Hoya basically replayed the entire scene in his head again and again. He was sure there was something off about Mrs Lee but he wasn’t sure what. Maybe she disliked him because he was the illegitimate son of her husband’s. Maybe because he was born from a different mother. That must be why.

*Flashback*

The Lee family sat around the dinner table, as that was the only time they ever got together. The rest of the time Hoya would be alone, in his room, sometimes studying and sometimes reading. He had this urge to head to the big empty guest room to dance, even without mirrors. But every time he stepped out of his room, he felt so out of place. As though the four walls are judging him, for being an outsider, an intruder, something he hated to hear because all his wants is just to be accepted. He remembered that as a kid, he was bullied by other kids. They called him names and asked him why he didn’t have the same surname as Myungsoo since they were ‘brothers’. He hated that question, for he had no answer to it, no matter how smart he was.

Sitting quietly at the dining table, Hoya cut his steak piece by piece and ate in silence. Hyeri would go on and on about her day even if no one paid any attention, Mr Lee would be thinking about the company but Mrs Lee on the other hand, Hoya had no idea what she was thinking.

Like a glass that broke in a silent room, Mrs Lee spoke up. “I thought we were going to have dinner with your little girlfriend.” She stared right at him, with those cold eyes that sent shivers down his back. “Is she afraid of us? To meet her parent-in-laws? Or are we not good enough for her?”

Hoya stopped cutting his steak and bit down on his lips. That was what he did not want that woman to think. He did not want to let her degrade Eunji like that.

Hoya then answered in Eunji’s defense. “She’s busy this week.”

“Oh? I thought the midterms were over.”

“She… she didn’t so well, so she’s studying harder than ever,” he lied. He looked away, hoping that Mrs Lee would buy his lie. To his surprise, she did. Or at least, she pretended to and stopped questioning him further.

“Why must she come for dinner? They’re not even getting married, there’s no point in meeting her.” Hyeri pointed out. She wanted to discourage her parents from getting Eunji to come over for dinner. The last thing she wants is for her parents to know what really happens in school.

“If Howon is dating her, she must be a great girl. I would love to meet her soon.” Mr Lee shot Hyeri back down. “Howon-ah, do arrange for us to meet soon.” He gave Hoya an encouraging smile. Truth is, he knew Eunji was Jimin’s daughter and he couldn’t wait to meet the daughter of his once best friend.

After finishing the dinner in silence (but with Hyeri talking), the maids began serving fruits. Mrs Lee took a slice of an apple and ate it while staring at Hoya. Hoya hated that look because he knew she was going to say something unpleasant about him again. He looked away and focused on the fruit that he was eating, not letting her affect him. “Don’t you think Howon has so much to learn before you make him your successor?” Howon was expecting Mrs Lee to be curt and blunt again and yet, he wasn’t wrong.

Mr Lee smiled at Hoya like he was his pride and joy. “I will teach him all he needs to know. Slowly. Right now, I just want him to continue doing well in high school. Back then, I was also the top of my class and the valedictorian.” He gave Hoya a wink before adding, “no pressure.”

Wow, like that had no pressure on him at all. Hoya just smiled in politeness and took another piece of fruit in front of him.

“What I mean is, shouldn’t he be learning about etiquettes and fine arts? Just like what Hyeri did when she was a kid? That way he’ll fit better into our class.”

Mrs Lee’s words just shot Hoya down in a mere second. She thought that he didn’t fit in with the upperclassmen and she found him a disgrace. So that was what she thought of him?

“It is also a good opportunity to get him to learn outside his comfort zone, learn more about the outside world,” she continued, “I think he should go to America.”

Silence filled the dining room. Hoya froze in his seat. He did a double take. Did he happen to hear wrongly? Or did Mrs Lee just suggest for him to go to America to study? No way is he ever going to America. No way is he going to leave Eunji and his friends here and head to America. There was just no way.

Mr Lee seemed to be thinking deeper about something else and Hoya prayed that he would disagree, but sadly, Mr Lee replied that he would think about it.

Hoya’s mind went wild. As though his mind had a voice on his own, telling him “don’t just think about it! DON’T LET ME GO!” And then his mind just went blank. Blank because he couldn’t think of anything else, still recovering from the shock earlier. Had Mrs Lee hated him so much to want to send him so far away? Just what is Mrs Lee thinking?

*End of flashback*

“Minhyuk, what do you think?”

Mr Lee had told everything about last night to Minhyuk, hopefully the calm headed secretary can give him some ideas about what to do, in the most sensible way.

Minhyuk gave the chairman a bow before his mind sprang into thinking mode. Minhyuk had a brilliant mind as well, good enough to impress Mr Lee, and that takes a lot.

Minhyuk thought for a long time before he dared to speak up to his boss and benefactor. “Mrs Lee does not like him because he is an illegitimate son. She may want to send him overseas just to keep him far away, making you reconsider your choice of a successor because there is still Hyeri. Mr Lee, I personally think that you should keep him close to you. To protect him from Mrs Lee.”

Mr Lee nodded in agreement because that was what he thought as well. “Looks like we’re going to have to think about how to keep him in Korea. Because usually, Yejin gets what she wants. All the time.”

Minhyuk nodded and he made a mental note to find all sorts of excuses for Mr Lee to keep Hoya by his side. With Mrs Lee’s strong presence, it will be hard to go against her.

“Oh yeah, regarding that incident…” Mr Lee paused, referring to the ‘accident’ that caused Jimin’s death. “Have you found out who is the mastermind?”

“Sorry,” Minhyuk bowed in apology. It has been awhile since he looked into the case but he has yet to find any answers. “The money came from an unknown source but I’ll look harder to find where it came from.”

“Minhyuk-ah, thank you.” Mr Lee was ever grateful for his secretary. His intelligence and hard work could have been of better use somewhere else and he felt selfish for keeping Minhyuk next to him but there was no one else he could trust. Minhyuk didn’t mind as well since he will always be grateful for Mr Lee who saved him and gave him a new life.

At Woollim High

“Oppa!” Eunji went up to Hoya before he could go and grab lunch. She handed him a lunchbox filled with rice, spicy stir-fried chicken and some kimchi. She had woken up early in the morning to prepare, as an apology to him, for not considering his feelings at all. Feeling guilty about it, she had made up her mind to make up with her boyfriend. It was a small tiff, but Eunji missed Hoya a lot, as though they have been separated for a long time.

Hoya was still in a daze, not sure if he should tell Eunji about Mrs Lee’s plan for him to go to America to study. Looking at what she prepared for him, he decided that that could wait.

“Mianhe oppa, I should have been more thoughtful. You’ve always been the thoughtful one and I guess I just took it for granted. I’ll go to that dinner with you, so will you forgive me?” She pouted as she handed Hoya a pair of chopsticks. He messed up her bangs and gave her a smile.

“You know I’ll always forgive you.” Hoya took the chopsticks and took a bite of the food Eunji prepared for him.

“So this is what you woke me up super early for?” L brought over his tray of lunch and sat down next to Eunji. She had woken him up super early to get him to help with the cooking and packing of food. Given that L was the sleepy head he was, waking up super early was such a challenge.

“Hehehe,” Eunji gave a cheeky smile, which L tried so hard not to give in to her.

“Whoa daebak! Let me have some!” Sungyeol, who just appeared with his tray of lunch, immediately grabbed his chopsticks and tried to steal some of Hoya’s homemade lunch but before he could even reach the lunchbox, Eunji slapped his chopsticks away.

“This is for my oppa and oppa only!”

Sungyeol made a face and sat down, disappointed. Soon the others appeared with their lunches and they were all jealous of Hoya getting homemade lunch. Chopsticks were coming in from all sorts of directions trying to steal part of Hoya’s lunch but Eunji was always there to protect it.

“Yah, I helped preparing, don’t I get to try some?” L teased. Truthfully, he really wanted to try something Eunji cooked, since she has never cooked before.

“That’s right, okay, L oppa deserves a bite! Just one small piece for you oppa!” She brought up a small piece of chicken and fed it to him. L’s face turned as red as the kimchi in the luchbox because Eunji just fed him her cooking. EUNJI JUST FED HIM HER COOKING! His brain was working too fast for him to even calm himself down and he choked on the spiciness.

“Why? It isn’t good?” Eunji asked worriedly seeing L’s reaction.

“Aniya, your cooking is amazing. It’s just that L cannot take very spicy foods.” Hoya cracked up at L’s reaction, while passing him some water.

Sunggyu stared at the three of them and raised an eyebrow. Judging by how L is acting, he probably hasn’t confessed yet. He let out a sigh and continued to eat his lunch.

Woohyun was laughing at L for choking until he heard an audible sigh. “Hyung, what was that sigh for?”

“Eh? Nothing. Just eat.” Sunggyu replied coldly.

“This hyung is getting stranger as he gets older.” Woohyun muttered under his breath.

“YAH I HEARD THAT!”

And so it began, another round of bickering as lunch passes. There was never a day of peace at the lunch table. 

I wanted to upload this yesterday night but I had last minute plans so whoops! But here's the next chappie! Finals is coming so I'll be very very busy studying sigh :( However, I will still try my best to upload this once a week (as usual) and once I'm done with finals then I can be updating more often! YAY! I already have so many ideas for future stories that I can't wait to write so look forward to it ;) 

Have a great weekend everybody! Do comment, suscribe or whatever you want! As usual, I love my readers <3