Sandara Park’s POV

You know how in those foreign movies, the really wealthy people still attend a public school? You know how it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever? Well I had a similar experience during my school life. About 15 wealthy children attended the same schools as I. From elementary to high school, they ruled the playground. There was always this one guy in that group of children, who was the leader of the pack, who stood out to me.

Maybe it was how he was always so full of confidence and charisma? Maybe it was his dashing good looks? Or maybe it was how he was so clever and athletic?

I don’t know what it was, that made me grow to have a crush on him in middle school.
But whatever it was, it was really, really, really…..
Stupid.
Laugh all you want, but once I found out what a total jerk he was, my love for him vanished. I still remember everything that happened that day…..

*Flashbacks to 5 years ago*

“Happy Birthday Sweetie!” My mother exclaimed, her eyes bright and cheerful.

I gave her a hug and a kiss, knowing that she would cry if I didn’t.

Parents are silly, getting upset over their children growing up.

I’m only 14 now.

“Thanks Mom” I giggle.

Something’s missing...

I look around the room, 2 presents and a cake on the table beside my birthday breakfast. But no…..

“Where’s Dad?” I ask, suddenly realizing my father is not here.

She grimaces, probably hoping I wouldn’t have noticed his absence, again.

“You’re father got a call from work again…..but he’ll be here tonight” She tried to lighten the mood.

“He’s always at work, even though he promised to be here” I pout, remembering how many of those promises my father has broken to me.

She frowned at my remark, leaning down just a little so that her eyes were level with mine, her motherly smile returning.

“The day is not over yet”

I jumped out of the car and ran inside the school gates, just as I was about to enter the main building they came.

All of them.

The limos pulled up one by one, each holding one child inside. The first seven held the richest girls in school, who all strutted by me and the other middle class people who watched. Another seven holding the richest boys in school came up, and as they all walked into school, they snickered at us bystanders. It was normal for us to stare, and they were used to it, but they liked to make fun of every normal person here. When no one after came, I sighed, disappointed.

Maybe he’s not coming today…

I started to make my way to the main entrance, when I heard the gravel of the school driveway crack. I turned my head around, keeping my body facing forward, just peeking behind me.

He’s here.

Lee Min Ho stepped out of his car with darkly tinted sunglasses, he stormed past me, his side lightly brushing against me. It made my heart pound, giving me a tingly feeling. He didn’t seem to notice me, and I didn’t stare at him as he walked passed me to begin with. I’m too shy to do such things, I could never be so bold.

The bell rang, making me jump, I ran to class.

“Happy Birthday Dara!” My best friend Park Bom, screamed just after the recess bell sounded. Wrapping her arms around me in a tight bear hug, squeezing me so tight that I can’t breathe.

“Thanks Bommie” I whispered, using my oxygen wisely.

She released me and handed me a little gift bag, beaming with glee. I gladly took it and opened it excitedly, and then my eyes popped out of their sockets. My jaw dropped and simply gawked at my best friend, who was even happier now.

“So…..what do you think?” She peers at me, stifling her giggles.

I push her gift back into her arms, turning slightly pink in the cheeks.

“I….I….I can’t accept it Bommie” I babble.

“You can, you will and you deserve it. So don’t make a big deal out of it” She replied, placing it back into my hands.

I pouted and she didn’t budge, not letting me give them back to her.

I can’t believe you bought me Skullcandy headphones.

We walked out of class, towards the cafeteria, and I couldn’t help but look at them again. They were red and white low riders, something I secretly had wanted for a long time. I had been saving up, but every time I got a little closer, my parents told me to put the money into my savings account, where I could never reach it. We sat down at our usual table in a far corner of the cafeteria, where no one ever bothered us. Our homemade dosirak disappearing quickly since we are starving.

“So……” Bommie grins, patting with a napkin.

“What?” I eye her suspiciously, knowing that look on her face.

“Are you going to give it to him?”

All colour drains from my face at the thought, gulping down hard, I twiddle my thumbs.

“Bommie, please don’t hold me to that” I murmur.

“Yah! You have to do it, you promised” She whines.

I lift my face as an idea comes to mind, becoming slightly frantic.

“B…but it’s my birthday. This can be for my birthday, not making me stick to that promise”

“No, no backing out. You have Skullcandy, and I have this promise from you” She teases.

“Bommie!”

“You’ll regret it if you don’t” She turns serious, placing a hand over mine, which was firmly gripping the edge of the table.

We stay quiet, and I glance at the popular table in the middle of the cafeteria. All 15 of them sit there, it’s a long table. It’s funny how they are the most popular in school, how they always have and always will be. I avert my gaze when one of the girls at that table notices my stare, nudging Lee Min Ho to look my way. My cheeks burn red and I bite down on my lip, praying to become invisible.
“You’ve liked Lee Min Ho for 2 years now, I think it’s about time to give him the confession letter” Bommie’s tone gentle, supportive.

I wrote him a confession letter 4 months ago for fun.

Just for fun.

Because….

I could never actually give one to him.

“Fine” I admit defeat weakly.

She hugs me and I smile, returning the hug.

“You better do it before classes start again”

“I’ll just slip it into his locker” I sigh, knowing how much of a wimp I am.

“Do you want me to come with you?” She asks, tilting her head to the side.

“No, I remember the agreement specifically saying I had to do this on my own”

She nods and I briskly walk out of the cafeteria, my heart beating fast, blood rushing.

Why do you have to know me so well Bommie!?

This will be the end of my love life.

Forever.

But….

It’s okay, since I never had one to begin with.

When I reach the corridor that his locker is in, I get anxious. But I slow down, taking a deep breath. His locker looks like everyone else, the only thing that keeps all students the same in this school. I slip it in, and close my eyes, a small smile creeping up on me, now that the deed is done. I panic when I hear footsteps approaching from around the corner, hiding down the next hall.

“I heard that that today is that commoner Sandara Park’s birthday” One of them cackles, a guy.

“Dude, I wouldn’t laugh about it so much. She isn’t too bad” A girl sounds.

“I guess, but she seems kind of weird you know?” The guy starts again.

“Yeah”

“Always gawking at us, doesn’t she know her place?” The rich, conceited guy comments.

Who do you think you are?

Since when did financial class separate people from one another?

I start running, not wanting to hear what the rest of the conversation might be about. People have kind of avoided me, just because my dad is constantly away. They say…..they say…..

That he’s having an affair.

But my mother has faith in him, and is never affected by rumors like that.

But I am.

I end up out on the field, where I would usually stay when I am waiting to be picked up by my mom, because it’s so peaceful when unoccupied. My phone buzzes, an incoming text coming through.

‘Sweetie Pie, I am sorry. I’ll be picking you up an hour after school because I have to fetch your father from somewhere. I’ll see you later. Love Mom’

“Looks like I’ll be coming here later too” I chuckle at the irony.

I’ve been waiting for 5 minutes now, the hour seeming to take forever to pass by. I slide down against the concrete wall of the back of the school, and pull out my homework. Getting a start on it. I could go to the library, but people still talk, and I know what the topic of gossip will end up being if I am there. Time flies by, and soon I have nothing to do again. I’m about to try out my new headphones when a bunch of guys run out onto the field, again I hide around the corner, out of sight.

“Mr. Popular! You got another love confession today!”

Omo.

It’s that group of guys.

“Who was it from this time Min Ho? Was it a hottie?” Another teases, obviously digging for juicy details.

“Just from that plain girl……I think her name is……Sandara Park? Yeah Sandra Park” Lee Min Ho’s voice coming out crystal clear.

Plain girl?

“Oh that girl” One of the guys sighs, disappointed with the outcome.

“She always is ogling you”

“She’s like the only girl in the school who hasn’t started to wear makeup, she’s like a little kid”

“I don’t know why she would bother, you are on a completely different level from her”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“Nothing, I wouldn’t go out with her even if she weren’t so plain. Her dad is shameful, and therefore she is too” Lee Min Ho says casually, which makes me nearly trip up from my hiding spot.

I can’t believe what I am hearing, my ears must be playing up.

“I am going to send a text around telling everyone that she likes you, by tomorrow everyone will know” Someone snickers evilly.

“Guys, are we really that cruel?” Jung II Woo, Min Ho’s best friend, chokes in a mocking tone.

“We’re the kings of school, since when did we start caring about being cruel?” Lee Min Ho laughs, everyone following him.

“Doesn’t she know her place? She’s far too low on the social or financial ladder to be with you Min Ho”

“Maybe this will clear up the fog in her head….Let’s see if that girl still stares at me tomorrow then!” Lee Min Ho yells, causing his disciples to cheer.

A tear falls down my cheek, and I realize that I am crying. His words meaning more to me than anyone else’s in the whole world, causing my heart to shatter into nothing.

You jerk.

My phone buzzes, breaking through the noise the guys are making. They fall silent, and I know they will run over here any second now. I grab my bag and run, knowing it’s my mother telling me she’s here. I can hear them shouting as I further the distance between us, but I don’t know what they’re saying. They don’t recognize me, they only saw my back. I know if they knew it was me I would have trouble. My heart hurts, excruciating pain oozing.

“I know my place, believe me I know now. I wish I hadn’t been so delusional until now” I whisper to myself, short breathed.

I don’t care about what you have to say either.

As of now, I hate you Lee Min Ho.

You’re a cruel guy.

*Back to present time*

Dad died a year and 4 months after that, his cause of death unknown, and torturing both me and my mother for years. Only recently I had come to terms with accepting it, my mother recovered faster than me.

I now attend university, but it’s a struggle. My parents had saved up enough money to send me here, but then they were robbed, my university fund gone, completely. To continue attending Seoul National University, I work at night and study in the day. Anything to do with the night scene.

And tonight, I’m a bar tender.

I’ve been hired for a party, and tonight I actually look forward to it. Music blasting, drinks, cute guys.

What’s there to not like?

It’s being held by some rich student off of campus, so there will be no one scolding us students either.

I slip on a white shift top with blue, black, yellow and pink stripes. I tuck it into black, high wasted leather skirt with black sandal heels. Gold chains draped around my neck and pink headphones, hair up in a messy bun. I glance at myself in the mirror and grin.

Cute.

“I’ll leave since you’re heading off to work now” Bommie mopes, lurking in outside the frame of my bedroom door.

“Bommie, you know I have to work to…..”

“I know! I know! To pay off your student loan. I just wish my best friend would be less responsible sometimes and just act like a normal 19 year old” She groans playfully.

“Okay, okay. Time for you and me to get out of here” I sigh, shoving her out of my room with me.

“You know, one day we need to spruce up this tiny apartment of yours”

“Need money for that, and besides it’s nice”

It’s all modern furniture, sleek and stylish. What I could afford with my savings before I left high school.

“Ugh!” Bommie moans, annoyed that I always have to kill her ideas.

“Love you too Bommie” I respond, opening the door and gesturing for us to both leave.

“Byebye Dara!” She sing songs, winking at me as she skips out the door.

“Byebye Park Bom” I laugh, sticking my tongue out at her.

We go our separate ways and I signal for a cab, hoping in quickly and telling the driver the address. When I get there I pay and leave, stumbling out of the car, but catching myself just as I am about to fall. It’s a huge mansion, resembling a beach house in Malibu. The other staff that have been hired for tonight rush me to my post and tell me the party is about to start, I swiftly set up and am ready for a long night. The bar is in front of a pool and dance floor, where the main party will be held, pretty spotlights shifting from right to left around the place. There’s a DJ booth in here with the bar, and I am told only now that I have to man that too.

Thank God, this isn’t the first time I’ve had to handle music too.

But why did they have to leave it last minute!?

I don’t complain, though I am a little bit frustrated. The music starts, and people flood in.

I’ve got a feeling, that tonight’s going to be a good night.

Lee Min Ho’s POV

“II Woo, this party is rocking!” Someone on the dance floor shouts at us.

“Glad to hear it man, glad to hear it!” He shouts back, aimlessly.

The party is off the hook, it’s raging and it just past midnight. Hot chicks and beer a perfect combination. We drink some more around the table the gang decided to meet up at, all 8 of us surrounding the beer basket. Jung II Woo, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun Joong, Kim Joon, Kim Kyu Jong, Lee Hae Woo and Jang Geun Suk, my old buddies from way back.

“Min Ho dude, what are you spacing out for?” Geun Suk hooted, already getting on the tipsy side.

“Just thinking about how ing awesome we are” My reply coming out witty.

“No! No way! No ing way! It can’t be” Kim Bum yells, squinting his eyes.

“What?” We all ask, looking in the same direction as him.

“Is that…..Sandara Park?” Joon sniggers.

“Who?” Kyu Jong barks, clueless.

“The DJ Bartender person”

I look the girl up and down, who is dancing along with the music, beer bottle in hand, partially responsible for why the party is such a big success.

“She’s so ing hot” Hyun Joong cries, almost loud enough for people beside us to hear.

“Sandara Park was plain, nothing compared to this girl” I agree, appreciating the view.

“Believe it or not, that is Sandara Park” II Woo yawns bored of the conversation already.

All our heads snap to his direction, some jaws not including mine dropping.

“No way…..” Hae Woo starts.

“It is her, she’s really changed since high school guys”

“Why did you hire her?” Geun Suk hisses, drunk.

“She has a good reputation in this field, and obviously she knows how to keep the party going” II Woo replies, gesturing to every single corner of the area.

“Oh! I have an idea” Kim Bum shouts, a mischievous grin on his lips and in his eyes.

We all wait, intrigued. He pulls out another one of those diamond rings that we use as props for bets, and his smile broadens some more.

“Min Ho, I’ll make you a bet…..”

“Hmmmm?” I sound, waiting for the rest.

“5 million won says you can’t land a kiss on Sandara Park’s cheek”

Oh it’s on.

“Challenge accepted buddy, challenge accepted” I chuckle, snatching the ring from his hand and pushing through the crowd to the bar.

Let’s meet the new, most likely still madly in love with me, Sandara Park shall we?

I wonder if she is still a boring bumpkin….

Sandara Park’s POV

Holy !

What is that bastard doing here!?

Lee Min Ho emerges from the dance floor, and takes a seat on the bar stool in front of me. His clothes are dark and y, and I feel the need to hit him with something. Rage bubbling up inside of me, as I remember how badly he treated me, even if it was indirect. I put on a fake smile and pretend that he hasn’t just murdered my mood. I pour him a tall glass of beer, putting it down in front of him. Praying that he’ll go away with his drink. Instead a cocky smile plays on his lips, and I can’t help but wonder if he knows who I am.

Of course not, that bastard wouldn’t know anything.

He doesn’t touch his drink, and I tilt my head to the side to get a better look at his face, to see what he’s thinking. He looks up at me, and drops a ring into his glass, a clear bell sound being made. I don’t know what do to, or what it means. He stares at me as he chugs down the drink, the ring staying at the bottom of the glass, I stare blankly back at him, concealing my dark emotions towards him. He doesn’t seem to notice and starts to leave, the ring still in the glass. I sigh at his rich arrogance, knowing that to him it must be a cheap piece of junk, but my dark feelings start to leave as he moves farther away from me. But then he spins back on his heels and comes up to the bar counter top, beckoning me with one finger to come closer to him, so that he can say something.

I don’t want to hear what you have to say bastard, but I don’t want to be impolite.

It won’t look good if I am rude for no reason.

I hesitantly, lean down closer to him. His lips near my ear and then….he kisses my cheek.

Omo.

I gasp softly as the peck ends, earning a smirk from him. He walks away from me, not even having said one word to me all night. Feelings that I might have once had for him start to rise to the surface for some unknown reason, making me furious as I try to suppress them. Butterflies in my stomach, confusion wrapping around me from that one single bloody kiss.

What the hell!?

I smother the strange feelings with my fury, storming out of the booth into the crowd. My head phones now resting on my neck, bobbing up and down as I strut over to him. The song ends, and because I’m not there to change it, the party becomes just loud chatter. I increase my speed when he comes into my vision, like a terminator robot. I grab him by the shoulder, jerking him around to face me, his expression surprised. It happens so fast. I raise my hand and it comes flying at his face, a loud smacking sound causing dead silence as my hand lands on his face. His hand automatically goes up to where I hit him, his cocky smile now gone. I look around to find gawking at me, all horror-struck. A small huff-puff laugh escapes me and I walk out there with my head held high.

Well, I am not getting paid for tonight, that’s for sure.

But at least I got to hit him, make him feel some pain.

Why the hell did he kiss me, and bring back these old, old feelings?

Wait, I don’t still have feelings of love for you.

I just hate you with a passion, Lee Min Ho.

Lee Min Ho’s POV

“Definitely not a boring bumpkin anymore” I say under my breath.

“I can’t believe you got slapped” Hae Woo laughs hysterically.

“Don’t worry Min Ho, we can make that little pay for what she did” Geun Suk mutters, pissed off.

I stay quiet, flipping my 5 million won over and over again.

I won, and yet I still got humiliated.

I don’t get it!

She should have been rejoicing when I, her first love, kissed her.

What kind of reaction is that!?

Maybe if she weren’t so goddam hot I wouldn’t care, but because she humiliated me, looking like that…..

She makes me want to punch the wall.

“Don’t make that face man, she probably hates your guts enough as it is” My best friend sighs, taking another swig of beer.

“You want to know how to get back at her?” Kim Bum questions.

“How?” My tone dry as I speak.

“Play with her feelings”

“Huh?” The guys and I sound, confused by Kim Bum’s remark.

“I’ll make you a bet, Lee Min Ho. 30 million won, can come your way if…..”

“If?” I smirk, amused by what’s happening.

“If you can get Sandara Park to fall in love with you within 2 months” He drops the bomb.

The rest of my crew simply smile at me, I can already tell what they want me to do, no matter how ridiculous it may sound.

“So…..play with her heart….” II Woo begins.

“And then tear it to pieces” Kim Bum clarifies, his eyes gleaming.

Please, I am Lee Min Ho.

I can make any woman fall in love with me.

“Game on” My words come out sly.

“Toying with a woman’s heart? Our master keeps on advancing to new heights!” Joon booms, raising his hands in the air.

I bite down on my lip, feeling excitement growing inside of me.

Sandara Park, you better be ready.

You should have never made a fool out of me.

Writer's Notes:

Hey-llo Guys!

This is my new fanfic~~~

I promise to finsh TBH too.....

But I have been dying to do this ^^

Subscribe, comment, spread the word!

Lots of Love,

xoxoxoxo,

HEARTACHES <3