So this is where he’s been spending most of his time

-- I have almost forgotten that he is only 18 years old as well, still young and not yet fit to take over their company completely; what his family has is an empire so big it makes what the rest of us (chaebol clans) own worthless and insignificant, and knowing how the Lady works, it is close to impossible to see her hand everything to him without making sure that he is equipped  enough to carry their entire legacy on his shoulders alone. Of course he still goes to school.

I have been informed that the Kims own the university where Jong In has been studying for the past few years, before leaving for America or Europe, where he is to complete his post graduate studies.  Despite having been left alone to fend for myself last night, the curiosity and desire to meet my future husband (the Lady has told me to address Jong In this way) has never wavered. He is a jerk in the truest sense of the word (I mean, how could he leave a young woman alone in the streets at night?), but admittedly, he has that fiery spark in him that I have never seen in other guys I have met before.

He is different.

Jong In appeared to be a man fond of yelling at others and throwing tantrums whenever he can last night, but I like that he is full of life. I feel like I will never get bored with him; in that aspect I think my parents have chosen well -- not because Jong In’s family is one of the most influential families in Korea, but because Jong In is far from being a drone. That’s all that matters for now, at least to me. I can live with constant bickering and arguments, but not with deafening silence. I’ve had enough of that at home.

And so, here I am, wandering around the vast and seemingly borderless space that is his university. I am a little surprised that there are very few people walking around, for I have been somewhat expecting to see throngs of students going in and out of buildings, rushing to their next class. Where is Jong In staying right now? Is he in class?

Dismissing the thought that he might be in the middle of class lecture right now, I fish my phone out of my purse and begin dialling his number. I have to find him, to see him, and most especially, to give him a piece of my mind.

“Hello?” He barks on the other line right after the first ring, and I find myself clamming up instead of answering immediately, shocked that he actually answered my call right away.

“Hi, Jong In.” I am still annoyed by his negligence last night, but I figure out that it’s best to exchange pleasantries with him first.

“I don’t know you.” He answer-yells, making me wince. “You have one second to introduce yourself, or else I’m hanging up...and then I will hunt you down and punish you for wasting my precious time.”

What a conceited jerk! I fume inside, but I only have one second to spare before he cuts the line between us. “Minji.” I say my name, hoping that he has at least been already notified of my name by now.

There is a pause on his side, and the silence makes me feel uneasy. “Oh,” I hear his voice again, and this time there is a hint of condescension as he remembered me and what happened between us last night. “you’re that dumb girl mother told me I was going to marry. I see that you’re a stalker, too. Here’s a piece of advice -- never listen to my mother. She’s a crazy , and she’s probably just after your family’s assets and not you.”

His words sting, and hearing a couple of people laughing and whistling in the background only adds more salt to my injury. Jong In seems to be forgetting that we belong to the same class. I refuse to be treated like a peasant; it was true that the Lady is after our family’s business and its potential to grow exponentially in the coming years, but that fact alone should make him realize that I am not some bride used to pay some debt -- my family is probably going to help their empire grow bigger than it is now, for chrissakes!

“I’m going to hunt you down, you bastard,” I swear, my knuckles turning white from holding on to my phone so much. “I will not take your pathetic insults just like this, Kim Jong In.”

“Bwoh?” He lets out a harsh laugh. “Hunt me down? So tell me princess, how will you do it? You couldn’t even find your way home last night!”

“You’ll regret that you ever pissed me off!” I screech, hanging up before he can even answer back.  A couple of students throw nosy looks at me, but I ignore them as I march down the block where tall pine trees are neatly lined up as if to welcome me, hell bent on finding where Kim Jong In is.

-----------

I waste no time letting him know that Gong Minji can locate people quickly and that what happened the night before just wasn’t able to indicate that I have the ability to track people down like a dangerous spy. I run towards his direction the moment I see his back, jumping on him like a puma pouncing on his oblivious prey.

I am already attached to his back when he realized what was going on, my arms already wrapped around his neck, suffocating him.

“Urgk-who-isgjrrk...” He tries his best to talk, stupefied by my brazen stunt.

“Gong Minji,” I whisper to his ear tersely, my legs securing themselves around his waist. “I told you, dear husband-to-be, I am going to find you!”

“Ugh,” He struggles to break free from my vice-like grip. “For ’s sakes, let go of me, woman!”

“I won’t!” I whisper-yell at him, and he lets out a panicked cry when I tighten my hold on him. “I won’t let go of you until you apologize for what you did to me today and last night!”

“Arrrrrrrrgh!” Jong In lets out an anguished cry, but this only makes me hold onto him some more. “Ican’targhhhbreatheeee!”

Scared that he might actually die, I loosen my grip and plant my feet back on the ground.

Not before biting on his left ear. Hard.

“That ing hurtsssssssssss!” Jong In howls in pain while I take a few steps back to watch him hold his ear in fear of losing it. “It ing hurtssssssssssssss!”

“That’s what you get for being an to me last night!” I angrily defend myself, all the while secretly pleased that I am able to get some payback -- I have to admit, it is a joy to see him almost cry from so much pain. “That’s what you get for ditching me last night, and for being rude to me on the phone just now!”

“, this is the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen in my entire life,” It isn’t long before I realize that there have been two people with Jong In all this time, witnessing everything I did to him. The one who described the scene ridiculous is lanky and pale, his side-swept bangs almost covering his right eye, although his hair is short. “My God, Jong In, the girls you meet are just on a whole different level!” Ignoring Jong In’s string of cusses that followed his remark, he smiles and his head at me. “Hello, ferocious little vixen. My name is Chanyeol. You were saying that you’re going to marry my friend?”

“Y-yes,” I answer reluctantly. “Our families just had an official meeting about it last night.”

Chanyeol looks at the other guy funnily before sharing a laugh with him, making both Jong In and I blush.

“Well,” The other guy finally speaks, stepping forward to take a closer look at me. “the Lady sure knows who to pick, if I must say. Apart from Jong In’s noona and Jina, no one could ever wrestle Jong In that easily. I can’t believe there is another woman who can match Jong In’s temper! I thought the list ended with Jina!”

“She’s not like Jina!” Jong In barks, his face contorted in so much anger. “Don’t you ever go there, Byun Baekhyun!”

“That’s Baekhyun hyung for you,” The guy corrects him with mock sternness, but it is obvious that he is enjoying the effect he is having on Jong In rather than being offended by his failure to address him properly.

“What are you still doing here?!” Jong In diverts his attention back to me, making me jump in surprise. “Isn’t almost biting my ear off enough?!”

“Not even close!” I answer hotly, the red on my cheeks getting darker as I glare back at him. “I haven’t yanked every strand of hair on your head yet!”

The guy named Baekhyun lets out a whistle at this, clearly impressed. “You’re so feisty,” he remarks with a cheeky grin, then adds, “Jong In is so lucky.”

“I am NOT, I will repeat, I WILL NOT MARRY THIS GIRL.” Jong In vehemently denies, but it only makes his two friends laugh harder. This makes me feel embarrassed for some reason, so not to be outdone, I say, “WE WILL GET MARRIED, YOU CLOWN. It’s final!”

By the time I have said this his friends are already in stitches. That is, until a small female voice asks out of nowhere,

“Who’s going to get married?”
 

Chanyeol and Baekhyun stop laughing. Jong In's body turns frigid. And I...

I find myself staring at a young woman not older than me, thinking that for the first time since I met Jong In and his friends, I have finally come across the girl he has always mentioned I could never be.

Jina.