Chapter 5: Ill-mannered Savior
The next morning being, Saturday, Haewon slept in, and by the time she woke up, it was mid-morning already, and she was alone on her bed.
She remained on her bed as she thought about the events of the previous night. She believed she should have done a better job fighting off her attackers. She had been trained to fight from a young age for that exact reason, so how could she have been so helpless?
Now she had to worry about getting a new phone. Even though most of the things on her phone were backed up, and she could easily get them back, she hated to lose her things. Although the phone was old, she was emotionally attached to it. Her grandfather had gotten her the phone on her birthday two years ago, just before he passed away.
She raised her head when a knock sounded on her door, and Ivy walked in with her hands behind her, “Guess who was here a while ago to see you?” Ivy asked when she saw that Haewon was awake, and Haewon sat up.
“Charlotte?” She asked with a slight frown since that was the only person that could have stopped by to see her.
“Nope. Your savior from last night, and he came bearing gifts!” Ivy said as she brought her hands forward to show Haewon her phone.
Haewon jumped off the bed the moment she heard her savior had been there, “He was here? Why didn’t you come to get me?” She asked as she ran out of her bedroom to go after him.
“I doubt you’d catch up with him. He was on a power bike,” Ivy hurriedly told her. Still, Haewon ran outside, and true to Ivy’s words, there was no trace of him.
“What’s wrong?” Selena asked when she stepped out of her bedroom and saw Haewon returning into the living room barefooted.
“How did he know we live here? Did he tell you how he got my phone? Why didn’t you wake me up?” Haewon asked Ivy with a scowl.
“After last night, we didn’t think your sleep should be disturbed. Besides, he didn’t stay for longer than a minute. He refused to come inside,” Ivy explained.
“That doesn’t explain how he knows where I live. Did he perhaps ask Sandra, and then she asked Charlotte?” She mused out loud.
“You called me using his phone, so he called me to ask for directions to our house, saying he needed to return your phone to you. He said he ran into the guys and got your phone from them since you seemed upset about losing it,” Selena explained.
“So, you have his number?” Haewon asked hopefully.
Selena exchanged an amused look with Ivy, “You called me from his phone last night, didn’t you?” She reminded her.
“Oh! Yes, I did! Why didn’t I think of that? Can I have it? I need to thank him,” Haewon said, and Selena raised a brow.
“Are you sure that’s all you want to do? You sound like you’re crushing on him,” Selena said, and Haewon rolled her eyes while Ivy giggled.
“I understand he might be your savior, but please do not crush on him. He is ill-mannered,” Ivy said, and Haewon looked from Selena to Ivy.
“I’m not crushing on him. I only feel really grateful to him for not only saving me but also bringing back my phone. Now can I have my phone? And can I have his number?” Haewon asked, extending a hand to Ivy, who handed her phone to her, and then Selena gave her Jake’s number.
She saved the name as Savior on her phone and decided to give him a call after she had freshened up and was clear-minded. She was really very happy to have her phone back, and she owed it to him.
As she returned to her bedroom, her phone started ringing, and she rejected the call the moment she saw it was Charlotte.
Haewon was not the kind of person to play the blame game, but she did not want to speak to Charlotte at the moment. She was still too mad at her for pulling a disappearing act on her.
Charlotte called two more times, and she rejected each call.
After she freshened up, she contemplated whether or not she should call him yet. Perhaps she could wait until she had breakfast? She mused.
After only a moment’s hesitation, she dialed his line and paced around her bedroom until he received the call on the fifth ring.
Haewon held her breath when she noticed he had received the call, but Jake said nothing even though he knew who was calling. He had expected that she would give him a call.
He listened to her as she cleared her throat, “Um, hello!” She greeted nervously.
“Hello! Who’s this? And how can I help you?” He asked curtly.
“Yeah. I’m sorry. I’m Haewon. Kim Haewon. You rescued me last night and…”
“I see you got back your phone,” He cut in, and she nodded, forgetting he wasn’t there to see the nod.
“Yes. I called to thank you. I just got it back…”
“It’s fine,” He cut in once again.
“Please, what’s your name? Perhaps I could buy you a drink or lunch to thank you?” She asked hopefully.
“That won’t be necessary. Got to go now,” Jake said before hanging up.
Haewon stared at her phone, unable to believe he had hung up just like that when she was only trying to express her gratitude.
Ivy had been right to say he was ill-mannered. How could he behave in this manner? For someone as good-looking as he was, who had been kind enough to put himself through the trouble of fending off her attackers and retrieving her phone, shouldn’t he have better manners?
She tried not to let it upset or annoy her. He was her savior, after all, and if he didn’t feel comfortable with her gratitude, he had every right to react as he did. She wasn’t going to bother him anymore. She had thanked him, and that was good enough, she decided as she went to the living room to join her sisters.
Chapter 6: New Guy
The weekend went by quickly and by Monday morning, Haewon had been able to put the event of Friday night out of her mind.
It was as though by unspoken agreement, her sisters had decided not to inform anyone in the family about what had happened during the weekend video calls, and she was grateful to them for that.
Haewon knew that there was no way that she was going to be able to avoid Charlotte now that they would be meeting in school.
She knew that the only reason Charlotte had not visited to find out why she was ignoring her calls was because Charlotte was busy with her weekend part-time job at a bookstore, and even if she wasn’t, Haewon had tried to make herself scarce by accompanying Selena to everywhere she went over the weekend.
Almost immediately after she walked down the school hall to her locker, Charlotte caught up to her in front of her locker room.
“Did your phone get broken? Or did I do something wrong? Why haven’t you been taking my calls?” Charlotte asked without beating around the bush.
Haewon turned to her, her brown eyes blazing angrily, “Did you just ask me if you did something wrong? I can’t believe you’re asking me such an annoying question after you abandoned me at a party you made me attend!” Haewon snapped at her angrily, attracting the attention of some of the students in the hallway.
Without another word, Haewon turned to leave but Charlotte stepped in front of her, “You have got to be kidding me,” Charlotte declared looking annoyed too.
“How can you be mad at me when you’re the one who left me at the party? I didn’t realize I ate something bad and was stuck in the restroom. Can you imagine how I felt when I came out and couldn’t find you? I kept calling to find out where you were, not only did you not answer my calls, you went as far as turning off your phone!” Charlotte snapped right back angrily, surprising Haewon.
“I get that you attended the party only because I asked you to, but the least you could have done was tell me you were leaving or take my calls,” Charlotte said, but Haewon was not having any of that.
“I asked everyone! No one saw you go into the restroom and your line was not connecting either!” Haewon retorted.
“Yeah, right! How silly I was. How could I have forgotten that I was supposed to announce to everyone that I was going to use the restroom?” She asked sarcastically, and Haewon sighed.
“That doesn’t explain why your line wasn’t connecting,” Haewon said, and Charlotte raised a brow.
“Is that all you are going to say? You are going to keep trying to make this about me when you’re the one who left the party without me? Well, if you must know, my battery died. I had to power it using Sandra’s power bank,” Charlotte said angrily, and without another word she turned around and walked away, leaving Haewon feeling guilty.
Haewon ran after her immediately, “Wait up, Lottie,” She called, and Charlotte spun around to glare at her.
“What? You want to talk to me now? Why don’t you go right back to ignoring me as you did all weekend?” She asked, and Haewon sighed.
“I’m sorry, alright? I was wrong. I was mad because I thought you left the party without me. I got attacked by some guys on my way and….”
Charlotte’s eyes widened in horror at that, “You were attacked? How? What happened?” Charlotte asked in alarm, her anger forgotten as she took a second look at Haewon for any signs that she had been assaulted.
“I will tell you about it after you forgive me for misunderstanding the situation,” Haewon said, and Charlotte embraced her.
“You know I can’t hold grudges against you. I love you too much for that,” Charlotte assured her and Haewon smiled.
“Good. Let’s go to the classroom then,” Haewon said as she linked arms with Charlotte, and as they made their way towards their classroom, she told her all that had happened that night.
“Oh, my God! That must have been so terrifying. I’m so sorry,” Charlotte said as they walked into the classroom, but Haewon was not listening to her.
Haewon had stopped in her track and was now staring at the back of the class. Seated on the spot beside her seat was a familiar tall figure with a short crop of hair and dark eyes that seemed to pierce through her.
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It was the very guy who had saved her. Her ill-mannered savior. What was he doing here in her school? In her classroom? And why did he appear to be even more handsome now in the light of day than she remembered him to be that night?
Charlotte raised a brow when she caught Haewon staring at Jake, “Don’t tell me you are smitten by the new guy too. It was crazy when he walked into the class this morning. Quit staring,” Charlotte whispered for Haewon’s ear only.
“New guy?” Haewon asked, reluctantly breaking her gaze away from Jake’s expressionless eyes to look at Charlotte.
“Yes. His name is Jake. Jake Davies. He’s pretty hot, isn’t he? I heard he’s from a really wealthy home too. But that is expected. I’m here on a scholarship after all. Not many people can afford to send their wards to the best school in the country.”
Jake Davies. So, that was the name he had refused to tell her. Well, she had been tempted to delete his number from her phone after that annoying phone call but had edited it instead and saved his number as ‘mannerless savior’ just in case he decided to call her back later.
She had no intention of changing it now that she knew his real name. It was going to remain just the way it was on her phone.
“Let’s take our seats,” Charlotte suggested as she pulled Haewon along with her to their desks.
Haewon wasn’t sure what to do with this new and unexpected development. Should she say hello to him? Should she ignore him? What was he expecting her to do? She wondered as she sat on her desk which was next to him.
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Thankfully she didn’t have to wonder for long because he slid a sheet of paper to her discreetly and answered her unspoken questions.
[Don’t say hello to me. I’d rather you pretend you don’t know me. I intend to do the same.]
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Haewon crumpled the paper and didn’t bother to spare him a glance. If that was what he wanted, then that was just fine by her. She wasn’t going to put up his with attitude.
Chapter 7: Nath Jacobs
The evening sky was dimly lit. Selena sat on the balcony holding a glass of freshly squeezed fruits and scrolling through old pictures on her phone. There were pictures of her and Nath Jacobs at different times in Elementary school which their parents had captured.
At the time, they had been inseparable, and he had been her best friend. How could she have known that moving to Korea with her family would be the end of their friendship? How could she have known that she would lose all forms of contact with him?
After she moved, they kept communicating for the first couple of years up until ten years ago when he suddenly seemed to vanish and she couldn’t reach either him or his parents anymore.
Her father had tried to find him and his family each time he traveled down to LA for business, but the duration of his visits were too short, and eventually, he had asked her to forget about Nath. As though that was easy for her to do.
Since then she had been unable to form any other real friendship because somehow she had always felt that doing so would be a betrayal to her friendship with Nath.
This was the reason the only friends she had were her younger ones, Ivy and Haewon. They were family to her after all.
Selena was so engrossed in her thoughts and the pictures that she did not hear Ivy come up behind her or see Ivy peeking into her phone.
“You still haven’t been able to find him?” Ivy asked even if she knew the answer to that.
Selena had been trying to find Nathaniel Jacobs since she arrived in LA five years ago. Selena had moved to LA with two goals in mind.
First to take over the smooth operation of her father’s chain of restaurants, and secondly to find Nath.
Ivy had joined her in LA three years ago because she wanted to attend a foreign college, and her parents had been more than willing to do so, knowing that Selena would be there to guide her. So, she had completed her high school in LA and proceeded to college.
And Haewon had all but emotionally blackmailed her overly protective parents into letting her go with them to complete her high school and attend college too.
It would have been too unfair to have her two best friends leave to a different country while she was stuck in Korea with the rest of the family.
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A startled Selena looked up at Ivy as she took the seat next to her and Selena sighed and shook her head.
“Don’t you think it’s time you hired a private investigator to help you?” Ivy suggested.
“How much information can I give them? All I can remember is his name, his age, his physical appearance, the name of the school we attended…”
“And I believe this is more than enough information for anyone to work with,” Ivy cut in.
“Yet I worked with all that information and got nothing,” Selena pointed out.
“Because it’s not your field. You’re not a professional, Lena. You should get someone to help you do this if it’s half as important to you as I believe it is,” Ivy insisted, and Selena sighed.
“It’s not like I haven’t thought about doing that,” She admitted.
“So, what’s stopping you?” Ivy asked, watching her curiously.
Selena shook her head. How could she explain to Ivy that she was scared? As much as she wanted to find Nath, she didn’t want to put in all that effort only to end up getting disappointed.
What if she hired a private investigator and eventually finds him only to find out he had forgotten all about her and moved on with his life like she never existed?
What if she found him and he had no desire to rekindle their friendship or worse still, what if he had turned out to be a jerk?
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“Lena,” Ivy called softly and placed her hand on Selena’s thighs, “What’s wrong?” She asked, and Selena shook her head.
“It’s silly,” Selena said, and Ivy rolled her eyes.
“I know you, Lena. If it’s stopping you from doing what you need to do to find him, then it’s not silly. Tell me what’s wrong,” Ivy urged.
At that moment, Haewon who had been in her bedroom painting all day joined them, “What are you discussing without me?” She asked as she sat on the last available seat on the balcony.
“I was just asking Lena why she hasn’t hired a private investigator to help her find her childhood sweetheart,” Ivy said making Selena shoot her glares.
“He isn’t my sweetheart or anything. He was just my friend,” Selena said defensively.
“That’s not what we heard from Aunt Min-jung and Uncle Alex,” Haewon said with a grin.
“And the fact that you’re still thinking about him after all these years tells us he was more than a friend to you,” Ivy added, and Selena rolled her eyes.
“Or maybe it’s just because I value my friendships that much,” Selena pointed out.
“Whatever. That’s not the point. What’s stopping you from getting a private investigator?” Haewon asked as she picked up Selena’s glass of juice and drank from it.
Ivy was about to speak when Selena interrupted her, “Hey! I’m the adult here! You both should get off my case!”
Haewon and Ivy giggled, “You should know that line doesn’t work here, Lena. Besides, we just want to help. You are always doing stuff for us and there is hardly anything we do for you,” Ivy said, and Haewon nodded in agreement.
“You did help by trying to find him on social media platforms. Being the internet detective that you are, I believe you would have found him if he were on the internet,” Selena said, and Ivy shook her head.
“Maybe he changed his name,” Ivy reasoned.
“Maybe,” Selena agreed.
“Or maybe he’s dead?” Haewon said, and Ivy pinched her when Selena’s face went pale.
“He’s not dead! You shouldn’t say negative things like that!” Ivy chided and then patted Selena.
“Don’t mind Haewon. You know she’s only a kid and sometimes speaks without thinking,” Ivy said, and even though Haewon wanted to argue that she wasn’t a kid, she agreed that she had spoken thoughtlessly.
“I’m sorry, Lena. I shouldn’t have said that,” Haewon said apologetically.
“You might be right. I guess that’s something I just don’t want to let myself consider,” Selena said as she looked away from them.
“Let’s get a private investigator. All in favor of it, say, Aye,” Ivy said, and both she and Haewon said Aye, making Selena smile.
Selena took in a deep breath, “Alright. Alright. I will do that,” She said, thinking that if the private investigator did find Nath, she wouldn’t approach him immediately. She would try to watch and study him from a distance to determine whether or not she should approach him.
“Good! Let’s do that so you can stop pining away,” Ivy teased, and they all laughed.
“I wasn’t pining away,” Selena said defensively and then looked at Haewon.
“You’re almost at the end of the school year. Has anyone asked you to be their prom date yet?” Selena asked, changing the subject.
“Must I have one? Why can’t I show up there myself?” Haewon asked, and Ivy smiled.
“It’s best you have one. Even I had one, remember?” Ivy said, and Haewon rolled her eyes.
“Same date you broke his nose because he tried to fondle your boobs,” Haewon said dryly.
“That was due to my bad judgment. I picked the wrong guy. And it doesn’t change the fact that I had one. You could as well break your date’s nose,” Ivy said, and they all giggled.
“I’ve had several offers but I turned them all down. I’d rather go alone than be bothered by anyone,” Haewon insisted.
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Chapter 8: Cinema Coincidence
It had been a couple of weeks since Haewon walked into her classroom to see Jake seated there, and she was still as pissed at him as she had been that first day when he gave her the note asking her not to act like she knew him.
He had kept to his words and had not said a word to her since that day. She had also kept to hers and tried her best to ignore his existence.
As Haewon and Charlotte made their way to the cafeteria to get lunch, Haewon glanced at Charlotte when she noticed that she was unusually quiet.
“What’s wrong?” Haewon asked, and Charlotte looked at her and sighed.
“No one has asked me to prom yet,” Charlotte said, and Haewon tried not to roll her eyes.
Of course. She should have known it was something shallow. Charlotte’s worries were always silly. It was either about parties or boys. Not that she would ever say that to Charlotte’s face.
“Well, I don’t have a prom date either. So, will you be my prom date?” Haewon asked with a playful grin, and Charlotte scowled.
“You’re not a guy. And do you think I don’t know you’ve been asked by half the guys in our class?” Charlotte asked, feeling offended that Haewon was keeping secrets from her.
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“They asked, and I rejected them. I don’t have a prom date. I don’t want one when I can just have you,” Haewon said with a bright smile, but that didn’t cheer Charlotte up either.
“Well, I want a prom date,” Charlotte insisted as they went to get their meal.
“Then ask someone if you must,” Haewon said in a clipped tone, irritated by Charlotte’s attitude.
“Why don’t we go to the cinema tomorrow?” Charlotte asked, changing the subject when she realized that Haewon seemed annoyed.
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“Tomorrow is Saturday. Are you not working this weekend?” Haewon asked, and Charlotte shrugged.
“I am. But it’s been a while since we spent some time together outside school. And the few times I visit your house, you never look away from your canvas,” Charlotte said as they took their meal tray to a table and sat down to eat.
“I’m sorry about that. It’s my addiction, you know. Alright, let’s go see a movie this weekend. What time would that be?” Haewon asked, and Charlotte paused her lips thoughtfully.
“I have a shift in the morning, but I should be done by noon. We can meet up in front of the cinema by 12:30 pm,” Charlotte said, and Haewon smiled.
“Sounds good to me,” Haewon said, giving her attention to her lunch.
Saturday came, and it was time for the movie date between Charlotte and Haewon. Ivy dropped Haewon in front of the cinema at exactly 12:30 pm.
Haewon waited for Charlotte for about five minutes before she called her on the phone, and Charlotte received the call immediately, apologizing before Haewon could even speak.
“I was just about to call you. I am so sorry. I am being held up at work. My colleague suddenly called in sick, so I have to stay back. I’m so sorry,” Charlotte said in a distressed voice.
Haewon did not know how to feel. She exhaled deeply, letting Charlotte hear her frustration.
“I’m very sorry. I really wanted us to spend the day together. Please don’t be mad,” Charlotte pleaded, and Haewon sighed.
“It’s fine. You must feel upset yourself,” Haewon said as she contemplated whether she should go back home or just see a movie alone.
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“You know what? Don’t worry about me, and take care of yourself. We can reschedule our date for another time,” Haewon said, wanting to make Charlotte feel less guilty.
“I am sorry, this was unexpected….”
“It’s fine, Lottie. Take care of yourself,” Haewon assured her before hanging up.
Haewon browsed through the categories of movies available for that time, and once she settled for a movie she had seen already but didn’t mind seeing again, she approached the cashier.
“The movie started viewing about fifteen minutes ago, and the hall is packed full. This is the last ticket for this movie, so you might have to look around for a bit to find a seat. Are you sure you don’t want a different movie?”
“I can’t wait around for the others,” Haewon said as she made the payments and took her ticket, box of popcorn, and drink.
The minute she walked into the viewing hall, she understood the reason the cashier warned her. The place was full, and she couldn’t see a thing because it was dimly lit.
She narrowed her eyes as she tried to find a spot to sit, and although she hated to be a nuisance, she had paid to be in this hall and didn’t mind interrupting them for a second in order to find her seat.
“Please, can you signify if there is an empty seat beside you?” Haewon asked loudly, and everyone murmured at the noise.
Jake’s heart skipped a beat, and he turned in his seat when he heard the very familiar voice. What was she doing here? He mused as he gazed at the empty seat beside him.
He loved watching movies and made it a habit to see a new movie every weekend. He had no idea that he was going to bump into Haewon at the cinema.
What sort of coincidence was this? Or was this his grandmother’s doing? She definitely would have told him had she planned for him to meet her again this way. And this was too random to be his grandmother’s doing.
Jake had no intention of calling her attention to the empty seat beside him, but he seemed to forget that there were other people around him who could also see the vacant seat.
The girl seated directly behind the empty seat waved at Haewon.
“There is an empty seat here,” She announced.
Jake cursed her silently before returning his attention to the screen. He wasn’t going to spare her a glance, he told himself.
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He had a carefully organized plan, and he wasn’t going to allow such coincidences to interfere with it.
Haewon immediately made her way in the direction of the girl whose hand was still in the air, and once she was seated, she thanked the girl who had saved her from the embarrassment of having to go row to row looking for the empty seat.
Haewon turned to look at the other person on her side, wondering why he hadn’t called her attention to the empty seat, and thanks to the bright light from the screen, she was able to make out Jake’s face.
Immediately she saw him, she scowled and looked away, ignoring him in the same manner he was ignoring her. That explained why he hadn’t bothered to call her attention to the seat beside him.
As far as she was concerned, she wasn’t going to leave because of him. She had come here to see a movie, and she intended to see it to the end regardless of who was seated beside her.
If he didn’t like the fact that she was seated next to him, he could leave for all she cared, but she was going no where.
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Chapter 9: Why Not Me?
Haewon and Jake watched the entire movie without saying a word to each other. Once in a while, they would steal glances at each other from the corners of their eyes, and when they saw the other staring at the movie screen, they would go back to doing so as well.
Unlike Jake, who was wearing a Jacket, Haewon was dressed in a t-shirt, so she was more affected by the cold air from the air conditioner.
As a result of this, the moment the movie ended, Haewon did not spare Jake a glance as she walked out of the hall in search of a coffee shop where she could get a hot cup of coffee to warm up her insides which seemed frozen.
She found a cozy little cafe/bakery across the street and went in. The owner of the place was a huge dark man with tattoos all over his neck.
After Haewon received her order of a hot cup of coffee and chocolate cake and was seated in her booth, she took out her phone and smiled when she saw she had received an apology text from Charlotte.
She texted back to let Charlotte know she was alright and at a cafe now and then sent Charlotte a picture of her coffee and cake before focusing her attention on her snacks.
As she ate, she thought about how she had run into Jake at the cinema, and she scowled. Of everyone she could possibly have run into in the cinema, why did it have to be him? She had not enjoyed the movie as much as she had wanted to because of his presence beside her.
She raised her hand when someone joined her booth and took the seat opposite her, and almost choked on the cake she had been munching on when she saw it was Jake.
She looked away from him flippantly, and because her mouth was full, she chewed with deliberate slowness as she deliberated on whether or not to speak to him.
She took a sip of her coffee to clear her throat and then glanced around to ensure that there were other available booths where he could have sat before looking at him.
“What are you doing here?” Haewon asked with a frown.
“Eating,” Jake responded curtly.
Haewon scoffed, “There are at least five other unoccupied booths that are very far from me. You should have chosen one of those. Are you trying to get on my nerves?” Haewon asked in annoyance.
Jake nonchalantly looked around at the empty booths she had mentioned before looking at her again, “But, this is the only one you’re seated on. You’re not seated on those empty ones,” Jake said as a matter of factly.
Haewon huffed, “Now I’m certain you’re trying to get on my nerves. You’re the one who asked me to avoid you and pretend I don’t know you, and now you’re the one…”
“There is no reason to get worked up. We are not in school right now. And I wanted to ask you something,” Jake said in a very calm and unaffected voice.
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“I am not being worked up,” Haewon said as she folded both hands across her chest defensively.
Jake merely raised a brow as he watched her, and after a moment, Haewon exhaled deeply. “You can ask whatever it is that you want to and leave,” She said, mostly because she was curious to know what he wanted to say.
Without taking a second to think, Jake said, “I want you to go to prom with me. Will you?”
To say she was taken aback by his out-of-the-blue request would be an understatement. But instead of responding, Haewon stuffed a piece of cake into her mouth and started chewing, wanting to use the time to think about his ridiculous request.
“Of all the guys in school, why would I want to go to prom with you?” She asked, looking at him like he had lost his mind.
The question took him aback and made him a bit uncomfortable. He had expected her to lash out angrily or say a direct No. He had not anticipated such a cold and calm response.
He knew for a fact that she had turned down every prom date request sent her way, and he knew she didn’t interact well with the other guys in school despite the fact that she had a plethora of admirers. Was she comparing him to the other guys? Did she think they were better than him?
“Why not me?” He asked instead, wanting to know the intent behind her question.
“Are you kidding me? Have you spoken a word to me since you transferred to my school? Did you not hang up on me rudely when I called to thank you for your help? You do not have good manners, and I don’t see any reason why I should waste my prom night on a jerk like you,” Haewon said, and Jake nodded thoughtfully.
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“So, that’s it,” He said, relieved to know she was only mad about his attitude towards her and not because she thought the other guys in class were better than him.
“That’s what?” Haewon asked with a confused frown.
“Your reason. I understand. What if I apologized for my actions? Would that change your mind?” Jake asked, surprising her.
“Just a moment ago, you completely ignored me at the cinema…”
“You ignored me too,” Jake cut in.
“No. I ignored you because you ignored me. The seat beside you was empty, and you didn’t offer it…”
“If I had offered it, would it have made any difference?” Jake cut in once again, and Haewon huffed.
“I know you don’t like me, so why do you want me to be your prom date?” Haewon asked with a frown.
“Because I like you most out of all the other girls in school,” Jake said, and Haewon’s heart skipped a beat.
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She wasn’t sure if she could take that as a compliment or not. She wanted to ask him if that was how he treated the girls he liked, but she did not want to get into another round of argument with him right now.
“Why?” Haewon asked, and Jake shrugged.
“You’re not like the rest of them. You carry yourself differently, and you don’t throw yourself on me,” Jake said easily, and Haewon tried not to roll her eyes.
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“I wonder why anyone would want to throw themselves at you with that attitude of yours. Why risk asking me when you can ask any of the other girls who would be more than eager to accompany you?” Haewon asked again, and Jake sighed inwardly.
The conversation had gone on far longer than he had thought it would. He had not considered asking her to prom or even entertained the thought of going to prom himself until his grandmother brought it up when he told her he had run into her at the cinema.
It had made him wonder why she asked him to give her such a shitty attitude the whole time if she knew she was going to ask him to take her to prom.
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“Because I know you wouldn’t be a bother. I won’t bother you either. How about you consider it as a way of paying me back for helping you that night and getting you back your phone?” Jake asked, and Haewon raised a brow.
“I beg your pardon?”
“Think of it as returning a favor. Besides, after what happened at the last party you attended, wouldn’t you feel better going with someone who can keep you safe?”
“I can keep myself safe!” Haewon snapped at him.
“Yeah. You did a good job of it the last. I’m not asking for too much. All I want is for you to accompany me to prom and keep the other girls away from me. I will do the same for you,” Jake said, and Haewon sighed.
“I will think about it,” She said, and Jake nodded.
“Fair enough. I hope to hear from you before Monday. You still have my number, don’t you?” He asked, and Haewon shook her head, even though she had it.
“Why would I keep it? I deleted it,” She lied, and Jake stifled the urge to smile in amusement.
“Alright. Hand me your phone, and I will give it to you,” He offered, but she shook her head, knowing if she did, he would see his number already saved on her phone.
“If you have my number, you can just give me a call tomorrow to…” Before she could finish speaking, Jake dialed her line, and her phone, which was on the table, started ringing.
Jake glanced down at her phone’s screen, and his lips twitched when he caught the name she had used to save his number.
‘Mannerless savior.’
Haewon snatched her phone from the table immediately, her face turning red from embarrassment at being caught, “Oh, I didn’t realize I still had it!” She said without meeting his gaze, and Jake smirked.
“I’ll give you a call tomorrow,” He said as he rose to leave.
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Haewon asked before he could leave.
“What?” Jake asked in confusion.
“The apology. You haven’t apologized yet. I will only think about it after you’ve apologized,” Haewon said as she met his gaze squarely. She was not going to let him get away with his bad attitude.
Jake held her gaze for a moment and then gave her a nod, “I’m sorry for being a jerk,” He said and waited until she acknowledged his apology with a nod before walking away.
Chapter 10: Prom Preparations
A few weeks later, Jake stood outside Haewon’s house, ready to pick her up for their prom date.
In the weeks that followed his prom proposal, he had tried not to completely ignore her at school and had given her a nod or said one or two words to her when the occasion called for it, but that was as far as the friendliness had gone between them.
They had agreed to keep the information between them and not let anyone else know who their partners were until prom night since that would attract much unnecessary attention.
His grandmother had warned him to make sure he was on his best behavior and to also give her a memorable night. One she would remember for a lifetime.
He had no idea how he was supposed to accomplish that, but he could do his best to make sure they both enjoyed the night without bantering or pissing off each other.
Ivy opened the door a couple of seconds after he rang the doorbell, “You’re early,” She said with a surprised smile since they still had about an hour.
“I don’t like being late. I’d rather be too early than late. I hope it’s not a problem?” He asked, and Ivy smiled as she opened the door wider for him to enter.
“Of course not. But I have to warn you that she’s still getting ready,” Ivy said as she led him into the house.
“Please sit down and make yourself comfortable,” She said to Jake, whose eyes were taking everything in.
Jake returned his attention to her, “Thanks. Could you give this to her?” Jake asked as he handed Ivy the corsage he had gotten Haewon. It matched with the pocket filler of his Gucci tuxedo, which equally matched her dress since he had asked to know the color of her dress.
“You should probably give it to her yourself when she comes down. You look good, by the way,” Ivy said as she looked him over.
“Thanks,” Jake said, feeling uncomfortable with the perusal.
“What can I get you? There is juice, wine…”
“Nothing. I want nothing. I’m fine,” Jake said, and Ivy smiled, thinking that he was nervous.
“Relax, alright?” She said as she patted his shoulder before walking away to inform Haewon and Selena that Jake had arrived.
Alone now, Jake rose as he looked around the place and took in the homely decor of the home that Haewon lived in.
The first thing he noticed upon walking into the house was that there were lots of pictures in the living room. Pictures of people he knew.
He moved closer now to take a closer look at the smiling, happy faces of all those who had betrayed, cheated, and murdered his father.
2
He pointed at each person in the picture, “Kim Tan, Lee Nana, Bae Min-jung, Kang Jin-A,” He paused after pointing at the four of them.
1
Although there were many others in the picture, but these were the four who had joined hands together to send his father to his early grave.
They all looked genuinely happy, grinning from ear to ear. It made Jake’s blood boil. How could they live so happily after destroying a life?
It angered him to know that Haewon, Ivy, and Selena were all directly related to these four people. He deeply wished he could hurt the girls, but his grandmother had said the best way to take revenge was to get into the family and destroy them all from within after stealing everything from them.
Their wealth, their joy, their laughter, the friendship they all shared, he was going to destroy it all! Jake promised himself.
Away from there, in Haewon’s bedroom, the laptop was on a conference video call for the rest of the family to see as Selena did Haewon’s makeup and got her ready for prom.
“You look like an Angel, darling,” Her father said with a proud smile when Haewon rose to show off her rose colored mermaid prom dress with spaghetti straps.
“Like a mermaid, you mean?” Her mother asked, and they all laughed as they admired her outfit.
“Thanks for picking my dress, Aunt Mi Cha,” Haewon said to her aunt.
“Mi Cha picked your dress? Why didn’t you ask me? Am I not supposed to be your mom?” Her mother asked in disbelief.
“Don’t fret, Nana. We all know when it comes to picking our clothes, our girls prefer Mi Cha’s taste,” Jin-A said, and Haewon bobbed her head.
“You’re good in other areas, Mom. Everyone has got their fields, you know?” Haewon said with a placating smile.
“And what exactly is my area, tell me?” Nana asked, and Haewon shrugged.
“If I want to buy a house, I wouldn’t call Aunt Mi Cha. I would call you,” Haewon said with a sweet smile, and everyone laughed while Nana scowled.
“That’s my brilliant daughter,” Her father said proudly.
“Really, Tan?” Haewon’s mother asked her husband with displeasure, and he kissed her.
“Eww! Please don’t do that in front of us kids,” Haewon said, turning away, and Tan grinned.
“That reminds me, pumpkin. The moment your prom date gets here, I have to speak with him,” Tan said, and Haewon rolled her eyes.
“What for? It’s not necessary, trust me,” Haewon said, but her Uncle Min-jun interrupted.
“It is. We have to speak with him. We can’t let just anyone take you to prom without letting them know who you are and what we could do to them if they misbehaved,” Min-jun said, and Tan nodded in agreement.
“We can’t let what happened to Ivy repeat itself,” Tae-oh, Ivy’s father, said.
“Nothing happened to me, Dad. You have to let that go,” Ivy said with a roll of her eyes as she returned to the bedroom, “And he is here. Haewon’s prom date,” Ivy informed them.
“Good. Lena, why don’t you go out there with the laptop so we can all say hello to him?” Min-Jung, Selena’s mother, asked.
“You’re all going to scare him! It’s just a prom date. Why does he have to speak with all of you? This is going to be so awkward and embarrassing,” Haewon complained.
“Haewon has a point. Perhaps Tan should speak with him over the phone,” Mi Cha suggested, and Haewon looked at her with awe filled eyes.
“I love you, Aunt Mi Cha. You know I do,” She said, making Mi Cha laugh.
“Alright. Let’s finish here, and I can speak with him when you join him downstairs,” Tan said instead, and Haewon relaxed.
Chapter 11: Lost But Found Friend
Jake returned quickly to his seat when he heard a door open down the hallway and approaching footsteps.
He pretended to rise up immediately when the footsteps approached closer and turned to see Haewon approaching, flanked on both sides by Selena and Ivy, who looked really proud of what they had done with Haewon.
Ivy, who was holding up a digital camera, giggled as she captured the priceless look on Jake’s face. His mouth was hanging open, and she could tell he did not know it.
Apart from the beautiful picture that she made in her rose colored spaghetti-strapped mermaid dress, she had allowed her hair to flow down her shoulders, and the makeup made her look very alluring.
Immediately the camera shutter clicked, Jake realized he had almost been drooling and quickly cleared his throat, embarrassed by his reaction.
He took a step forward and handed her the wrist corsage he had gotten her, “You look beautiful,” He said to Haewon, and she smiled as she received the corsage from him.
“Thanks. You don’t look so bad yourself,” She said, reminding herself not to be flattered by his compliment.
“Judging by your attitude the last time we met, I never would have thought that you would be the one taking my sister to prom,” Selena said as she looked Jake over.
Jake forced a small smile, “I’m sorry about that. And I am grateful that you allowed me to take Haewon to prom. It is an immense honor,” He said politely.
Selena was impressed that he even had it in him to say such respectful words, “You’d have to say that to Haewon’s father. He wants to speak with you before you leave, and I’m calling him now,” Selena informed Jake as she took Haewon’s phone and dialed Tan’s line.
Jake felt his heart skip when he heard that. He had not anticipated this. What was he supposed to say? He was not ready to speak with his father’s murderer yet.
1
Immediately after Tan received the call, Selena handed the phone to Jake, “Here,” She said and excused herself to go receive her call when her own phone started ringing.
Jake cleared his throat, “Hello, sir!”
“Hello, young man. What is your name?” Tan asked in a broad voice meant to intimidate and frighten Jake while Nana rolled her eyes as she watched her husband.
“I’m Jake. Jake Davies,” Jake said politely, even though his heart was beating fast. What if he was discovered before he achieved anything? What if he said something wrong or made a slip?
“Are you dating my daughter?” Tan asked harshly.
“No, sir! We are just classmates,” Jake rushed to explain.
“Good. It’s best you keep it that way. And make sure you keep your hands to yourself as well. Is that clear?”
“Yes, sir,” He answered.
Before Tan could say anything else, Haewon grabbed the phone from Jake, “We have to go now.”
“Be safe, darling. If you need someone to pick you up before the night is over, do not hesitate to call Selena or Ivy. And make sure you have fun. You’re going to tell me all about it tomorrow and…”
Her father cut in before her mother could finish, “Don’t have too much fun. No alcohol pumpkin. And if he touches you inappropriately….”
Haewon rolled her eyes, “I really have to go now. Love you both.”
“We love you!” Her parents called back before she hung up.
“Can we leave now?” Haewon asked Jake.
“Only if you’re ready,” He responded.
“Not so fast, kiddo. I have to take a picture of you two together,” Ivy said as she signaled to them to assume their postures.
Once they were done taking the pictures, Haewon frowned, “Where is Lena?” She asked when she couldn’t see Selena anywhere around.
“She is busy with a phone ca…”
“I’m right here,” Selena said as she reappeared with a wide, infectious smile.
“Did something happen?” Ivy asked, smiling too as they looked at Selena, whose eyes were dancing with excitement.
“Guess what?” Selena asked, and Jake watched as both Haewon and Ivy moved closer to Selena, both already buzzing with excitement as though they couldn’t wait to hear her news.
“C’mon, Lena! Haewon can’t keep Jake waiting by playing your guess game right now. Out with it. What’s happening?” Ivy asked, and Selena glanced at Jake and wrinkled her nose.
“It’s not fun if you don’t guess. Anyway, I will give you both a hint to make it easier for you to guess,” Selena said as she pressed her lips together, wanting to heighten their curiosity.
“For Christ’s sake, Lena!” Haewon snapped impatiently, making Selena giggle.
“That was my private investigator on the phone,” Selena started slowly, and she giggled when both Haewon’s and Ivy’s eyes lit up.
“He found him?”
“You’ve found him?” Both girls asked, and Selena bobbed her head happily.
All three of them held hands and danced around in circles happily while Jake watched them curiously, wondering who had been found and why they were celebrating.
“This is wonderful news, Lena!” Haewon said as she embraced Selena once they all stopped dancing.
“Now you can stop staring into space and mourning your lost love,” Ivy teased, and Selena giggled.
“What happened? How did they find him?” Haewon asked curiously, momentarily forgetting that Jake was waiting.
Jake didn’t mind being kept waiting, either. For some reason he didn’t know, he enjoyed watching the interaction between them. It gave him a glimpse into their life and relationships.
“The summary of it all is that he was involved in an Auto crash with his parents. He lost them both and was in a coma for a very long time. Afterward, he was adopted by his distant relatives, and they changed his name after moving to Boston. He is now a basketball player,” Selena explained.
“That sounds like he has been through a lot,” Haewon said, and Selena nodded sadly.
“Well, he survived, and you found him. That is the most important thing,” Ivy added, causing Selena to smile again.
“You both need to leave now. I need to go check him out on all his social media pages,” Selena said, and Ivy grinned.
“I want to see, too,” Ivy said excitedly while Haewon pouted.
“I feel left out,” Haewon complained.
“We will fill you in on it all tomorrow. You should leave now, kiddo; it’s rude to keep your date waiting,” Ivy said, and Haewon sighed in resignation as she turned to Jake.
“Let’s go,” She said, and both Ivy and Selena saw them off outside to the rented Limo waiting for them.
2
Chapter 12: Trio Prom Date
Instead of heading directly to the school, they stopped by Charlotte’s house to pick her up first.
Since Charlotte had no date, Haewon had agreed to being Jake’s prom date on the condition that Charlotte tagged along with them, and he had reluctantly agreed.
“Thank you for letting Charlotte tag along. I know that is not what you bargained for when you asked to go to the prom with me,” Haewon said sincerely when the car stopped outside Charlotte’s house.
“It’s no problem. She is your friend, and it might be best if you have her tag along with you to keep you company since I’m not much of a talker,” Jake said without looking at her.
“Remember, you have to treat her as your date as well,” Haewon said, and Jake nodded.
“I understand,” Jake responded calmly.
Once Charlotte got into the car, she was taken aback to see that Haewon’s prom date was Jake, but she masked her surprise with a smile as she looked at Haewon.
“You look amazing,” Charlotte said to Haewon.
“And you look beautiful,” Haewon responded with a brilliant smile as she admired Charlotte’s outfit.
“Thank you for letting me tag along,” Charlotte said to Jake, who simply acknowledged her with a nod.
Charlotte moved closer to Haewon, “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me he was your date,” Charlotte whispered into Haewon’s ear.
“I told you it was a surprise, didn’t I? Besides, he is our date. Not just mine,” Haewon said, and Charlotte rolled her eyes.
“I thought you didn’t like him. What changed?” Charlotte asked, and Haewon shrugged.
“I still don’t like him. He asked me to go with him to prom as payment for saving me. I had to,” Haewon whispered, and Charlotte nodded.
“I see. I guess that makes sense,” Charlotte said as she adjusted in her seat to give Haewon space.
1
Jake, who could hear all they were saying, ignored them as he looked out of the window.
The car was silent for only a minute before Charlotte and Haewon began to chatter endlessly.
Charlotte scrolled through their class’ Instagram page, showing Haewon pictures of their classmates and how they had arrived at school in a grand style.
“I think Sandra looks like a chicken in this outfit,” Charlotte said with disapproval.
“A chicken? More like a vulture,” Haewon said, and they both giggled while Jake’s lips twitched in amusement, but he turned away from them and picked up his phone to check out the pictures the girls were looking at.
Since they were both seated opposite him, they didn’t see what he was looking at, and he chuckled quietly when he saw Sandra’s dreadful outfit.
Both girls continued to look through the Instagram page for various pictures of their classmates, complimenting some outfits and criticizing others while Jake silently laughed.
He had not realized that Haewon had such a good sense of humor, so he had to admit it felt nice getting to see this part of her. She would need all the sense of humor she can get for the time she eventually becomes his wife.
Once they got bored with scrolling through Instagram, Haewon turned to Charlotte, “You won’t believe what happened as we were about leaving.”
“What happened?” Charlotte asked with interest.
“Remember Lena’s childhood friend? The one I told you about the last time?” Haewon asked, and Charlotte bobbed her head.
“The guy she has been trying to find for years?” Charlotte asked, and Haewon nodded.
“Yes. She finally found him!” Haewon said excitedly, and Charlotte looked at her in disbelief.
“Are you serious?”
“Totally. You had to see the joy on her face! It was so beautiful to behold! I can’t wait for them to reunite! I think it’s going to have a happy ending,” Haewon said with a dreamy smile.
Charlotte giggled, “I wouldn’t get my hopes up if I were you. You still have to remember that they have not talked in all this time. What if he does not remember her or care as much as she does?” Charlotte pointed out reasonably.
“I prefer to be optimistic. I know Lena. I don’t think she would have remained stuck on him for all these years if he were someone who would forget her so easily,” Haewon said reasonably.
Charlotte smiled. “How can you be that optimistic about love and not have a boyfriend?”
“Because I don’t just want any boyfriend. I want to have the kind of love my parents share—the kind of love my aunts and uncles have. True love is so beautiful to behold. I can’t be surrounded by people who are so much in love with each other and then settle for less,” Haewon said passionately, and Jake looked at her.
True love? She called what her parents shared true love? Two people who had betrayed his father in order to be together? That was the kind of deceptive love she called true love? He wondered how much she knew about her parents and her so-called aunts and uncles.
“We are here,” The driver announced, and that brought an end to the conversation as they all got out of the car.
Jake stood between Haewon and Charlotte since they were both his date, and he led them to the school’s event hall, which had been decorated with disco balls and blue lighting.
The students who were already in the hall could not take their eyes off the trio as they made their grand entrance. They were all stunned by the picture the trio made.
Everyone had been curious about Jake since he transferred to their school, and many of the girls had made passes at him.
Seeing him with Haewon and Charlotte was surprising since they had hardly ever seen them communicating in the classroom despite the proximity of their seats.
“Everyone is staring at us,” Charlotte whispered excitedly.
“The only three Korean students in the school are together like this. What did you expect?” Haewon asked dryly as Jake found them a spot to sit.
“Or maybe they’re staring because you look stunning,” Jake said to Haewon, and she looked at him, surprised by the unexpected compliment.
The drive back home was silent. Haewon was quiet because she was going over probable scenarios that would have occurred if she was not saved by the mystery guy.
While Selena was trying to imagine the conversation that she would have been having with Nana, Tan, and the entire family if anything bad had happened to Haewon.
Ivy wanted to speak and ask Haewon questions, but seeing how both Haewon and Selena weren’t saying anything, she decided to wait until Selena said something.
1
The moment they arrived at their house and got out of the car, Haewon headed for her bedroom, but Selena stopped her in her tracks.
“Where do you think you are going? Sit down. I want to know everything that happened and how you ended up in that situation,” Selena said to Haewon as she sat in the dining before turning to Ivy, “Get her an ice pack for her face,” She ordered, and Ivy quickly went to do as she had been to.
Haewon sat opposite her and wrung her hands together as she waited for the interrogation. It wasn’t like she was scared of Selena and Ivy or anything. They were more friends than sisters, but right now, Selena was in her authorized guardian mode, and her tone was brisk.
Haewon didn’t say anything until Ivy arrived, and Ivy took the seat beside her, “Why were you out there without Charlotte? Were the miscreants your schoolmates?” Ivy asked curiously as she handed Haewon the ice pack to apply to her face.
“That’s what I want to know. What happened to Charlotte? Why did you leave without her?” Selena asked, and Haewon explained how she had been trying to reach Charlotte and had left the party after being unable to find Charlotte and how the guys had attacked her and stolen her phone.
“Do you realize that you could have lost more than your phone? All of these would have been avoided had you given me a call before leaving the party after you didn’t find Charlotte! Or the least you could have done was ordered the ride right there at the party and step out after your driver arrived! I understand that you’ve never been to one of such parties, but leaving the way you did was dangerous and…”
“Calm down, Lena. You sound like you are blaming her. If anyone should be blamed, it should be those perverts that could not keep their hands to themselves,” Ivy quickly interjected into the conversation.
Selena shook her head. “I am not blaming her. I’m only trying to make her realize her error in case of next time…”
“There won’t be a next time,” Haewon cut in as she dropped the Ice park on the dining table.
She was sad at the loss of her phone, angry at the fact that she had been caught up in such a situation and had been unable to defend herself properly, and tired.
“I understand all you’ve said. I’m exhausted and need to be alone,” Haewon said calmly, and Selena sighed.
“You can go to your room and relax,” Selena said as she rose, and once Haewon rose, she embraced her.
“I can’t imagine how scared you must have been. I’m glad you’re fine. I will get you some painkillers,” Selena said as she pulled away and patted Haewon’s hair.
“Do you want me to spend the night in your room? To chase away any nightmares?” Ivy asked as she escorted Haewon down to her bedroom, and Haewon smiled as she shook her head.
1
“Don’t worry about me,” Haewon said softly, but Ivy could tell that Haewon was sad and was probably going to stay up in her bedroom to cry.
“How can I not? I’m your big sister,” Ivy said as they stepped into Haewon’s bedroom, and she rolled her eyes.
“No, you’re not. You’re only older than me by ten months,” She pointed out as she shut the door behind her.
“It doesn’t matter the duration. What matters is that I’m older, and I love you silly,” Ivy said as she embraced Haewon.
In Ivy’s arms, Haewon broke down in tears, and Ivy patted her back gently, “Don’t be mad at Lena for being so harsh. You know how she is when she’s terrified. She was really scared when she received your call,” Ivy said softly.
“I’m not mad at her. I shouldn’t have gone to the stupid party. I should have just stayed back at home,” Haewon cried as she pulled away.
“We don’t have times for should-haves. All that matters is that you’re safe,” Ivy said as she wiped the tears off Haewon’s cheeks.
“Oh, Ivy! I really thought they were going to maul me,” Haewon said with a sniffle as she sat on her bed, and Ivy sat beside her.
“You have no idea how glad I am that you are safe. Coming from a large family like ours, can you imagine how many calls we would have received had anything happened to you?” Ivy asked with mock horror, and Haewon laughed.
“Worse still, they all would have flown down here. Every single one of them,” Haewon said, and Ivy shuddered at the thought.
1
“I don’t know who scares me more, between my mom and Aunt Min-jung,” Ivy said, and Haewon laughed.
“Your mom is more scary. And she’s the coolest, too,” Haewon assured her, and Ivy shook her head in disagreement.
“I think Aunt Mi Cha is the coolest. Followed by Aunt Eun-Kyung, and then maybe my mom, and…” Ivy trailed off with a giggle when Haewon raised a brow.
3
“And where does my mom fall into in this cool list of yours?” Haewon asked with a feigned frown. She knew Ivy was saying all this to distract her and get her mind off her worries.
“She’s right next to my mom. And last on the cool list would be Aunt Min-Jung,” Ivy said as Selena walked in with a glass of water and aspirin.
“Is that so?” Selena asked, eyeing them both, and they all fell silent for a moment before they all burst into a peal of laughter.
“Aunt Mi Cha is quite cool. I agree with your list,” Selena said as she handed the glass of water to Haewon and watched her swallow the medicine.
Selena took the empty glass from her, “I need to get some work done. Try to get some sleep, alright?” She said, and Ivy waved her off.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be here with her,” Ivy assured Selena before she left.
“I will run you a warm scented bath. Soak in it for some time to relax yourself, and then come to bed. Big sister will read you a nice bedtime story,” Ivy promised, and Haewon giggled as Ivy had expected she would.
As Haewon lay in her bed an hour later, after Ivy, who had claimed to read her bedtime stories, had slept off even before she came out of the bathroom, her thoughts drifted back to the stranger who had saved her, and she couldn’t help wondering who he was.
Perhaps she could ask Sandra about him on Monday, she thought before drifting off to sleep.
Away from there, in Jake’s bedroom, he sat on his bed as he unlocked her phone using her password and scrolled through her photo gallery to see those pictures of herself she had captured but had never shown to the world.
1
His face remained stony as he watched videos of Haewon, Ivy, and Selena having fun together. And he saw photos of her artwork in different stages.
He rose from his bed and went to his reading desk, where his laptops were arranged. He connected the phone to his laptop and copied everything she had on it into his laptop.
Once he was done, he installed a spy app on her phone so he could monitor movement and activities on her phone.
The phone was only the first of the many things he planned to steal from her, and now that he had gotten all he wanted from it, he would give it back to her as his first gift to her.
He raised his head when his grandmother knocked on the door once before walking in.
He could see the excitement in her eyes as she stood there, waiting for him to report to her how his first assignment had gone.
“It went as planned,” Jake confirmed, and she nodded in approval.
“How did meeting her make you feel?” His grandmother asked, and Jake looked at her with an expressionless face.
“I felt nothing,” He said in a flat voice, and she smiled.
“That’s good. It is better to feel nothing than to feel anger or hatred or whatever. When you feel nothing, you can pretend to feel anything,” She said, and without another word, she turned around and walked away.
Jake looked at Haewon’s phone when it started ringing and raised a brow when he saw it was from Charlotte.
He ignored the call, and once it had disconnected, he placed the phone on flight mode and dropped it in his drawer. Tomorrow he would pay her a visit.