enjoying the view outside. The cold was just getting to me, so I’m going to go inside now,” he said as he started to take a step forward but was stopped by Chan Yeol’s hand firmly pushing his shoulder back.

“I knew you were trouble the moment I met you,” he said threateningly. “How dare you kiss your student?!” he angrily yelled.

Tae Sung firmly grasped Chan Yeol’s hand and pulled it off before looking at him with an intense stare. “First of all, I was never her teacher, I was a teacher’s assistant. Second, the semester is over, so it wouldn’t matter even if I was her teacher. And third, I didn’t kiss her...She kissed me.”

Chan Yeol’s hands balled into fists next to him.

“So what? Now you’re going to start a relationship with her?” he said between gritted teeth.

Tae Sung looked away and sighed in annoyance before turning back to look Chan Yeol in the eyes. “I’ll admit that I have feelings for her. And I did confess to her a while ago. But she rejected me.”

Chan Yeol’s eyes widened and his fists were shaking now. He confessed to her?! “If you were rejected, why are you still clinging onto her?” he snarled.

“I don’t understand why it’s any of your business, but she agreed to continue our Sunbae-Hoobae relationship.”

Chan Yeol scoffed at his answer. “What kind of Sunbae-Hoobae relationship involves kissing?” he asked menacingly.

“A very close one,” he smirked.

At that answer, Chan Yeol couldn’t hold back his anger. He grabbed Tae Sung’s collar with one hand and he lifted his other hand to punch him. But Tae Sung had picked up on Chan Yeol’s increasing rage and blocked the oncoming fist with his hand.

“The way you’re acting so rash, Chan Yeol-ssi, it makes me question your intentions for her. Do you you like her?” he asked.

Chan Yeol didn’t say anything as he swallowed and his glare slightly faltered.

“It seems I’m right,” Tae Sung answered with a smirk. “Does she know?”

Chan Yeol’s fist was less forceful against Tae Sung’s hand as his eyes looked down.

“Just as I thought,” Tae Sung scoffed. “I may have been rejected when I confessed to her, but at least I was man enough to tell her. You one the other hand, you’re a coward, and a selfish one at that,” he said as he finally pushed Chan Yeol’s fist down and pushed his other hand off from his collar.

Chan Yeol’s eyes immediately went up to look at Tae Sung’s with a glare.

“How dare you call me selfish? You probably used your Sunbae status to get her to kiss you,” he shot back.

“I admit, I have used my status to my advantage, but after I confessed to her, I let her choose whether she wanted to continue our friendship or not. And being the sweet person she is, Ri Ah agreed to go on as if I didn’t confess. But you on the other hand, you can’t even tell her how you really feel. So you secretly like her from afar, while getting angry and defensive if someone else tries to get close to her. You may share the same house as her, but you don’t own her.”

Chan Yeol didn’t say a word as he looked down and listened to Tae Sung’s words. Every comment he made felt like a punch in the stomach as Tae Sung accurately described his situation.

Tae Sung made to leave but turned back around. “I’ll give you a piece of advice.” Chan Yeol looked up to meet Tae Sung’s hard stare. “The way I see you now, you’re still a kid Park Chan Yeol. I suggest you learn to grow up, and then maybe you’ll have more confidence and a better chance with Ri Ah,” he said before turning to leave.

As Chan Yeol continued to stand on the balcony, he thought about Tae Sung’s words, and it only made him angrier. Just as Tae Sung had described him, he was still a kid, and instead of reflecting on himself, he only got more raged at being called a child.

Inside, Ri Ah had been walking around the ballroom looking for Chan Yeol but was unsuccessful.

“There you are, Ri Ah.”

Ri Ah turned around to see Tae Sung walking towards her with a smile.

“Oh Sunbae. I’ve been trying to find Chan Yeol but I don’t see him anywhere,” she pouted.

“Don’t worry about him. I’m sure he’s around here somewhere.”

Ri Ah sighed to herself.

“So have you been enjoying the party?” he asked.

“Yes. Thank you for inviting me,” she answered with a big smile.

Tae Sung chuckled. “Of course. I wanted Miss Nervous Freshman to be here when I thanked her.”

Ri Ah blushed slightly as she remembered his speech. “You didn’t have to thank me. I didn’t really do anything.”

“But you did. You gave me a kiss for good luck,” he said with a smirk.

Ri Ah looked down in embarrassment, “Yes, but that was after your speech.”

“I guess I always thought of you as my good luck charm,” he said with a soft smile.

Ri Ah looked up to meet his gentle eyes.

From the corner of his eye, Tae Sung could see Chan Yeol approaching them with a less than pleased expression.

“Well, I guess this is goodbye, Lee Ri Ah. It was a fun semester,” he said as he held out his hand.

Ri Ah furrowed her eyebrows at him in confusion, not sure why he was saying goodbye already when the party was still going on, but went along with it and shook his hand. “I had a fun semester too Sunbae. I hope things go well for you in New Zealand.”

She was taken by surprise when someone grabbed her upper arm from behind and turned her around. She looked up to see Chan Yeol looking angrily at her.

“We’re leaving. Now,” he said through his gritted teeth.

“What? Why?” she asked, not quite sure why he was like this. Chan Yeol didn’t bother to answer her and just started pulling her towards the exit by her wrist. Ri Ah tried to release herself from his grasp but his grip was too strong. She looked over at Tae Sung and gave him a look of apology at Chan Yeol’s behavior. He smiled back in understanding.

I hate admitting defeat, and I especially hate helping my rival…but all the best to you Park Chan Yeol.

Chan Yeol found her coat in the coat room and put it around her shoulders before resuming his grasp on her wrist and pulling her outside and towards the parking lot.

“Chan Yeol-ah, what’s wrong?” Ri Ah asked in concern as he dragged her to the car.

Chan Yeol still didn’t answer and just opened the passenger door for her before giving her a look to get in. Ri Ah stared at his hard face for a few seconds before sighing and getting in the car.

Ri Ah could sense that Chan Yeol was very upset as he drove silently with an unreadable expression. She looked out the window with an uneasy feeling as neither took the initiative to break the silence. Ri Ah looked at him in confusion when the car slowed down and he parked near the curb of an empty street.

“Stay in the car,” he said to Ri Ah before getting out.

As Chan Yeol was driving, he had felt the car slowing down on its own. Without any other choice, he parked on the side of the street to check what was wrong. He opened the hood, and as soon as he did, smoke started coming out. As he coughed and waved the smoke out of his face, Ri Ah came out of the car to stand next to him.

“I told you to stay in the car,” he firmly said to her.

“What happened?” she asked in worry as she looked at the smoking engine.

Chan Yeol ignored her question and started hovering over the engine to see what was wrong, but his car knowledge was limited and he couldn’t figure out what the problem was. He stepped back and heaved a sigh of irritation.

“Get back in the car and I’ll handle this,” he said sternly to Ri Ah.

Ri Ah could tell that this wasn’t the time to argue with him and reluctantly went back inside and sat in the car.

Chan Yeol took out his phone and started calling the insurance company. After describing where they were, he went back inside to wait for the towers to come and pick up the car.

“Is everything okay?” Ri Ah cautiously asked him.

“We can’t drive the car anymore,” he said quietly as he stared out the windshield. “The towers are on their way, so we have to wait till they come. Sorry if this is inconveniencing you,” he muttered.

“It’s not inconveniencing me…but is everything okay with you?” Ri Ah asked in concern.

Chan Yeol didn’t answer her and just continued to stare out in front of him.

“Please tell me what’s wrong. What happened at the party that made you want to leave so suddenly?” she asked in desperation.

Chan Yeol turned to her and gave her a hard look. “He confessed to you. That bastard Lee Tae Sung confessed to you and you didn’t even tell me,” he said with cold eyes.

Ri Ah looked at him with a guilty expression. “How did you find out?” she asked quietly.

“It doesn’t matter how I found out. The fact is it happened and you not only kept it from me, but you were stupid enough to continue meeting him!” he angrily yelled at her.

“This is exactly why I didn’t want to tell you,” she retorted.

“What?!”

“Chan Yeol-ah, you’re the most good-natured and friendly person I know. But why is it that when it comes to Tae Sung Sunbae, you get so defensive?”

“I get defensive because he’s completely trying to take advantage of you!”

“Sunbae has always respected me. He’s never tried to hurt me.”

“You’re so quick to trust guys,” he scoffed before looking back at her with an icy stare. “Was he respecting you when he made you kiss him?”

“You saw that?” Ri Ah asked guiltily. Chan Yeol just continued to glare at her and waited for her  to try to explain her way out of this one. Ri Ah closed her eyes and took a breath before opening them again and turning to look at him with a weary expression. “He didn’t make me kiss him. We ended up under the mistletoe…” her words drifted off and she looked away. “I didn’t kiss him on the lips,” she quietly added.

“Is that the kind of girl you are, Ri Ah? You would kiss a random guy so freely?!”

“Sunbae isn’t a random guy…he’s a friend,” Ri Ah answered, her eyes filled with tears that were threatening to fall.

“A friend that has more than friendly feelings for you,” Chan Yeol retorted.

“I admit I was taken aback by his confession…but I rejected him. And it was my decision to still be friends with him. Someone who’s considerate enough to let me choose…there’s no way he would try to take advantage of me.”

Chan Yeol stared at her with fire in his eyes. He felt a burning sensation in his stomach and Ri Ah’s continuous defense of Tae Sung was only making it worse.

“Ri Ah, I didn’t know this was the kind of girl you were. A man confesses to you and after rejecting him, you continue to lead him on by being his friend and kissing him,” he retorted with an icy tone. “I always thought you were conservative and reserved, but I guess you’re just another easy girl.”

Chan Yeol’s words cut into Ri Ah’s heart like knives and she couldn’t hold back her tears any longer as they freely flowed down her cheek. At her tears, Chan Yeol’s eyes widened and he immediately regretted his words, but before he could apologize they were interrupted by a knock on his window. He turned to find a man in a khaki uniform and hat standing next to the car.

Chan Yeol opened his door and talked to the man who was from the towing company. As Chan Yeol conversed with him, Ri Ah wiped her cheeks and tried to stop crying. As soon as he was done, Chan Yeol opened his door and leaned in to look at Ri Ah. She was sitting quietly staring at her hands in her lap. Even in the dim light, it was easy to tell that she had cried from the tear stains on her cheeks. He mentally slapped himself for being such a jerk before speaking to her.

“They’re going to tow the car to the garage, so-” but he didn’t have to finish what he was saying as Ri Ah opened her door and got out. She waited by the curb, looking down as she hugged her coat closer to herself in the cold.

Chan Yeol sighed to himself before closing his door and turning back to the man.

“We’ll take care of the car. Here’s the business card of the garage we’ll be taking it to. You can call the number in the morning to find out what the damage is,” the man said as he handed Chan Yeol a card.

“Thank you, sir,” Chan Yeol said as he took the card.

“Alright, then I’ll go ahead and take your car. Will you and the miss be okay getting home?”

“We’ll be fine. Thank you,” Chan Yeol said with a small bow before moving aside so that he could hook his truck to the car. He watched him connect the machinery and then drive off before turning his attention to Ri Ah who had been quietly standing on the side, her face expressionless as she looked at the ground.

“We have to walk to the bus stop. It’s not far from here,” he quietly said to her as he pointed down the street.

She didn’t say anything and just walked ahead in the direction of the bus stop. Chan Yeol sighed to himself and hung his head low as he walked behind her at a distance, his hands in his pockets.

At the bus stop, Ri Ah sat at one edge of the bench. Chan Yeol took the hint that she wanted some space and sat at the other end. They waited in silence for the bus to come. When it did, Chan Yeol got on first and paid for them both. The bus was empty except for a few people. He sat in the window seat of one row, expecting Ri Ah to sit in the seat next to him, but she instead chose to sit by herself on the other side, a few seats in front of him, leaning her head against the window. Chan Yeol also leaned his head against the window and watched her with a pained expression throughout the whole bus ride.

At their stop, Ri Ah got off first and walked ahead, Chan Yeol following closely behind. She didn’t get far when one of her shoes got caught in a crack. She tried pulling her shoe out and ended up breaking her heel in the process. Ri Ah’s shoulders slumped in defeat at the whole situation. Mrs. Park had bought these shoes for her and on the first day of her wearing them, she had already broken them.

Chan Yeol witnessed the whole scene and quickly walked ahead of her before kneeling down with his back to her. “Get on.”

Ri Ah stared at his back and then looked away. “I’m fine,” she quietly answered before moving around him and continuing. Chan Yeol stayed kneeling as he looked up and watched Ri Ah walk ahead of him. However the broken heel made it difficult for her to walk and she hadn’t taken more than a few steps before she bent down and took off both her heels, leaving her barefoot. Without any shoes on, she continued walking.

Chan Yeol watched with an aching heart and couldn’t take it anymore. He stood back up, jogged ahead of her and kneeled in front of her once again. “Get on.”

"I don't want to seem like an easy girl, being carried by a guy that I'm not in a dating relationship with," she said coldly before once again moving around him and continuing to walk barefoot.

Her words felt like a knife through his heart. He watched her continue around him with a weary look. His eyes widened in worry when she stepped on something and saw her lean down to try to alleviate her foot of the pain with her hand. He quickly stood up and ran over to her. He put her arm around his neck and placed his hands behind her shoulder and underneath her knees, before picking her up bridal style.

"What are you doing?" she asked with wide eyes. "Put me down," she ordered as she squirmed in his grasp. He only held on to her tighter.

"You can't walk barefoot, it’s dangerous" he said sternly to her as he looked into her eyes. She looked away but didn't struggle anymore.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly after a long silence. Ri Ah turned to look at him, meeting his apologetic eyes. "I'm sorry for what I said in the car. I don't really think you're an easy girl. I was just...angry. Angry that you thought you couldn't tell me he confessed."

“I’m sorry too,” she answered quietly. “I'm sorry I didn't tell you. I just thought…since Tae Sung Sunbae would be leaving soon anyways…that there was no need to unnecessarily worry you. But keeping it from you caused more trouble," she said looking down sadly.

Chan Yeol softly gazed at her. "Pabo, what do you mean unnecessarily worry me? You can always tell me whatever is on your mind because…I really care about you, and I don't ever want to see you get hurt. So in the future, if anything is bothering you, or even if you just want to talk about something random, I'm here for you. I always will be, whenever you need me." Because I like you. But Chan Yeol didn't have enough courage to tell her that.

Ri Ah could tell he was being sincere and she let out a small smile. "Thank you. I'm glad I have a good friend like you."

Chan Yeol couldn't help but feel disappointed. A friend? Is that all you see me as?

"So…why did you turn him down anyways? I mean, from the way you talk about him, he sounds like he would make the perfect boyfriend," he said bitterly. He was hoping to hear something bad about Tae Sung to make himself feel better. He knew it was pathetic to think like that, but he needed something to bring his mood up.

Ri Ah looked away. "It wasn't him…it was me."

Chan Yeol continued walking in silence, waiting for her to elaborate.

"It's true, Sunbae has a lot of good characteristics, and any girl would be lucky to be with him." Chan Yeol made a face at that statement that Ri Ah didn't see because she was staring at her knees. "But I'm not ready to date anyone right now," she finished quietly.

Ri Ah's answer only brought his mood down further. He knew why she wasn't ready, but still asked, hoping that maybe there was a chance it was some other reason. "Is it because of him? Yoon Doo Joon?"

Ri Ah didn't answer him as she stared in front of her, her eyes glazed over, but Chan Yeol knew what her silence meant.

Lee Tae Sung, I may be a coward when it comes to confessing, but it won't matter even if I do tell her how I feel. As long as she still loves him, there's no hope for me.

They continued walking in silence, both of their hearts heavy as they thought about a love they couldn't have.

As they approached the swings, Ri Ah suddenly felt something cold land on her nose. She looked up to see where it came from and saw white specks gently fall from the night sky and land on the ground below, melting instantly.

"It's snowing," she whispered with a smile.

Chan Yeol also looked up and stopped walking to admire the snowflakes slowly falling around them.

"It's the first snow of winter," he remarked with a smile.

They both quietly admired the magical scene in front of them and for a short while, were able to forget about the worry and pain in their hearts.

Chan Yeol shifted his gaze to Ri Ah and he smiled at her affectionately.

Ri Ah, I've heard that it's a sign of luck, to spend the first snow with the person you love. I don't know if it's true or not…but being with you right now, I feel like the luckiest guy on Earth. Even if you don't feel the same for me, I'm glad that I can at least be by your side.

Without thinking, Chan Yeol leaned in and gently kissed her cheek. Ri Ah's eyes widened and she quickly turned to look at Chan Yeol whose smile quickly disappeared when he realized what he had done.

"That-I-Um," Chan Yeol struggled to think of an excuse. "The thing is, it's supposed to mean good luck for the new year if you kiss someone during the first snow." Yeah, that sounds good, go with that. "So, I was wishing you good luck for the new year by kissing your cheek," he blurted.

Ri Ah stared at him in disbelief before letting out a small laugh. "I've never heard of that."

"I-it's a really old saying. Most people don't know it," he made up.

"Really?" Ri Ah asked as she tilted her head and thought about it. "Then I guess I should do the same for you," she said before leaning in and giving him a peck on the cheek too. "Good luck in the new year, Chan Yeol-ah," she said with a smile.

Chan Yeol's eyes widened at her kiss and his body went stiff as his heart started beating loudly against his chest. Sh-She kissed me. Ri Ah kissed me on the cheek. He could feel his face burning up as he registered what happened.

Ri Ah noticed his red cheeks and grew worried. She thought he was getting fatigued from carrying her.

"Chan Yeol-ah, you must be tired from carrying me for so long. You can put me down and I'll walk the rest of the way. It's not much farther," Ri Ah offered.

"I'm fine. I'm not tired at all," Chan Yeol quickly replied as he came back to reality.

"Still, I feel bad. At least take a rest," she urged.

Chan Yeol smiled at her concern and obliged. He walked over to the swings and set her down in one while he sat down in the swing next to her.

"I must have been heavy," Ri Ah said with a worried expression.

"Well, now that I've actually put you down, my arms do feel tired," he said as he shook his arms out.

"I'm sorry. I'll walk the rest of the way. I think if I push the heel back in, it will stay together long enough for me to walk back home," she said as she tried to fix her broken shoe.

Chan Yeol stopped her attempts to fix the shoe by putting a hand on it and gently pulling it out of her hand. "I was kidding," he said with a grin. "You're actually very light, just like a butterfly."

Ri Ah smiled at his joke. "Chan Yeol-ah," she said as she softly looked at him. "I'm glad that we made up quickly. I didn't like the idea of leaving for home with things being awkward between us." She pouted at the idea as she looked down.

"I'm glad too," he said as he gazed at her softly. "Even if it was only for a short while. I didn't like us not talking to each other." Chan Yeol grimaced as he remembered Ri Ah giving him the cold shoulder. "Let's promise that if we ever fight again, we'll make up the same day," he said eagerly.

Ri Ah laughed at his expression. "Sure."

Chan Yeol grinned and he held his hand in front of his face, ready to spit in it when Ri Ah pulled his hand down.

"How about we just pinky promise instead," she suggested as the memory of the spit shake made her shudder inside [referring to Chapter 11].

"Okay," Chan Yeol answered as he held out his pinky. Ri Ah laced hers with his. "We have to stamp on it too," he said as he held up his thumb. Ri Ah chuckled but went along with it as she pushed her thumb against his.

"We should probably start heading back. It's late and I still need to pack for tomorrow," Ri Ah said after they let go of each other's pinkies.

"Okie dokie," Chan Yeol said as he stood up and was about to pick Ri Ah up bridal style again.

"Won't it be easier if you just give me a piggy back ride?" Ri Ah asked as she resisted his arms.

Chan Yeol also thought that would be easier, but he wanted to hold her in his arms. "No, I find carrying you like this easier," he said with a straight face.

"If you're sure," Ri Ah said uncertainly as she let him pick her up again.

As they reached home, Chan Yeol set Ri Ah back down on her feet so he could unlock the door.

"You two are finally home," Mrs. Park said in a worried tone as she came over to greet them. She and Mr. Park had been anxiously waiting in the living room for them.

"Did the party last this long?" Mr. Park asked.

"Uh, actually, the car broke down so we had to take the bus back," Chan Yeol replied guiltily.

"What? Are you two okay?" Mrs. Park asked as she started turning the two around to see if there were any visible cuts or bruises.

"We're fine mom," Chan Yeol said with a sigh at his mom.

"Yes, ahjumma," Ri Ah assured her.

"I told you the car was making a weird noise a few weeks ago. Did you not get it looked at?" Mrs. Park questioned her son.

"No," Chan Yeol answered with a pout as he looked away. "I forgot," he muttered.

Mrs. Park put her hands on her hips and sighed at her son.

"You're lucky that you two didn't get hurt. What if it broke down in the middle of the highway and you got rear-ended?" Mr. Park asked sternly.

Chan Yeol's head hung low as his parents scolded him.

"Ahjussi, even though Chan Yeol forgot to have the car checked, he was very responsible when it broke down. He noticed the car slowing down and stopped by the edge of the road so that we would be safe from other cars," Ri Ah tried to defend him.

Mr. Park softened slightly. "And where is the car now?"

"I had it towed. I'll call them in the morning to check on it," Chan Yeol answered.

Mr. Park nodded in agreement. "Well at least you didn't leave it on the street. It's late so why don't you two go to your rooms. We'll be leaving early to drop you off at the bus station, Ri Ah. So make sure to get some sleep," he said turning to Ri Ah.

"I will. Goodnight ahjumma, ahjussi," Ri Ah said before going to her room.

"Goodnight Mom. Goodnight Dad," Chan Yeol said before heading upstairs.

"Poor kids," Mrs. Park said sympathetically. "They had to take a bus and walk back in the cold."

"Well, at least they're safe. I'm glad to know that Chan Yeol has some sense of responsibility. Maybe there's still hope for him yet," Mr. Park responded with a small smile.

In his room, Chan Yeol was changing out of his suit.

As he ed his shirt, his thoughts went to Ri Ah’s kiss. He softly touched his cheek and his lips curved into a small smile that quickly grew into a big grin.

I guess it’s true what they say about the first snow being lucky. I can’t wait for next year to start, Ri Ah. I have a feeling good things are going to happen.

Author's Note

I’m not going to lie, this chapter was a struggle for me since it had so much going on, three scenes in particular that were supposed to be intense: Chan Yeol confronting Tae Sung, Chan Yeol and Ri Ah’s fight, and then them making up. But I’m afraid I didn’t really deliver on the emotion :( …I’ll try to work harder in the future. However as I promised, there is still hope for Chan Yeol and Ri Ah :)

And now to the bad news, unfortunately I won’t be able to update for a while (or at least not as frequently as I have in the past) for personal reasons. I apologize for leaving you guys hanging, but I tried to give some closure with this chapter (And I’m sorry this chapter took longer than usual, I had a hard time writing the dialogue.)

It’s been a fun 52 chapters so far for the first semester. And I have more fluffy moments planned for the next in addition to some more heartbreaking scenes (or I guess I will try to make them heartbreaking). But as Chan Yeol’s gut feeling says, the new year will have good things and as annoyed as you guys might be at Ri Ah for being clingy to Doo Joon, I hope you can bear with her (remember those 11 chapters I wrote about him…please?).

So just for fun, what has been your favorite chapter/moment so far? I would love to know so I can try to include more of those kinds of scenes in the future :) – 7/25/12 9:31 PM

I was luckily able to find this by using a cached copy of this page in my browsing history, so here was the finale of the fall semester! I have one more chapter starting the next semester that I previously posted and I'll put that up soon too. Still working on some details for future updates but hopefully you won't have to wait too long till the next post :) -8/8/12 8:40 PM