Xiao Mian: 小绵

 Xiao En: 小恩

【Petnames by Goomi in mandarin for Jieun and Suho, according to their translated Chinese names.】

Mei zi: 妹子

【Girl in mandarin.】

Jieun was surprised to see her father in the living room, leisurely seeping tea and sitting in the wooden armchair. In front of Lee Taewon was a middle-aged man clad in formal wear. His genuine smile added on with his youthful-looking face made Jieun certain that he must have caught many's attention during his early days. Taewon who was engaged in a low conversation with the man seemed to be in a good mood, perhaps due to the guest's noticeable sincerity. Though what this man had made an impression on Jieun were his eyes that were too pretty to be mistaken as a girl's.

Jieun bowed at the two adults and sensibly went upstairs. Once the refined man left the house, Jieun came rushing down.

"Dad, why are you back so early?"

Jieun stood a while in front of her father and promptly decided to squeeze into the chair with her father.

Like a mother cradling her child, Taewon caressed Jieun's small head with eyes that were deep with love.

"If I'm not back, someone will not be eating."

"Who said I'm not eating..." Jieun trailed off and pouted slightly. She indeed did plan of not eating. It had become a bad habit- not having the appetite to eat if her father was not around.

Taewon pinched his daughter's cheek and patted her shoulder, "Alright, move yourself to the dining table. I asked the kitchen to make your favourites."

Sure enough, Jieun's chopsticks moved back and forth from to the dishes, her head rarely rose at the dining table, but still managed to ask a question amidst the stuffing of food into .

"Who was that from earlier?"

"Lu Junyi of Luyi Corporate."

"...Foreign name.." Jieun drank the soup from the bowl directly and her lips in satisfaction, "Both. The person and the company name."

"He's a Chinese."

Jieun looked at his father; finally paying full attention to the conversation. Lee Taewon stared out in a distant, eyes narrowed wistfully, but still spoke undistracted.

"His base is in Beijing and has a few chains of business here, but he's interested in cooperating with us to expand his industry more."

Taewon smiled at his daughter whose unspoken words were all reflected in her eyes which reminded him a lot of his wife.

"He's one worthy partner, but, no. I didn't agree. Yet."

"Why?"

Her father mumbled something about sincerity and hastily ended their conversation when his phone rang. Jieun never understood the complications of business and trading and did not bother to ask further. At least, what she wondered was answered.

Jieun was back to the second floor. Right across her room was her father's. The door was open and Jieun could see the inside of the master bedroom. Before she knew it, she was leaning onto the doorframe and closely looking at the interior of the room which pretty much remained the same when her mother was still around. On the wall hung the wedding picture that was yellowed from years but the feeling of bliss and affection from the smile of the couple had not lessened the slightest.

I love you, eternally.

Jieun shifted her focus to the small photo frame on the bed post- a photo of her mother. Without much thought, Jieun took it into her hands and sliding her finger along the outline of the figure on it.

What made Goomi stood out was her eyes that were filled with fiery passion and stubbornness. Consequently, Jieun wholly inherited the hot-blooded personality from her mother that was only aware by Taewon.

The summer night was humid but was bearable with the cloudless sky which was littered of illuminating stars. The reflection of the stars gleamed on the picture made Goomi's gaze more alive than ever as if she never left.

Jieun reminisced back that afternoon from years ago, it was after the lost counted of fights she had with Suho and the latter, like always went to find Goomi, being pettish and all. Jieun knew she was not liked by many when she was young and being called names like 'wretch', 'hooligan' because of Goomi's identity. Although Suho never called her such names, she knew that he disliked her, what more could be the explanation of the constant frowning at her? What little Jieun had a hard time understanding was why Suho never missed a chance to come to her house and always ended up fighting with her. Only when she was older and realized it was because of her mother.

Suho's mother- Solji was very pretty, but Jieun did not like her. There was something about Solji that made Jieun wanted to avoid her as much as possible. Jieun came to a conclusion that Suho might be the same as her and that was why he tried to 'snatch' her mother. Jieun remembered how her little fist ached to hit Suho whenever she saw him being better and more obedient than her just to please Goomi. Their fighting could barely stop because once they broke off, Suho would straight away look for Goomi again and the hot-headed Jieun just had to resume their fight.

Then, after Suho went home, Goomi would hold Jieun in her arms, rocking back and forth, telling her not to bully Suho, he was a good child and so on. Little Jieun never bothered to listen until there was one time, perhaps from the constant brainwashing, Goomi's words finally made sense to Jieun and she carried it in her heart to this very moment.

The evening sky was dyed in pinkish orange and Jieun was sitting in Goomi's lap, who was picking away the grass stains gained from the fight with Suho. The creaking of the crickets were loud, but Goomi's soft voice resonated loud and clear in Jieun's ears.

"Xiao En-ah, Xiao Mian holds dear of you. In this world, people who don't hurt you are not necessarily the one who love you. Instead, the harder they hit and the harsher they are to you is because they care for you more."

Goomi took Jieun's arm and blew on the bruised marks.

"Xiao En, Xiao Mian never call you with the bad names like those children do, doesn't he?"

Indeed, Suho never joined the insults. There were even times where Suho was angrier than her and fought with the children. Also, like how Goomi used to remind Jieun, "Xiao Mian always comes to spend time with you when other children don't. Therefore, Xiao En has to be good to him since he's the first one to see you as a friend. You have to a cherish a good boy like Xiao Mian."

Little Jieun buried her head into her mother's warm embrace and contemplated.

"Mommy wants me to befriend with Xiao Mian?"

"Of course! Mommy will be very happy if Xiao En and Xiao Mian are together."

Mommy will be so happy...

Goomi's words would always echo in Jieun's mind. Which was why, no matter how cold was Suho to Jieun as he grew up to the point even talking to him was scarce, Jieun would still treat him well and care for him.

After all, Suho was Jieun's first friend and the only one too.

"Thinking of your mother?"

Jieun turned and saw her dad coming to the balcony. Taewon placed an arm around Jieun, together they were under the moonlight that seemed to be embracing them in place of Goomi.

"Dad, how did you meet mom?"

Taewon's features soften and even looked younger as he reminisced the first meeting with Goomi.

"We did not meet face to face. Instead she was facing a group of people and fought with them."

"Fighting? Why?" Never once Jieun expected the meeting of her parents would be unromantic and for the first time Jieun thought her mother did lift up the calling of a hooligan.

"Those people snuck something from the store, so your mother was giving them a lecture on how stealing is unethical to and ended up angered them."

Taewon chuckled, in such a way that he was reliving the memories.

"Your mother was really stubborn but foolish too. She knew she had the lower hand, yet her pride prevented her from fleeing. So I dragged your mother and ran away."

Jieun's small mouth hung slightly- was not it supposed to be a hero saving a damsel in distress.

Taewon moped at his daughter's reaction and defended himself.

"There were too many people. I'm no numskull like your mother."

Shrugging, Jieun peered up to Taewon with her eyes glinting, "So you knew each other and fell in love?"

"Falling in love was another long story. Like I said, your mother was too slow and she made me so distressed,"

Jieun giggled at the thought of a clueless Goomi and her frustrated father that could not do much, but to patiently wait. Perhaps only such a special and kind woman would let her father be so willingly head over heels for her despite the prize to pursue this love. Furthermore, such a great woman told her that she should be nice to Suho and cherish him well.

"Dad, what do you think of Suho?"

Albeit Taewon was puzzled at the sudden change of topic to the Kim's child, his smile never lessened.

"Myeon is a good boy."

Taewon never asked but he had noticed that Jieun changed the way of calling the boy's name; it had always been 'Xiao Mian' until the two went to high school, or even earlier than that.

On the other hand, Jieun only gazed at the moon hanging in the sky and again firming her resolve- Joonmyun...Xiao Mian, I will cherish you. After all, both Goomi and Taewon adored Suho, so he worths it.

 〜❅〜

When Jieun was young, she used to watch chick flicks Taiwanese drama with Goomi. The language was not what was incomprehensible, rather Jieun found the acts of crying like no tomorrow of the main characters and the couple's suffers due to separation unfathomable. However, Goomi told Jieun that it was because of true love.

"True love is someone who supports you when no one does and the one who forgives you no matter what you had done. Someday, Xiao En will have such person in your life."

Naturally, Jieun saw Goomi and Taewon as each other's true love, but when it came to herself, true love was quixotic; such thing would not happen to her. Which was why, she found it fascinating that Sena came to her crying- true love brings utmost happiness and deepest saddest as well.

Jieun only disinterestedly glanced at Sena who was in a sobbing mess.

"Jieun! I was rejected!"

The most bothersome being was a female that had her confession scraped and above all she was Sena- who could not stand other people's happiness when she was not. In fact, rather than being sad she was more embarrassed and pissed that her 'profession of love' was disdained publicly.

"He humiliated me!"

"Jieun! Give him a piece of your mind! He actually said Sena is your er in front of..."

Yerim's righteous tone faltered when Jieun shot her a glare and stopped her fuelling.

Eunhwa was quick to continue, "Jieun, he was too much. Fine, he doesn't like Sena back, but he still shouldn't say that she is like the back of a bus and trampled a girl's sincerity."

Jieun's fanning paused at the word of 'sincerity'. Of course she knew these three were just trying to make her as the hatchet man, but at the moment she was curious to check out for this 'true love' that Goomi had spoken of.

Jieun unfolded and folded the hand fan while the trio waited for her response.

"He's your true love?"

The question was somehow bizarre, but Sena only nodded hr head vigorously seeing the hope that Jieun might help her. While the true question of Jieun's was whether Sena sincerely liked the guy was left forgotten once Jieun gave the green light.

"Let's meet him then."

Even Sena who was supposed to remain her sad acting could not hide her glee when Jieun, the one whom no one dared to provoke her in this university, and this city decided to help her. She sneakily grinned at the other two who they thought their little revenge wheeled into motion.

Jieun only continued fanning herself, blatantly ignoring the exchanging glances of her followers. She was Lee Jieun, no one could make her do anything; she was only curious.

The one who Sena claimed to like was tall and the red shirt he had on was so bright that it could compete with the glaring of the blazing sun. With him in the crowd, other just faded into a blur of blacks and whites.

"Luhan!" With a bold voice, Sena was not the crying girl over a lost crush when now Jieun had her back and about to 'avenge' her from the embarrassment earlier.

Perhaps it was because he was right in front the sunlight, Jieun could not help but to think that he have outshone the sun's radiation. The noise from the surrounding had ceased as she took in the boy's milky white skin and doll-like features. To conclude, Luhan was a pretty boy by the standards of South Koreans favoured. 

Jieun's smile might be hidden behind the hand fan, but an inquisitive 'Oh' from her was heard by Luhan, who in respond narrowed his eyes and looked straight into the eyes of the long heard 'bully', mistaken it as a provocation from her.

However, it was far from that. Jieun had not even started her provocation. Instead, she just found him familiar, particularly that pair of doe eyes.

"Oh? It's not enough that you've been rejected and now you're bringing people to share this embarrassment of yours?"

Luhan slipped one hand into the pocket of his jeans with his eyes currently gleamed with the reflection of his fiery red shirt- not cautious enough the fire in his eyes should erupt. Still, Sena only cared about her bruised pride, long gone the girl who was crying for the boy in front.

"Luhan! I dare you to say the thing about Jieun again!"

"Hmm, you mean- you're Lee Jieun's er. I gladly repeat that, no matter how many times you want."

Luhan pulled his arm away from the constant tugging of his friend around, paying no heed to their warning of not to be wanton in front of Lee Jieun.

In spite of the indirect insult, Jieun only kept fanning herself as she closely looked at Luhan; had she seen him from somewhere before?. He was too beautiful, she thought and decided that eveb the popular girls in the campus were not compatible of him, let alone a girl like Sena, whom her physical appearance was a contrast to Luhan's. It was reasonable that he rejected Sena, Jieun concluded.

Luhan basked in triumph and slight arrogance while giving an unkind with the mixture of provocation gaze at Jieun whom only lowered down her fan. Her lips moved, breezily said, "Lu Meizi."

The unexpected was the instant darkened face of Luhan- the fire in his eyes broke out with obvious anger craved in his frowned eyebrows.

"What did you say?"

Then, Jieun stopped fanning and let her widened smile shown. That explained his barely noticed but a weird accent, a non-Korean who understood Chinese.

One single snap from folding the traditional fan was enough to gain other's attention as Jieun spoke each word slowly and clearly.

"Lu,"

"Mei,"

"Zi."

Luhan was just particularly more feminine looking since he was young and as he grew up, the fact that he looked like a China doll was undeniable. Hence, he was often mistaken as a girl. There were boys schools that viewed him as their goddess when they only seen his pictures, but in the end, their hearts were shattered when the admirers met him in person. Luhan hated being seen as a girl above everything, which explained his foul temper which was eventually formed from his ornery bearing and it slightly shadowed his attractiveness. Luhan might not be mistaken as a girl again, but whoever mentioned being pretty or any adjectives that pointed him to looking like a girl, he would have an incessant fight with that person. Now not only that Jieun openly addressed him as a girl and it was even more mocking that she said it in his mother tongue. Luhan lost his calm and instantly went up to Jieun. With the close distant, the height difference was apparent. Luhan was more than a head taller than Jieun, but she was not intimidated by him, instead she secretly meditated the heights between Luhan and Suho- Luhan was even taller.

"Don't think being a girl would stop me from doing anything to you."

It was simply an act of bluffing when Luhan raised his hand as if to hit the ever unruffled Jieun.  However, it became an accidental hit to a pass by student who was holding a can of coke. The student had a close safe from the opened soda, yet there were still some that sprinkled onto Jieun, forming dirty brown spots on her white top and the floral patterns undergarments were visible under the wet shirt.

Luhan's eyes widened and naturally averted his gaze, missing how the girl in front shot up her hand not to cover her chest, but holding something through the fabric. Jieun let loose her grip and felt the cool surface a little below her collarbone when she made sure it was stain-free. Then, she grabbed the fizzle drink from the student and 'generously' splashed it onto Luhan. He saw Jieun's intention and out of reflex, he stepped back. Still, he felt a sudden wetness on his chest and withnessed his bright red shirt turning into a messy muddle of garment.

"You-"

"An eye for an eye."

Despite facing the raging eyes of Luhan's, Jieun's tone sounded more wonted than ever.

"You really think being a girl I-"

Luhan's pride was bruised badly when he was cut off by a hit of a can with some spilled sweet liquid and the words of Jieun.

"Even if I'm a girl, I will not have mercy on you."

Although Luhan was not like Jieun who was the daughter of the most influence in the city, but he was still the apple of his family's eye. He never imagined to face such put-down when those who provoked him from before would still be wary of his height and intimidating aura. Yet, the petite girl in front of him just ridiculed him more than anyone could. It was his last straw.

His large hand with visible popping veins grabbed Jieun's collar and almost had her feet leaving the ground. Nonetheless, a shadow of smile which remained on Jieun's face despite the situation fuelled Luhan's anger; Jieun was confident that he wouldn't hurt her. Then, Luhan thought that his anger meter seemed to be longer than he expected when his rage raised further, not breaking yet, at Jieun's remark.

"How terrific, using a fist against a girl."

The faintest tentativeness existed before turned to fury as Luhan mimicked Jieun, "Even If I'm a boy, I will not have mercy on you."

Halfway the mid of his swinging hand, it was abruptly stopped and unable to move. A turn of a head, Luhan saw his friends restricting him from his hands to his waist and each of them with a face of despair; as if he was going to commit unforgivable sins.

"Luhan! Calm down!"

"Luhan, never touch Lee Jieun! You wouldn't live to see another dawn in this campus, in this city!"

"Luhan! You're a man! What can be more disgrace as a man to hit a woman?"

Luhan tried to untie himself from the human chains but ended up looking to the sky in vain. Even so, his friends did not stop talking and got onto Jieun's nerve. With a slap to Luhan's hand, her collar was free from his grip. Then, with a bite on her lips, she used most of her strength along with her weight and stepped right onto a certain foot.

Luhan had never yelped  in front of someone, let alone a girl, but Jieun made him did it. Luhan quickly swallowed his agonizing cry with his pride on the stake, causing his alabaster skin to flush in suppression.

"Let go!" Luhan growled, but his friends only held on tighter. They had never seen Luhan being this angry if they were to let him go, Jieun would die! No- Even if Jieun left unscratched, they were destined to be doomed. How unfair that they had to be dragged into this mess when they were in fact only coincidentally at the scene with Luhan.

Jieun straightened the collar of her shirt and began to fan herself again. Her satirizing stare pissed Luhan to the extent his hair stood, like a piqued cat.

"Lu Meizi, if you're not going to take revenge, then I'm leaving."

With that said, Luhan flung away his friends, ready to storm his way towards the bete noire. Unfortunately, he was once again 'captured' by his friends that were hardly this cooperating compared to their usual selves. By now, Luhan was only a berserk beast in detained.

"Cut it out!" A crystal clear voice froze all the disarray and a figure stood in front of the tangled bodies protectively. Jieun looked askance at the new person; her flowing hair slid past her delicate neck and rested below her shoulders- the kind of the legendary entrance of some justice girls.

"Stop bullying Luhan!"

Jieun was the infamous 'devil queen' in the campus and everyone was cautious of her, let alone reprimanding her in the face, other than Suho, this girl was the first one.

Huh.

So, unquestionably, Jieun was always the antagonist. At this, Jieun could only chuckle that in others' eyes it seemed more like a sinister laugh. Not a single person seemed to realize if a fight did happen, she was a sitting duck. Seemingly, everyone saw her as a mad hatter, including Suho. At the thought of him, his 'Different from you' just crossed Jieun' mind.

Elegant, soft-spoken, sweet smile, goody two shoes...

Jieun was indeed different from Naeun. Because she was Lee Jieun, the embodiment of evil. So whatever bad happened, she was the cause of it. No one would think in her position. 

Her heels turned and habitually, she faced upwards, partially blocking the sunlight with the hand fan. Like she last saw, the sky was clean.