Chapter 21
The sun hung low over Geum-gang Elementary, casting long, golden shadows across the pavement just as two vibrant red Ferraris purred through the gates. They looked like twin rubies against the backdrop of the prestigious school.
It was closing hour. While the other elite children burst from the building like a colorful tide, shouting and laughing, Yi-jung walked at a different pace. He was lost in a fog of his own thoughts, his eyes fixed on his shoes, until he collided solidly with someone.
"Hey!" a familiar voice snapped in irritation.Yi-jung snapped his head up, his apologies dying in his throat. Standing there, radiating a fierce energy that immediately softened, was Ga-eul.
"Eul?" he breathed, his heart skipping a beat.Ga-eul's angry scowl melted into a bright, genuine beam of excitement.
"Hi, Yi-jung! How are you?"
"I'm... I'm... I'm fine," he stuttered, the words catching in his throat.
"Oh, really?" she teased, stepping closer. She tilted her head, watching the way his pale skin began to glow with a deep, unmistakable blush.
"I'm fine... really fine," he managed to choke out, his flight-or-fight response kicking in. He tried to sidestep her, but Ga-eul was faster. She reached out and caught his hand, her touch sending a jolt through him that turned his face a shade of red that rivaled the Ferraris nearby.
"Do you like your gift?" she whispered, her eyes dancing with mischief.The world around them blurred as a memory hit him like a physical wave...
*Flashback*
The Amusement Park
They were sitting on a green wooden bench, the air smelling of sugar and popcorn. Between them sat a half-eaten tub of ice cream. Yi-jung, feeling a sudden burst of courage, broke the silence.
"How old are you?"
"I'll be nine in two weeks," Ga-eul replied, swinging her legs. "How about you?"
"I'm eleven today," he said softly. "It's my birthday."Ga-eul's face fell.
"Oh. I'm sorry. I have nothing to give you."Yi-jung smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the sun.
"It's okay. After all, we just met. Being friends with you is the greatest gift I could get."
"But I think I have one," Ga-eul said, a sudden sparkle in her eyes.
"What is it?"Before she could answer, Ga-eul looked up and saw her mother waving from across the plaza—the signal that their time was up. She stood up quickly, her expression turning serious as she stepped into his space."Close your eyes."
"Huh?""Just do it!" she snapped, though her voice wavered with nerves.
Yi-jung obeyed, his eyelids fluttering shut.
"Hope you aren't peeping," she whispered. Yi-jung shook his head, his pulse racing.Ga-eul took a shaky breath, leaned in, and pressed a lightning-fast, feather-light kiss to his lips. Before he could even register the touch, she turned and bolted toward her mother.
Yi-jung sat frozen, the world spinning. When he finally opened his eyes, the plaza felt empty. Ga-eul was gone. A moment later, his older sister, Paige, approached with her signature elegant catwalk. She scooped him up with a smile, but it vanished the moment she saw his face.
"Yi-jung? Why are you blushing like that?"
"Soo... someone..." he stammered, looking at his sister with wide, glazed eyes. "No... a girl just stole my first kiss and ran away."
Paige's mouth fell open, a silent "O" of pure shock. She slowly set him back down on his feet, staring at him as if he'd grown a second head. "What's her name?"
she asked, her shock melting into a wicked grin."Eul. Ga-eul. Your fiancé's little sister."
Paige froze again. "Lee Dae's kid sister?" She looked back at her brother and let out a sharp laugh. "Congratulations, brother. You just got yourself a wife."
Yi-jung's face went from red to purple.
**Present Day**
Back at the school gates, Yi-jung was a statue of pure embarrassment. He was too stunned to speak, his brain short-circuiting under Ga-eul's steady gaze.Ga-eul chuckled, the sound like silver bells, and pulled a small, elegant business card from her pocket.
"That's my number. Text me when you get home, okay?"
Yi-jung could only stare at the card held out to him, his hands refusing to move. Seeing his paralysis, Ga-eul stepped forward and calmly tucked the card into his breast pocket, patting it twice. With a final wink, she turned and walked toward her waiting driver.Paige, who had been watching the entire exchange from the car, finally called out.
"Yi-jung!"
He turned slowly, and Paige had to bite her tongue to keep from howling with laughter. His face was a masterpiece of rosy-red distress.As he approached the car, trying desperately to look at anything but his sister, Paige leaned in and whispered,
"Let me guess... you saw your woman."
Yi-jung didn't answer. He scrambled into the back seat as fast as his legs would take him, hiding his face in his hands as Paige's laughter finally erupted, echoing through the elite grounds of Geum-gang.
********
Meanwhile, at Lucy's HomeWhile the drama unfolded at school, the atmosphere at Lucy's house was much more domestic—and chaotic.
In the kitchen, Kim Jo was fully in his element. He was sporting a frilly apron, lost in his own world as he used a pair of chopsticks to drum a frantic beat against the counter.On the stove, a pot of water had just reached a rolling boil. He was making special noodles for Lucy.
With a focused smile, he began gathering his ingredients: a crisp onion, a bright red ball pepper, some carrots, and a piece of frozen chicken.
As he began to dice the onion, the sharp vapors hit him instantly. His eyes stung, and within seconds, fat tears were rolling down his cheeks.
"Wae? Why am I crying over an onion?" he muttered in Korean, laughing at himself as he clumsily wiped his eyes with the back of his hand.
When the cooking was finally done, the kitchen smelled heavenly. He carefully arranged two steaming plates on a tray, adding chilled bottles of water and milk to balance the heat of the peppers. He shed the apron, straightened his shirt, and lifted the tray with practiced ease.He headed upstairs toward the room he shared with his best friends, Seo-joon and Lee Dae. It was the room Lucy had offered them when they first arrived, back when everything was uncertain. He chuckled to himself as he walked. A lot has happened since then, he thought.
Inside the room, Lucy was just beginning to stir. Her dark eyes blinked open, roaming the familiar ceiling until they landed on the door as it swung open. Kim Jo nudged the door shut with his foot, moving toward the bed. He set the tray down on the bedside table with a soft clink.
"U-bi," he called softly, using her Korean name, Love in the Rain.
Lucy felt a flutter in her chest at the sound of it.
"You're awake," he said, offering a warm smile. "Come, eat. I prepared some noodles for you."
Lucy sat up, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You... you cook?"
"Yes, I did," he said proudly."
You did?" she repeated, her voice rising.
"I did."
"Did you really cook? Noodles? For me?" Her mouth shaped into a perfect 'O' of surprise.
"I did!"
"YOU DID?!"
The shout didn't come from Lucy. Seo-joon and Lee Dae were standing in the doorway, their jaws practically hitting the floor. They had been watching the whole time, unnoticed, and the idea of their friend actually slaving over a stove was the biggest shock of their lives.