Looking back it was funny how their story started. Emmy smiled as she turned the pages of the diary she had been writing in from the time she received her acceptance letter into Seoul University. At the young age of 18yrs old, Emmy had packed up her stuff and boarded the plane en route to Seoul via New York all alone. She left behind the life she knew and the friends she had made to pursue her dreams of becoming a renowned scientist. It was during her pursuit of her dream that she met him – the one who drove her crazy in a good and a bad way as well.
The first time they met, Emmy had been wandering down the streets of Seoul when she had been shoved roughly against a wall and a body was pressed into hers. Scared and frantic about her situation, she had felt tears pricking her eyes as her heart slammed in her chest. She began praying to God that this was not a situation with some random pervert or that she was about to get raped. All she could see was an expensive jacket as her face was pressed into the broad expanse of a male’s chest. Funny enough, as scared as she was the sound of his breathing by her ears and the smell of his perfume made her start to calm down. At that point, the sound of voices shouting had her on alert again. The body pressed closer into her and the face found its way in the nook of her neck. Emmy felt her entire body still as the thoughts of maybe this was a pervert after all went through her head. Just as she had been working up herself to scream, the pressure disappeared from against her body and the body that had been pressed against hers was gone. Emmy had looked around but she had no idea who was looking for. Weeks passed as she settled into her new environment and improved her rusty Korean while attending classes. She had forgotten about that strange encounter that day on the streets of Seoul.
Their second encounter was shorter than the first but just as strange. Emmy was looking around in the COEX Mall when someone bumped into her spilling the contents in her hands all over the floor. This time she got a glimpse of him as he turned around slightly but there was not much to see. He was tall, slim and dressed expensively with dark shades covering his eyes and a black cap on his head. Emmy was not sure if he was going to turn around and help her or not when he looked past her and began running again. Emmy scowled after him before she picked up her stuff from the floor quickly, wondering how someone could be so rude. With her stuff back in her hands, Emmy proceeded to continue her shopping putting the rude stranger out of her mind.
The third time they met was in the university cafeteria as Emmy had been looking around for an empty seat to sit and eat. With her tray in hand and her gaze searching around her, she turned around suddenly; unaware of the fact that someone was very close behind her until she felt her tray hit something. Emmy’s mouth opened in a soundless shout as she watched her food and drink slide off the tray and onto the tall student who had been busy on his phone. As if in slow motion, Emmy saw the guy jump back but it was too late. The damage had been done. Her lunch was now all over the front of his clothes and he was, rightfully, angry. She looked up at the tall student and the first thing that came to mind was that he was very handsome. Too handsome. The second thing that came to mind was that he looked ready to murder her right where she stood. Emmy could swear she felt a shiver of fear run through her at the sight of his cold and furious eyes as they glared at her.
“S-Sorry…” She had stuttered out in English, flustered and a sudden awareness of the attention on the pair of them dawning on her. “A-Ah…Mi-Mian…” She hurries to correct herself, apologizing in Korean.
“Mian?” The first time he spoke to her, his voice was as cold as his eyes if not colder. She almost expected icicles to drop out of his mouth and freeze her if not stab her to death. “That’s all you say after carelessly soiling my clothes like this? Mian? As if we’re some kind of friends?”
Those words spoken in a harsh, cold voice brought tears to her eyes but she stubbornly refused to shed them. She was not going to give him the satisfaction of making her feel inferior just because she was still not yet familiar with the language. In her nervousness, she had apologized using the informal form of the word. It had been an honest slip of the tongue. Squaring her shoulder, she looked him straight in the eyes unflinching as those cold dark orbs held hers in a challenge. She may not be Korean but she would be damn if she was going to let one of them push her around and make her feel small just because of a simple accident. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Emmy spoke up again.
“You…You should’ve been paying attention as well.” Emmy said and she almost flinch when she saw his eyes darken and his jaws tighten; a clear sign that she was only making things worse and probably digging her own grave. “Who do you think you are to speak to me like that? Do you think being pretty gives you the right to mistreat others?”
“This frigging bitch…” He bit out in that icy tone that was like the coming of hail and everyone in the cafeteria held his or her breath. “Do you have any idea who the hell I am?”
“No but then again I don’t want to either.” Emmy replied standing her ground even though inside she was quaking like a leaf. “Wouldn’t want to be associated with someone as rude as you.”
“WHAT?!”
“And about that…” Emmy said pointing at the stains on his shirt and pants. “Joesonghapmida.”
Emmy bowed at him before she sidestepped around him to exit the cafeteria. On shaky legs she had made her way to her dorms and collapsed onto her bed praying to God she never saw that guy ever again. For some weeks after, God seemed to have answered her prayers as everyone, including Emmy, forgot about the incident in the cafeteria.
The fourth time they met she had been in desperate need of emptying her bladder and had ran into the nearest bathroom without looking at the sign. She stopped short when she looked up to find him doing his business in one of the bowl on the wall.
“Ah!” Emmy said as she squeezed her legs together and looked up blushing at the sight of him doing his business.
“W-What the..!” He exclaimed turning away as fast as he could from her and Emmy mirrored his reaction, her face crimson with embarrassment.
“Th-This isn’t the girls’ washroom…” Emmy said feeling stupid and then gave herself a mental face palm. What was she still standing in there for?
“What? You can’t read now?” He exclaimed but Emmy did not hear him for she had already run out, heading for her dorm room. The desire to empty her bladder had vanished due to her overwhelming sense of embarrassment.
“What if he tells someone?” Emmy groaned as she felt her bladder complaining once more and turned into the washroom around the corner after making sure she was at the right one this time around.
As the days went by, Emmy kept a low profile and was relieved when no one looked at her in a strange manner or whispered anything behind her back. It seemed he had not told anyone about her embarrassing venture. Relieved, Emmy threw herself into her school work and had even begun to make friends as her Korean improved.
The fifth time they met was when she got herself lost looking for her lab and ended up at the male dormitory. Alas for her, some seniors saw her and acting on instinct, she began running. However, instead of running to the exit, she ended up running deeper into the dorm compound. Lost and not wanting to be labeled a pervert for being in the male section, she slipped into the nearest room that was unlocked at the sight of group of male students heading her way. Emmy, being the fortunate girl she was, went into the one room she would have rather not gone into in her life. Whose room you asked? Why, it was his room of course.
“Yah you–” he began turning around and then they both gasped.
There standing with just his boxers on and a towel around his neck with water shinning in his hair was none other than the university’s chaebol whom she had spilled her lunch on and whom she had walked in on doing his business in the washroom.
“A-ahh M-Mi-Mianhaeyo!!” Emmy stuttered turning around flushing with embarrassment.
“Ahh don’t tell me you thought this was the washroom again?” He said turning around and grabbing his jeans to quickly pull on over his neon green boxers.
“N-No…” Emmy squeaked wondering why she was still in his room. “I was looking for my bio lab when I got lost…”
“The bio lab?” He asked in a disbelieving voice. “Isn’t that on the other side of the campus?”
“Ah-ahh…R-Really?” Emmy whispered, mentally hitting her head against a concrete wall.
“Are you sure you’re not some kind of pervert?” He asked accusingly and Emmy flushed in anger and embarrassment.
“Yah! Who’s a pervert?!” Emmy asked spinning around to glare at him but her glare only landed on his exposed back and the rest of her words died in her throat as her eyes took in the broad expanse of his shoulders and the way his back muscles rippled whenever he moved. It was clear he took care of his body well. He must work out often. Rich people sure are different.
“You really are a pervert…coming in a guy’s room and staring at him getting dressed…” He said and Emmy snapped out of it to realize that he had turned around to catch her ogling at him. If only the ground could open up and take her then. “Shameless…”
“Y-Yah!! Who are you to say those things to me?!” Emmy yelled in embarrassment and anger at his rudeness.
“Are you asking because you don’t know?” He asked in an arrogant tone, the neck of his t-shirt hooked in his fingers. Did he think he was modeling for a magazine shoot or something?
“So what if you’re the heir to Samsung?” Emmy muttered, her embarrassment melting away beneath her anger. Was he looking down on her?
“Ahhh so even a peasant knows…” He replied pulling the shirt over his head.
“Peasant?” Emmy asked seeing red. Okay, she knew she wasn’t rich like him but how dare he call her a peasant?! “Where do you get off calling me that? Just because you are inheriting your father’s company? Wow…You should look at yourself first before calling others names. You are more a peasant that I am. At least the money I use I work for myself. You are spending your father’s labor not your own. You’re only entitled to the ‘chaebol’ name because of your father’s hard work. Have you ever worked a day in your life? No…So don’t go around calling others peasant…peasant.”
With that she turned around and yanked open the door to reveal a guy standing there looking up in surprise with his access card in his hand. He was probably the other occupant of the room.
“Er….” The person says but Emmy just brushed past him leaving a shocked chaebol in his room and left the dorm in haste, having found the exit sign.
“Ahh stupid stupid Emmy!! Why did you say all of that to him?” Emmy muttered to herself as she collapsed in a chair and banged her head in a continuous fashion on her desk causing the other students to throw weird looks her way. “Ahhh what if he tells the other students? Or he pulls some strings and has my status as a student revoked? Ahh!! What possessed me to say those words!?”
With exams coming up, Emmy threw herself once more deeply into her studies and did her best to avoid seeing him like the plague. It was not hard seeing as they majored in two different fields. She didn’t receive any threats, she didn’t see him and she was still very much a student at Seoul University. So all in all, she figured he had forgotten about her. Exams came and went and the semester break happened in peace.
The sixth time they met was during the last days of semester break as Emmy was out with some of her friends for lunch. She had just used the washroom and was heading back to where her friends were awaiting her when a hand grabbed her and a body pressed into her. Emmy’s eyes widened as she remembered that day on the streets of Seoul and she began struggling frantically with her oppressor.
“Ahh just stay still…” a male voice spoke in her ear and she froze. She knew that voice. Emmy stopped her struggling and turned her head to get a glimpse of his face.
“You!” She exclaimed in slight surprise and irritation.
He turned his head towards her and she could not say for sure, as his dark shades hid his eyes but she was sure his eyes widened in recognition.
“Pervert girl!” He said in shock and then looked back behind him as if searching for something.
“Who are you calling a pervert when you’re the one shoving random strangers into walls and pressing your body without shame against them?” Emmy bit out in anger.
“W-What?” He asked in shock before burying his face in her neck as a group of men in black suits rushed by.
“Are they looking for you?” Emmy asked as he peeked around her to look after them. “Did you get in trouble?”
“It’s none of your business, pervert girl.” He replies, the cold tone returning to his voice before he left her standing there with her back against the wall.
“Yah!! Jung Hae Jun!! Who the hell are you calling a pervert, you perv!!!?” Emmy yelled after him but he was far away and not possible he could have heard her. Or so she thought. What she did not know was that he had heard her and that his lips had twisted upwards in a small smile. Emmy did not know that the Ice Prince, who only smiled with his friends, smiled because of her.
The seventh time they met he kissed her and in front of another girl as well. She had just been walking back from her class to her dorm when a hand reached out and grabbed her. With a light squeal she found herself with Hae Jun’s arm around her waist as he pulled her in close to him.
“This is my girlfriend.” Hae Jun was saying to another girl who was standing there giving him a heartbroken look. “So you should stop with all this nonsense about liking me.”
“Oppa…” The girl whimpered and Emmy tried to pull away from him and tell the girl that she was not his girlfriend at all but his grip on her waist held her steady. “Oppa I don’t believe you.”
“Why?” Hae Jun asked with an arched eyebrow as he turned to stare into Emmy’s eyes, pausing all her struggling to get out of his grip. “Can’t you see that we like each other?”
Hae Jun turned back to the girl as Emmy flushed from both embarrassment and anger. She was beginning to think that was the only two reasons she could blush for as of late and it was always because of him. How dare he call her names, accost her, and now use her like this? And to break someone’s heart? The girl had addressed him as ‘Oppa’ and that meant she was younger than he was. How great must he think himself to be for him to pull this kind of stunt with such ease? In that moment, Emmy swore she hated him as she watch the tears stream down the girl’s cheek as Hae Jun told her to forget about him and that he never thought of her like that. How cruel.
“No! No!! It’s a lie!!!” The girl exclaimed. Emmy felt her heart go out to the girl, and she opened her mouth to tell the girl not to believe Hae Jun when the girl continued. “Oppa would never like someone like…like…her…”
The disdain was clear in the girl’s eyes as they moved over Emmy and Emmy took back the sympathy she had been feeling towards her earlier. The girl returned her attention to Hae Jun, clearly convinced that Emmy was not worthy competition, leaving Emmy annoyed and so she spoke without a thought.
“Why? Am I not good enough for him?” Emmy asked catching the girl and Hae Jun by surprise. “Is it because I don’t dress like you?” Emmy turned a withering and pointed gaze at the girl’s mini-skirt and exposing top. “Or is it because I don’t wear so many pounds of makeup on my face?” This time she directed a pointed look at the girl’s face where you could see the lines left where her tears had erased her make-up, not to mention the running eyeliner. “Though I gotta say I look way better than you do right now, raccoon face.”
Hae Jun bit the insides of his cheeks to prevent himself from laughing in amusement. He had not expected her to play along with him with the way she had been struggling against him earlier but he guessed he should thank God for that auto-defense system women had when it came to their appearance. Still he was not going to let either of them know that he found the current situation amusing. As it was he just wanted to get this situation over with and go hang out with his friends.
“You crazy bitch!! How dare you talk–” The girl shrieked at Emmy, raising her hand to hit Emmy causing her to cringe a bit. However, the girl never got the chance as Hae Jun grabbed her hand and squeezed hard on it. “Oh oppa it hurts…”
“Were you about to hit my girlfriend?” Hae Jun asked in a dangerous voice and the girl paled. Even Emmy felt a bit frightened.
“O-oppa…I know you’re lying…Oppa would never date….” The girl said whimpering but before she could get out the rest of her sentence Hae Jun turned Emmy’s head to his and kissed her full on her lips. Emmy’s eyes widened as she felt his soft lips against hers before a few seconds later it was gone.
“There!” Hae Jun said with a flat gaze at the girl. “Convinced now?”
“I hate you!!!” The girl yelled dramatically as she ran away crying.
“Man what a pain in the ass.” Hae Jun said letting go of Emmy who still had not recovered from the kiss. “Hmm… What’s with this one?”
Hae Jun waved a hand in front of the dazed Emmy snapping her back to reality. She looked up at him with wide eyes and he smirked at her.
“Dazed huh? It was your lucky day pervert girl.” Hae Jun said as he turned and left her standing there.
“YAH JUNG HAE JUN YOU SLIMY BASTARD!!!” Emmy yelled after him, regaining brain function. “How dare you steal my first kiss!!!”
To Emmy, Hae Jun seemed to keep walking as he turned a deaf ear to her but the truth of the matter was that Hae Jun’s eyes widened in surprise as a slight blush graced his cheeks, remembering the brief warmth of her lips. Giving himself a mental slap, he picked up his pace and left her screaming and cursing him.
The eighth time they met he asked her out on a date and she rejected him without a second thought. Well at first anyway.
“What?” Hae Jun asked in surprise that he was being turned down. Him, Jung Hae Jun, heir to Samsung and most eligible guy out there was being turned down by a foreign peasant pervert girl. “Why?”
“Let’s see. One, I don’t like you. Two, you’re a jerk. Three, you’re annoying. Four, you’re a slimy bastard. Shall I continue?” Emmy asked counting on her fingers as Hae Jun stared at her in disbelief.
“Yah! Pervert Girl!” Hae Jun yelled looking at her with his cold dark eyes. “I don’t like you either but…remember that chick from that time?”
“When you so rudely took my precious first kiss?” Emmy asked folding her arms as she glared at him.
“You’re still mad about that? You should consider yourself lucky to have someone as handsome as me give you your first kiss.” Hae Jun affecting an offhand tone. “Not everyone is that lucky.”
“Five, you’re an arrogant prick.” Emmy said holding up another finger on her hand.
“Yah!! I’m only stating the facts.” Hae Jun said folding his arms. “Anyways, well I’m sure you’re aware of the rumors going around about us dating…”
“I wonder whose fault that is.” Emmy remarks, giving him a pointed look. Hae Jun chose to ignore her.
“And that chick’s parents are a board member….” Hae Jun continued before Emmy interrupted him again.
“No wonder she was so bratty…” Emmy said with a scoff.
“And she seems to think she and I are meant to be…” Hae Jun continued once again ignoring Emmy.
“Well you’re both rich brats so she might be right.” Emmy said interrupting once more. Hae Jun glared at her but continued speaking.
“And our parents seem to agree with her and want us to get married…” Hae Jun said glaring at the tree behind Emmy’s head.
“Really? Congrats then.” Emmy said and Hae Jun turned a deadly glare onto her causing her to flinch.
“But since I rejected her, she’s told our parents about you and I…” Hae Jun said rubbing a hand over his forehead while Emmy blinked at him.
“I don’t see why you’re telling me all of this…” Emmy said and Hae Jun glared at her.
“Will you stop interrupting and let me finish?!!” Hae Jun shouted and Emmy flinched some more.
“Someone is on their period.” Emmy muttered under her breath as she took a seat on a bench by the pond.
“What I’m saying is that my parents want to meet you.” Hae Jun said after taking a deep calming breath.
“What?! Why?” Emmy asked, the shock and horror rocketing her to her feet once more.
“Haven’t you been listening?” Hae Jun asked in exasperation. “Is your ears on your ass or something?”
“No but it seems like your ass is your face because you’re such an assface.” Emmy shot out in vehemence at him.
“WHAT?!! AHHH THIS CRAZY BITCH…” Hae Jun yelled rubbing a hand over his forehead. “Ahh my blood pressure…”
“Tsk tsk…Old man…” Emmy said tutting at Hae Jun as he tried to rein in his temper. Emmy found it entertaining to see the cool and collected Jung Hae Jun lose his temper.
“Look…” Hae Jun said when he was calm again. “I’m asking you for a favor to just come with me to dinner with them. Just this once.”
“Why can’t you just tell them the truth? Or tell them that we didn’t work out?” Emmy asked in panic as Hae Jun looked at her in earnest. She wasn’t used to this. She was used to his cold looks only.
“Because then they’d set me back up with that crazy bitch!” Hae Jun yelled and Emmy blinked at him. “That girl…you have no idea how scary she is. She’d give those idols sasaeng fans a run for their money.”
“Eh? The hell kinda company you keep?” Emmy asked with wide eyes as Hae Jun recounted one incident with the girl. ‘Sasaeng’ was the name given to those fans that went too far with their affections for their favorite artiste. “And you want to get me involve? You must really want me dead!”
“Please…can’t you just do this one tiny favor for me…” Hae Jun asked pleading with her and Emmy stared at him in shock. The Jung Hae Jun was asking her for a favor and he even said ‘please’.
“Clearly the world must be coming to an end…” Emmy said still staring at him in wonder as she lowers herself once more onto the bench.
“Don’t be so dramatic.” Hae Jun mumbled under his breath as he took a seat also on the bench.
“Why can’t you just ask some other girl to play the part?” Emmy asked in frustration. She did not want to get caught up in the drama that she was sure would follow. She did not want anything to do with Hae Jun much less that psycho chick.
“Because they’re not you.” Hae Jun said looking at the pond.
“Eh?” Emmy asked blinking rapidly as she stared at him. Her heart most certainly did not just skip a beat.
“You don’t like me. I do not like you. So I have no need to worry about you getting pushed over by my parents or something…” Hae Jun said shrugging nonchalantly. “Plus you stood up to her before as well.”
“The hell kinda screwed up logic is that?” Emmy asked looking at him as if he had just sprouted a new head.
“Look are you gonna do this or not?” Hae Jun asked turning to her in exasperation, the last rays of the sunset catching in his hair and illuminating his face in a strange way that made him look surreal.
“Uhhh…”
“Great. I’ll pick you up at 6 at your dorm gate Friday night.” Hae Jun said getting up and leaving Emmy sitting there a little lost.
When she did catch herself, it was too late. Hae Jun had long been gone and she now had a date with him and his parents Friday night. She considered not going but it seemed that was not going to happen. The next day a package arrived for her and she frowned as she signed for it. Opening it she took out the card and read it.
Hey pervert girl. I don’t know what you were going to wear but wear this instead. And don’t even think of not meeting me because I’ll make you regret it. -Jung Hae Jun
p.s. 6pm SHARP!
Emmy huffed but reached in and took out the contents, gasping in wonder at the beautiful shimmering blue dress in her hands. She bit her lips as she considered telling him that it was not her size when a piece of paper fell into her lap.
Hey pervert girl! Don’t even think of saying it wouldn’t fit because I had your size checked. Your roomy was easy to convince~
-Hae Jun
Emmy looked up at the empty bed next to hers and scowled. She was going to strangle her the moment she comes in.
The ninth time they met was the Friday night when he picked her up at her dorm’s gate at 6pm on the dot. Emmy could feel her heart fluttering against her chest as she sneaked glances at him from the corner of her eyes. He looked dashing in his suit and tie and hair styled. He looked every bit the chaebol he was, driving his black corvette down the streets of Gangnam district to get to the restaurant where his parents would be meeting them.
“It suits you…” Hae Jun said from out of the blue as they waited at a traffic light.
“Huh?” Emmy asked startled as neither of them had said much to each other.
“The dress…” Hae Jun said as the light turned green and Emmy looked over at him wondering if that was really a hint of blush staining his cheeks or she was just seeing things.
“Thanks…” She murmured feeling herself flush for once not from anger or embarrassment. “You…You looked good too…”
“Naturally.” Hae Jun said with an arrogant smirk at her as they turned into a parking lot.
“Narcissistic.” Emmy murmured under her breath and Hae Jun chuckled causing Emmy to look at him with wide eyes. “By the Gods! Do my eyes deceive me? Did Jung Hae Jun just chuckle? And because of me?”
“Always so dramatic…” Hae Jun mumbled under his breath as he opened his door and got out followed by Emmy with a small smile on her face.
The dinner went well by Emmy’s standard, as she was sure she had not done anything to embarrass herself in front of two of the most powerful figures in South Korea now. When they bid Hae Jun’s parents ‘good-night’ and left the restaurant, a silence settled between them as Emmy wondered what it was his parents had said to him when they had called him aside.
“I think they like you…” Hae Jun said after a while and Emmy turned to him startled but unable to read his face in the dark.
“Huh?” Emmy asked as she bit her lips at the odd tone in his voice.
“They really like you…” Hae Jun said and then laughed a little confusing Emmy. “Well that’s understandable. Not everyone stands up to me or them…When you went at them with all guns blazing…”
“Ahhh…” Emmy said putting a hand on her face to hide her embarrassment.
“Well at least they believe me now when I told them you called me a ‘peasant’…” Hae Jun said and Emmy spun around to face him in surprise.
“You…told them that?!” Emmy squeaked in embarrassment.
“Mmm…It was fun to watch their expressions when I said that and when you told them that just because you were raised poor doesn’t mean you lacked anything.” Hae Jun said chuckling at the memory of the one moment during their dinner when things got a bit rocky.
“I still can’t believe I behaved so uncivilized…” Emmy mumbled glad for the dark hiding her face.
“Nahh…You earned their respect…and that’s not an easy thing to do…” Hae Jun said turning to look at her as they turned into the university gate and headed towards the female dorm.
“Ahhh…Well….” Emmy said twirling the ends of her hair between her fingers.
“I guess now they understand why I…..” Hae Jun trailed off and Emmy turned to look at him as the car came to a halt outside the dorm gate.
He turned his head to stare at her for a while without saying anything and her heart began beating loudly in her chest. Something shifted between them and her heart increased it’s pace as Hae Jun leaned closer to her. She could not read his expression as he kept coming closer and then she heard the car door opening. Turning her head, she saw her door open and Hae Jun had moved back into his seat.
“Good-night.” Hae Jun said in a soft voice, looking in front of him. Emmy bit her lips and stepped out mumbling.
“Good-night…”
Why was she disappointed? What had she been expecting? That he was going to kiss her? When had she started to expect something like that from Hae Jun? Was she falling for him? Emmy shook her head and began walking when a shout stopped her.
“Hey Pervert Girl!” Hae Jun called and Emmy made a quick about turn to face the opened car window of the driver’s side.
“Yah I have a name you know…” Emmy grumbled and Hae Jun chuckled.
“Thanks…for tonight…” Hae Jun said with a small smile and Emmy nodded. “Well, see ya…Kang Mariam.”
With that, he rolled up his window and drove off leaving a stunned but beaming Emmy behind.
The tenth time they met was a week later when Hae Jun knocked on her door and asked her to have coffee with him. So shocked was she at the sight of his nervous face that she nodded her head without a conscious thought. But when a bright smile appeared on his lips, Emmy was glad that she had accepted. She had always thought he was handsome but he looked even more so when he smiled. It was like the clouds parted and let the bright beautiful light of the sun through to light up the Earth. They sat together in the small café just off of campus waiting for their coffee to come. Emmy was wondering why it was that he had asked her out in the first place when they had not even seen or spoken to each other since that night they had dinner with his parents.
“Soooo…” Emmy said breaking the awkward silence between them.
“Mmmm…” Hae Jun hummed as he tapped his fingers made light taps on the table.
And that was the end of their attempt at a conversation. Luckily the waiter came with their coffee then and so they became busy with their coffee instead.
“Ah hot hot!” Emmy said fanning her tongue where she had burnt it causing Hae Jun to chuckle.
“Idiot…Of course it’s hot…” He said blowing into his coffee. “They just made it.”
“Shut up…” Emmy mumbled in embarrassment and Hae Jun chuckled some more taking a sip of his coffee.
“Sooo….what do you do for fun?” Hae Jun asked after a while and Emmy looked at him in surprise. “Well other than going into male’s dorm room while they’re changing…or going into the male washroom…”
“Oh God… Don’t remind me of those…” Emmy groaned hiding her face in mortification.
“Aww… How cute…” Hae Jun said chuckling and Emmy stared at him blinking some more. Hae Jun flushed and drank his coffee. It was clear he had not meant to say that aloud.
“You’re being weird…” Emmy pointed out as she sipped her coffee. “Where did the angst-ridden, cold and stuck up Hae Jun go?”
“Is…Is that really how you see me?” Hae Jun asked looking down and Emmy wondered if she had imagined the sad look in his eyes at her statement.
“Er…umm…that is kinda what everyone sees…” Emmy mumbled not sure as to what she should say and why he was asking anyway.
“I don’t care about how anyone else sees me…” Hae Jun said dismissively. “I’m asking you if you just see me as an arrogant rich jerk?”
“You know it well…” Emmy murmured, her voice laced with vehemence and then frowned when she saw a flicker of what seemed like hurt in his eyes. “Umm…well…I mean… Why are you asking anyway?”
“Ummm well…I was wondering…you know…” Hae Jun began fidgeting as he hesitated and then he bit his lips. “Can we be friends?”
“Friends? You want…to be…friends…with me…?” Emmy asked in shock, coffee forgotten in her hands.
“Well…no…” Hae Jun said and Emmy felt the hopes that had risen inside of her took a dive into the deepest darkest pit. “I want you to be my girlfriend….but I figured you might want for us to get to know each other better first….”
“You…what?” Emmy asked trying to process what she had just heard.
“Ummm…yeah…” Hae Jun said blushing as he looked down at his coffee. “Wouldyoubemygirlfriend?”
Emmy’s jaw hit the ground with no hopes of coming back up. There in front of her, fiddling nervously with his cup of coffee was the Jung Hae Jun asking her to be his….
“Is this some kind of joke?” Emmy asked feeling anger bubbling inside of her as she thought that he was just making fun of her.
“No…” Hae Jun said but something in the way he said that left her staring at him with narrowed eyes. “It’s a dare….”
“A dare?” Emmy bit out in anger. She should have known. Why would someone like Hae Jun like someone like her? God she wanted to deny it but it hurt her that he would play with her feelings like this. But what else had she expected? Had she really think he could like someone like her?
“It was a dare…by Kai and his girlfriend, your roommate…” Hae Jun said still looking down at his coffee. “They dared me to ask you out after claiming I looked too pitiful waiting for you to notice my feelings for you…”
“What?” Emmy asked looking at him in surprise. Should she believe him? He looked up at her and for once his eyes were not devoid of emotions. They were sincere and her breath caught in her throat as her heart picked up its pace in her chest. Was this really happening? “Your feelings…for…me?”
“Yeah…I…kinda…liked…you…from the time you called me a peasant…” Hae Jun said blushing as he bit his lips.
“I…I…I don’t know what to say….” Emmy said at a complete lost as to what to say.
“Say you’ll be my girlfriend…” Hae Jun said looking at her with honest and hopeful eyes.
“I…” Emmy stared into his eyes and listened to her heart. “Okay…If this is not a game…”
“It’s not…” Hae Jun respond before she could complete her sentence. He grabbed her hands and gave it a tight squeeze. “I’m really serious about this.”
“Then…” Emmy said taking a deep breath and smiling at him. “You have yourself a girlfriend.”
A happy smile bloomed on Hae Jun’s face as he linked their fingers across the table. “Guess I owe Neia a month of shopping using my card.” Hae Jun said chuckling.
“Eh?” Emmy asked frowning.
“She said that you liked me as well…” Hae Jun said grinning at Emmy who crimsoned and began plotting her best friend/roommate’s murder for spilling on her. “When I was hesitating, she smacked my head and said that you’ve talked about me a lot and that you liked me. I bet against her because you seemed like you really disliked me.”
“Ahh I’m going to kill her…” Emmy said but then Hae Jun chuckled and squeezed her hand that was entwined with his. “Or maybe not.”
“Your coffee is getting cold.” Hae Jun said releasing her hand to drink his.
“Ah…Hey wait you said her boyfriend is Kai….?” Emmy asked now picking up that piece of information.
“Mmm…Yeah…He’s my best friend.” Hae Jun said shrugging.
“What?! That sneak! She never told me she had a boyfriend or that her boyfriend was your best friend!” Emmy huffed preparing to tackle her friend when she got back to her dorm.
“Really? She told me a lot about you…” Hae Jun said laughing. “They’ve been dating since the start of the year.”
“What?!” Emmy exclaimed in disbelief. “I have to have a strong word with her!”
“Alright. Stop talking about her so much now…” Hae Jun said getting up and pulling Emmy up to her feet. “I have classes soon and I don’t want to be late or make you late.”
They reached back on campus and bid each other good-bye, heading to their respective courses with bright happy smile. Their smile told their friends all they needed to know. Kai tackled Hae Jun into a big exuberant hug while Emmy and Neia hugged it out jumping up and down on the bed until Emmy suddenly place Neia in a headlock.
“Y-Yah what are you doing?” Neia choked out, struggling to release Emmy’s arm from around her neck.
“Why didn’t you tell me you knew him? And that you were dating? And his best friend at that?” Emmy asked as she tightened her grip. And then Neia knocked out her feet from under her.
“It was just too much fun!!” Neia said laughing at Emmy on the bed before she danced expertly out of Emmy’s grasp. “Besides you were always either talking about him or moaning about missing your old home.”
“Ahh… but… I thought we were friends who could talk to each other..” Emmy said pouting and Neia laughed.
“Don’t worry. When I have a problem I’ll come straight to you to kick Kai’s ass for me.” Neia said as she left the room, leaving a smiling Emmy behind.
And just like that, Hae Jun and Emmy began dating. The days that followed were beautiful and sometimes hard but with Neia by her side to keep the angry admirers away and Kai, a new friend Emmy made, also keeping an eye out for her and his girlfriend and Hae Jun with her whenever they could afford to meet, the time passed by filled with loads of joy.
The four years at the university flew by and they all graduated at the top of their classes. More importantly, Hae Jun and Emmy were still together and Kai and Neia were still together thus dashing the other girls hopes of ever making a steal. Kai and Hae Jun were committed to Neia and Emmy, respectively, only.
One year after graduating, on the day of Hae Jun becoming the boss at Samsung and Emmy landing her first break in bioengineering, Hae Jun proposed and Emmy accepted. Things could not have been better for the happy couple.
As the business was doing fantastic and Emmy achieving the award for the rising new bio-engineer, Hae Jun and Emmy got married one year later following their engagement. Life was just beautiful for them.
It’s been three years since then and Emmy smiled as Hae Jun came into their room looking as dashing as ever in his formal attire of a black suit and tie.
“What are you doing?” Hae Jun asked as Emmy sets down the old diary and got up from her seat at her dresser.
“Just reminiscing…” Emmy smiles as his arms encircled her waist.
“Hmm..well…I’d like to reminisce with you but…” Hae Jun said letting go of her waist and taking her hand to lead her out of the room. “The best man and maid-of-honor can’t be late now.”
“Hmm…You’re right.” Emmy said smiling as they left their house to head to their best friends’ wedding.
Kai and Neia were finally tying the knot now that their careers were now in a stable place. Despite having their degrees in business, both Kai and Neia branched out into the entertainment field. Neia became a successful model and actress while Kai became a famous dancer, actor and model. It was now, according to them, time to take their next big step together.
“Ahhh the rings…where did I…” Hae Jun turned around patting his pocket.
Emmy chuckled and opened her purse to pull out the two cases with the rings in it. “They’re right here dear.” Emmy said and Hae Jun smiled, giving her a quick kiss before getting into the car.
“What would I do without you?” Hae Jun said smiling as they buckled up to head to the venue where their best friends were going to get married.
♦THE END♦
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Soooo…. This is something that was originally fanfiction…. changed the name and figured I’d put it up to see what non-fanfic readers think… (fanfic readers opinion are naturally welcomed too).
The original names have been changed.. (sorta).
Well~ I hope it’s an enjoyable read.
— N
Fictionize My World 