Created: 2/15/'12

Hyun Joong

“Hey, dude! Come over here!” I walked to my friends’ table as Young Saeng called me.

They just stared at me as I was taking my seat. Jung Min extended his neck and looked around. “Where’s your girlfriend?” he asked.

“In her class," I answered swiftly.

“Woah! So you’re really proud for having her as your girlfriend, eh?” he mocked.

“What are you talking about? She is my girlfriend.”

“For the bet,” Young Saeng said.

Bet? What bet?

O.O

OH CRAP! I totally forgot!

“Don’t tell us, you forgot about it already? Enjoying the boyfriend role, aren't we?” Young Saeng teased more.

“It will be over next week,” Jung Min stated.

“I can’t believe this is the longest case we’ve handled so far! You pursued her for what? Four or five months? And now, it’s my turn once again! Jung Min and I have been on hiatus that I forgot my flirting tactics already!” that was Young Saeng who said that.

Their voices were slowly fading away from my senses as memories of this bet flooded my mind.

***

~Flashback: almost a year ago~

As we arrived to the school, we drove our cars to the parking area. There was a limited space and I was the last one to park, so the two of them went inside the campus ahead.

As I made my way to the entrance, someone bumped to me. The impact was strong that I thought my soul would separate with my body. It made her fall on the floor with her things scattered all over.

”I— I’m— I’m sorry," she said as she picked her things up.

I bent down to pick the rest of her materials and helped her on her feet. She was keeping her head down, so I wasn’t able to take a better look of her face.

“SO MIN!! SO MIN, WAIT!! LET’S TALK!! LET ME EXPLAIN!!” a guy shouted from behind her.

She turned her head to him, then to me. That’s when I realized that tears were covering her face. Maybe that was why she kept her head down all this time.

She quickly snatched her hand away from mine and bowed to me. “I’m sorry. I’m really sorry. I wasn’t looking to where I was going. I have to go.”

Then she ran past me as fast as she could.

As the man who called her got nearer to where I was, I recognized him as John Lee, the famous varsity player known for being a girl magnet.

[a/n: this is my first time using a name like that.. i always invent korean names.. but now, brain just couldn’t think of it]

He stopped right in front of me as he put his hands over his knees and caught his breath.

“Why didn’t you stop her when you heard me calling?” he asked angrily.

Say what? Is he insane? Why on earth would I do that?

“I apologize for that big sin, Mr. Lee,” I told him sardonically. “But it is not my hobby to meddle with other people’s business.”

“Fine,” he replied. “Sorry.”

I was curious of what happened between them. And who was that girl for him? But as I’ve said, I was not on the right position to interfere.

“I heard you’ve got yourself a girlfriend.”

See? I told you I don’t like going in to other people’s business. O.o

I studied his expression gingerly.

“It’s true,” he answered after a minute of silence and heavy breathing.

It’s true? So the rumors weren’t just rumors? The great John Lee actually has a girlfriend that would stop his flirting ways?

“I’ve got myself a girlfriend,” he once again confirmed. “But I just lost her.”

“What?” I asked confusedly.

He stood properly. “I guess I’ve rested long enough. I’ll go now.”

Then he was off in a flash. Was the girl who bumped to me earlier his girlfriend? What was her name again? S—So—Forget it. I can’t remember. I also can’t remember her face as she looked at me only for a brief moment.

~2 weeks after the bumping incident~

“It’s your turn now,” Jung Min told me.

“I know! I know! You don’t have to remind me.”

He just finished with his bet and as always, he won. None of us has lost with this bet ever since we started. Young Saeng was the mastermind for this. Well, actually, we were strangers way before. We just met each other in a bar during a cold summer night. It’s a coincidence that all of us were heartbroken at that time. All of us got cheated on. Cool? I know, right.

After that night, the three of us became inseparable. That time, I wasn’t really in love with this girl that cheated on me. I was forced to be her fiancé by my parents. Okay, let me clear that. I wasn’t in love with her, but I admit, I was starting to like her bit by bit and I knew once we get married, I would eventually learn to fall for her. That’s where it all starts, right? Liking and then Loving. But then I found out that she was having a secret affair behind my back A NIGHT BEFORE OUR MARRIAGE. I heard her talking to her ‘lover’ on the phone.

I drank all through that night, not just because she cheated, but also because my wonderful parents blamed me for what happened. They said I was irresponsible, that I can’t take care of my fiancée, that I was such and such. My father even punched me for the first time in my life! Her parents, on the other hand, said the same thing to me. How crazy could they get? Was it my fault that they’ve arranged us like that? I was blamed for a girl’s sin?!! The F?!! They were so mad that they didn’t talk to me for six effin’ months!

I was sure as hell that I treated her well. Never did I ignore her nor talk to her coldly. I always gave her the warmest smile I have and I provided the wishes she asked to me. And then that was all I’ve got?

Deep inside, I was really thankful that the wedding got called off. At least, I’ve known it before it was too late. And on the good side, I freed myself from those invisible chains that they were tying to my extremities. But it really did hurt me and I’m not going to deny that.

“Here’s your girl.”

I put back my mind in the real situation when I heard Jung Min’s voice. He was giving me a girl’s picture.

“So Min is the name,” Young Saeng added.

So Min? So Min? I think I’ve heard of that name before. But where? When? How? And the picture, the girl in the picture looks familiar. Why couldn’t I remember? Aish!! Damn this memory gap!

“Why her?” I asked.

“Dude, we have no limitations here. Every girl in this school is included! And that one,” Young Saeng answered. “That one is a tough one. I’m sure she’ll be a challenge to you.”

“Why is that?” I enquired again. It’s better to have some background before doing ‘the moves.’

“Well, she’s not a famous one. She’s just a quiet student around and I don’t think I've seen her with any of the guys before,” he further explained.

 “Let’s start,” Jung Min in and that’s the signal for me to begin with the maneuver.

~end of FB~

[a/n: FlashBack and not FaceBook.. LOL.. i’m being crazy again]

***

 “PAGING MR. KIM HYUN JOONG!”

“WHAT? WHERE’S THE CRIMINAL?!”

The two laughed at my reaction.

“He was practically spacing out!” Jung Min yelled.

“I wonder what he was thinking about,” Young Saeng replied.

This bet is torturing me and I can feel that I would be a patient in a mental institution any minute now.

Next week? It will be done next week? How would I tell her that we’re over without hurting her? And these two friends here obviously are heedless for my dilemma. I must find a way to tell her in the most painless method.

***

The bet exists along with three major rules:

Rule #1: T