A MONTH LATER @ the faculty

"When Norman William first conquered England, the language in use at that point in time was the Anglo-Norman dialect, spoken by the high-ranked noblemen and the Norman kings, whilst merchants and lower-ranked nobles spoke in bilingual, Anglo Norman and English. English continued to be the language for the common people. Now, can someone tell me how and when does English Literature reappeared and used by the British Government back then?" 

KIM SOO HYUN looked around the lecture hall filled with students in their third year. Indistinct chatterings started to fill the air upon being asked a question by him. The subject that they were having a lecture on was rather tough, taking into account the failure rates for the past 3 semesters. He then spotted a girl raising up her hand at the center row. It was Kim Jae Kyung. Next to her was a figure which is rather familiar to him too. Lee Young Hee. Lee Young Hee was jotting something down and slightly moved the paper towards Jaekyung, her face still looking at the table instead of the lecturer at the front. 

"Yes, Kim Jae Kyung?" he anticipated for the answer. Jae Kyung then pulled the paper which was jotted by Young Hee earlier closer to her and read the answer on the paper. Looking at the situation, Soo Hyun figured something out. It was not Jae Kyung who wanted to answer the question. It was Young Hee, wanting to confirm if her answer is correct or not.

"Sir, according to the Introduction to the English Language in Politics of Great Britain, it says that when Norman William first conquered England, he introduced comm-" she stopped reading and whispered something to Young Hee. Young Hee then whispered back before Jae Kyung continued reading again.

"He introduced common law as the law of the land. Common law system is a system of justice which used-" she whispered to Young Hee again, this time is clear enough for Soo Hyun to hear. 

"Yah, what is this?Your handwriting !" she said, almost whispering.

"Writ system. it's writ system!" Young Hee whispered back. 

Soo Hyun who had been watching all this while could not stand it any longer. 

"Yes, ladies? Is there any problem over there? Why do you have to check your answer with her?" he asked. "Is she your new lecturer now?" he asked again.

"Ani, sonsaengnim. Actually, I was just--"

"And you, the girl next to Jae Kyung," he paused, referring to Young Hee but did not say her name specifically. "Isn't that your answer? Why don't you read that out yourself instead of using Jae Kyung to read it for you?" he asked. Young Hee is now looking at him. The class has now becoming awkwardly quiet and everyone is staring at the two of them, and glacing at Soo Hyun every once in a while, curious as to what was happening and what was going to happen. Jae Kyung too, was looking at Young Hee and Soo Hyun alternately, waiting for one of them to break the awkward silence. She knew she was no longer involved in the discussion as it is now between Young Hee and Soo Hyun. 

Meanwhile, Young Hee and Soo Hyun were still staring at each other. Soo Hyun sneered at her, waiting for her to speak an answer. He noticed that it has been like this for a month now. It has been a month and things have always been as usual- he was still stuck with his daily routine, only that he feels much happier now that Yuri has returned by his side. He had decided to give a second chance for both of them to work their relationship out and he couldn't be any happier for each day spent with Yuri. She was her new source of happiness. Other than that, things are just the same except for one thing. Lee Young Hee. That girl had stopped talking to him since the incident last month at the garden. He also noticed that she had been avoiding him whenever she sees him around. She had never handed in her tutorial answer sheets directly to him but handed them over for Jae Kyung to send it to him  instead. There was one time when she was walking and probably did not realize that he was heading towards her direction. He was surprised to see her there and wanted to talk to her but then he saw her took out her phone and talked to someone as if answering a call. She just walked past him and quickened her pace. He then knew that she was certainly avoiding him. He feels guilty everytime he sees her like that. She really takes what he said that day seriously to her heart, when the truth is that... he really didn't mean it. He wanted to talk to her and tell her that he didn't mean what he said on that day. He wanted to explain to her that he just said that out of anger, and he didn't really mean for her to disappear from his sight. And today, he couldn't stand it any longer. He couldn't stand the fact that they have to communicate through a middle person. He couldn't stand having her avoiding him like this. He couldn't stand the fact they they are like a complete strangers now. Why did he even care? It's not like him at all. He was confused himself. Deep down, he didn't think that his guilty feelings towards her was the only reason for him to act like this. He wanted to deny... but he couldn't. He could not deny the fact that he became like this because he just missed talking to her. Even though it was just for a while, she had made him laugh. He realized that he had been treating her differently from the other students whom he would be just as cold as he has always been; but not with her, simply due to the fact that he was comfortable with her. Even though it was for a while, he enjoyed being around her, not merely as a student... but more than that.... 

Like a friend. 

And now that friend had become a total stranger because of him. He felt guilty and wished deep inside for him to turn back the time and fix everything.

Can't you see? I'm trying to talk to you...

LEE YOUNG HEE looked at the lecturer who was standing at the front row of the hall, his hands were on his back, his eyes were gazing hers, anticipating for an answer. A little while ago he was asking the students a question on when exactly did English Literature reappeared and be used by the British Government back then. She knew the answer as she had read a book on the political system of Britain at that point in time. She wanted to answer it but then she thought again; it was him. The person who had sent a warning which stabbed her directly to her heart and made her heart shattered into pieces. The person who did not want to see her ever again, who even wished for her to get out of his sight. Abd because of that, she had spent this whole month trying not to get in his way. She doesn't want him to see her as a burden anymore, she had tried her best to avoid him for his sake... but she just couldn't. The fact that she had to see him thrice a week makes it even harder. She knew he hated her already and he might not want to see her face anymore. But what else can she do? She would still see him no matter how much she tried to avoid. In the end, she decided to just endured it until she graduates. After all, she only had a year left before she left to study abroad, fulfilling her father's wish. 

'Make yourself invisible and graduate silently without any trouble,' that is how she comforted herself.

She always kept that thoughts in mind repeatedly including one time where she kept on thinking about that till she didn't realize that he was at a distance not far from her, walking towards her direction. She looked at him, surprised to see him there. She knew she must not run into him like that; yet she had nowhere else to run; turning back would have been even more obvious. In the end, she took out her phone and pretended to answer a call when in fact no one was calling her. 

"Yobosaeyo, Sulli-ah, mianhae, I put my phone on silent and didn't realize it was vibrating in my pocket," she said as she walked past by him and quickly walked away.

One thing for sure, as she walked away, all she felt was pain in her heart. She realized that for the past month, she had observed him from a distance without him knowing it. He was happy. He looked even more cheerful now that she was no longer there to add him another burden. She realized that she had been a royal pain in the all this while. Everytime they were together, he would feel hurt. There must be something that goes wrong with what she said or what she did everytime they were together. She loved him and wanted to be by his side, but she knew that would hurt him even more and would only make him hated her in the end. That is why she decided to keep avoiding him, knowing that this is the best way for both of them. 

And today, while trying to avoid him and at the same time wanted to confirm her answer, she had asked Jaekyung for help again. But all hell broke loose when everyone finds out that Jae Kyung was actually reading out her answer, because she asked her to. She felt bad for her because if people didn't know the truth behind it, people would have thought that Jaekyung was the one who was desperate for an answer. In the end, he called her, referring her as 'the girl next to Jae Kyung' which certainly hurts her the most, asking why was she doing that to Jae Kyung. She looked at him with an unreadable expression, but deep inside she was trying so hard to control her emotion, the pain that she felt inside of her; she was hurt, but she didn't want to show it. She took a deep breath and responded to him.

"I'm sorry, sir. Let me read out the answer myself." she cleared and speak again. "When Norman William conquered England, he introduced the common law system. It was a legal system in England at that time where the royal writ was used to file a lawsuit against the defendant. But the royal writ system was too rigid and this has burdened the Chancellor who was the second man of the King at that time. So he modified the royal writ system to make it flexible to the people. But the Royal family was not satisfied with the flexibility and thus passed the Provision of Oxford 1258. The Provision of Oxford 1258 was the first signed document in England which used English as the medium. Later, it was used in some parts of England until King Edward III used it officially to address the Parliament. That is when English Literature reappeared in the 13th century, sir." she explained and looked at him, who was still looking at her with a cold expression on his face. The quiet class is now beginning to be filled with student's voice who chattered in awe, amazed by the answer that she had just given. And some were wondering whether the answer is correct or not. They were waiting for Soo Hyun to confirm the answer, but different words came out from his mouth.

"I asked you, why didn't you read that out yourself rather than asking Jaekyung to read that out for you? Can't you read?" he said in sarcasm. 

Young Hee stumbled upon being asked once again with the question, except that this time there was sarcasm in his tone. 

"I thought I had apologized earlier sir, and had even read out my answer." she replied.

"Why didn't you read that out in the first place?"

"Because I didn't feel like answering that myself in the first place." she replied instantly. They stared at each other with a different expression now. The air was intense.

"Why? Because you feel ashamed of reading such a perfect answer by yourself?" he asked again, not giving up that easily. 

Young Hee looked at him straight in the eyes before giving an answer that smacked him totally.

'Because you hated me, sir.' 

But that didn't come out from . Instead, she said something else.

"Because you might not want to listen to me." she paused. "To my answer."

Soo Hyun was shocked upon listening to the answer but he could still control himself and act cool in front of the students. Her answer earlier had totally smashed him to his heart's core.

Noises and chatters started building up in the air. Students are puzzled and confused as to what was going on. There are also some students who are getting impatient for the confirmation of that answer. Luckily one of the student asked for a confirmation to Young Hee's answer and that closes the intense discussion they had earlier. When the class ended, Soo Hyun did not leave early. He knew he must talk to Young Hee. He waited for Young Hee to come down but Young Hee, knowing that he must have something to say to her, snuck into the crowd of students who were leaving the hall. Soo Hyun knew that he could not drag her out of the teeming crowd at the door. She wanted to call for her but that's when he felt his cellphone vibrating in his pocket. He took it out and answered it upon looking at the caller's name.

"Oh Yuri-ah. I had just finished my class. Where are you? I'm gonna pick you up for lunch, alright?" he said. He hung up the phone. His eyes were roaming outside the lecture hall, searching if there was any glimpse of Young Hee around. 

"Tch. She surely runs away that fast." he mumbled and left the hall.

That afternoon @ the restaurant

AN HOUR LATER KIM SOO HYUN were at a Le' Mont restaurant with Yuri, having their lunch at a quiet table at the end corner of the restaurant. Throughout their lunch there were silence filling up the air. Only the sounds of settling silverware clinking and clattering on the dish plates were heard. The restaurant was filled with less people, not as crowded as what would have been seen at night. The restaurant has a very beautiful ambience, with refined artworks on the wall; each table was covered with a checkered tablecloth and on the middle there was a red rose put in a bud vase. The diners were entertained by the jazz music from the jukebox. Waiters are carrying wine and champagne to the customers including the two of them. Soo Hyun could sense some of the waiter and waitress were peeking their heads outside from the kitchen, craning their necks to see the lady in front of him.

"Aish... I couldn't even eat comfortably." he mumbled. Yuri looked at him looking towards the waitresses and giggled a little, facing him again.

"Did I make you feel that comfortable? Mianhae, Oppa, for having us to eat at such an expensive place like this." she said.

"Gwenchana. It's better here than the other places. I wonder how much more are going to stare at you if we are like this at other places." he smiled while cutting the small remaining pieces of his rack of lamb.

"That's why I asked you to consider the thing I've said to you the other day." she said.

Soo Hyun furrowed his brow, trying to remember the important conversation that she was referring to. Ah, that one. 

She had asked him if he's ready to be revealed to the public as her boyfriend. That night he reluctantly said that he needed time to think and considering the fact that now she had asked him again, he knew he should give his answer already

"I'm still not ready, to be honest." he said.

"Why, Oppa? I thought things have gone better for both of us?" she asked again.

"I know, I know. But that's not the case here." he said. "I just feel that we're being too hurry. You know we don't have to hurry for things like this, right?" he asked again while drinking the remaining plain water in his glass, finishing off his lunch for the day. He grabbed a handkerchief and wipe his mouth clean. 

"But why? People are watching, people are asking. Some of the reporters have spotted us already and ambushed my agency. What should I tell them then?" she hastily inquired.

"Yuri" he snapped in a serious tone. "You've promised me that you won't be rushing for this matter, right?" he smiled.

"But Oppa.." she pouted.

"Don't worry, if everyone ever ask you that question, just tell them you've met an awesome person. He's way too awesome that you can't reveal it to anyone. You just can't risk sharing me with everyone." he consoled while pinching her cheek.

"Ouch, appoo!" they giggled together. He was happy to see her happy. More than everything, he was happy that she can still understand him and be considerate towards him. He knew exactly her reputation as a public figure in Korea and even international level. He just feels that he's not worth to be revealed in public. He wanted to remain modest and keep a low profile but now that he is dating a public figure, he needs time to adjust and adapt to the environment. Revealing their relationship in public is like consenting to take the risk of having his house ambushed early morning, having to face paparazzi everywhere and having them chased him to his workplace and he really doesn't want that to happen. He was also well aware of the fact that it's not easy to even have lunch in ordinary places with her. With this he realized one thing; Yuri has never changed at all; she's still that one pretty girl who has unlocked the key to his heart 3 years ago and is still the number one in his heart. She was still a mature and elegant young lady who's capable of love and being loved by everyone. There's only one thing that is different about her now and then; back then, she was easy to date with but now it's kind of hard. But it really does not matter to him because all he wants is for her to always belonged with him. 

Of course, he knew that hiding from the paparazzi won't last forever and he would have to face this someday in the future; it's only the matter of time. When will he be ready then? 

He then remembered about the faculty dinner night, organized by the Dean's Student Club. All of the lecturers were invited and that they are allowed to bring along a date. He somehow sees this as an opportunity to reveal their relationship. Besides, he doesn't want Yuri to be offended that she was never introduced as his girlfriend; he wanted to show her to everyone; that she was the source of his happiness. He wanted her to be happy being by his side. After all, this could be the first step of adapting himself to the new environment - the perks of dating a celebrity. And plus, there was not going to be any reporters or paparazzi during the dinner as it is going to be a closed event, restricted only for the lecturers, students representatives and Dean's List students from all semesters. 

He invited Yuri to be his date for that night and just as expected, Yuri was excited just hearing about that. He smiled upon seeing her enthusiasm. They were heading towards a boutique because Yuri was so excited about the dinner that she wanted to buy herself a dress from a boutique which she normally goes to. While searching for a vacant parking space, he saw a glimpse of a girl who had just come out from the boutique with a guy.

Lee Young Hee?

At the faculty @ lunch time

LEE YOUNG HEE was walking along the hallway of the west wing of the faculty, heading to the parking lot. She had just came out from the Student's Affairs Division for a meeting. The faculty's Dean's Club was organizing a faculty dinner and had invited all the lecturers, dean's students and the students representatives. As she was the President of the Dean's Club, she was in charge of almost all of the arrangements for that night. The dinner was going to be held at the Convention Centre and will be attended by the most of 300 people. It was such a big event for her to handle but considering the fact that this will bring merits to her resume in the future, she's willing to manage this event. 

She was shocked upon seeing a white Lamborghini Murcielago approaching her with a loud engine sound. A guy came out of the car and she recognized it instantly. She was about to run away when he grabbed her arms and pulled her towards his car. 

"Yah, let me go! It hurts!" She shouted while struggling to escape from his grip.

"No I'm not gonna let you go. You're going somewhere with me."

"Where?" she asked, irritated.

"Did you not get the message?" he asked.

"What message?" she realized that she has not switch off the silent mode on her phone and it was in her pocket for the whole day. She took it out and saw 4 missed calls from her father and a text message. She clicked on the message.

From: Father

The faculty invited me for the Dinner. I'll be attending with your mother. Go to Jerslin Boutique and get your dress there. I've paid in advance. I've asked Chairman Jang's son to accompany you.

Upon seeing the message, she glared at Keun Suk. 

"Did you set this up?" she asked, furiously.

"Why would I?" he shrugged. "Come on, get in the car. You know the consequences if you disobey, don't you?" he said as he pushed her into the passenger's seat.

"Yah! I know how to get in!" she frowned. She looked again at the text message and clenched her hands forming a fist, dissatisfied that her father was doing all of this to her. She hated the fact that her father knows her every activity in the campus because he was the major shareholder of the private univerisity she was studying. She hated it even more when her father has had her doing and complying with all of his demands. She hated the fact that he would threaten to expose her identity if she refused to comply. True, most people would have loved it if their identity as the only heir of the largest shareholder of every companies in Korea and the only daughter of the Chairman of a big company who has had a lot of businesses in and outside the country. Home shopping products, hotels, resorts, chalets, oil production, scholarships and sponsorships, rubber industry and many others. Who doesn't want this luxury?

But then again, if her identity was exposed, then what is left for her? She would lose her freedom, she would lose her dream. She wouldn't be able to get a part time job at a 24 hours convenience store. She wouldn't be able to work as a dish-washer at a restaurant. No one would want to accept her knowing who she is and her family background. Her life would totally be programmed and there's no way she could escape. Her father had just ruined her dream to be a writer when she had asked her to study abroad upon graduating from her current major. What's the point of her studying then? She realized that now that her father has nothing to lose, he dared to cross the line. He has dared to break his promises not to expose her to the public. She could see this coming... soon. So far there is no one who knows about her identity in the campus except for Jang Keun Suk, due to their fathers' business relationships. She dialed her father's number to confirm one important thing. She went straight to the question the moment her father answered at the end of the line.

"You're not going to expose me, right?" she asked.

"What do you think?" he asked again.

"Father, please. I thought we have talked about this, and you have promised."

"That is if you agree to do what I asked you to do. I won't ask for anything, Young Hee. I just want you to learn how to manage my company." he said again.

"That can wait right!" she yelled, tears started to form in her eyes. "I told you I'm going to learn it soon enough, you don't have to do this to threaten me. Rather, if you insist on exposing me, I will make sure that you will REGRET for making me take over your company. You know what I'm capable of doing once I take over your company, right?" she warned with a trembled voice. She knew this was the only way she could threaten her father. She knew her father was pushing her too much because he just refused to hand over the company to her step-brother, who was even more eligible to hold the position. Just like how her father would step down and give the company to her, she knew that she could do the same to her step-brother or other people. She used to tell her father about that and constantly reminded him that she had nothing to lose once she let go of the company and that the one who would be in  a huge loss was not her, but him. She remembered that she used to transfer all of her own shares which her father had transfered under her name to her cousin in Venezuela as an act of rebellion towards his father and that was enough to drive him mad at her. That was also one of the reason why she left the house. Part of her reason to leave the mansion was of her own will, and the other part is because she was kicked out from the mansion.

She knew this was cruel but that was the only way she could make sure that her father did not interfere with her life. 

"I'm a man who would keep his words. Don't worry," he said calmly and hung up.

Young Hee could barely control herself and sobbed heavily in the car. Keun Suk, who had always given his heart to her and had always looked at her, held her hands and tried to comfort her. He knew she was suffering a lot from her neverending family drama and that is why he remained silent of the fact that she was the heir of her father's company without even being asked to do it. Young Hee held his hands tight and cried heavily. She was thankful for having Jang Keun Suk by her side. Despite his arrogant, bastard and jerky attitude, he understands her a lot and was there through her thick and thin. He had never given up on her and had always looked at her, knowing that she doesn't love him. She knew that he was waiting for her to love him back, and will always wait for her even though she had asked him not to. She was touched that despite being annoying and irritating most of the times, sometimes he is gentle at heart; and that she could always count on him as a friend, especially when it comes to her family matters. 

"Don't cry, okay? Cheer up, you have a wedding dress awaiting," he joked.

"Are you stupid? It's not a wedding dress. And I'm not getting married to you." she laughed as she wiped away her tears. 

"Geez. Why are you playing hard to get? You're lucky that I still like you. You're not that pretty anyway," he boldly said.

"YAH. You're annoying. Ka-ja." she said as they entered the boutique to select her dress for the faculty dinner. 

Author's note: I'm sorry for the boring update, it's way too boring right? *sigh* but I appreciate your comments and supports, thanks and love you! <3