"When King Onjo, the founder of Baekje (百濟), came to the throne, he was known as King Onjo. The founder of Goguryeo (高句麗), King Dongmyeong (東明王), avoided his fate in Jolbon Buyeo (卒本扶餘) and married the second daughter of the king of Buyeo. He succeeded to the throne and had two sons. The first was Biryu (沸流) and the second was Onjo.....Teacher word trailed off when the bell of the school rang.. as with a sign she closed the text book and looked at the whole class
"
"Alright, folks! Chapter's due tomorrow, and I expect each of you to hand in your homework," Mr. Huseo , their homeroom teacher, announced with a habitual blend of authority before dismissing the class.
As the door clicked shut behind him, Jinya snapped her textbook shut, a radiant smile blooming on her face. She grabbed another book from her desk, started preparing for next class
Seizing the moment, her best friend Ha-neul slid into the seat beside her with a mischievous glint in her eye. "What's up with that smile, Jinya? It's been stuck on your face since this morning. Spill the beans! What's so special?" she teased, leaning closer to scrutinize her friend's expression.
Jinya flashed a grin. . " just something..... very, very special," she replied,
Ha-neul raised an eyebrow, unable to hide her own smirk. "Something special or someone special?"
With an exaggerated eye roll, Jinya refocused on her textbooks as she gathered her notes for the upcoming lecture. "Ha-neul, please don't start with me again…" she warned, half-laughing, half-serious.
"come on! Just a hint?" Ha-neul pressed, folding her arms dramatically. "Did you finally snag a date with that heartthrob from the art department?"
Jinya's smile widened, but before she could respond, she glanced at her phone and her expression shifted slightly. "It's not a date, but… my dad was talking to me about a surprise trip. It's really exciting!"
" a surprise trip? Now that sounds juicy!" Ha-neul perked up, her curiosity piqued. "Where to?
Jinya leaned back in her chair, glancing over at Ha-neul with a grin. " we're going to Busan exactly where I don't know but I'm so ready for this!"
Ha-neul raised an eyebrow, her curiosity piqued as jinya mention her father "Girly, it's been seven months since you moved here and take. Admission in this school , and I've never seen your dad at any of the events. Is he, like, frolicking abroad or something?"
With a sigh, Jinya turned her gaze to the nearby window, watching the last few leaves cling to their branches. "Actually, it sounds a bit ridiculous, but I just met my dad... a month ago."
"What the actual heck?" Ha-neul exclaimed, her eyes wide in disbelief. "I don't understand."
Jinya took a deep breath, "Listen, but you have to promise not to tell anyone," she said, lowering her voice . At Ha-neul's eager nod, she continued. "I think my mom and dad are separated... I mean, I've never met him in my sixteen years. It's all about some old issues they had. But now, for some reason, he's back. It was shocking when he just showed up out of the blue. It took weeks for me to come to terms with it, but now I finally have a family: Mom, Dad, me." A soft smile spread across her face, "I just wish they would get along again."
Ha-neul couldn't help but but smile for jinya.. But then asked again . "But do you have any idea why your parents split in the first place? Have you ever asked them?"
Jinya met her gaze and shook her head firmly. "No, I haven't, and honestly, I don't want to. I'm not interested in digging up their past. I just want to focus on our future together. My appa He looked... decent, you know? Like a good businessman. Things are getting back to normal, so why dwell on what's already happened?" She shrugged, trying to dismiss the weight of their history.
There was a moment of silence as Ha-neul considered this. "But don't you want to know about your dad? What he was doing all this time? What about any other family he might have?"
Before Jinya could answer, the classroom door swung open abruptly, cutting their conversation short as Ms. Juhi, the math teacher, strolled in.
"Alright, everyone. Enough chatter! Can we get started now? I'd like to have some peace and quiet, please." The math teacher swept her gaze over the room, and as if a spell had been cast, a hush fell over the classroom Students shifted in their seats, finally settling down as she nodded appreciatively
She opened her textbook, her pen poised over the page. Just as she began to write out a complex formula, the door swung open with a loud crash making her jump . All heads turned as a boy sauntered in, his hair tousled and two buttons of his shirt flapping open . Without so much as a word, he strolled to the last row and plopped down, his face expressionless as he pulled out his phone, completely ignoring the class.
Jinya, sitting up front, couldn't help but gawk at the scene unfolding before her. She leaned over to her Ha-neul, her voice a sharp whisper, "Who on earth is he? I don't think I've ever seen him here before."
Ha-neul's eyes widened as she quickly shushed Jinya. "Hush! Don't say things like that out loud. If he hears you, you'll regret it. That's Jungkook. The biggest bully in the school. Seriously, don't cross him unless you want to wish you'd never been born."
Jinya's heart raced as she let Ha-neul's warning sink in. She couldn't help but steal another glance at Jungkook, her disbelief...
As Ms. Juhi stood at the front of the classroom, the air crackled with the familiar tension that always accompanied with Jungkook's presence. His laid-back demeanor and dismissive attitude often put him at odds with her expectations of behavior. Today was no different.
With a pointed look, she addressed him, "So, Mr. Jungkook, you finally decided to acknowledge the fact that you are still a student it been seven months now. I trust you haven't forgotten about it altogether—or your manners, for that matter." Her voice was stern, or at least she intended it to be, but Jungkook merely flicked his gaze toward her, annoyance written across his features as he barely registered her words as he look back in his phone . It was as if she were invisible.
Suppressing her frustration, Ms. Juhi pressed on, her emotions spilling into her tone. "Jungkook, I asked you to put away your phone."
He finally glanced up, his expression boring. "Oh, God, Ms. Juhi, stop blabbering. It's not like this is the first time I've ignored you. Just—fuck off." He waved his hand, dismissing both her and the rules of the classroom.
As Ms. Juhi felt the heat of embarrassment creeping up her neck, she resumed her lesson, but under her breath, she muttered, "What can we expect from someone like him? With a mother who left, and a father don't even care ... No one to teach him how to respect those around him."
Unbeknownst to her, Jinya, caught Ms. Juhi's whisper. . She couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Jungkook. "Poor guy... sifting through life without his mom," she mumbled,
Ha-neul and Jinya made their way to the cafeteria, the sweet aroma of freshly made food wafting through the air, making their stomachs grumble. Just as they turned the corner, Chaoyue thier friend joined them, her eyes wide with excitement. "Guys, I am absolutely starving!" Jinya said while smiling
Ha-neul laughed, "I can't wait to dive into a mountain of food!"
Chaoyue rolled her eyes,
"Chill out, you two. You're acting like a pack of wild beasts."
But as they stepped into the cafeteria, a sudden scream pierced the air, causing them all to jump. They turned just in time to see a fist connecting with a jaw—chaos erupted. Chaoyue's expression shifted from gleeful anticipation to grim seriousness. "Not again," Ha-neul sighed, already knowing they were about to witness an all-too-familiar daily soap Opra..
Jinya, still trying to piece together the situation, followed their gazes to a cluster of boys brawling, pushing and shoving in a tangled mess. "What on earth…?" she started, her brow furrowing in confusion.
"Another round of 'Kims vs. the World,' I see," Chaoyue muttered under her breath, rolling her eyes.