Seoul, South Korea,

August 2014.

The classroom at the farthest end of the third floor was dark and quite. Only the sound and light coming out from the TV filled the air of the otherwise tedious class. Some students started yawning as the movie unveiled its opening scene. Mr. Carl, the English literature teacher, cleared his throat loudly and gave them a warning look from behind his narrow glasses.

The senior students tried their best to focus their attention to the now-playing classic movie that was almost as old as their parents. It was Franco Zeffirelli's 1968 version of Romeo and Juliet, which many said to be the best adaptation of one of Shakespeare's most influential works in his life.

 

".... from forth the fatal loins of these two foes, a pair of star-cross'd lovers take their life; whose misadventur'd..."

 

"I wonder why those two idiots are called 'star-crossed lovers'."

Kim Jongin glanced to a man next to him who looked completely bored to death. If a stare could kill, Jongin was sure that his friend, Sehun, would pierce anyone's heart with his eyes in a second. He recalled that Sehun did not have any interest in literature, drama, let alone a movie adaptation of such an old play.

Jongin chuckled knowingly. "Being cynical to last longer in the class, huh?"

"Sort of," Sehun rolled his eyes, keeping his voice low, "Seriously. Does it mean that when they die they would live as stars? I never thought Shakespeare was so cheesy."

"People in the Elizabethan era believed that our fates were written in the stars," Jongin leaned his upper body on the table, resting his chin on his hands. "And when something bad happened, they would say 'the stars have crossed and ruled upon us'."

Sehun couldn't help frowning at Jongin. "How could you know that?"

"Reading. At least I use Google to look for something useful, not like you," Jongin replied nonchalantly.

Sehun nudged Jongin's side, rather hard. "Shut up."

Hours went by and Sehun struggled to stay awake. Unlike Jongin who seemed to be at ease, Sehun kept wriggling on his seat as he tried hard not to fall asleep. He looked around the room and, unluckily, met Mr. Carl's eyes which stared back at him, as if telling him to stop moving. Sehun grinned cheekily and turned his eyes to the TV screen right away.

 

"... Here's to my love! O true apothecary, thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die..."

 

"Don't you think this story is nonsense?" Sehun frowned at the scene where Romeo gulped down a poison. "How could they commit suicide after a three-day relationship? Like impossible to happen, at all."

"Maybe it can happen. What if you love someone so deeply and her family won't allow you to date her?" Jongin asked.

"You got the question wrong," Sehun smiled playfully, "Whose family in our circle dares to ban me from loving someone? Well, exclude yours and Soojung's."

Sehun stared at Jongin in you-know-what-I-mean look. The latter smirked as he shook his head and looked back at the TV screen, which showed the ending scene where the Capulets and Montagues vowed to end their rivalry following Romeo and Juliet's deaths.

"Admit it, Jongin—we are the people who always get what we see," Sehun said as he unlocked his phone, "The only thing that shall interfere with our lives is either our parents' late night calls or the government's policies."

"Hell, we still have to protect our shares first by then, don't we?" Jongin replied as the light in the room returned.

 

"... For never was a story of more woe. Than this of Juliet and her Romeo."

 

[][][][][]

 

A girl in Giuseppe Zanotti low-top sneakers ascended the stairs to the third floor. She ran her fingers through her tousled hair, rather carelessly, as she glanced at her Rolex. 11:25. God, I am doomed.

She finally reached the door of the class, but was immediately taken at back when someone suddenly opened the door from the inside. She stepped back, her eyes widened.

"Is—is the class over?" she absent-mindedly asked the guy who pushed the door.

"Isn't that obvious?" he smiled, then he strolled away.

She cursed through her gritted teeth as she tried to peek inside the class through the door gap. There she saw Mr. Carl sitting on his chair, writing something on a paper with a serious frown on his forehead.

"Soojung," a familiar voice called her name, "Late for your first class this semester, huh?"

Jung Soojung pouted as soon as she saw Sehun grinning cheekily. "I overslept. My American Horror Story marathon last night lasted until dawn."

"I would've just stayed at home, if I were you," Sehun said, glancing at his Omega on his left wrist, "You're late by two hours, for God's sake."

"I can make up some excuses, you know," Soojung answered, "like... I just came back from a trip or something."

"Yeah, believe me, it can work for any other teacher but Mr. Carl," Sehun chuckled, "Even though your family is the school's co-founder, hell, he is not easy to bribe."

"I was kidding," she scoffed, "You know me; I don't use my family's privilege here."

"Still, he would think otherwise," Sehun started to lead the walk as he grabbed Soojung's arm," Come on, you know how your family's name works at this place. Just like Jongin's."

Soojung caught a glimpse of the boy with dark brown hair who was walking behind Sehun. He seemed disinterested on their conversation, even though Sehun mentioned his name rather loudly.

The Imperium Institute they enrolled in was founded by a group of wealthiest conglomerates in South Korea: Lee Group, Im Group, Kang Group, Jung Group, and Kim Group, or known as the "Big Five". They are the major shareholders in almost every leading business sector in a modern country. From construction to technology, their names always come up at the scene.

At first, the institute was built as an exclusive school for only the Big Five's heirs; the future of their companies. However, after over a decade, they decided to welcome children of the other elite families who need business education since early age. Still, the Big Five remain the most powerful names at the school as together they make the majority shareholders at the school.

Soojung and Jongin, the youngest of their families, bear the weight of their last names for almost three years at the school.

The teachers expected them to always perform their best, not only in their mandatory business and management subjects, but also in extracurricular classes. Many other students looked up to them, even though they never asked for special attention. It came naturally, just like how people stared at them as they walked through the corridor that day.

"So, what's up in class?" Soojung asked.

"Mr. Carl asked us to make a review of Romeo and Juliet's film by referring to Shakespeare's original play," Sehun said as he led the way to the first floor, "It's an assignment for a group of three."

"So, I assume you already count me in?" It was more like a statement than a question.

Sehun chuckled. "Yes, princess. Jongin and I are at your service."

Soojung's eyes instantly looked for Jongin again, who walked down the stairs rather slowly as he typed something on his smartphone. She stared at him with a questioning look, as if asking whether the boy agreed with her joining the team.

With a knowing look, Sehun called for his friend, "Right, Jongin?"

Jongin looked up, flustered, but he quickly nodded as he smiled at Soojung. "Yeah... Should be fun, right?"

Soojung smiled back in response.

The three walked to the hallway where the school kept lockers for the students. Jongin walked alone behind as Sehun and Soojung chatted about their summer holiday. Sehun talked about his family vacation in Ibiza, where he encountered Soojung's sister Jessica and her fiancee from Lee Group, Lee Donghae. Soojung, who mostly spent her holiday in her hometown San Fransisco, talked about her road trip to Napa Valley on the latest SUV car launched by the Jung Motors last month.

"Hey, Sehun," Jongin's call stopped the two friends in front of him. "You go first. I'll meet you at the cafeteria."

"Where are you going?"

"School secretary's office. See ya," Jongin replied, flashing a smile to Soojung before walking away.

[][][][][]

 

"We've been here for almost three years, yet you still act like a stranger around him."

Soojung turned her head to look at Sehun, who was busy placing slices of roast beef from the buffet table to his plate. She seemed confused at first as to whom Sehun was referring to, but she quickly understood what he meant.

"Well, you know Jongin and I don't mingle that much."

She stood next to Sehun with an empty tray on her hands, undecided between having tuna salad or steamed chicken for lunch. Seconds later she picked neither and took a bowl of soybean paste stew instead.

"Come on, everyone in South Korea knows how tight your families' circle is," Sehun said as his eyes scanned a row of colorful bottles of juices next to dessert table.

"Technically, yes, but I did not grow up here. I barely remember meeting him before high school," she said before leaving to a table near them.

Hierarchy is still inevitable even in this kind of private school. Only the seniors get the privilege to sit near the buffet table, an area with rather comfortable and wide space. Second graders usually sit a little further, near the west entrance that leads to the garden. Sophomores' place is at the porch, the farthest from the buffet, where they are often exposed to the sun during lunch.

Soojung did not know where such rules came from, but she and Jiyoung, the youngest of Kang Family, had never ate lunch at the porch. On her first day, she already sat with Lee Jieun on the seniors seat. Jongin, meanwhile, chose to follow the school's hierarchy — despite his privilege — and started the first couple of months sitting at the porch during lunch. But Jieun's twin, Taemin, later asked him to sit together on the seniors seat and Jongin brought Sehun along with him.

Of course, no one opposed what the Lee twins did. They were the Big Five, after all.

"You're supposed to see him a lot during gatherings or whatsoever," Sehun stuffed a spoonful of potato into his mouth, "How you two act like you just got to know each other yesterday is beyond me."

"Well... it's different for everyone," Soojung she slightly waved his fork in the air, "Jongin doesn't mingle that much. He only shows up when it's necessary for him to show up."

"He's close with the hyungs, right? I mean... he often hang out with sons of other families.

“I suppose so. He’s friends with the guys from the Lee. He's also close with Choi Minho, though he is not exactly in the circle.”

“But he's not that close with you. Or Jiyoung,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"He doesn't really mingle with the girls," Soojung knitted her brows, "But, why are you asking me this? You know it already."

"Like I said, I just can't understand it," Sehun chuckled, "I am a close friend of you and Jongin, but I bet my Porsche that you don't even have his phone number."

Soojung gave Sehun's words a thought as she chewed her dumpling. Her lips suddenly curved upwards.

"Oh God, that's true," Soojung burst into laughter.

Soojung first met Sehun in elementary school back in California. They were in the same school for three years. When he was 12, Sehun returned to South Korea and entered the institute, where he later befriended Jongin. The two childhood friends  reunited in high school after Soojung's family moved back to Seoul for good.

Many assumed that Soojung and Jongin were close since they were both friends with Sehun—but that's where people got it wrong.

The two mostly met with Sehun separately; it would either be Soojung with Sehun or Jongin with Sehun. The three rarely went out together since they would usually go in a big group with their school friends for parties and trips. If the three were seen together, it was mostly because Jongin happened to be with Sehun when the latter met up with Soojung, and vice versa.

In a nutshell, Soojung and Jongin's interaction largely consisted of "hello" and "goodbye".

Soojung drank her mineral water after she finished her lunch set: rice, kimchi, fried dumplings, and a bowl of soybean paste stew. In front of her, Sehun still munched on his beef and potato salad.

"I think I am the key for the two of you," Sehun blurted out of nowhere, "I often wonder if you and Jongin would ever interact if it wasn’t for me."

Soojung chuckled. “So, do I have to thank you or something?”

“Thank me when someday you realize that you need each other. I know it will come eventually.”

“Well, I may need him for business and things. Our families have more cooperation than you think, so..." Soojung's voice trailed off.

Sehun gulped down his apple juice. “So, it comes down to business, yeah?”

“Always have, always will,” Soojung said. Our life is.

[][][][]

 

Jongin sighed in relief as he stepped out from the school’s secretary office. He had successfully changed his biology class to history. Never he liked biology and he still thought that his fingers had slipped when he chose this semester's subjects on the web.

He approached his locker to put his English textbook and took the Financial Accounting one for his next class. As he sorted his needs, someone's head appeared from behind his locker’s door.

“Yah, Nam Taehyun. You scare me,” Jongin abruptly retorted.

“I haven't done anything yet, though.” Taehyun grinned.

“What is it?”

Taehyun handed a black case in medium size to Jongin. “Just want to return your camera.”

Jongin grinned as he took it and opened the case. Leica M3–700 001 — the first Leica M3 series ever made and was never sold to public. He got it two years ago after his father went to an auction and bought it for $1.17 Million for his birthday gift.

“So, did you get what you want?” Jongin asked Taehyun as he put the camera inside his bag.

“Nope. I can't find the exact one that I am looking for,” Taehyun shrugged, “Anyway, I got your negative film processed when I did mine.”

“Really, you did?" Jongin's voice went an octave higher. "Hey, thanks a lot!"

"No worries, really," Taehyun said as he took out a mini album from his bag and handed it to Jongin.

Jongin skimmed through the pages with a big smile on his face. He commented how the film turned out very good that he felt like those photos did not belong to him. Taehyun just laughed him off.

“You have great eyes,” Taehyun said, “I should get going now. Need to catch up with Jinri. She said she’s got us some souvenirs from Dubai.”

“I heard about that. I’ll see you and her soon," Jongin patted Taehyun's arm. "Thanks a lot for this."

Taehyun replied something like ‘no problem’ and dashed to the opposite corner.

Standing in front of his locker, Jongin looked through the pages of the album. He did not even care that the lunch hour would end in 15 minutes.

Jongin looked through the photos. He remembered taking some of them during his family vacation in Iceland, and some others during his last outing with Taemin and Minho in Singapore. Some other pictures were taken randomly, mostly at times when he brought his camera with him during some occasions to capture interesting things he saw.

His fingers stop turning the pages when his eyes caught a blurry and out-of-focus photo of what looked like a person. He slowly knitted his brows as he tried to think when and where he had taken the picture, which did not reflect his usual character.

Jongin took the photo out of the album and held it in front of his nose. It was a photo of someone's back — a girl. She wore a black mini dress and her long brown hair fell nicely on her back. Jongin could not see her figure clearly. The background of the picture looked familiar to him, though. It was taken at a garden, most likely during twilight hours. The girl appeared to be walking away, with her right hand holding what seemed to be a flower bouquet.

He could not remember who she was and why he took the picture in the first place. The only clue was the date of when it was taken: a week before the beginning of their spring semester, six months ago.

“I like it, though,” he said, smirking to himself.

 

 

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