Lee Min Ho’s POV

She shoved me, and then slapped me again, steam coming out of her ears.

How can you hit so hard!? You’re a girl for heaven sakes.

My hand was where she hit me, the skin throbbing beneath my fingers. She was breathing hard, as if I had the living breath out of her when I kissed her. As she stretches upwards to the ceiling, her night shirt moves up and I can’t believe she doesn’t notice what’s happening as she does this.

You gotta be kidding me, does she really not realize what’s about to happen?

That question is only confirmed when her night shirt moves all the way up with her arms, revealing white with black polka dots and a bow. I bit my lip and couldn’t help but to look away, embarrassed.

Wait a minute, I’m Lee Min Ho.

I’ve seen plenty of girls in absolutely nothing, so why am I getting embarrassed over this?

Look back at her Min Ho, look back at her.

When I do turn back to Dara though, the show is already over making me frown. She stares at me innocently, eyes big.

“What?” She asks.

“She really is clueless” I mutter under my breath.

“Huh?”

“Nothing” I answer back.

She sighs, and that moment where it seemed like she had forgotten everything that just happened was over. She opens the door wide, and glares at me.

“Time to leave”

“Huh?” Now I’m the one who’s confused.

“It’s time for you to leave” She announces, gesturing to the exit.

“You gotta be joking right?” I scoff.

“Lee Min Ho get out of my house right now” She growls.

“You call this a house?”

“Want to die?”

“What if I don’t want to leave?”

“You have invaded my classroom, entered my home unwanted, eaten my food, blackmailed me and have forcibly kissed me. If you don’t get the out of this apartment I’ll call the police and report you for harassment”

I start laughing hard out at her, the very idea valid and yet completely pointless.

“Do you really think the police can save you from me girl?”

“No, but they’ll get you to leave this place for at least tonight” She retorts.

“Hey, maybe you’re not so stupid”

“I’m giving you 3 seconds so I suggest you leave me alone now Lee Min Ho” She says sneakily, and begins to count down.

“Okay whatever” I admit defeat today, and start for the door.

When I reach her, I jerk her chin up with two fingers, her eyes going wide.

“What are you doing you ?” She spits, becoming flustered.

“Don’t ever slap me again, arasso?” My tone dead serious, as I stare down into those eyes of hers.

“As long as you don’t touch me, I won’t lay a hand on you jerk” She says, fearless.

I let out a low chuckle and look to the side, pursing my lips.

This girl’s good.

Real good.

“I’ll see you tomorrow Dara”

“I’ll be dreading it” She mumbles, making me grin.

I run out of her apartment, down to my car that’s been parked out front the whole time. I lied. I drove here after her class, waited for her to go inside. Got out while it was raining, stood there for a while to get wet. Then quickly caught up with her as she walked the halls of the building, talking to her friend on the phone. As I start the engine, one thing comes to mind.

“” I snicker.

I can’t believe she’s a ing .

As I drive back home, that one thought still can’t leave my mind. There are girls everywhere on the streets, in skimpy outfits, with guys. Throwing themselves at these men, no pride left.

How does she manage to stay a in this world?

When I get home, I go straight to my bedroom and smile at the folders sprawled out in front of me on the bed. All records concerning Sandara Park from the last 3 years, end of high school till now. I start flipping through them.

19 years old, born on the 12 of November 1984. Only child. She was a good student, quite diligent actually from the grades and teacher comments on her reports. Spent quite a lot of her time in the library and helping out her mother, not really going to any club activities after school. Close friends being Park Bom who’s a few months older than her, CL who is a year younger than her and a 3^rd year girl in high school called Minzy.

Geek.

Was the runner up for the high school scholarship to Seoul National University, received nothing though. She graduated from high school along with me and the rest of our year level. She moved out of her parent’s home and bought her apartment from a friend’s parents for a small price straight afterwards. She passed the entrance exams with flying colors and so of course her enrollment application was accepted graciously, pays funds by student loan. Paying off student loan by herself, never missed a payment in her life.

Independent.

Dara has worked at nearly every night club in the city, every dance club and every bar. As a bartender, a DJ and occasional MC. She’s quite well known and often scouted out for big parties, her reputation earning her big cash nowadays.

Talented.

What I see next really surprises me, and I can’t help but laugh at the irony of it.

Unpopular in high school, popular in college.

I wonder if she knows about this stuff?

There is a fan club dedicated to Sandara Park, who always hold meetings every Monday……and they keep up with her activities. Going to every bar, night club, dance club and party they can just to try and meet her. She has never gone past a 5^th date because the guys who she has gone out with soon receive ‘special attention’ from her fan club. Being harassed until they leave her alone.

That’s actually quite creepy.

So that answers the question about her knowing or not, she doesn’t.

She really is thick skinned in a way.

I’m about to put the files away on my desk, when a red piece of paper slips out from one of them. Something that I didn’t notice earlier, I pick it up and read what that it says too.

“Miss Sandara Park has been drawing attention of the opposite for a long time, from the age of 16 outside of school. She had many university aged students confess to her, including the kingka of Seoul National University at one point. To all of these confessions she answered ‘no’, saying ‘I won’t let an older guy play around with my heart. I won’t be used and tossed away straight after’” I read it aloud to myself.

Popular.

I put the slip of paper into the high school folder and place all of them neatly on my desk, letting out a sigh as I run a hand through my hair. I throw off my clothes and jump into the shower, remembering how I got drenched today just to annoy her.

Her face when I started taking off my shirt was…..

I had a hard time not laughing.

The water sprays down on my face, my hair dripping in my eyes. A guilty feeling crawls inside me though, ruining my cocky mood.

“No question is needed to know why she wouldn’t accept any of those confessions” I mumble.

I wipe my conscious clean by telling myself it doesn’t matter, and thinking about Kim Bum’s bet. Dara’s popularity with the male world and her hate towards me too.

She’ll fall, it will happen.

You love as much as you hate, and she…..

She hates me a lot.

Sandara Park’s POV

“The nerve of that guy” I grumble to myself, walking to the café around the corner from my apartment.

It’s 9 in the morning, the sun is bright out already and you can hear the laughter of children from the playground nearby. A relaxing Saturday morning, the café nice and quiet once I get inside. I’m wearing a red gather skirt and a white sweater with an owl embedded into the front. Choi Min Ho sitting in at the table right next to the glass, looking out onto the street. He waves and I sit down opposite him, his friendly smile a good way to start the day.

“Hey girlie”

“Hey, have I kept you waiting long?” I ask, worried.

“No, I just got here” He reassures me, kindly.

I texted him last night after that jackass left my apartment, to come and meet me for breakfast today. I wanted to apologize for the….awkwardness.

“Sorry about yesterday….” I start, trying to complete my objective.

“Oh….don’t worry about it”

I signal for a waitress to come over and take our orders, once she’s gone Min Ho shoots a question my way.

“Why was that guy….you know…..like that…..in your apartment….?” His tone martian-weird.

I freeze, having though the matter was over already. But I guess I brought it on myself for bringing it up in the first place. But it’s not like anything bad happened…..until that guy kissed me again.

The third time.

The third freaking time, in less than one week.

“It’s okay if you don’t tell me….I know it’s none of my business…..” Min Ho flushes red, thinking that my silence means I won’t answer his question.

“Oh no, no. Sorry, I just spaced out for a moment. He came to my house because he needed some help with an assignment we got, and he got drenched in the rain so I threw his shirt in the dryer” I lie smoothly, my explanation seeming legit.

“Oh, I see”

Our coffee and food arrived, being set down on the table. The café specialized in French cuisine, me with a croissant and Min Ho with cream crepes.  Eating with chatter in between bites, is the best way to describe our breakfast meeting.

“So how have your studies been going?” I ask, the last time we had actually talked been too long to know what’s going on now.

“Good” His voice is muffled by the food in his mouth.

“Oh….ummm….you have a little something over there” I murmur, pointing to the corner of his mouth where a little bit of cream and strawberry sauce have leaked out.

He looks cute like that.

So childish, hehehehe.

“Oh thanks” He laughs, wiping the wrong side of his mouth.

I sigh and grab a spare napkin, and reach over, patting the mess off his face.

“Messy Oppa” I tease, getting the last of the sweet substance off his face.

He’s about to comeback with something, when instead he raises both his eyebrows.

“Boo” That annoying voice comes from behind me.

“You got to be kidding me right?” I mutter under my breath for no one to hear.

Lee min ho is wearing a white button down shirt and dark blue jeans, expensive sunglasses and a grin on his face.

“What are you doing here?” My words coming out slightly tinged in left over anger from last night.

“Remember, I told you I’d see you today” He reminds, acting as if we’re close or something.

“This early?” I complain.

“Yep, now come on” His fingers curl around my wrist, dragging me up from my seat.

The Min Ho I was eating breakfast with is dumbstruck, not knowing what is going on at all. His expression saying ‘what should I do Dara?’.

“Sorry Min Ho, I’ll talk to you later on tonight” I half bow while still being dragged out of the café.

He waves at me, a puzzled look on his face as I abandon him.

Once we’re out of sight, I yank myself out of Lee Min Ho’s grip. I can feel myself becoming red with fury, and I project the best death glare I can muster at him. He removes the glasses, showing his humorous eyes.

“Seriously, what is your problem?”

Lee Min Ho’s POV

This morning when I came to her apartment, she had already changed the code.

“Going to such great lengths to keep me out huh?”

I dialed up a few people and got her new code, punching that into the keypad.

Let’s scare Sandara Park first thing in the morning.

The place was spotless, spic and span everywhere. Though it wasn’t my first time here anymore, there were things that I didn’t notice last night. Like all the pictures hanging on the walls. There was one of her and whom I must assume are her parents from when she must have been 14, her smile bright and toothy. Another of her when she would have been in her later high school years, with a girl with bleached hair and a cute smile.

Why didn’t I notice this before?

“She actually was already drop dead gorgeous”

Maybe I didn’t notice, because she kind of faded into the background during high school.

After we had told everyone that Dara had bothered to confess to me, no one treated her kindly. Except for the girls in the file I read up on last night, other than that she was a ghost. I never looked out for her, none of my group did after we had done the deed.

I snap back to reality when I remember what I am here to do, tip toeing to her bedroom door, with the silence of a ninja. I swing open the door, but there’s no one there. The place being completely deserted, not a soul in sight. I walk in and check the bathroom and laundry rooms too, but nothing. I check my watch and it’s only just past 9, on a Saturday morning.

“Did she make plans?”

Did that chick make ing plans, when she knew I would be coming around today?

I don’t know why, but it sure pisses me off more than it should. I storm out of the place, slamming the front door behind me. The lift takes forever to get down to the ground floor, and when the doors open and a little kid stands in my way, I brush past him not having time for this.

“Jerk” I hear him call, but I ignore it, not going to be provoked by a little kid.

I look left, I look right. There’s hardly anyone on the streets yet, and that’s when I spot her. Just walking around the corner, all pretty in her cute outfit.

Why is she dressed up like that?

Could she be meeting a…..guy?

The thought makes me grimace, and I follow her. I go across the road opposite from the café she just skipped into, watching her sit at a table with a guy.

So I was right.

I watch her contently, her cheerful face as she talks and laughs with this guy. He looks familiar, like as if I just saw him yesterday….

I’m an idiot.

I did see him yesterday.

He’s that delivery boy from at Dara’s place, the one who can’t be subtle with his feelings. The only reasons why they probably aren’t together are because he hasn’t told her and because she’s so thick skinned.

Or maybe she rejected his confession and now they’re just friends.

That would make me happy, and I don’t have a clue why. My eyes jump out from my head as I watch her next movements. Dara leans over across the table, and wipes food away from the side of that guy’s mouth. A sunny expression still on her face, as she looks right in his eyes while doing this. The guys body stiffening, his eyes softening and his feelings beginning to seep out. But she doesn’t see anything of this happening.

Oh my God!

Could you be more obvious?

And you girl, why are you acting so damn cute in front of a guy?

You’re giving off the wrong signals!!

I didn’t notice my feet carrying me through the entrance of that café, and by the time I was behind her the only irritating thing I could think of to greet her with was….

“Boo”

Thank God I am wearing sunglasses right now.

I watch the two people’s reactions, and bite my lip to suppress my snickers. Delivery boy, looks like I might have interrupted the most important moment of his life. Whereas, Dara’s body has tensed up as she ever so slowly turns around to look at me. She automatically looks down and mutters something only loud enough for me to hear.

“You got to be kidding me right?”

My smile grows wider at that remark, her frustration being my entertainment. She is so mad right now it’s almost too much for me to handle.

“What are you doing here?” She asks, strained as if she may snap at me if I push the right button.

“Remember, I told you I’d see you today” I say as if we’ve been friends for ages, her cheeks changing color.

“This early?” She whines.

“Yep, now come on” I confirm, curling my fingers around her tiny delicate wrist, hauling her out of her seat.

Delivery boy was dumbstruck, completely helpless.

It’s my game now buddy.

“Sorry Min Ho, I’ll talk to you later on tonight” Dara’s apologetic tone makes me move faster as I tow her away with me.

He waves at me, a puzzled look on his face as I abandon him.

After walking around another corner, she detaches herself from me. Her hate waves radiating around her, a death glare worthy of applause being shot directly at me. I take off my glasses to make sure my eyes do not deceive me.

She’s furious.

“Seriously, what is your problem?” She snaps at me.

“What?”

“Are you stalking me or something?” Dara’s eyes narrowing suspiciously.

“I just want to hang out Dara, I do have better things to do besides stalk girls” I yawn.

Actually I don’t.

“Whatever” She grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest.

I bite my lip and give her a quizzical look, wondering how I’m going to pull this off.

2 months, huh?

You’re going to be a hard cookie to crack.

“Let’s go for a walk” I suggest, waiting for her to respond.

“Where to?” She pouts, hair getting in face from the way she tilts her head.

“No place in particular, I just want to walk around. Is that okay?”

Reluctantly, she walks by my side, sulking the whole time.

“Why do you want to know me Lee Min Ho?” Her question coming out sad.

“Call me Min Ho from now on. Is it so wrong to want to know someone better?” I answer her question with a question, keeping her on the outside.

“There are plenty of people, plenty of girls that you could make more of an effort to get to know better” She argues.

“But you’re the only one of them that has decided to never bow down”

“I wonder why” Her tone sarcastic, dry and mocking.

How can it be so easy to talk to you right now?

“So….tell me about your family” I change the subject, not wanting to bring up that again.

“There’s nothing to tell”

“I highly doubt that”

He takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, holding something in.

“I’m an only child, the only family I have left is my mother who was a house wife. She now has pension because of her age. My father died when I was 15…..he was a cop, an inspector……and he died while on the job….” Her heart heavy as she answers, her footsteps slowing.

“I’m sorry” I blurt it out softly, gently.

“Don’t be, I hate being pitied”

We continue to walk, but I don’t say anything.

I can’t imagine losing a parent at that age. It must have been difficult, considering the things people said about her dad at school.

She walks into the library to our left, not saying a word.

“Hey, where are we going?” I whisper shout.

“I don’t know, wandering around town” She shrugs, beginning to scan through books.

“Really?” I groan.

“Shush it’s the library, and yes. If you want to hang out with me today this is where we are going” She holds her ground, her long fingers sliding books out from the shelves.

Her pile grows, from 1 to 3, from 3 to 7, from 7 to 9 books. I offer to hold some for her, but she refuses to accept my help. She can barely see past the stack of books that are blocking her direct vision. I get distracted, by a pretty girl that walk by our aisle. Her shorts exaggerating her long legs, showing more cleavage than most girls would dare to. She sees me, and blushes pink.

That’s when I heard the thud of books and bodies fall against the ground, tumbling all over the place. I spin around and Dara is buried underneath scattered books, crawling out from underneath the rubble.

“What happened?” I bob down next to hear.

“I bumped into somebody” She moans, rubbing her head.

What the hell?!

“Hyun Joong?” I exclaim, finding one of my best friends here being shocking.

Why are you here?

Sandara Park’s POV

Wait, you know this guy?

You know the guy I just bumped into?

“Hyun Joong?” I check, wondering if he remembers me.

“Dara” He beams, the same as that night I met him.

“Wait a minute….you know her?” Lee Min Ho sounds.

Hyun Joong nods slowly, awkward because it’s so obvious.

“How do you know her?” Lee Min Ho pursues the topic.

“How do you know him?” I jab a finger at the guy who has been torturing me for so long.

While gathering up the books into two separate piles of his and mine, he explains.

“Dara once sang at a function I attended, if I remember correctly you had the voice of an angel and enchanted everyone in the room….”

I looks down at the ground when Hyun Joong’s eyes practically twinkle, making me feel kind of….giddy.

“And….Min Ho and I have been the best of friends since forever”

Utter horror washed over every inch of my body. Immediately Hyun Joong further explains himself.

“I went away to study abroad in France for 3 years since I was 13. I wasn’t there when Min Ho and the guys did what they did to you, and I had no idea through high school right till the end. I thought that people were just cruel to you for no apparent reason, though I had never personally met you until that night at the function”

His words leave me feeling like he has all the poison out of my heart, leaving me with good feelings. He hands me my books, and pats me playfully on the head.

“I’m sorry”

“No, no. Don’t be silly, it was my fault too. I’m sorry too” I protest, causing him to laugh.

“Still the polite girl from one year ago”

“Still the flattering guy from one year ago” I reply, standing up with my books and him with his.

“Hyun Joong I need to talk to you for a second, so let’s find a table for Dara to sit down at and you can leave your books there with her too” Lee Min Ho coughs behind me.

Oh, you’re still here? Jerk.

Lee Min Ho’s POV

We’re alone in the restroom, I’ve locked the main door so that no one will walk in on this conversation.

“What the hell man?” I start.

“What now Min Ho?”

“You were flirting with Dara” I accuse.

Hyun Joong is a good looking guy, even I’ll admit it. I do feel threatened sometimes. His hair is bleached, and falls across his face, slightly shaggy but styled. He has good skin, and those supposed eyes that all girls fall for. Besides the fact that he is only five centimeters sorter than me, making him really tall compared to the ladies.

All girls dig that.

“Yeah” He says, like there’s nothing wrong with it.

“W…w…what did you say?”

“Yes. Min Ho, I said yes”

“What are you doing that for man!? You know I made that bet with Kim Bum, I have 2 months. 2 months to make her fall for me” I rant.

“You think I don’t know that?” His attitude completely different from the usual.

“You got to be kidding me right? Hyun Joong, if you want a girl go get one. There are plenty of girls like Sandara Park out there”

“No there aren’t” His remark blunt, no questions asked.

“Are you trying to make this difficult for me dude?”

“No” His nonchalant answers, getting on my nerves.

“Then what the are you doing?”

“I’m in love with that girl you’re trying to play around with”

“Huh!?”

“I’m in love with Sandara Park, Min Ho” He repeats himself.

He’s in love with…..her?

Writer's Notes:

I hope this will sustain your hunger while I get 3 hours of sleep. Once I wake up, it's back to writing and errands.

Kim Hyun Joong is so good looking~~ Everytime I see a photo of him and go besirk, on the inside xD

Thanks for reading!

Lots of love,

xoxoxoxo,

HEARTACHES 3