A/N: OK. I'm really sorry for taking time in updating. I appreciate your comments, guys, and I love the fact that you love this story. I hope you could put up with me and my laziness, but believe me, I'm trying. It's just that when I write, I don't find it good enough so it takes me a long time to update (due to countless revisions, the beta-editing, checking if what I've written is good enough). Please understand.

Anyway, I hope you like this chapter!

c h a p t e r  t h r e e ::

“Get away from me!! I don’t have your ten million Won!!!”

I was running for my life—literally. If I ever get caught by Mr. You-Scratched-My-Car-So-Give-Me-Twenty-Million-Won, I’ll hang myself. I’ve had enough when it comes to debts and I’ve worked my off to support my father and my studies and this is my reward? Even if my legs get paralyzed after running my way to school and if it so happens that they have to be surgically removed, I would rather go through it than paying him—it’ll be cheaper, I can tell.

Okay. I should take a moment to glance at my watch—shoot. Five more minutes before Professor Jang enters the room, and five more minutes before I’m late. Who knows what kind of punishment awaits me? Better focus more on the running rather than the time. Pant, pant, pant. I furrowed my eyebrows, focusing on the breaths I take while running since my chest feels like it’s being squeezed or something, and it’s making it harder for me to breathe.

Then, his voice echoes through my ears, meters away from me, and now, I remember why I should really be running.

I gripped tightly onto the handles of my backpack before shouting in order to at least ease the tension that was already building up inside of me. It could also be regarded as a cry of help like, Dear God, please give me wings so that I could fly away from this place and arrive at class on time. But apparently, miracles don’t happen, right? So I’m stuck with running through a few more pedestrian crossings and running down the sidewalk on my way to school.

In order to assure myself that I was far from him as possible, I glanced back, wishing that he was nowhere to be found. But then, I stand corrected; he has already caught up with me, and by the time I realized it, the man had his hand on my arm and ceased his steps. His grip on me is quite strong, and struggling isn’t helpful.

His eyes made the hair on the back of my neck stand and I averted my gaze from him as much as possible while my face scrunches up. Both of us were panting heavily. I noticed through the corner of my eyes that his body is leaning towards my direction while his face conveys a hint of disbelief.

“Unless you’d want to take this to court…” he said in between gasps. “…you better pay me for the damage you’ve caused—,”

Abruptly, I gave him a kick on the shin in the middle of his not-so-long speech and made a run for it. It’s not the best idea that I’ve ever come up with, and though I know that running away from your problems isn’t going to solve anything, it was the best possible solution that I could come up with, considering what I’m going through. I just kept running and I never bothered to look back.

I wish he gets swallowed by the ground or that all of his cars would break down—anything unlucky, so that he’d know how it feels to be in my shoes.

~;~

In the end, I decided not to show up at Professor Jang’s class. I completely used up all the courage I had this morning when I kicked that dude and ran away, knowing that he’s planning to press charges against me and that he’s studying at the same university as I am. Gutless and tired, I hung out at the cafeteria with a bottle of energy drink in my hand, resting my head on the plastic table before me as I stare blankly into space, without a care in the world.

Time passed by, and students enter and exit the cafeteria. I wasn’t able to keep track of time. I then felt something cold on my cheek which made me jump in my seat, only to find out that it was Yoona and her cold can of coffee that woke me up. Next to her was Kibum, who seems to be laughing at me after seeing how I reacted just now. At least I feel a tad bit livelier than a while ago, thanks to Yoona’s daily dose of cold caffeine beverages that are sold in vending machines.

“We didn’t see you in class today.” Yoona had this smirk on her face while holding the can of coffee in her hands before heading to the empty seat next to me. I rested my chin on my hand with my elbow propped on the table, my lower lip exposed. Yoona asks me and I glanced at her, noticing the concerned look on her face. “Why?”

“I’m scared to die, that’s why. Or better yet, I didn’t want to experience the ups-and-downs of life anymore, knowing that I’m just hitting rock bottom despite all of my hard work.” I answered Yoona before sighing.

“What happened to you? You look like you attended a wild goose chase or something.” I heard Kibum chuckle afterward, which earned a glare along with a few tongue-clicking sounds coming from Yoona. I appreciate his attempt in brightening the mood that’s surrounding us though.

However, I’m still restless after hearing what Mr. Big Head said back there about pressing legal charges. Even though I think there’s not much evidence to support it, I’d have to get a lawyer to defend me, which costs a lot of money. And what if I lose the case and I’d have to pay? Surely, he’d double the amount! And the time that I’ll be spending at court could be used for work, studying, visiting my father at the hospital, SLEEPING!

“Anyway, I’m hoping that this would cheer you up. I got you a new job and you’ll be paid more than both of your part-time jobs combined.” Yoona stated in enthusiasm, as if she’s certain that I’d be happy with the job she wants me to apply for.

I myself couldn’t believe that such a part-time job existed so I had to ask her. “I won’t have to expose my body and pole dance at bars, would I?” I glared at her, skeptical about her job offer.

Kibum choked on the water he was drinking from his bottle, probably because of my question. He coughed a few times before he was able to say, “I knew that she wouldn’t trust you when it comes to job-hunting.”

Yoong shot a glare at Kibum before returning to our conversation. “Hate to break it to you, but it’s not ion. You see, I have a cousin who works for the royal family as a maid. Do you remember Yuri?”

Yuri. I remember Yuri. She’s Yoona’s crazy cousin whom I find to have a dual personality. I remember that Yoona’s maternal side of the family serves the royal family, even centuries ago, and Yuri has to serve them as well, full time. She comes from a refined family and she’s pretty sophisticated herself, but there’s also this insane part of her; Yuri is the school bully at her place and she’d raise both of her middle fingers at the boys who’d chicken out in the middle of a fight. When Yoong and I had our sleepovers, Yoona would sometimes invite Yuri and she’d turn into this party animal even though it was only the three of us… and it’s not really a party to begin with.

Let’s just say that despite her personality, as long as she’s good to me, then I’ll be good to her.

“Yuri…? I don’t remember her that well.” I shook my head at Yoona, biting my lower lip as I recalled how she looked—long, jet black hair, a bit darker unlike the typical Korean milky white skinned, and with looks that slightly resemble my best friend over here.

“Kwon Yuri. She’s working there, and I asked her if they could take you in, knowing your situation and they’re considering on hiring you!” Yoona exclaimed towards the end of her sentence out of excitement, and this is the part where I leap out of joy and ask her again because it’s too good to be true, but instead, I gave her a weak “Really?” yet deep inside, I am surprised to know that Yoong actually found a decent job for me.

“Aigoo. Can you at least sound like you’re happy hearing about it?” Yoona reaches her hand out to ruffle my hair, and I try to get a hold of it with both of my hands in order to avoid my hair from getting any more tangled than it actually is, but Yoona was quick to react. It was only when I gave her an annoyed “Alright,” that she pulled her hand away from my head, her lips curving upward with that playful look on her face.

I am happy with the feat that she has done; working under royal families as a maid has a bigger salary than most careers that require professionals to do the work. Plus, they don’t just hire anyone to work under them—it undergoes a long process, as stated by Yoona as she elaborates the reasons why I should consider myself lucky to have a friend who’d apply me for a job such as this one. Even the king has to check your records for security purposes, knowing that since the country’s shifting back to monarchy and there are people who are against the idea; thus, planning to eliminate the royal family existing in South Korea. Maybe it’s also one of the reasons why they haven’t shown the crown prince and the crown princess in public that much, but it’s kind of ridiculous to not know the face of the person whom you’re trying to kill.

In the middle of Yoona’s continuous blabbering, I called her, and her eyes are then focused at me. I cleared my throat, my voice feeling like it’s gotten deeper, a tad bit embarrassed with the words that I want to say.

“Thanks, Yoong.” I said, the words sounding like they just slipped out of my mouth.

Yoona kept on smiling. It’s always good to see her smile. “You have a job interview later, around six in the evening.”

I frown, never expecting that comeback from her. “What?”

“It’s because I was thinking that you needed the job immediately, so I told Yuri to administer the job interview today, 6PM at the Royal Palace. You know where that is, right?” Yoona spoke, her eyes focused on the can of coffee in her hand as opens it, steam escaping from the hole that just opened. “I mean, your father’s operation is about to start, right? So I thought that you should get the job at once.”

“What?” I uttered once again, the last statement catching me off-guard. I don’t usually pay full attention to Yoona’s conversations when it comes to things related to information and all. She always states her opinions even though no one’s asking her to do so. Ask her what time the news starts on TV, she’ll tell you about yesterday’s news and the earthquake that killed people in another foreign country.

Yet, no matter how many times we ask her to repeat what she said just now, she’ll never get tired of saying them again. It was like she’s born to talk non-stop. Fifty years from now, I wonder if Yoona will be an old grandma who likes to nag and nag and nag.

She directs her eyes toward me. “Uncle Changsuk. He needs to be operated soon, right?”

“Oh. Yeah, he does.” I curved my lips at Yoona, a bit bothered now that she’s mentioned my father’s operation. “He really does.”

~;~

When classes have been dismissed, I headed for the university hospital to check on my father. It’s pretty convenient—having him here—since the fees are cheaper compared to the other private hospitals, and I could visit him anytime, as long as I am in school.

402. I turned the knob of the hospital door and entered the room, eyeing the walls of my father’s room like it’s my first time visiting him. Of course, it’s not my first time visiting him. It’s just that I’ve never liked going to hospitals because it looked so lifeless to me. Sure, sick people are here and there when you’re inside a hospital, but the place is just sickening. Everyone’s too sad and they all smell the same—that certain scent that a hospital gives you that makes you wonder whether you’re still alive or dead.

I remember myself crying when the doctor told me that my father had a . Nowadays, he’s lying on the hospital bed, relying on the oxygen mask and the I.V. throughout his unconscious days. It’s been the norm for me, so I stopped crying by then. I just imagine that he’s just sleeping, since he’s really sleeping. The doctor said that he can hear me and sense me, so I must be happy as much as possible.

“Appa,” I took a few steps toward the hospital bed, sitting down by its edge before holding my father’s worn out hands. “It’s me, Sooyoung, your daughter. Well, let me tell you what has happened in the last few days. I’ve earned enough money to pay 20% of all our debts. The landlord was pleased, noticing the improvement despite the fact that you’re in a hospital. As for your fees, I used up all of the pocket money that the school gave me. I’m doing fine, if you’re asking me. Everything’s going according to plan.”

I’m not going to cry. I’m not crying.

I ended up sobbing over the fact that I’ve been trying to conceal the truth from my father—about getting fired, the 20 million Won guy and my scholarship. Since father was confined in the hospital, I’ve gotten myself two part time jobs. The principal had long informed me about my grades and my scholarship being in jeopardy, but I don’t want to tell that to my dad.

I wiped the tears off my eyes, trying to sound as cheerful as I can for my dad.

“By the way, appa, I quit Graze café because Yoona offered me a new job at the royal palace. The pay there is three times my salary at Graze. I wanted to tell you this, since I know you’d be happy upon hearing it.”

I used to see him smile whenever I inform him of my good grades in school, the accolades I’ve received and the recipes I’ve learned to cook well. But now, he isn’t smiling, and it hurts me to see him this way—lifeless.

Gripping his hand in mine tightly, I whisper, “I really want to see you smile again, appa.”

~;~

“Yoong, are you sure that the interview’s at 6PM sharp, and that Yuri’s going to pick me up at the royal palace’s gates by 5:30PM?”

Shivering due to the cold, I wrapped myself with my free arm to keep me from feeling any colder, while my other hand was holding my cellphone near my ear, talking to Yoona in front of the royal palace’s gates. The sun was already setting, and yet Yuri hasn’t even arrived to pick me up so I called Yoona to check on Yuri.

“Yeah… hmm… about that…” Yoona mumbled, sounding sheepish.

Bothered with Yoona’s tone, I raised my voice. “What is it!? Could you tell me now because it’s 7PM and it’s freezing outside, AND the royal guards are eying me like I’m some kind of thief or something!” I cried, glancing at the royal guards standing near the posts, a few meters away from me, in their traditional uniforms. Their eyes were fixed at me, giving me the chills afterward.

“Okay! Okay, umm… you see, Sooyoung, um… Yuri told me just now, like the moment before you called me, that she might have to reschedule the interview to 10 in the evening.”

“WHAT!? So I’ve been freezing my here, all this time, for nothing!?”

“I’m so sorry! But her reason for that is because their other relatives have paid a visit out of the blue, so… yeah.”

“Aish. I can’t do it at 10 in the evening. I have my shift at the police station! My father has some unfinished stuff there!”

“I’m really sorry, Sooyoung.” And right after Yoona’s apology over the phone, I heard her mother telling her to put the phone down since they’re having dinner. “I’m really sorry, Sooyoung. Mom’s calling me. Goodbye for now.”

…and that ends my conversation with Yoona. What can I expect? Yeah, she is my friend, but seriously—I shouldn’t trust her when it comes to finding a job. As for Yuri, I’ve known what kind of person she is and yet I just went with it because I’m helpless and desperate for a job just so that I can live a normal life.

I huffed, kicking the concrete ground beneath me. “To think I’d ask help from rich people. Ha! Rich people. I wonder why a hierarchy even exists. This is just…” Kick. “…too…” Another kick at the floor as I headed through the driveway. “…unfair!”

It was then that I heard a car horn beep out of nowhere, causing me to lose balance and fall on the ground. I directed my attention to the car on my right, the driver’s head popping out of the window of his car door.

“YAH! DON’T BLOCK THE DRIVEWAY!!!” he angrily cried.

At once, I stood up and did a 90 degree bow towards the car. “I’m sorry, sir! I’m really sorry.”

“Aigoo, don’t apologize to me! Apologize to his majesty that’s inside this car—,”

The moment I lifted my head to face the driver, the car door at his back opened. My eyes widened at the sound of his shoes clicking the ground upon contact; my heart, beating faster than usual when he has finally gotten out of the car; the sound of my gulping the saliva in my mouth, being louder than the norm, as the man walks toward me.

The man… was stunning. His eyes sparkled like water under the moonlight, his golden hair with that hint of brown, and the way he carries himself during a situation like this. But most of all, the way his eyes smiled when his lips form a curve across his face upon closing our distances made me feel like I’m seeing stars around him.

“Please forgive us for the trouble we had caused; however, it isn’t advisable for a person to be standing in front of the driveway.” The man spoke in a calm manner.

Too speechless for words, I shook my head, being faster than usual because of how nervous I am. I break into a smile, trying to be friendly towards him. “N-n-no pro-b-blem.”

He raises an eyebrow at me all of the sudden, and a part of me wished that he wouldn’t question my presence here, at his house, perhaps, but…

“Soori?”

“Huh?” I crinkled my eyebrows at him, puzzled. Soori?

“Jungsoo-agisshi, we must hasten. Taeyeon-agisshi and her relatives are waiting inside the palace.” I directed my gaze at the driver, who’s now standing near the car, his head lowered at the man before me.

The man turned his head to his chauffeur before saying, “Just give me a second here, Yonggak.”

I opened my mouth in shock. “A-a-agisshi!?”

So he’s telling me that the man before me is a… prince!?

This is not happening.

A/N: Oh, and since AFF added a new "reply" button wherein I could reply to you guys directly, I'll reply you there! >:) Hehehe. If you liked this chapter, let me know! && If you think I should improve my way of writing in terms of sentence construction, etc., let me know. :) I won't bite you.

Once again, I'm really sorry for the late update.

--whisperbabe/Sab.
(photo not mine).