The Heir's Love Story: Duizhang Edition

'Girlfriend' that word kept echoing Kris' head for almost a week now. He knew that the princely gentleman just said it in order to protect Seohyun because he thought that they were followed by creeps that night. But what really bothered him was he knew that he wasn't just the only one seeing the belle as his ideal girl - he has a real rival.

It was a one fine noon, a fair weathered day when the four of them and Seohyun decided to spend their lunch break in their university's old botanical garden near the school's abandoned chapel. It was a nice place to hang out when you're with friends because there are only few people since it looks like a creepy place when you're not with someone. But despite of that fact, it's one of their clique's favorite hangouts, and it was a good decision to bring the belle there.

"Kim Joo Hyun!" Luhan called Seohyun as he mimicked the heir's character in their favorite evening Korean drama, The Heir's Love Story, as he only eats crackers for lunch.

"Jong-In ah, for how many times do I have to tell you don't skip meals!" Seohyun lectured the deer-eyed handsome as she mimicked the milady's role. She couldn't help but to laugh at their parody.

"I'm not that hungry and besides I'm fine with crackers wifey!" the deer-eyed handsome playfully replied, and began poking the belle's cheek.

"Jong-In's not like that." Kris hissed to Luhan as he automatically swung his huge hand on his head.

"And you're so like Wu Fan-oppa!" the deer-eyed handsome protested. “That’s why you can't win over Seohyun, sheesh!"

The towering handsome immediately dodged the latter and covered his loud mouth. But he was right, he acts so much like the mysterious gentleman who loves the milady so dearly on that particular television series yet he chose to keep it secret.

"I'll feed you Jong-In, Krystal- the Samsung heiress is here." Tao was the one who played the role of the heiress who is best friends with the heir as he was about to feed a spoonful of his beef noodles to the latter. "Say ah!" he beckoned his Luhan-gege to open his mouth.

"Eww!" the deer-eyed handsome irked in disgust, and shooed their youngest, "I'd rather starve myself, go to your Yi Xing-oppa instead. Tell him to buy you Gucci!"

"I don't like him, he looks like a bad person! I want to stay with my Jong-In-oppa." he suddenly tugged on the latter's arm.

"G-get off me! Go to your Kris-gege!" he removed the baby panda's arms around his arm. Seriously, Huang Zi Tao could look so gay when playing roles.

"Hey, who are you calling a bad person Huang Zi Tao?" Lay began interrogating.

"You Yi Xing!" Tao pointed to Lay that as if the latter was really a bad person.

The unicorn-boy immediately stood up from his seat and went near their four dimensional youngest. He is not just a blurter, but he is also the greatest accuser in their group who could really ruin their reputation.

He was about to hit their baby panda with his spoon when the latter went to hide at the back of their towering handsome, and blurted, "Kris-gege, Lay-gege look at him. He is really a bad person!" he pointed to Lay's direction.

"Why? What's wrong Tao?" Kris asked, as he took a bite of Seohyun's freshly peeled packed apples.

"He's going to hit me with his spoon gege." he used his pitiful aegyo to move the towering handsome's heart.

"Wow, you've learned Wushu since you were six and now you're afraid of me hitting you with a spoon?" Lay chuckled. "You're really something Huang Zi Tao."

"Serves you right if Lay would hit you with his spoon, but it's going to be great if he will also going to dart you with his fork!" the deer eyed seconded with his sadistic remark.

"Pfft! That's why I hate Jong-In in The Heir's Love story, you are really brutal!" the baby panda scoffed.

Seohyun could not help but to laugh at their childishness, as she noticed how Kris really stands up as their older brother. 'Kris, you're really something. You know how to handle kids even when it's Luhan who is older than you.' she thought.

"To tell you I'm way more handsome than that heir Huang Zi Tao! And of all the roles why do you have to pick the heiress role? You're indeed gay!" the deer eyed handsome stuck out his tongue.

"Quit that Luhan, Tao, and Lay." the towering handsome halted their bickering session. "Aren't we supposed to be playing here? You're always fighting."

"Omo...so Wu Fan-oppa." Lay scornfully remarked. Definitely, Duizhang is like their big brother, not literally because he is big but because he tends to act like one.

"Kris, you're really as if Wu Fan." Seohyun seconded, but in a rather complementing tone in contrast of Lay.

The towering handsome could not help but to let out a sheepish smile. He could forget the stress that the three usually brings to him as the belle effortlessly brightens up everything for him.

"But seriously Kris-gege. As much as I like Wu Fan in The Heir's Love Story for Milady Kim, I also like you for Seo-jie." Huang Zi Tao suddenly blurted out, making the so fine atmosphere instantaneously awkward.

"Silly Tao!" the towering handsome tried his best to act so cool in front of the belle and to the three of them as he saw Seohyun's astonished reaction, her cheeks suddenly flashed extreme tinged of pink.

"Seo, never mind this kid." he tried to lighten up the awkward mood between them as he dodged their baby panda's head.

'We should have really sent you to Mongolia Huang Zi Tao, or if you want I could kick you here to Korea so you can replace the heiress roll and buy all the Gucci you like, you're really cutting my lifespan!'  he thought as he greeted his teeth while pretending to be smiling to the latter.

Good thing, the belle suddenly rang before things gets even worse for him. Hence, he was literally saved by the bell. He sighed in relief, 'I'm always thankful to the inventor of the bell, I owe you my life today Alexander Grahambell.'  Is he really the inventor of the famous bell? Of course NOT!

Despite that he looks more normal than his three ever loving best friends; you couldn't deny that he is really best friends with them. He may look exceptionally handsome, and his height maybe intimidating, but his thinking is no different with them - still four dimensional.

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Their afternoon Anatomy class with Ms. Song began, their topic was very complex since it's almost finals but Kris couldn't help himself but to day dream about how Seohyun blushed after hearing Tao's statement about them being compatible with each other, 'I was not imagining right? She blushed. Does it mean I have a chance?'

"Mr. Wu, what's the name of the milady in The Heir's Love Story?" a voice suddenly echoed the whole room, and asked him.

"Seo Joo Hyun." he mindlessly replied.

Then a black white board marker instantly flew hard on his forehead. It was Ms. Song who asked him the question, "So it's true that you're into that drama Kris." she presumed as she crossed her arms onher chest giving the towering handsome a sharp beam. "Please be more serious Mr. Wu, it's not because you know you have a safe grade in my class you could space out all you want. Remember that you still have final exams to endure."

"I-I'm sorry Ms. Song." he held his head low, and tried his best as he could to give his focus to their subject.

"THAT'S THE WU FAN-OPPA OF OUR CLIQUE!" The trio began chanting as their scornful support to their towering handsome. Seriously, they know how to turn thing into something worse.

Aside from the entire jest, he tried so hard to listen to their lesson, and was able to listen well - for a few minutes. And he began pretending that he was listening to their topic as he take side glances to his seatmate.

He contemplated, 'Duizhang, Mrs. Song is right, it's already finals. And it means I need to move now or else I'm going to wait for another life time if I make Seohyun pass me by.'  He slightly shook his head, 'It's really all or nothing.'  he realized how time was really precious and was getting complex for him.

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After the seemingly never ending two hours, their afternoon class finally ended. Kris immediately faced Seohyun and asked, "Seohyun, can we walk home together?"

"Sure." she find it weird thought, they're really walking together going home every day - all the five of them. “But Kris, we're really walking together going home."

"I-I mean..." his shyness was hindering his established rapport once again.

"Kris means he wants to walk you home Seo, just the two of you." Luhan budged in saving the towering handsome from being tongue tied.

"But why Lulu?" she asked.

The deer eyed handsome couldn't think of a valid answer.

"It's because we need to meet Yoong-jie. You know, the pretty girl in the arts building." Fortunately, Tao fast in making it up for him.

"You mean the doe-eyed girl we've seen two days ago?" she asked for affirmation.

"Y-yes Seo." the deer-eyed handsome was helpless; all he could do was to sheepishly smile.

The belle innocently smiled in return and gave him her utmost support, "Wow, Luhan-gege...fighting!"

She then turned to Lay and Tao, "How about you Lay, Tao?"

"Us?" the two were astonished as they thought they have already excuse themselves from the latter.

"We... Seo-jie?" the youngest could not think of any excuses any more.

Fortunately, Lay suddenly tugged his arm, and began, "We're going to have a dinner date Seohyun. We want some time alone?" Then he began dragging their youngest and beckoned the deer-eyed handsome to exit with them. "Take care of you two."

It was really rare that the three of them would save Kris. Indeed, it was really a miracle for him.

Before the atmosphere turns awkwardly silent between them, Kris mustered all his courage, "So, shall we?" he tightened his grip on the handle of his bag and led the belle on their way home.

He was really in cloud nine  by just walking beside her, just the two of them. It was not really an extravagant thing in fact, it felt quite off he perceived that the belle was feeling awkward with him.

While they were already in the middle of their stroll, just the two of them alone in the middle of a busy road, where they needed to cross the other side of the road, Seohyun suddenly reached his wrist. Her hand was really cold.

So he asked, "What's wrong Seohyun?"

"I-I don't know how to cross roads Kris." her tone was rather shaky.

"But, we've been crossing here all the time Seo -" he wondered as he recalled how the belle cross the road with them; he finally remembered she was always going in the middle of the four of them. "It-it's okay Seohyun, you'll cross the road with me."

He then suddenly held her hand, and led her to cross the busy road in their way.

"Thanks Kris." she sighed in relief as soon as they were able to reach the other side of the road.

His hand was so warm, that she felt so secured for the first time holding someone's hand aside from her mother and father. And because of that she did not noticed that it's something so new for her.

They were already few blocks away from her home when the towering handsome noticed that he was still holding the latter's hand so tight.

His mind was indeed in floating somewhere again.

"S-sorry." he nervously apologized as he let go of her hand and shyly turned his glance at her.

He was completely surprised seeing the belle's face. Her face was all pink.

He felt, I little light of hope with the latter's reaction, 'She's really blushing, so I do have a chance? Kris, you do have a chance.' he rejoiced mentally. But in order not to burden the latter, he suppressed it, and continued walking her home.

A minute later, they've already reached her apartment’s door. Surely, it was his happiest stroll with her. It's the first time he was able to courageously hold her hand. It was an achievement for a slow motion giant like him.

"So, see you tomorrow?" all he could do was to scratch his nape and bit his lips, suppressing his out bursting feelings towards the latter as much as he could.

"Y-yes." she awkwardly agreed, and let out a nervous smile towards him. “See you tomorrow Kris."

She then immediately advanced near to her doorstep of her apartment and opened the door.

'It's all or nothing Duizhang all or nothing for you!'  he reminded himself as he mustered all his courage to boost himself.

"Seohyun..." he summoned the latter's name and haly her.

"Y-yes Kris?

He hesitated to let out his words for a second, but eventually let it out, "Can we...?"

"Can we what, Kris?"

"Can I?" he started stammering, as his shyness intrude him again.

"Can you what Kris?"

"Can you?" cold sweats started to form on his forehead.

'Can I court you?'  The exact question he simply could not let out.

"Can I what, Kris?" definitely she was bewildered with the latter.

He inhaled deeply, and let it all out, "Can you and I walk together like this again?"

He irked realizing that it wasn’t really the question he wanted to ask.

"Walk together tomorrow you mean?" she thought for a second, "Sure." she projected a warm smile.

"S-see you tomorrow Seohyun." he half-heartedly waved good bye from the belle.

"Bye Kris." she briefly waved good bye to him as well as she entered her apartment.

He didn't know whether he did a good move or he just screwed things again since it's a so-so question that tripped out from his mouth for the nth time.

On the other hand, the belle kept smiling as she walked her way to her room. She couldn't help herself but to smile as she stares at her hand that was held by the towering handsome. 

Seems that the towering handsome is not doing a wrong move, but with the rate of his pace be enough? Or will he end up like the mysterious gentleman in the drama who could only keep his real feelings to the girl he loves?