When Ji hyo agreed to date Jong kook, she didn’t really know what to expect. She has no reference when it comes to relationships but her beloved dramas and TV series. And now all she could dream of was going to the park, walk holding hands and feed each other cotton candy. She tried to insert their faces in her favorite scenes and bursts out laughing, though it also made her warm and giddy deep inside.

Ji hyo might be a little bit a hopeless romantic and a er for clichés. She doesn’t think Jong kook will mind.

Ji hyo decided to give the tropes a go. With a quick corner ambush, she told Jong kook to meet her in the park this coming Saturday afternoon. The PE teacher eagerly nodded his head. Later on Ji hyo texted him the address but forgot to tell him the agenda, since it’s very obvious -- alas, she would discover in the near future that her man sees things differently and that Jong kook doesn’t watch dramas.

The couple didn’t meet the day of their first official date and went to the meeting place separately. Ji hyo was running a little late but as soon as she got off the car, she’s suddenly in drama mode. Background music was playing in her mind as she walked the paths under the century old trees. It felt so much like she was in a music video, complete with falling leaves dancing on the light breeze.  When she reached the middle of the path, just like in the movies, her man was there waiting for her -- in complete running gear, a tandem bike and an extra helmet while Ji hyo stood frozen in her beautiful floral dress and hat.

So the first thing they did in their first ever date was break into fits of maniacal laughter and some giggling on Ji hyo’s part. When Jong kook got in control of his outburst, he looked at Ji hyo with so much awe and admiration that made her quiet, heart beating too fast and face a nice shade of red. And it’s not just from laughing so hard. At that moment, Ji hyo immediately forgave Jong kook’s ignorance of tropes and clichés. So what if she didn’t get her walk in the park while holding hands -- it was already over done anyway.

 In the end, Jong kook bought her pants and they both got tourist shirts with the town’s name. Jong kook let Ji hyo take the lead, sitting contentedly at the rear of the bike. And Ji hyo just couldn’t help the happiness, laughing at the smallest things and just basking in the attention Jong kook is giving her. She just felt so alive and even the surroundings seemed different, like she’s seeing the world anew.

Ji hyo rates their first official date a success. And totally not clichéd.

---/:::::/---

One Monday morning during breakfast, the PE teacher leaned in closer and whispered, “I’ll get you after your last class.”

Kyung soo pretended he didn’t see anything. He especially didn’t see Ji hyo enthusiastically saying yes, and they definitely did not touch cheeks in front of him in the middle of the mess hall. Certainly did not!

Ji hyo was grinning the whole morning and she knew she looks like a deranged loon. It was so hard to school her expression so she thought of disgusting things. Getting pelted with bird poop while she crossed the open fields. A ball flying from nowhere and hitting her straight to the face. Ji hyo’s smile was starting to falter. A cockroach and swarm of angry bees. A king cobra falling from her favorite tree while she rested under its shade… she felt the smile get replaced by a big frown. The cockroach in her thoughts flew and Ji hyo blanked in fear.

It certainly helped school her expression the whole day and forget some things…

Ji hyo scanned the names she has to encode. The teachers were all working hard in the faculty but it was taking her longer since she is not yet used to the grading system. With a deep breath, Ji hyo cleared her mind and focused on the task at hand. Soon she was in a headspace where all that matters was typing in the data. Even the clacking of keys in the now empty room felt comforting though there a little niggling thought at the back of her mind that was insisting that she is forgetting something important.

The relationship between technology and Ji hyo can be described as hit and miss most of the time. Ji hyo can operate gadgets and computers just fine but she has a terrible habit that estranges her from technology. The female teacher always forgets to save files or keep track of her mobile phones battery which has landed her in trouble a lot of times. Right now she was almost done, just four more names and she’s finished with the encoding… when suddenly the light flickered.

Ji hyo flinched, eyes widening comically and mouth opening in a silent scream of fear. She reached for the mouse and hurried to press the little floppy disk sign at the upper left portion of her screen but was too late. The computer monitor dimmed and so did all the lights in the faculty room.

Ji hyo howled in frustration. She waited five minutes but the electricity didn’t come back. That was the only time she thought of finding her phone. She patted her desk, her pockets, fumbled for her bag and finally found the gadget. The blast of light from the phone made Ji hyo squint but when she read the 25 missed calls notice she realized that in her desire not to think of Jong kook (just didn’t want to look loony), she also forgot about their talk that morning.

Before Ji hyo could type a reply, the doors opened and there stood Jong kook with a huge flashlight, his was face contorted with worry which made Ji hyo feel very guilty. He rushed to her side while Ji hyo tried to explain futilely. “I’m really sorry oppa… I-I--”

Ji hyo likes hugs. She often hugs her Pa, even cuddles like a little kid most of the time but nothing could have prepared Ji hyo for Jong kook’s big, warm and worried hug (which she will name worry hug). The air was knocked off her and he was just all over her. “Sorry oppa…” she whispered against the hard, muscled chest, feebly trying to hug back but only managing to wrap her arms halfway around his waist.

“Are you okay Ji hyo?” he asks after a while. He was still holding her tight and Ji hyo doesn’t mind it, even if she just lost one hour’s worth of unsaved data. He’s not even mad… he’s so perfect.

“I’m okay… I just, sorry I forgot.”

“No… no, it’s okay… I know you have work to do. I just thought… I worry too much and now you have to put up with that.” he lets go a little but Ji hyo clings some more. It felt too nice to end so soon. She felt Jong kook chuckle, felt the vibrations from his chest and Ji hyo’s could only snuggle closer.

“I’m not good with phones, always forgets where I put mine. Ask Papa and he’d tell you week’s worth of frustration.”

“Ji hyo…” now the voice sounds exasperated and a bit reprimanding so Ji hyo quickly adds, “but I will try my best. I will check the thing more often now. I will max out the volume so I’d hear it even if it deafens me. I’m really sorry oppa.”

“Hey Ji hyo-yah… I’m not mad okay? I was just a little worried” Ji hyo snorts a laugh, “Okay… I guess I overdid the worrying Ji hyo-yah… We’ll just try our best okay?”

“Okay oppa. It’s not like something bad can happen to me in here. We’re just in school and this is probably one the safest places I could be.”

Jong kook manages not to answer. His pessimistic mind could think of a thousand dangers they could face in school. Trained kidnappers could get the heir undetected and it would be easy with a school this size and don’t even get started on listing the blind spots because it would take days. She could fall on the stairs or slip and hit her head. Or she could be trapped in a dark room during blackout and stumble on her fumbling which is totally dangerous.

There’s just so much that could happen and even if Ji hyo is very capable -- he does not doubt that and she could probably outrun him if she wanted, being smaller and more agile plus she’s real smart -- but she just pushes all of his protective buttons. He’s not underestimating her, but he still wants to protect her even if she’s all grown up and not four anymore.

The lights switched on and the couple reluctantly let go. Jong kook helped Ji hyo pack up while the history teacher told him about the unsaved work. They opened the computer again and Ji hyo squealed in happiness when she found her encoding intact and saved in a back-up. She lost a few names but it was better that redoing everything.

Jong kook finished it for her in seconds and they walked back to the dorms together. Ji hyo doesn’t know if it counts but they went the long way, passing through their favorite paths to the gardens. Their hands kept on bumping… or more like, Ji hyo was walking too close to Jong kook and she’s ‘accidentally’ touching his hands every five seconds…

Jong kook finally grabbed her wayward hand when they reached the more secluded part of the walk. Ji hyo internally jumps in triumph, mentally checking off an item in her bucket list. Tropes are so overrated but they are still so sweetly romantic and it’s not really a sin to want the experience anyway. Right?

---/:::::/---

Jong kook and Ji hyo sat quietly on a bench sipping milkshakes. They were both lost in thoughts, eyes staring out the sea. It was a warm Sunday afternoon. Perfect for lounging outdoors and do people watching.

“Are you okay Ji hyo?” Jong kook asks casually, but Ji hyo couldn’t be fooled by the forced nonchalance. She gives him a thoughtful look and smiles. “Oppa, do you remember what I told you that night?”

Jong kook turns to her wondering how he could be so lucky, lucky enough to find a woman who understands him and accepts him the way he is. “A lot was said that night Ji hyo-yah… but I remember. You said I was your first,” he pauses, chuckles lightly at the touch or red adorning Ji hyo’s beautiful face. “You have a dirty mind Ms. Song -- Ji hyo cries denial indignantly -- I was just saying that I am your first boyfriend. You said so.”

“I haven’t said yes to you!”

“You will, very, very soon.”

“If you are going to be annoying like this, I’d never oppa.”

“You’d never not say yes to me, my princess.” And then he takes her hand in his and kisses her knuckles gently while maintaining eye contact the whole time. Ji hyo melts, her frown transforming into a shy, pleased smile. She bites her lower lip but it’s too hard to stop the big idiotic smile she knows she’s sporting. So she stops that and just grins freely.

“But oppa… joking aside, yes, you are the first man that I, uh, entertained. I like you. I like spending my time with you--”

“But I am terribly afraid of things going wrong. Of saying things I shouldn’t, of misunderstanding… I am terribly bad at relationships Ji hyo--”

“Just as I do, oppa. I am afraid. I am not feminine enough… I will inherit a company that will demand too much of me. I never dated. I am afraid too, oppa--”

“So what do we do?” Jong kook voices the biggest question between them. Ji hyo feels warm all over, leaning close to Jong kook who automatically circles his arm around her to support her weight. She feels him press a kiss on her hair and scoots closer to her man.

“We’re doing perfectly oppa… and you could even finish my sentences for me. And when we’re not… we talk about stuff.”

“You’re right… we’re fine.” Jong kook melts against Ji hyo. He tugs her closer, a low rumbling sound envelops her and she decides that Jong kook really gives out the best hugs, beside her Papa, of course.

 The two relaxes, milkshakes forgotten as they sat there in comfortable silence. Jong kook will never cease to be afraid nor can he stop feeling so protective. He’d always be conscious of his actions and words… he will always worry. He won’t magically stop feeling undeserving of her... he won’t forget the past.

But he doesn’t ever want to leave. He’s bad at words and a lot of things but he realized it doesn’t matter. Because she understands him better than he even understands himself… because they managed to create their own language when words aren’t enough anymore. They could sit together in silence and it’s not awkward. They both liked road trips while listening and discovering music together. Jong kook could preferences in shows and Ji hyo could diss his obsession with health and fitness. He does not deserve her but she chose him so how could he disappoint her and deny her of her choice? Even if he’s such a poor choice…

They are not the typical couple, they think they’re not. There’s no dating manual, no rules to follow but they have their own ways and it’s perfect. Trope or not, whether it’s too clichéd or plain normal -- they are both doing things the Jong kook and Ji hyo way.

---/:::::/---

Jong kook woke up for no reason from his impromptu nap. He owlishly took in his surrounding; discovering that he was in the living room and the sun is almost down. He remembered waiting for Ji hyo earlier so they could do their lesson plans together -- not that he really needed to do lesson plans but he’d take all the excuse he could to spend time with her. Those thoughts of Ji hyo, their dates and the surprisingly teenage vibe they’ve got going made him smile.

Until his mind caught up with the most important question. Where is Ji hyo?

A quick check on his mobile phone told Jong kook that he last saw her three hours ago. A cold chill ran down his spine and whatever his guts were telling him, he didn’t like it one bit. He called her phone, standing up to approach her room. After several rings his call went to voicemail. Hearing Ji hyo’s recorded voice to leave a message after a beep sent Jong kook into a panic. He called her again while knocking frantically at her door, wondering at the same time if she made good with her promise to check her phone more often and to max out that volume. If he only knew that he’d have this problem again, he would’ve done it himself.

“Ji hyo? Ji hyo-yah?” he stopped knocking, listening in the darkness. The sun has already set but there’s still no sign of her.

He called her again and heard a faint ringing in the distance. Full of dread, Jong kook opened the door to Ji hyo’s room. His eyes went straight to the only source of light and that familiar ringtone -- Ji hyo’s phone abandoned in the dresser.

“Hyung? What--” the cook halted abruptly after seeing Jong kook’s miserable and worried expression. “What’s wrong?” Kyung soo asked softly.

“I don’t know… where’s Ji hyo?” Please tell me you saw her… please let her be safe…

Jong kook hated how he sounded. It wasn’t like something bad happened… it’s just three hours, a missed phone. Ji hyo was bad at phones. She forgets the time when she’s working. Students hang out with her all the time or maybe she’s just watching those dramas of her somewhere or maybe she’s with the Chairman… maybe she wanted to tell Jong kook but he fell asleep -- but then he also remembered the notes. How they compromised after that forgotten rendezvous where Ji hyo lost track of time in the faculty, that they will always let the other know where they are.

He’ll just have to find her again as always but she’s not missing. Just around somewhere… doing things…

“I didn’t saw her… I thought she was up here with you.” Kyung soo finally spoke, sounding worried as well. “We’ll find her hyung. I’ll go and ask around.”

Jong kook nodded and the boy left. The PE teacher looked around her room and decided to grab Ji hyo’s phone. When he reached the living room, he found a worried chairman pacing and Kyung soo crying softly. One look at the chairman’s distressed, ashen face confirmed Jong kook’s fears.

“S-Seung Im-ah…” the Chairman collapsed into Ji hyo’s favorite chair. Kyung soo sadly shook his head and Jong kook… could only stare numbly at the carpet.

“She’s missing…” he says, finishing the chairman’s sentence.

I hope you all enjoy the update ^^ So sorry for the cliff hanger or why Ji hyo is always missing. It just happened that way... but wow I got 35 chaps... I really didn't plan this story but I hope it's ok.

Thanks for reading :-)