"Yah, is your house that far away?" So Eun asked, her legs feeling sore from walking so much. "Why haven't we arrived yet?"

Daehyun continued walking, ignoring her protests. She didn't notice how his strides were getting smaller so that she could keep up with him, and how he would turn his face away at some of her comments so that he could smile.

So Eun looked around her. They were in a place with lots of greenary and some old people doing taichi and stuff. They were in a park. And somehow this park looked really familiar to So Eun because....

"Hey!" So Eun blinked in surprise as she took in her surroundings. "Isn't this the park near my home?"

The side of Daehyun's lips quirked up in amusement. *Now you realize. You think I'm going to let you send me home? More like the other way round, love.*

So Eun ran to catch up wtih Daehyun, her eyes narrowed in slits. "You don't live here. I know everyone here and I know you don't live her." she accused, wagging her finger at him. "So why are you coming here?"

Daehyun didn't respond as he looked for a nice bench. He chose one beside a streetlamp, the same bench So Eun had been sitting at when she was studying a few days ago before she spotted him in his masked man get up.

He let out a sigh and stretched his legs, settling comfortably on the bench. He turned to lay his entire body down, his long legs protruding from the length of the bench as he put his arm over his eyes and slept.

So Eun's jaw dropped opened and she shook him. "Yah! You're not going home?" she frowned. "I thought you were leading me to your home!"

Daehyun laughed inwardly. "I never said I was going home. You were the one who decided to be a gentlewoman to follow me here." he pointed out, his eyes not opening.

So Eun made a face at him and pushed his legs, making space for herself on the other end of the bench. "You're so mean." she muttered. "And did you have to loop such a large round before coming here if you wanted to take a nap? We could have reached fifteen minutes earlier if you decided to take the other route." she complained.

*I don't want to take the other route.* Daehyun thought. *I want to spend more time with you. I could walk around the whole of Korea if I could.*

So Eun sighed and leaned against the back of the bench, leaving a triangular shaped space between her back and the chair for his legs. She looked over at him who seemed to be already dozing off and she pouted lightly. "You're a real mystery, you know, Jung Daehyun?" she muttered.

She sighed softly and leaned her head against the back of the bench, watching him sleep. "You behave so coldly to everyone, you don't react at all and you seem to not give a damn about everything in the world." she noted. "The girls love you for being like this and you don't care."

Daehyun waited for her to continue talking, curious as to what she had to say. He gave a suitable groan and turned slightly, pretending to sleep some more.

So Eun twisted her lips and looked at him. "And you're unreasonably mean to me." she muttered. "I've never done anything to upset you and you're so mean to me. But you know what, Jung Daehyun?" she sighed softly. "I can't seem to hate you either."

Daehyun froze, listening in.

"If you think I'm that sort of shallow person to judge a person because of one or two acts, you have seriously misunderstood who I am." So Eun murmured. "You're mean, you're cold. But somehow the way you act makes me think there's something else under this whole facade of yours. Because I've seen how you can be kind and how you can help others in need. There is passion in your heart, Jung Daehyun, I don't know why you want to hide it."

So Eun closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. "I don't know you very well, Jung Daehyun. That's why I can't put a judgement to your character yet, it's unfair." she slurred sleepily. "And besides, you're a mystery. I love mysteries. I hope we can be friends some day and you can tell me your troubles. You can tell me anything, I promise I won't spill."

There came a long period of silence and Daehyun removed his arm from his eyes to look at So Eun. Had she fallen asleep?

Daehyun jerked slightly when So Eun gave a little laugh. "Ahehe.." she mumbled. "Jung Daehyun and me....friends." she muttered some more before her head dropped. Daehyun's hand reached out to cradle her head before it hit the hard wooden bench and he sighed softly, sitting up.

He laid her more comfortbly against the chair and got his black jacket from his bagpack which he hadn't got a chance to use all day. He laid it on her and curled a lock of hair behind her ears. He watched her tenderly, a small bitter smile on his lips.

"I don't want to be friends, So Eun." he whispered softly. "I want you to hate me. I want us to be lovers. I want so many things, but baby the world is unfair. The only thing I want right now is for you to live, please." he leaned forward to kiss the top of her head.

-----

So Eun rubbed her eyes when she felt someone shake her.

"So Eun, wake up."

So Eun squinted and saw Jongup's face looking down at her. He looked at her curiously and scratched his head. "I thought you were going to look for Jung Daehyun to ask for what he wants as his prize? Why are you sleeping here instead?" he asked.

So Eun looked around her and realized she was alone on the bench. She made a face and rolled her eyes. She didn't expect anything else from Jung Daehyun. Like what? He would be there when she woke up?

"I fell asleep." she yawned. Jongup smiled and took her bag as So Eun got up. "I came for a jog in the park when I saw you." he muttered. He eyed the jacket she was holding onto. "Whose is that?"

So Eun blinked at the black jacket and her eyes widened. "Who?" she blurted in surprise. "I don't know." She looked at Jongup. "It's not yours?"

"I won't bring a jacket when I come jogging." Jongup shrugged. "Maybe some passerby felt sorry for you and gave you his jacket."

So Eun nodded, following Jongup back home. She eyed the jacket and gave a little sniff. It smelt like....Daehyun.

Her eyes widened and she gave her head a knock. How in the world would she know what Jung Daehyun smelt like? *Seriously Kim So Eun, you're going mad.* she shook her head.

She stuffed the jacket in her bag. "Maybe the masked man came by." she whispered to herself, smiling.

"Jung Daehyun, is this yours?" So Eun went up to Daehyun before the Physical Education lesson and handed Daehyun the jacket. Daehyun eyed the article of clothing and shook his head. "No."

So Eun frowned in confusion. If it wasn't Daehyun's nor Jongup's...was it really the masked man's?

"Gather here!" Coach Lee hollered and blew his whistle. So Eun quickly kept the jacket and decided to not think about it anymore. The class gathered at the centre of the basketball court as Coach Lee counted the number of students.

"Okay, so today we are going to be playing..." Coach Lee took a basketball from the trolley and flicked his wrist casually. It landed in the net in one beautiful swift move and the students clapped and cheered in admiration.

"Basketball." Coach Lee looked happy with the response he got. "Everyone, get into pairs and we'll try dribbling and defending. One person will have to protect their possession of the ball and the other, try to get it. You have one minute, pair up now."

So Eun immediately grabbed the nearest BAP boy next to her and realized it was Zelo. She looked up at his towering form and Zelo's eyes twitched. "Noona..it's basketball so I was thinking of looking for a hyung whose height is..."

"Meanie." So Eun stuck her tongue out. Jongup joined her instead and she smiled gratefully at her.

So Eun and Jongup paired up. Yongguk and Zelo. Himchan paired up with one of the pretty fangirls and he completely forgot about the existence of the last BAP boy.

Youngjae pouted at Himchan and sighed. "That bastard." he muttered under his breath. He looked around for anyone else who didn't have a partner and realized that the only other person in sight was Jung Daehyun. He grinned to himself, time to unravel mysteries this boy was hiding.

"Jung Daehyun, let's partner up." Youngjae went up to him. Daehyun gave a grunt as a reply and Youngjae grabbed a ball. Daehyun watched the people around him dribble and he scratched his head, not knowing if he could do it.

Even during the Silla period, he was only good at painting and the likes, so you could say Daehyun was a very polite and demure boy indeed. He was okay with swordplay but not spectacular. He liked being indoors more than outdoors so sports wasn't his thing.

And it apparently wasn't Youngjae's either.

When the whistle blew, signalling the start of the routine, Youngjae almost hit Daehyun in the face with the basketball and Daehyun instinctively blocked it, causing the ball to direct itself back at Youngjae, hitting the poor guy in the stomach as he doubled over in pain.

As the routine progressed a few minutes later with Daehyun having possession of the ball and Youngjae trying to get it, Youngjae had the silly idea of tickling Daehyun from the back so that the latter would lose his possession of the ball.

As soon as he did that, Daehyun jerked in surprise and hit Youngjae.

The two of them fell onto the ground in a heap.

Youngjae let out a groan. Daehyun rolled his eyes. Coach Lee went over and inspected them, shaking his head. "I think you two should rest till the period ends. Go to the sick bay if you need to."

Youngjae nodded gratefully and went to sit by the benches. Daehyun trudged slowly, feeling the knots in his body slowly loosening as he stretched. Coach Lee then gathered the rest of the class and split them into two groups to start the basketball game.

Youngjae looked over at Daehyun. "So Daehyun, where did you come from before you came to Kyungnam high?"

Daehyun didn't look at him. "My mother's womb."

Youngjae made a face and turned to look at the court. "Smarty pants." he muttered.

The two of them watched as the game progressed, and Youngjae found himself observing Daehyun. He had thought that Daehyun would be the type to go to the sick bay so that he could sleep there instead of sitting here and watching some people he didn't care about playing basketball.

And he realized that Jung Daehyun was watching the game very intently indeed, his eyes following one person from beginning to end, never leaving her and his attention never diverted.

*So Eun.* Youngjae realized in interest. *Why is Daehyun looking at So Eun?*

And all of a sudden in the midst of Youngjae's "analysis", Daehyun was gone. One second he was there, the next he wasn't.

Daehyun flew from the benches as quickly as his legs could bring him as he threw himself into the court, hurtling himself in So Eun's direction before Youngjae even knew what happened.

The ball flew from Himchan's hands from one end of the court towards So Eun's direction. So Eun's eyes widened in shock as the ball advanced towards her face, too frozen to move.

Until Daehyun suddenly appeared and blocked the ball with his arm, pushing her away.

Again.

He saved her again.

So Eun stared at him in surprise, shock and confusion flickering in her eyes.

Youngjae stared at the scene with his mouth agape. A dozen plates, sure it was dangerous. But a basketball too?

The degree of Daehyun's response and reaction to So Eun was making Youngjae more and more curious. The brainiac didn't like not knowing things. He was going to make sure to keep an eye on Jung Daehyun from now on.

----

Hey I'm back :)

I guess some of you didn't read my letter to you guys I posted the last chapter. It was a letter plus my informing you guys that I was going overseas. I'm now back. YAY.

Anyway, I just really wanted to thank you guys for all the support here, in case you guys don't read my blog.

Imagine my surprise when I saw that I won the Author of the Year awards when I came back from my trip! Oh my goodness. And not only that, but Story of the Year and also Best Original Character Byul from My Bodyguard Princess! LE FAINTS. Where did you guys get all this info anyway!

I never expected any of this and just...THANK YOU. I can't thank you guys enough.

Thank you for all your support through these days and I will continue writing more and hopefully, better stories.

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.