A/N: Everyone is in for a treat this chapter! I had an enjoyable time writing this and I hope you guys have an enjoyable time reading this xD

@teehee4life: Thank you ^^
@madz67: Here’s the latest chapter and one of my favorite ones~

Chapter 8: Passion

That breathtaking, heart-pounding, mind-blowing feeling only someone like me can give you.

–      Yi Jeong to Ga Eul

Shock glazed over Yi Jeong’s eyes. Why was Ga Eul here at this time? Did she have something to tell him?

On the other hand, Ga Eul was panicking. What should she do? She couldn’t let him see her lunchbox now that he had Yoo Jin’s one. Lunchbox?! Ga Eul fumbled to hide the lunchbox behind her back but it was too late – Yi Jeong had seen it.

“What’s that?” Yi Jeong reached behind Ga Eul’s back, hoping to grab whatever mysterious item she was hiding from him. In response, Ga Eul dodged his searching hand and backed a few steps. Not wanting to give up, Yi Jeong gripped Ga Eul’s arms and pulled her towards him. His eyes widened as the lunchbox glided into view. Ga Eul observed the switch of emotions on Yi Jeong’s face from astonishment to happiness.

“So you made me lunch too?” Yi Jeong pulled the lunchbox from Ga Eul’s hands and released her from his grasp. “Is this what you were cooking this morning?”

Ga Eul nodded her head, unsure of what else to say. Yi Jeong opened the lid and the contents of the lunchbox were revealed to be omurice. The word “Hwaiting!” was written in tomato sauce. Thus, it could be visibly seen on the omelette.

Sniffing in the mouth-watering aroma, the corners of Yi Jeong’s mouth quirked up in a grin. The rice yielded a slight sweetness upon chewing and left a mildly pleasant aftertaste. Ga Eul’s homemade food was amazing. He found himself diving into the food, eating fast and almost choking. This earned him a few claps on his back from Ga Eul while she told him that there was no hurry.

Ga Eul gazed at Yi Jeong and was delighted that he enjoyed her food. Her eyes shifted to the other lunchbox. “W-Wait, sunbae. Yoo Jin’s lunchbox.”

“I’ll finish it later.”

“O-Okay.” Ga Eul cast her head down as her heart sank within her. But the sadness was quickly replaced with anger. So he’ll just eat both meals without bothering to care who made them? Does this mean that only food mattered to him but not the person making it?

After Yi Jeong had finished eating, he thanked Ga Eul. She smiled at him but there was something inauthentic about it like she was suppressing some kind of emotion. She then left, taking her lunchbox with her, leaving a baffled Yi Jeong alone at the rooftop.

His eyes flickered to Yoo Jin’s lunchbox, contemplating what he should do about it. Then, Yi Jeong clutched it, headed to the garbage can and emptied the contents of the lunchbox.

A series of cheers exploded across the vast gymnasium as a player jumped in the air and ed the basketball forcefully down through the basket, both of his hands remained on the rim. The power forward of Shinhwa University had just performed a slam dunk. Not expecting such a crowd-pleasing basketball shot during the intercollegiate basketball competition, the crowd erupted into applause once again.

Shinhwa University was leading by two points and only five minutes were left for Chung-Ang University’s counterattack. Ga Eul had thought that Shinhwa University was an easy opponent. Why would the rich put in so much effort for a competition? With such a puny reward too? The school, wanting to uphold its reputation, must have persuaded them.

Ga Eul’s anxiety level steepened with each passing second as she sat on the team bench with Yoo Jin, Coach Kang Dae and the reserve players. There was not much time left. Could the team successfully make a counterattack? A two-point field goal would only result in a draw but a three-pointer would lead to Chung-Ang University’s victory.

Beads of perspiration streamed down the basketball players’ faces, including Yi Jeong’s and Si Won’s. Ga Eul could clearly see that their breathing became ragged. She clasped her hands together, wishing that their team would win.

The whistle was blown, signaling the start of the final match. The referee handed the ball to Si Won. In an instant, he passed the ball to the nearest teammate, the shooting guard, by bouncing the ball off the floor with great energy. Then, he dashed towards the perimeter area and received the ball again when the shooting guard performed an overhead pass.

Standing at the perimeter area, Si Won held the basketball tightly in his hands while he analyzed the area surrounding him. His eyes ran over his teammates – the opponents had blocked their team’s shooting guard, power forward and center. The only one that remained available was the small forward, So Yi Jeong.

Yi Jeong had outrun his competitor, his eyes pleading with Si Won to pass him the ball. He ran with exceeding strength and swiftness towards the three-point line, indicating his intention to attempt a three-point field goal. When he arrived at the designated arc radiating from the basket, he spun around to face his team’s point guard.

Si Won bit his bottom lip, debating whether to assist Yi Jeong in his risky move. Either he was successful, allowing their team to win or he failed, leading to the team’s demise. Oh heck! Better try than nothing. Still facing the hydraulic basketball stand, Si Won confused his opponents when he passed the ball directly to Yi Jeong’s chest behind his back. Si Won’s behind-the-back pass was successful as Yi Jeong caught the ball without any mishap. He had put all his faith in Yi Jeong. And now, all that was left was to trust his teammate’s capabilities.

With a forceful push off the ground, Yi Jeong leapt to a great height after ensuring that his feet were completely behind the three-point line. He narrowed his eyes to gain a more accurate aim and then, he released the ball in mid-air, shooting it towards the hoop. After landing inside the three-point line, Yi Jeong fixated his eyes upon the hoop.

The ball bounded off the backboard and swirled around the rim, ever falling in, ever dropping out.

The palpable sense of excitement filled the gymnasium. Ga Eul clenched at her chest, terribly hoping that the ball would fall into the hoop.

One, two, three. The ball swirled around the rim three times then went in.

Yi Jeong’s aim was perfect.

The referee blew his whistle, ending the intercollegiate basketball competition. There was a great roar from the delirious crowd. Ga Eul sprang to her feet and punched the air with her fist. Victory! She moved quickly, legs eating up the distance between the team bench and the basketball court.

A group has gathered in the center of the basketball court. The teammates cheered Yi Jeong and Si Won for their brilliant teamwork, lifted them off the ground and paraded them across the gymnasium. Raucous laughter bounced wildly off the walls, sometimes together, sometimes alternating as the tidal wave of happiness flooded everyone.

After the match, the basketball club held a karaoke party at a norebang. The night was dark and the crescent moon gave a dim, diffused light. Coach Kang Dae was drunk and needed people to support him. Most of the members had left; they took cabs home, leaving Yi Jeong, Si Won, Ga Eul and Yoo Jin to settle their own transportation.

“Sunbae, you should accompany Yoo Jin home. It’s not safe for a girl to go home alone.” Ga Eul’s voice rang out crystal clear through the still night air.

Yi Jeong’s eyebrows hiked up. “What about you?”

“I’ll her home. Don’t worry,” Si Won suggested and pushed Ga Eul in the back, not bothering to wait for Yi Jeong’s agreement.

How could Yi Jeong not worry? Si Won’s company was precisely the cause of his unease. Yoo Jin’s chirpy voice jolted him from his reverie.

“Let’s go, Yi Jeong-ssi!”

With one final glance at Ga Eul’s back, Yi Jeong turned to leave.

An awkward silence hung in the air as Yoo Jin conversed amicably with Yi Jeong about trivial matters. Anyone could see that she disliked the deafening silence and was willing to do anything to break it.

“Yi Jeong-ssi?” Yoo Jin asked, capturing Yi Jeong’s attention. “Can I address you as ‘Yi Jeong-gun’? I mean, we’ve been friends for a while now. Formal language sounds so odd.”

“Sure, Uee-ssi.”

“Uee-yang.”

“H-Huh?”

“Don’t you know that it’s polite to reciprocate?” Yoo Jin threw Yi Jeong a chuckle. But deep down, she was jealous of the affectionate way Yi Jeong called Ga Eul. She vividly recalled Yi Jeong’s first appearance at school and how he called the country bumpkin “Ga Eul-yang”.

Yi Jeong gave her a small smile. Yoo Jin was a happy-go-lucky girl and her presence lit up the places she went.

Before long, they stood before an apartment building.

“Thanks for sending me home, Yi Jeong-gun. Bye!” A light flush formed on Yoo Jin’s cheeks when she addressed Yi Jeong in informal language. Then, she waved goodbye and skipped merrily home.

Every so often, Yi Jeong glanced anxiously at the round, flat-faced clock on the wall. He had returned home an hour ago but there was no sign of Ga Eul in the apartment. The distant sound of tires squealing jerked him into action as Yi Jeong hurried to the open window.

As expected, he saw Ga Eul and Si Won but the motorcycle wasn’t what he anticipated. Ga Eul locked her hands around Si Won’s waist in an unbreakable hold, afraid that they might fall over any time.

That despicable jerk! Yi Jeong internally cursed Si Won, absolutely sure that the latter deliberately chose a two-wheeled vehicle instead of a four-wheeled one so that female passengers held tightly onto him during the thrilling ride. Yi Jeong glared daggers at Si Won but the latter was oblivious to the former’s presence.

The motorcycle slowed to a halt and both driver and passenger took off their helmets. They conversed for a few minutes while Si Won parked his vehicle. Next, the two entered the apartment building and disappeared from Yi Jeong’s view. Yi Jeong darted across the living room and leaned his ears against the door, to eavesdrop on the conversation outside.

“Goodnight Siwon-ssi,” Ga Eul spoke as a yawn escaped her lips. She was exhausted from the day’s event and was hoping to curl up in her comfortable bed soon.

“Ga Eul-ssi,” Si Won muttered, stopping Ga Eul in her tracks. She turned around to face him with a blank expression.

Si Won shifted his weight back and forth between his feet, feeling somewhat nervous. Plucking up his courage, he uttered the phrase that had persisted in his mind for a long time. “Joahaeyo!”

Ga Eul’s jaw fell open. She floundered around in her head, trying to remember how to close it. Si Won must be joking but his serious expression told her otherwise. Her mind worked clumsily, going through all the rejection lines Jan Di had taught her, only to realize that it was too cruel to say it.

“You don’t have to reply me so soon. Take your time.” With that said, Si Won opened his apartment door and entered his house. He was embarrassed. At the same time, he couldn’t believe that he had admitted his feelings for her. Just like that. Without giving her prior notice.

It was impossible to express the emotions she currently felt – astonishment, incredulity, doubtfulness and bewilderment. The great tumult of emotions was reflected in her actions as she fumbled for the access card.

When she stepped into the apartment, there were pools of impenetrable darkness everywhere. Hadn’t Yi Jeong reached home yet? Ga Eul d for the light switch but failed miserably as her eyes weren’t accustomed to the pitch-black darkness.

Without warning, her back was pressed against the concrete wall. Shock snapped her eyes wide open and froze her breath. Was it a robber? This thought greatly alarmed her, causing her breathing to become shallow and rapid, her heart to start pounding hard against her chest.

With only faint light from a spattering of stars and the sliver of moon through the open window, Ga Eul’s vision focused to find herself face to face with Yi Jeong.

“S-Sunbae?”

A chilling uneasiness ran up her spine when Yi Jeong remained silent. Did something happen to him?

Yi Jeong felt the anger threatening to explode from his chest but he held it in as much as he could. He couldn’t believe what he just heard. Si Won’s confession had intensified his hatred for him. The bastard! Who did he think he was to take Ga Eul away from him?

He would never let her go.

But Yi Jeong wasn’t sure that Ga Eul felt the same way. Perhaps, she was ecstatic to discover that someone liked her. And that someone even turned out to be a nice guy.

For an instant something Ga Eul couldn’t identify flickered in Yi Jeong’s eyes. Anger, perplexity, but there was more than that.

Abruptly, Yi Jeong pulled both of Ga Eul’s wrists up, over her head, in a powerful grip. His mass towered over her, his eyes looked most powerfully down into hers and hers looked most helplessly up into his. The fear tightened her muscles, tensed her spine and pulled her so taut that she was certain she would break if touched. What was Yi Jeong planning to do?

His lips crushed against hers.

He kissed her in earnest, his unyielding lips moved against hers. Rough and urgent. A passionate kiss.

She could not move or look away. Caused simply by the wildfire attraction between them. It was useless to deny it; her body responded to his. She moaned into the kiss, earning a chuckle from him under his breath.

It was quiet for a long moment, just the thud of her heart hammering, the broken rhythm of their ragged breathing, and the whisper of their lips moving in synchronization.

She felt the tremor of his breath on her neck as his lips brushed against , just below her ear. As if the kiss wasn’t sufficient to satisfy Yi Jeong’s desire, he placed his lips on her sensitive neck and on the exposed area until a discoloration was formed. He couldn’t help but let out one low moan that started from the back of his throat as he marked her.

The intensity of the kiss had made Yi Jeong dizzy and drunk with pleasure. Instinct was driving him then. He had only planned to kiss her. Nothing more. Yet, at this moment, he was kissing hungrily down the edge of her jaw and proceeding to her neck. He devoured her greedily, completely aware that he would leave his mark on her…

“Do you like it, Ga Eul-yang?” Yi Jeong’s eyes burned with sincerity, for a protracted moment – playing havoc with the rhythm of her heart – and then turned playful. “I knew you weren’t as innocent as you looked.”

The crimson shade on Ga Eul’s pale cheeks vanished at Yi Jeong’s last sentence. So he was playing with her? Was he just trying to prove that she wasn’t innocent? What did the kiss mean to him then? A distraction? A form of entertainment?

She stepped forward and slapped him. She had no thought of doing it before she did it and afterwards, she could scarcely believe what she had done. But it was a good hard slap, with the full force of her body behind it and it snapped his head to one side. Her hand stung.

Ga Eul bolted towards the bedroom and slammed the door shut. She slumped against the door behind her as tears like weeping rain from the storm clouds stained her soft cheeks and she broke into uncontrollable sobs.

What had he gotten himself into? Yi Jeong mentally slapped his forehead when he realized what he had done. He wasn’t thinking straight then. The Casanova reprimanded himself for breaking his word of not letting Ga Eul shed a drop of tear.

“Ga Eul-yang, listen. I can explain.”

“Go away!” Ga Eul sprinted to the bed and plopped herself on it. She covered her ears with the pillow, not permitting one single word of Yi Jeong’s explanation to enter her mind.

That night, both Yi Jeong and Ga Eul couldn’t sleep.

Ga Eul gave Yi Jeong the silent treatment the next day. Hostile silence filled the apartment as Ga Eul went about performing her tasks; she occasionally shot Yi Jeong death glares so that he would falter whenever he opened his mouth to speak. The cold war continued even when they arrived at school.

Ga Eul had worn a red floral scarf around her neck to hide the reddish mark and it did not go unnoticed by Yoo Jin. Ga Eul lied, saying that it was a gift from her parents. Thankfully, Yoo Jin accepted it as valid and did not ask any further.

Yi Jeong spotted Si Won strolling in their direction and a sort of angry shadow passed over his face as memories of the previous night flooded his mind. After ensuring that Si Won was within his field of vision, Yi Jeong moved to stand beside Ga Eul. He bent forward, making as if he stooped for something near her and accidentally pulled her scarf off.

The scarf fluttered to the ground, exposing the hickey on Ga Eul’s neck in full view for Si Won. Yi Jeong’s mouth curled into a slightly mocking smile when he caught sight of Si Won’s face, saw the stricken horror and grief.

Si Won ambled towards Ga Eul. “Can I have a private chat with you, Ga Eul-ssi?”

Ga Eul nodded her head, picked up her scarf and wrapped it around her neck again. She was unaware of the fact that Si Won had seen the mark on her.

Not wanting to lose out on this private conversation, Yi Jeong followed her. But Yoo Jin pulled him back.

“Yi Jeong-gun. Don’t.”

“Uee-yang.”

Ga Eul, who was still within earshot, felt a tinge of jealousy. When did they become so close? Ga Eul had been Yoo Jin’s friend for a long time now but they still addressed each other formally. So spending one night together was sufficient for Yi Jeong to elevate Yoo Jin from friend to intimate?

What about the kiss they shared then? Ga Eul’s brows drew together in a frown. What did that make them? Intimates too? Or friends with benefits?

Hmph. He could at least be honest with her. About everything.

Ga Eul strode angrily behind Si Won, not wanting to witness anymore of Yi Jeong’s and Yoo Jin’s intimate actions. Si Won led her to an empty classroom, ensuring no interruptions during their talk.

“Ga Eul-ssi, how did you get that hickey?” Si Won’s eyes met hers boldly. “Was is Yi Jeong?”

The shock and horror of Si Won’s correct speculation had nearly sent Ga Eul reeling into paralysis. She gulped.

“Siwon-ssi, it doesn’t matter who did it. I’ve got something to tell you.” Ga Eul gritted her teeth in determination as she changed the conversation topic. Her expression softened as she endeavored to phrase the words nicely with the undertone of rejection still apparent.

“Mianhamnida but my heart beat for someone else even now so I can’t accept your feelings.”

Glossary

Here’s the link to Ga Eul’s scarf [http://www.yesstyle.com/en/catworld-floral-scarf-red-one-size/info.html/pid.1024320096]. It’s a sweet color that matches Ga Eul’s personality perfectly.

Omurice: A contemporary Japanese dish consisting of an omelette made with fried rice. It is a popular dish both commonly cooked at home and can be found at many western style diners and izakaya restaurants in Japan. It is also a popular dish in many restaurants in South Korea and Taiwan. The dish typically consists of chicken rice (rice pan-fried with ketchup and chicken) wrapped in a thin sheet of fried egg. The ingredients that flavor the rice vary. Often, the rice is fried with various meats (but typically chicken) and/or vegetables, and can be flavored with beef stock, ketchup, demi-glace white sauce or just salt and pepper. Sometimes, the rice is replaced with fried noodles, yakisoba, instead of fried rice, to make omusoba. A variant in Okinawa is omutako, consisting of an omelet over taco rice.
Hwaiting: Fighting
Norebang: It can be abbreviated to “NRB”. It translates into "Song Room". Norebangs typically have a number of private rooms ranging in size from four seats to upwards of thirty. There are usually two microphones, a book containing the names and artists of the songs, and a remote control for the karaoke machine. The remote controls allow the users to search for songs by name, artist, or country. The song selection available typically includes those from multiple languages. Most norebangs sell food and alcohol. Also, many adults in South Korea use the norebangs to sober up after drinking.
Gun: Used moderately on very formal occasions to a male only. This honorific usage is restricted to unmarried men.
Joahaeyo: I like you