Chapter Two

***
The former owner of Jin Soo’s seat waived at him as she passed by.

Okay, he thought. Does this make us friends now? Jin Soo looked around the class in slight irritation. “This class is full of freshmen,” he grumbled.

Eun Young gave him a sidelong glance. It had been two weeks since he had begun sitting next to her and they now had this routine where they’d chat briefly before class began. “You’re not a freshman?”

He twitched his nose in slight annoyance. “Do I look like one?”

She shrugged. “I just assumed you looked old for your age.”

He rolled his eyes. “Funny, I thought the same of you.”

“Ha ha,” she said dryly. “So what year are you in?”

He opened up his book then looked at her. “Fourth year. You?”

She looked away from him and towards the front of the class. “You don’t need to know. What’s your major?”

“Medicine.”

The response was surprising so she looked at him again, this time, catching his eye. “Medicine? What’s a medical student doing in this class?”

He inched his face a little closer to hers and smirked. “A medical student can’t take creative writing?”

She moved her head back instinctively and looked away again. What was that about? She shrugged again. “It just seems odd.”

“It’s not that odd. What about you? Are you a literature major? Korean major? Fine Arts major?”

“Why do you want to know?” She began to flip through the pages of her textbook to find the right chapter for that day’s lesson.

“You can’t even tell me that much? I thought we’d developed a rapport here.”

“A rapport? Between us?” She chuckled. “Is that what this is? Aren’t you just killing time?”

“Yeah, yeah, but still tell me. What’s your major?”

She gave up. “I’m a business major.”

“And what’s a business major doing in this class?”

She pursed her lips in pretended to be in deep thought. “I wonder why.”

“You love to write?” he offered.

“No.”

He laughed. “You’re really stingy with your answers, aren’t you? I’m Lee Jin Soo, by the way,” he said stretching his hand out to her.

She hesitated for a second before taking it. “Nice to meet you.”

“And you are…?”

“And I am…?”

“...not going to tell me your name?”

She made a big show of thinking about it. “No," was all she said.

And this only intrigued him more. “Is it a matter of national security? Are you an undercover agent? Spy? Daughter of the president? Killer? Pop star? Princess? Por—”

“Class is about to start,” Eun Young said, cutting him off mid-sentence.


***


“So did you manage to talk to Cute Guy today?” Eun Young asked Hee Soo as they walked to their apartment together.

Hee Soo shook her head. “Very busy. Someone quit so I didn’t have time to think of him. What about you? Annoying Guy. Still annoying?”

“Yes, definitely,” Eun Young replied, nodding. “I think I’m going to have to sit next to him for the whole semester.”

“Oh – long enough for the love to bloom,” Hee Soo said half-seriously.

She laughed. “Everything is about romance with you, isn’t it? But no, I’m sure that’s not going to happen. But the thing is he’s very nosy and keeps trying to talk to me.” Although if she really admitted it to herself, she didn’t quite mind it. At least it made the beginning of class a little interesting.

“Maybe he likes you.”

She shook her head. “I somehow don’t think so. I think he’s just bored. Maybe he’s the talkative type?”


***

“Seo Eun Young,” she heard someone whisper from behind her. She turned around to find Jin Soo smirking at her. She'd gotten so used to his smirk that somehow it had begun to look cute. She shook her head to rid herself of that thought.

“What are you doing here?” she asked in an accusing tone.

“I came for the free boat ride.” Which was partly true. He’d been walking past the large group of people gathered and even though there was a sign indicating that the sailing club was giving free rides which he guessed was as a means of getting some exposure and donations, he would have kept walking if he hadn’t spotted Eun Young’s familiar body in line. Okay he knew he should have stayed away but was it wrong that bugging her amused him to no end? Seeing her rattled just cracked him up. “So what are you doing here?” he asked as he pretended not to hear the people behind complaining about him cutting the line.

Eun Young furrowed her eyebrows. “Clearly the same thing you’re doing here.”

“Then why did you ask such a redundant question, Miss Seo? Seo Eun Young ssi. Miss Eun Young Seo.”

A large group of people got on the boat so they moved up the line.

“I see you found out my name.”

“It wasn’t hard for someone with my skills to do.” Especially as he’d seen her name written in one of her books. And the rest of the information was simply a mouse click away. “You’re Seo Eun Young. Junior. Originally from Busan. Daughter of President Seo. Heir to a large publishing company – which would explain why you’re taking Creative Writing 101 even though you’re a business major.”

“Well congratulations on your discovery. I figured that I might as well learn a little bit about writing if I was going to work at a publishing firm. What about you? Why is a med student studying creative writing?”

He shrugged. “I enjoy writing but what are the chances I’m going to get published and make money doing it? Plus when I think about it, my parents sacrificed a lot for me so it only makes sense that as the only son, I study something worthwhile that will earn me a respectable income.”

Eun Young hissed and nodded knowingly. “You’re exactly as I thought. In fact, you even have less of an interesting personality than I imagined. You have a choice between being fun and being boring and you choose boring. What happened to doing what you loved and following your heart?”

He laughed sarcastically. “Look whose talking. Aren’t you in school just so you can join the family business?”

“And so?”

“How’s that different from what I’m doing? Since childhood, you’ve been groomed to join the family business,” he said pointing at her. “Since childhood, I've been groomed to be a doctor,” he said, this time, pointing at himself. “How are they different?”

“The difference is that I actually want to work at the publishing firm.”

“Did I say I didn’t want to be a doctor? Writing is just a hobby for me. I’m sure you have hobbies too. So get off your high horse – we are exactly the same. ”

“We are absolutely not,” she said firmly.

“Yes, we are.”

“No, we’re not.”

He chuckled. “Yes, we are. You’re in denial just because don’t want to have anything in common with me. Do I scare you that much?”

She scoffed. “Scare me? Dude, you’re clearly in love with yourself. You think everything is about you.”

“Everything is not about me?”

Something about the feigned look of shock on his face made her laugh.

Just as he was about to respond, her phone rang.

“Hey Eun Young, it’s Hee Soo,” the voice from the other end said.

Eun Young waved at Jin Soo to excuse herself as she took the call. “Where are you? I’m almost at the front of the line. You need to get here right now.”

“I’m so sorry but I can’t make it. Because that guy quit, my manager isn’t letting me leave early even though he promised me last week. It’s totally not fair! He’s such an as.shole.”

“This sucks. I’ve been standing in line for over forty minutes and now you’re telling me you can’t make it? Why didn’t you call earlier?”

“I’m so sorry, Eun Young ah. I only just found out when I was trying to leave. I’m sorry. But I have to get back to work now,” she said before hanging up
.
Eun Young hissed loudly before throwing her phone into her bag.

Jin Soo watched the exchange and when she rejoined him in the line, said, “Your friend isn’t coming?”

She shook her head. “No.”

“Your boyfriend?” Okay, why did he just ask that? But someone who looked like her had to have a boyfriend. It was one of those unwritten rules.

She laughed. “Huh? Why do you ask?”

He made sure he gave her his most nonchalant look. “I’m just curious.”

“Don’t be.”

“So are you going to stay for the ride?” And would it look weird if he also left the queue right after she did? And if so, would that mean he’d have to get on the stupid boat anyway even if she didn’t?

“I don’t know,” Eun Young replied as she tried to figure out what the next step would be. It would seem like a waste of time to just go home after all the time she’d spent in the queue. But on the other hand, if she’d realized she’d be alone, she’d never have shown up.

“You might as well stay,” she heard Jin Soo say. “You can still enjoy the ride.”

She turned around and looked at him curiously. “How come you’re here alone anyway?” Or was he the type who didn’t mind going to places like restaurants and the cinema by himself? Regarding him closely, he seemed the type. “You don’t have any friends, do you? Which would absolutely make sense, given your personality.”

He shook his head and laughed. “Get over it. I already gave you back your seat.”

She hissed. “I’m over it.”

“Although it cracked me up so much. I’ve never seen anyone so attached to a seat before. You almost broke down in tears.”

“Which is why you should have been a gentleman about it in the first place.”

”And miss out on all that fun? I don’t think so.”

***

A few minutes later, it was time for them to get on the boat.

When it was Eun Young’s turn to climb in, one of the sailing club members took her hand and helped her in while Jin Soo held her back to keep her steady.

“Is there a reason you’re touching me?”

“Can't you see that I’m helping you up?”

“Did I ask for your help?” she said once she was fully in the boat. “Don’t think I’m weak just because I’m a woman.”

“Sorry. I thought you wanted me to be gentleman.”

“Not when it involves you touching me.”

Jin Soo laughed as he got on the boat and sat next to her.

“Why are you sitting so close to me?” She tried to scoot away but there really was no place to scoot to.

“Can’t you see that we’re cramped in here? They are trying to fit as many people on here as possible.”

Eun Young looked at all the other passengers in the especially full boat. It comprised mainly of couples although there was also an irritating group of about five girls who kept giggling loudly. “I hope we don’t sink.” But if they did, she hoped those five would be the first to go.

“Don’t worry, I’ll save you,” Jin Soo yelled as the boat began to move and it got a little noisy.

Eun Young held on tight and despite herself, leaned on Jin Soo for some support. “You’ll save me? Are you a good swimmer?” she yelled back at him.

He shook his head. “No.”

“Then how will you save me?”

“Through prayer,” he said with a straight face.

She burst out laughing. Of all things to say.

Seeing her laugh made him do the same. Was it a little odd that he enjoyed making her laugh?


***

“So where are you off to now?” Jin Soo asked. After spending 15 minutes on what seemed like an exceptionally short ride, they were walking towards the main road.

“Why do you care? Do you want to follow me?”

“Is it a sin to make conversation?” After a short moment of silence he said, ”Are you going to meet your boyfriend now? Since he couldn’t make it and all?”

She laughed. “Why must you know who I was meeting? You really can’t let it go, can you?”

“Maybe I’m just like you – you can’t seem to let things go either. Do you remember that you almost killed me because of a seat?” When she didn’t respond he said, “So are you going to tell me?”

“What?”

“Who you were supposed to meet today.”

“No!” Eun Young was truly enjoying playing coy. The less she told, the more interested this guy seemed to be and that only made her want to tell him even less. Perhaps she could consider this payback for how he’d treated her when they first met.

“Was it a boy or a girl?”

Instead of replying, Eun Young began to laugh.

“Just answer the question.”

“Why don’t you use your special skills to find out?” she said as she kept laughing.

When they arrived at the road, Jin Soo pointed towards campus. “I’m going this way.”

Eun Young pointed in the other direction. “I’m going this way.”

Jin Soo sighed and nodded. “So we must part now,” he said, lingering on the last word.

“Yes, we must part now.”

“And you’re still not going to tell me who you were meeting?”

“Nope!”

“Forget it then. It’s not like I care either way.”

She laughed boisterously. She was enjoying it too much. “Exactly. Forget it because I’m never telling you. Anyway, I guess I’ll see you whenever.”

“Which would be in class tomorrow.”

“Oh, don’t remind me!” she said dramatically before laughing again.

He laughed too. “See you tomorrow.”

“Bye.”

***

Since business had gotten a little lighter for a few minutes, Hee Soo decided to use the opportunity to speak to Cute Guy. Normally, she was into the bad boy type but there was something about this studious guy that attracted her. Maybe it was the way he seemed so focused and dedicated to his work. And to imagine him shifting all that focus and dedication to one woman excited her.

After taking a quick look at her reflection in one of the windows, she took a deep breath in and approached his table, coffee pot in hand. “Oh,” she said, peering into his cup. “You don’t need a refill yet.”

“Not yet,” Jin Soo said after a quick glance and smile at her. Of course he didn’t need a refill seeing as she’d topped him off about five minutes earlier.

“So,” Hee Soo began, “are you enjoying your coffee?”

Jin Soo gave her another tight smile. “Yes, thank you," he said before turning back to his book.

Hee Soo studied his table, hoping to find something to get the conversation rolling. “Biology major?” she guessed, based on the cellular biology and genetics books he had with him.

Jin Soo looked up from his book and smiled at her. She clearly wasn’t leaving, was she? “Sure.”

She smiled now that she could see that she had his full attention. “Sounds like fun.”

“Yes, it is. Thank you.”

“I’m a law major myself.”

“That’s nice.”

“I’m wondering why I’ve never seen you before. Are you new? Are you a grad student?”

He shook his head. “No. It’s my fourth year here. But I came here a lot last semester as well, though. Maybe you just don't recognize me.”

“Actually, I only started working here this semester.”

“Cool.”

“So that would explain why I didn’t see you last semester,” she said, laughing at what she hoped sounded like a joke.

“Of course,” was all Jin Soo said, clearly not finding the humor in it.

“So, anyway,” she said, having had her fill of the awkwardness. Getting Cute Guy wasn't going to be easy. “If you need a refill don’t forget to raise your hand and I’ll be here in a jiffy.” Did I just say, “in a jiffy?” She hid her face to hide her dismay.

“Oh, definitely,” he said, nodding and then nodding again. “Yeah, yeah. Thank you.”