“Any questions?” The professor glanced around the room. “Good. Remember, this lecture was on Chapters 15 to 17. The next test is in two weeks, since I know most of you must be busy with your projects in the program. Have a good day!”

Soo-yeon closed her notebook and rubbed her eyes. She sighed as she remembered how last night, Tiffany had woken her up by weeping in the middle of the night. She knew her friend wasn’t ready to tell her the whole story, so she just came in the room and held Tiffany until her sobs subsided. By the time Soo-yeon left, Tiffany was asleep again, her hair spread out on her pillow. The look on her face was so peaceful, as if all the nightmares in the world had gone and died.

But Soo-yeon had trouble falling asleep after that. She just lay on her bed, letting her own nightmares of the past wash over her.

It didn’t do well with the stress that had been piling on top of her. She was still waiting for the dean’s confirmation, which was either supposed to come today or tomorrow. Then she would have to apply, buy clothes for her interview if she qualified, rehearse her-

Suddenly, the wind blew in and snatched the papers out of Soo-yeon’s hands. She gave out a growl of an annoyance, then crouched down to pick them up from the floor.

When she reached for the last one, a hand beat her to it. It grabbed the piece of paper and held it to her.

Soo-yeon stared at it for a second, then looked up. Yunho met her gaze calmly. “You dropped this,” he said, bringing it closer to her.

“Y-yes. Thank you.” She cleared and then took it.

He held on for a second, then let go. Soo-yeon looked up again, once more in surprise, as she took the sheet and stacked it with the others. Why had he put up a little resistance?

“Are you okay?” Yunho asked softly.

Oh. It was just to catch my attention. “Sure. Thanks,” she replied curtly as she tucked the papers into her notebook again. She quickly her notebook into her bag so the wind wouldn’t have the opportunity to make a mess out of her things again, and stood up.

He stood up as well. “Have you eaten?”

“What?” Soo-yeon could not disguise the disbelief in her voice, and mentally cursed herself for showing feeling. As a compromise, she started walking away, tucking a stray piece of hair that escaped her bun behind her ear.

Yunho followed her. “You look tense. I was wondering if you had already eaten lunch. It seems that there is a lot on your mind,” he said, keeping up with her pace.

Soo-yeon bit back a retort. It would be too out of the character at the moment. “I’m fine. There’s honestly no need to worry.”

“Are you always this cold to people?”

His question startled her so much that she stopped in her tracks. “Cold?” Ugh Yunho, stop surprising me!

“Perhaps that wasn’t the right word,” he hastily amended. “Closed off.”

Soo-yeon turned and looked at him. She scanned his face, but she could not find a single sign of malice. His eyes were only full of concern with a pinch of curiosity.

Maybe…maybe it was okay…

Her lips curled. How many times had that thought run through her head until to be disappointed? She had to set herself up now to know his interest was only short term, the possibility of his compassion was only a fleeting dream.

“I am usually closed off to the people I don’t know. Most of the time they don’t want to know me, and vice versa,” she said firmly, as she started walking again.

“And this doesn’t bother you?”

“Why should it? The facts of life should not be denied in order to find the niche in life that suits you best and propels you to success. Besides, I’m not attention-seeking like everyone else you know.”

“Even so,” Yunho replied, walking so he ended up in front of her. “What if I wanted to know you?”

Soo-yeon was forced to stop. She looked at him with an emotionless face. “Then it matters if I want to know you.”

Yunho stood still, stunned, as she moved past him. Was that the response I wanted? But with her perfect, stony look that made her resemble a flawless sculpture, he realized that any other reply would have been out of place. Was this the countenance she hid behind? What is behind that mask of hers? Then he turned. “And how could I convince you to take interest into me?”

Soo-yeon turned slightly. “Aren’t you Jung Yunho?” she said with a slight smirk. “Jung Yunho is supposed to know everything and how to solve any problem.” When she finished talking, she faced forward again and walked away.

Yunho watched her leave, receiving a feeling of déjà vu for the second time. Something about the way Soo-yeon walked made time freeze, and he knew this had happened before, but he didn’t know where.

“Jung Yunho is supposed to know everything and how to solve any problem,” her voice whispered from his traitorous memory.

But when it comes to you, I don’t know anything…