Sehun smirked, he was being given a golden opportunity. The people in front of him were none other than Yoon Jiel and her father. He may end up not needing Jongin’s help to get his revenge after all. He heard the conversation between Jiel and her friend Chohee earlier. Apparently, although having her father’s approval is important to her, she could not help developing feelings for Jongin. He could use that against her and maybe even come out of this ordeal with his father’s approval.

 

Sehun bowed 90 degrees before taking his seat at the dining table. “Before anything else, I would like to apologize for my actions and I can assure you that I will break up with my girlfriend as soon as I see her tomorrow.”

 

Mr. Yoon was taken aback by his words. “Well, I was ready to cancel the agreement but seeing that you’re genuinely apologetic I might be moved to change my mind. What do you think Jiel?”

 

Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, her father rubbed her on the shoulder and said, “My dear, I know you were surprised when I told you earlier what your fiancé had done, so if you choose to break the engagement then I won’t disagree with you.”

 

Hearing those words made Sehun panic and look to Jiel with pleading eyes. “Please, I will do anything for you to forgive me.”

 

Jiel looked to Sehun and studied his eyes. They looked more pitiful than the time he came to apologize to her for what he had done at the party. Something in them made her heart ache and looking over his slouched figure suddenly reminded her of the guy she used to like. Her memory of that day finally came to her, and she can remember that the same look and posture Sehun had at the moment mirrored him from the past when she turned him down with a simple, “No.”

 

That day was the first time Jiel ever experienced heartbreak and when the guy was nowhere to be seen a week later, Jiel promised herself never to fall for anyone else other than her fiancé. Along with that promise, she tried to forget her “first love.”

 

Now that she is being given a second chance with the same guy, she was torn between him and another boy lingering in her mind. She had a lot to think about so she said to everyone in the table, “Please give me time to think this through.”

 

“Take all the time you need dear,” her father encouragingly smiled at her.

 

“Within reason, of course. Because if the end result is that you refuse, then it would give us more time to review and accept other offers,” Mr. Oh added, making Sehun glare at his father.

 

“No, take all the time you need…even if you decide that I’m not the one for you,” Sehun gave her a strained smile.

 

After the dinner, Mr. Oh insisted that Sehun and Jiel spend a little time together. However, Mr. Yoon was very much against it. To stop their bickering, Jiel suggested that she could go home with Sehun since she came in a different car from her father’s.

 

The car ride was awkward and not once did the two of them look at each other even if there was only a small space separating them.

 

“I’m really sorry about what happened,” Sehun decided to put his plan into motion after getting tired of the silence. He would use her budding relationship with Jongin as blackmail.

 

“No need. You’re not the only one who deviated from the agreement.”

 

“So, are you saying that you have a boyfriend?”

 

“No, but I think I may have feelings for someone.”

 

A scowl was very evident on Sehun’s face but Jiel couldn’t see since he was facing away from her toward the window to his right. He was expecting her answer, but after hearing her confirm it he felt a slight ache in his chest. “Is it Jongin?” he asked.

 

Jiel abruptly turned to him in shock, “How did yo—”

 

“I’ve been seeing the two of you around school and you two look really close,” Sehun cut her off. “Just be careful,” he added remembering Jongin’s motive for getting close to her. “As far as I know, Jongin likes someone else.”

 

“I know,” Jiel sounded solemn.

 

Although he still felt a residual of hatred for her, seeing her so sad made his heart ache. He was reminded of the time she rejected him. Did he really want to hurt her? Now that he was faced with the consequences, he didn’t think he could go through with it.

 

“Why him?” he whispered to himself. Unfortunately, Jiel actually heard his words.

 

“Excuse me,” she looked at him incredulously.

 

Sehun mustered courage and turned to her to say, “Why him? Why choose Jongin?”

 

“You may be my fiancé but I don’t believe you have the right to be asking that question.”

 

“What does he have that I don’t?” Sehun searched her eyes for answers but she turned away.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“You must remember who I am. I was that foolish boy who confessed his love to you and got rejected so coldly. Was there something wrong with me? Was I not good enough?”

 

Jiel felt a tear trickle down as she was listening to his words and the ache in his tone. She’s reminded of the time he confessed to her. She was so happy when he had approached her, but it all went south when he confessed. It hurt her terribly to have rejected her first love, so hurt that she could only get one word out. She had said, “No,” that day and immediately walked away so that no one would be able to see the tears falling from her eyes. The aching in her chest started to grow, it felt as if something was clenching her heart.

 

Sehun finally turned back toward the window when his questions remained unanswered. He’s decided that he will let his revenge go. If Jiel decides to keep the arrangement, he will go through with it. If that were to happen, this time he won’t let her slip out of his grasp. If she rejects him a second time, he will fight for her. This time he won’t run away like a coward. Jongin does not deserve Jiel’s affections. Sehun may have baited him to lead Jiel on, but Jongin agreed in order to help Miyoung out. He was no better than Jongin, but he can change, while Jongin only had Miyoung in his heart and mind. Jiel would only get hurt, and he will do anything to prevent that.

 

~~~*~~~

 

Jongin is standing near the school gates waiting for Jiel to arrive, just like he has been doing for the past few weeks. He was so concentrated on spotting her in the crowd of students that he neglected to see Miyoung waving at him. As a result, she approached and stopped in front of him. Not noticing that she had done it on purpose, Jongin just moved his body in order to look behind the person blocking his way.

 

“Yah Jongin, aren’t you going to say hi to me,” Miyoung startled him.

 

Jongin finally looked her in the face and said while rubbing the back of his neck in embarrassment, “Oh, good morning Miyoung.”

 

“What were you so focused on that you didn’t even notice me standing in front of you?”

 

“Huh, oh it’s nothing. Why don’t we go to class together?”

 

“Are you sure? I don’t think it was nothing. You looked like you were waiting for someone.”

 

“Yeah I’m sure. Come on,” he ushered her away from the gates with an arm around her shoulders.

 

A few seconds later, Jiel arrives by the gates only to see them laughing together and not once did Jongin pull away from her. She didn’t get to see too much since a big hand suddenly covered her view.

 

“You shouldn’t continue looking at something that might end up hurting you,” Sehun’s soft voice whispered in her ears.

 

Jiel could feel him leaning against her back so she sidestepped away and retorted without looking at him, “And you shouldn’t be seen being so close with any girl other than your girlfriend.”

 

“Does it matter? I’m going to break up with her today anyway.”

 

“I still don’t want anyone thinking that I’m the reason for it,” Jiel started to walk away from him.

 

Sehun followed after her but whenever he would get too close, Jiel would step aside.

 

“So, where’s your first class?” Sehun tried to start a conversation.

 

“None of your business,” Jiel coldly replied.

 

“Oh come on, don’t be so mean,” he pestered her.

 

She turned around with irritation painted all over her face and said, “Sehun-ssi, please leave me alone. I don’t want to be seen with you on the day you break up with your girlfriend. In fact, I don’t want to be seen with you even after you’ve broken up with her.”

 

“Is that your answer then? Are you rejecting me and ending the agreement?”

 

“I…” Jiel found it hard to agree. Although she did like Jongin, this was Sehun. After talking with him last night, she knows that she hasn’t completely forgotten her feelings for him as evidenced by the clenching in her chest.

 

“If it is, you might change your mind by the end of today,” Sehun told her with a frown on his face.

 

“And what is that supposed to mean?”

 

“Once I break up with Miyoung, then you’ll see…” Sehun told her.

 

By lunchtime, the whole school knew that Sehun and Miyoung were no longer together. And that day she didn’t even get to see one glimpse of Jongin. Rumor was that Jongin had been hanging around Miyoung all day and that he had gotten into a fight with Sehun in front of the building after school, and Miyoung was the only one who was able to break him away from punching Sehun senseless. Afterward they were seen leaving school together with Miyoung trying to calm him down.

 

Jiel was a bit hesitant to believe the rumors but Jongin’s absence said it all. Another confirmation was seeing Sehun’s face full of cuts and bruises when she was about to lock up. He had been waiting for her outside the infirmary. She didn’t have the heart to shoo him away so instead she dragged him in and treated his injury.

 

“What happened?” Jiel asked him while dabbing ointment on a cut on his lip.

 

Sehun stared her down and said, “I think you know,” causing her to lower her head with her finger hovering over his cut.

 

“I…” Jiel didn’t know how to proceed.

 

Sehun sighed and gently took her hand in his. “I’ve decided to transfer schools,” he changed the subject.

 

“What?” Jiel looked up.

 

“Right now I’m not in good terms with my friends because of what happened with Jongin. Well, that and Miyoung is Suho-hyung’s cousin so he’s a bit angry at me.”

 

“So you’re just going to run away from your problems?” Jiel chided him.

 

“I want you to come with me.”

 

“Are you out of your mind? I just recently transferred here.”

 

“I’m transferring back to our old school. You can be with your old friends,” Sehun tried to convince her.

 

“I don’t know…” Jiel was a little hesitant.

 

“Is it still because of Jongin? I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors.”

 

“I have.”

 

“Then why do you still like him?”

 

“I don’t know.”

 

“Then don’t, please just like me,” Sehun sounded desperate. “He doesn’t deserve you. Do you know why he got close to you? It’s so that he can get Miyoung. I made a deal with him to lead you on and make you fall for him, then when you confess he would reject you. He agreed to everything only because I told him I would break up with Miyoung so that he could have a chance with—” Jiel slapped him before he could finish.

 

“And you think that after what you did that you deserve me?” she asked him angrily.

 

“I did it out of revenge before I found out you were the one I’m going to marry,” Sehun pulled her into an embrace. Jiel tried to get away but his grip on her was too strong. “You don’t know how hurt I was when you rejected me. Seeing you again, I couldn’t forget what you did and I foolishly plotted against you, even manipulating my friend’s emotions. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Jiel felt a tear drop on her collarbone.

 

“Sehun please let me go.”

 

“Please Jiel, please. I’ll do anything, just don’t reject me again.”

 

“You think you were the only one hurt?” Jiel angrily cried into his chest. “I liked you then too, but you confessed too late. I had to reject you even though I didn’t want to because I just found out I was going to marry some guy I didn’t even know.”

 

“But now you do, now you know. So please give us a chance,” Sehun pulled away from her in order to look her in the eyes. “Come with me and you won’t ever have to hurt again. Jongin loves Miyoung and if you stay here you’ll only get hurt. Don’t let the little time you spent with him sway you, because while he was spending time with you he spent double that time with Miyoung without you knowing.”

 

“But I thought—” a tear fell down her cheek which escalated to sobbing in Sehun’s arms.