01: Names
Love to Hate You
Chapter 1 : Names
To Ji Hyo, sleeping is her very existence, her duvets and thick wooly comforter is wrapped tightly around her, forming a cozy cocoon of sorts. It is too early for the moment ring for her to wake up, but she must. It is an abrupt reminder that she must, when Ji Hyo finds her ribs crushed by the massive mass of fur that jumps onto her, she winces, whining as she tries to use her pillow as a shield, as it her face.
"Ah, I'm up, I'm up!" She protests, while trying to shield herself from the dog, but Baekseol is relentless in her attack, refusing to back off until Ji Hyo emerges from the covers, flumping down to face the dog in question. "Yah."
The alabaster Jindo dog simply gazes at her back steelily, stare never faltering, cocking her head curiously. Her name suits her, Baekseol's hair is ivory like the newly fallen snow of the winter.
In the canine's mouth are a mess of tangled leashes in an array of colours, navy blue, yellow, red, etc. and Baekseol is gazing expectantly at her with dark eyes.
Ji Hyo sighs and rolls to her side to sit up, she stretches her arms, rolling her head to get rid of the kinks in her neck from sleeping wrong, Ji Hyo brings her hand to attempt to stifle her sleepy yawn, although she fails, it still escapes her lips. Blinking drowsily, she still manages a smile as she rubs that spot behind the Jindo's ears, in response, the Jindo nudges the still not awake Ji Hyo with her wet nose affectionately.
"Let me get dressed and brush my teeth."
Understanding, the white dog ambles out of her room and Ji Hyo can hear the light sound of the dog's paws against the wooden floor. She smiles as she tugs off her frumpy grey sweats and grey tanktop, throwing her clothes into the heap in the corner of her room. Ji Hyo will do the laundry when she gets home from class, but not now. Tugging open the wooden cabinet, she fishes through her clothing for her school uniform and finally manages to find it buried at the very bottom.
This is why she usually sets out her clothing the night beforehand, but she was so tired that while she had been trying to review the lesson for history, before she had realized it, she was already fast asleep.
While she pulls on her white socks, casually checking the back of her skirt to see if there are any wrinkles (there are, but they aren't very noticeable), she hears the sound of a porcelain plate being set down, peeking behind her back curiously, Ji Hyo turns around to see her mom swarmed by the dogs, leashes in her spare hand. The black puppy runs up to her and trips over her feet, and Ji Hyo can't help but giggle, scooping up the pup in her arms.
"Good morning, eomma."
Her mother smiles, "Are you going to walk the dogs?" Ji Hyo can feel the aroma of fragrant coffee wash over her room and she feels a little less tired now, she gently places down the dark bichonpoo on the ground to button up the front of her polo and pull on her school jacket. "Or do you want me to ask your brothers to help you out today, so you can study?"
She imagines the sleepy-heads next door, the thought makes her laugh, but her brothers need their sleep. (As does she) Besides, she's already awake, might as well get some fresh air before she goes to class.
"I'm fine, eomma. Let the jerks sleep."
"Song Ji Hyo."
She smiles sheepishly when her mother glances at her disapprovingly. "Sorry. I was kidding, mum." Plucking up the piece of toast, she hastily takes the butter knife that her mother holds out to her and spreads on some strawberry jam smoothly. "I'm going to go--." She stuffs it in and grabs the leashes from her mother's hand.
"Ji hyo-ah! At least take the time to finish your breakfast."
"Sorry, eomma. I have to go! Tell appa and Min-Ho and Joong Ki that I said I love them--!" She snatches her bookbag off the shoulder of the wooden chair, leaving her mother behind, something clatters to the ground, she can imagine her mother rolling her eyes in disapproval. "Love you, eomma!"
"Love you, dear."
.....
Since it is still relatively early in the morning the park is relatively empty, she is free to let the dogs run free for a while. Her parents would scold her, most people are terrified of Baekseol, even though to her, the Jindo is so sweet and absolutely harmless. They romp in the field while she sits under the shade of the yew tree, reviewing her notes for history class, she can barely remember the name of that European explorer, only bare pieces of it. V-ve-spucki. That does not sound right, she glances back at her textbook and groans. Vespucci.
"Ji Hyo-ah."
"Yong-Hwa-oppa." The older teen smiles at her disapprovingly, Ji Hyo is caught, luckily it is Yong-Hwa and not anyone else or else she would have been in huge trouble for having the dogs unleashed. "You don't take walks very often."
"I was going to walk with you to class, but you weren't home. Eomma asked me to check on you, since you weren't back yet.."
"Isn't it still early?"
Jung Yong-Hwa glances at her for a few moments silently, before hurriedly helping her gather up her books. "Ji Hyo-ah... Your phone is dead isn't it." She gazes at him with confusion, still not really understanding the point of his question.
"Yes.... But I don't--."
"Ji Hyo. Class starts in fifteen minutes." Ji Hyo cannot comprehend anything beyond in fifteen minutes. The two of them scatter to round up and leash the dogs, she feels guilty for making Yong-Hwa help her, but the older teen insisted saying she was never going to make it, if she did it by herself. They have the smallest chance of making it on time, but her English teacher is so strict...
"Ah, thank you so much."
"I can call your teacher for you."
"Yong-Hwa, I am not going to let you get in trouble for me. What if you get caught?" He withers under Ji Hyo's skeptical gaze, immediately mimicking her voice perfectly. His talent is uncanny, though the expression is definitely off. She doesn't look that grumpy.
"Yong-Hwa, I am not going to let you get in trouble for me. What if you get caught?"
"Stop it."
"Stop it."
"Jerk."
"Jerk."
Ji Hyo punches him in the shoulder, hard, "Yah. You're so annoying, Yong-Hwa-ah. Fine, but let's run." He smiles cheekily, she could slug him again, but she would feel guilty, simply because he's always being nice to her and then messing with her, but Ji Hyo cannot fault him for that.
"Race you."
. . . . .
Sprinting to class was not enough, she can only hope that Yong-Hwa made it to class on time, or at least has a more lenient teacher. Although he is sometimes late for class, his warm personality is usually enough to get out of trouble with most of any teachers. Ji Hyo is not as fortunate, she prefers to keep to the back of the class and remain silent, only asking a few questions. When she isn't smiling, apparently she looks very sullen or at least distant, she does try to look less like that, but it's only worsened when she's tired.
Her books are on the verge of tumbling from her arms, she barely had any time to put her notebooks in her bookbag, as she bolted to grab her things from her locker. Ji Hyo regrets it now, considering that it is even more tedious to walk with her teetering books and her English teacher will most likely be very unsympathetic to her plight. She lost track of time and had to run home is barely an excuse, he won't accept it. Besides, although Jae Suk-ssem will most likely take the opportunity to mess with her.
She has known Jae Suk-ssem for a while, he was friends with her uncle in college, and mentored her when she was younger. Despite that, her grammar is not improving very much, but it would be much worse without him. At least he has a sense of humour, but he cares about punctuality the most, in a way Jae Suk-ssem is like Ji Hyo's uncle.
Finally, she thinks, Ji Hyo could weep with joy, she's finally standing in front of the classroom, her luck is that her first class is on the far side of campus. Although a sense of foreboding fills her as she grips the handle of the door, but she pushes it open cautiously. School started five minutes ago, she is technically late already, though most teachers do not start class immediately.
Peeking her head into the classroom, Jae Suk-ssem notes her presence immediately. He has a smirk she does not trust, it is the trace of a mischievous smile. "Song Ji Hyo-ah. You're late."
"Sorry, I--. Sorry, Jae Suk-ssem." She bows her head apologetically, he only sighs exasperatedly. "I lost track of time when I was taking a walk."
"Your mother called. I'll give you a break though, you're never late to class." He sighs, his expression brightens instantly. "Ah, we have an English project, but everyone already has a partner." Ji Hyo can feel her heart stopping in her chest. "There is still one person left." Relief washes over her, momentarily. "Oh Se-Hun."
NO. Anyone but him, please anyone but him. At the moment Ji Hyo is praying to any, every god out there, that it is not that brat. The brat that she hates above all things, that is always so rude to her, always a kiss up, always arrogant. Why is her teacher doing this to her, at this point she would rather work alone, that speaks volumes about how much she does not want to work with Se-Hun.
A bunch of girls would fight her to be his partner, she would pay someone else to be his partner.
"Yes, Jae Suk-ssem."
The blonde glances at her with something of flickering disappointment, almost sneers, Ji Hyo is riled up simply looking at the jerk. Se-Hun hates her, since the beginning of the school year they did not get along, their personalities always grating each other, so she always preferred to keep a distance. It suits them both. Why is everything against her today?
"You will be partners for the project, please get together and discuss the details."
"--But-."
"No complaints, Ji Hyo-ah, you were late to class. If you had been on time, you could have picked your own partner." Jae Suk-ssem can be very strict but why now. His expression does soften, though her teacher does not look sympathetic in the least. "Se-Hun is an excellent student and understand the concept very well. He will be able to help you."
Wistfully she gazes at her friend sitting in the back, Yeo-Jin smiles sympathetically. The 1 time she is late.
"Yes, Jae Suk-ssem."
As she eyes the flower boy sitting in the back warily, he sneers back at her challengingly. Ji Hyo is hardly intimidated, instead she glowers right back at him. Oh Se-Hun is wrong if he thinks she will stand for his standoffish behavior, because unlike the other girls in the class, she is not one to fall heads over heels for a guy with good looks but is a jerk at heart.
Song Ji Hyo is not one to fall in love, period.
. . . . .
Author's Note:
Hope you enjoyed the first chapter of "Love to Hate You", there will be more interactions between the characters later, but basically Jae Suk is her teacher and a few members of the Running Man cast will also appear in the series. ^ - ^
Comments