Chapter 3: Seeds of Doubt

                Hee Sun maddeningly paced back and forth in the pool house. The other girls sat there, looking at each other. They had never seen her so worked up. Even Chaerin was beginning to worry.  

                “Hee Sun girl, calm down,” she said. Hee Sun turned to her, boring a hole in her being with her fiery glare.

                “Calm down? Calm down? How the am I supposed to calm down, when there’s some , after my man? calm.” Yuna twirled her hair in her fingers. Ga In shrugged her shoulders as Chaerin thought of a plan.

                “What do we even know about her as of now?” Hee Sun demanded, looking down upon Ga In.               

                “She’s from Japan, and there is a possibility she knows someone you know. Her tracks are very well covered. Whoever she is, she knows how to hide.” Hee Sun shook her head.

                “Chaerin,” she turned to her. “Find that .” Chaerin bowed respectfully.

                “Of course.”

                Heejun, Yoon Jae and Ji Yeon were walking to school. It was quite cold, the snow piled high on either side of the street. It was a peaceful morning, the three of them chatting about homework and planning to study together after school.

                “Hey!” Heejun turned his head and saw Ayaka running after them, waving her hands wildly. “Wait up!” They stopped and waited for her to catch up.

                “Hey guys, whatcha up to?” she asked. Ji Yeon shrugged.

                “Planning our study schedule. We’re going to the hogwan to study for literature and chemistry; do you want to come with?” Ayaka shrugged.

                “I suppose. I have nothing better to do anyway.” Heejun shrugged. He didn’t really care whether she came or not. Yoon Jae smiled.

                “That’s great! Now we have an even number of people to study with!” Ji Yeon and Ayaka giggled.

                “Girls versus boys!” Ayaka challenged. “We should play a guessing game with our homework. Whoever gets the most questions wrong has to buy coffee later.” Heejun laughed.

                “Good luck with that, ladies!”  He nodded over to Yoon Jae. “This kid’s a whiz. I highly doubt you’ll beat him.” Ji Yeon laughed.

                “What, you don’t think we can do it, Heejun?” she nudged him. He shrugged.

“I’m just saying it might be tough. You should back out now, while you still can.” He suggested. Ayaka shook her head.

                “We’ll take you on! Come on Ji Yeon, let’s get a head start!” she said, grabbing her hand and running off, leaving the boys to follow them.

                Three hours later, the ladies emerged victorious. As good as Yoon Jae was at schoolwork, it could not make up for Heejun’s lack of book smarts.

                “It’s alright Heejun, not everyone can be a genius like Yoon Jae.” Ji Yeon teased. Heejun rolled his eyes.

                “Aw, come on, you only won by two questions!”

                “Two easy questions!” Ayaka stuck her tongue out at him.

                “You’re so immature.” He said, holding the café door open for them.

                Chaerin watched from across the street. She didn’t see anything particularly weird about today, but that scene back at the carnival kept replaying in her mind.

                “So, what about these F4 chicks, huh?” Ayaka asked. “Who exactly are they?” Ji Yeon rolled her eyes. Heejun scratched his head, somewhat sharing her sentiment.

                “Well, they are the four most popular girls in school.” Explained Yoon Jae. “They also happen to be the daughters of the richest and most powerful families in Seoul as well.” Ayaka nodded.

                “So, they run the school, is what you’re saying?” Yoon Jae nodded.

                “Indeed, that’s what they do.” Ayaka slurped her coffee.

                “Hmmm…and, you’re dating the leader of F4, that Hee Sun chick?”

                “Well, yea.” Heejun answered.

                “What made you do that? I mean, if they’re so mean and diabolical, you know, from what I’ve heard, why date her?” He scratched his head.

                “Well, it’s a lot more complicated than it sounds.”

                “Shoot for it.”

                “Well,” Heejun took a deep breath.

                “Let’s put it this way,” said Ji Yeon, just wanting the awkward moment to pass. “She had Chaerin threaten to have us half killed if he didn’t go out with her. Something about having a date for her stupid party and showing him to her mom. Then we got into this deep, twisted plot and we’re stuck in it.”

                “Well, yeah, but-” Heejun tried to protest. Yoon Jae put his hand up.

                “That’s how it started anyway, but now I guess they-” he looked over at Heejun. “Well, you guys are a real couple now.” Heejun nodded.

                “Well that doesn’t sound romantic at all.” Ayaka blurted out. “Being forced to be someone’s boyfriend? It seems more like you coped with your situation.  

                “Look, I know it sounds weird-” she cut him off.

                “If she really liked you, she would have asked you out herself instead of asking one of her lackey’s to threaten you.” She shrugged. “That’s just my opinion.”

                Heejun’s mind was befuddled. He couldn’t think straight anymore. Was anything he had done out of love, or fear for his friends. He had seemed so sure in Japan. Now, as he looked through his memories, it all seemed…forced, somehow.

                “How could you love somebody who did that to you? Or them?” Heejun looked over at his friends. They looked away. He looked down into his cup, strongly questioning his decisions.

                Chaerin slumped into her chair in the corner. ‘Oh God, no!’ She thought. This was getting more complicated than she could imagine.

END OF CHAPTER 3