Chapter 1

 

Kwon Yuri, a last semester student of civil engineering at Andong National University. She was twenty-five this year. She was a cheerful girl, knowing everything in this world was always beautiful. She had a good family & a loving fiance who spoilt her. She smiled at the thought of her fiance. He was waiting for her in Sydney to start a new life with her. After she finished her study, hopefully by the end of this year, she would fly to Sydney to marry him. She smiled again, happily. She looked at a bunch of red roses on the top of her drawers. How life was so beautiful, so perfect. The door of her bedroom suddenly open & her little sister came in with the cordless phone in her hand.

 

“What is it? Why are you so happy?”

 

“Yuri, a phone from your fiance!” She yelled, & gave the phone to her.

 

“Give it to me.” She said quickly, & grabbed the cordless phone. She talked to her fiance on the other line with a big smile covering her lovely oval-shaped face. While talking with him, her smile had never left her face, “What did he talk about?” Her sister asked impatiently, after she put the phone down.

 

“He said that he had bought a land to build our own house, my dream house. A house where I could taste the fresh atmosphere, smell the tangy scent of the gum trees that lined the ocean. Oh god. I can’t wait to see that. He will send me the blue print of the house so I could make any changes that I want. He’s so thoughtful.” She was bubbling of her perfect & loving fiance.

 

“Unnie, you’re a lucky woman.” Her sister said, with a smile.

 

“Of course I am. Now, would you excuse me? I have to study hard to pass the exam next month. I want to finish my study on time so I can fly to Sydney.” She gave her sister a wink.

 

“Alright. Don’t forget to come down for dinner.”

 

“I will. Now go.” Before her sister can utter some words, the phone rang again. It was Tiffany Hwang, her best friend asking her to go out with her to the party tonight.

 

“Come on, Yuri. It’s not good being locked up in your room calculating that construction. You need refreshment. I really want to go to that party but my mom won’t let me go if I go alone.” Tiffany pleaded, on the phone, “But I have an exam coming up next month & I haven’t even prepared anything yet.” Yuri replied, trying to find an excuses.

 

“Next month? Oh my god. You still have thirty days to go. Just for tonight okay? It’s my best friend’s birthday party. You know Oh Hayoung, right? I can’t let her down.” Tiffany’s voice was gentle, begging her to go. Yuri sighed. She had meant it when she said that she had to study. However, she couldn’t disappoint her best friend, too. She sighed again, & said, “Okay. You win but promise me we’ll come home before midnight.”

 

She could hear Tiffany shrieking in delight on the other line, “Thanks, Yuri. You’re the best. I’ll come pick you up at seven.”

 

They entered the bar at seven twenty-five. Yuri frowned. She turned her head to Tiffany & muttered, “You didn’t tell me that we’re going to the bar. Are you sure this is the place?”

 

Tiffany leaned her head to Yuri, “This isn’t a bar, young lady. Look carefully. It’s a five star hotel & the party is held in the bar of this hotel.” She grinned, looking at the expression on Yuri’s face.

 

“Whatever but we have to go home before midnight. I don’t know why but I feel wrong stepping into this place.” She said, feeling a little bit awkward.

 

“Come on, Yuri. You deserve a break. Let’s enjoy the night without your engineering books.” Tiffany reached out her hand & together, they entered the bar of the hotel.

 

There was a young man at the corner at the bar, smoking his cigarette & drinking a glass of tart cherry cranberry red wine. He was twenty-seven & he had the kind of regular, handsome good looks usually found on the movie screen. Short light brown hair, not neatly cut & messy, unshaven, small, oval-shaped face, a face that was strong, a physique that always make women take a second look. He seemed to be aware of the power of his looks had over the opposite .

 

He saw the girls who just entered the bar. One of them captured his brown, almond-shaped eyes. He watched her for a moment. Her mid-length black hair was put down & she wore no makeup, yet her tanned skin was perfectly clear & fresh, her hot pink plump lips look soft, her long lashes naturally dark. She wasn’t what people call beautiful. She was more striking. There was something about her that captured his attention & held it. Perhaps it was her beautiful brown, almond-shaped eyes or maybe it was just she was tall & had a fabulous hourglass body in her embroidered shift dress. He sipped his drink & kept looking at her. He had to find a way to get known her.

 

His friend tapped his shoulder, “What are you looking at, buddy? A new victim?”

 

He grinned, “You knew, eh?”

 

“Certainly. I know you can’t take your eyes off of those beautiful ladies. Which one captured your heart tonight?”

 

His eyes moved from his best friend to the girl in the white dress. He pointed at the girl with his eyes.

 

“You mean that girl in the white dress?”

 

He nodded & continued to sip his drink & smoke. His eyes had never left that girl who was chatting easily with her friends at the other side of the bar, ‘She had a beautiful smile, too.’ He murmured to himself.

 

“That girl is different. She isn’t your type, man. She’s hard to get. Look, since she arrived, she hasn’t chatted with any men or danced. I heard from Hayoung that she’s a good girl, I mean, she doesn’t like to party, drink, stay at home & study hard & also, she’s an engineering student at Andong National University.” Jaejoong murmured into his ear.

 

“Really?” He straightened up. This knowledge disturbed him, “It seems like it’s a challenge for me to get her. I swear I will get her in bed tonight.”

 

All of his friends around him at the same table laughed, “Come on, don’t be so sure. This time, you will lose, my friend.”

 

“Do you want a bet?” He challenged his friends. Before they could uttered any words to him, he had already left towards the girl.

 

Yuri was chatting with her friends when he came towards her, “Hi.”

 

She turned her head to see who was standing beside her, “Oh, hi.” She answered shortly, & turned her head back to her friends.

 

“Can I sit here?”

 

“Of course. This place isn’t mine. You can sit wherever you like.” She replied coldly, without looking at him, ‘Um, that’s a nice greeting.’ He said to himself in sarcasm, “May I know your name?” He asked her again, trying to get her attention.

 

Annoyed, Yuri’s thick, straight eyebrows rose. She turned her head to him again, & said, “Yuri.”

 

He gave her his dazzl