A/N: This book isn't even completed, but we have made it to 1K already! Thanks for making me achieve this little goal. Lil surprise: This gonna be a longer chapter and I'm gonna expose to yall real quick what Yeonjun whispered to Beomgyu in the last chapter :)
Yeonjun leaned closer, making Beomgyu hold his breath again. His eyes were narrowed directly into his.
What was he doing?!
"Do you think people would mind if they saw us kissing here?" his breath warm against Beomgyu's ear. Beomgyu gasped and hit his chest, taken aback. "You're so stupid Yeonjun!" he blurted in panic and removed himself to walk towards the cashier.
A/N: Now back to the real story
Few Days later
Click, clack; click clack.
The sound of Ha-ri's heels echoed into the school's hallway. The girl wore a stunning white sundress that flowed gracefully around her legs as she walked, and her long, wavy hair was styled to perfection. Even if it was early spring weather, she didn't mind the cool air wrapped around her body. Her outfit was completed by a pair of expensive sunglasses and a designer handbag slung over her shoulder.
As Ha-ri made her way up the stairs, she noticed the admiring glances of her fellow students. She knew that many of them were envious of her fashion sense and her expensive clothes. But Ha-ri didn't mind; she loved the feeling of looking her best and being noticed.
Today she felt like dressing on purpose in this expensive way. To show everyone who she still was.
See, there were rumours going around that she and Yeonjun had broken up, because they weren't seen anymore together for long. Her best friends always asked about her relationship status, but she always made sure to hold a bright smile and assure them that nothing had changed.
Or at least that was what she still wanted to believe.
As she walked towards her classroom, she felt a sense of pride in her appearance. She knew that her father would be proud of her for carrying on the family's legacy of fashion and style. And with a smile on her face, Ha-ri walked into her classroom, ready to take on the day.
The many students didn't stop to glance back at her. Ha-ri was sure they were just jealous and judging her perfect fashion sense.
The younger girl set her glitter pens on her desk, next to her notebook which was plastered with stickers. School was fun in her eyes – in the end she was popular. No bullies, many friends. Good grades, even if she didn't study.
Ha-ri lifted her gaze, as her classmate walked up to her with a fond smile "Hey girlie" she greeted, and rested her forearms on her desk.
"How are you doing now?" the same girl continued, her eyes looking for an answer.
"Im doing good!" Ha-ri said in a happy tone. The other girl still didn't stop smiling.
"Oh, I'm sure it's not easy for you to keep up now" the young girl, called Hwasa, guessed, "especially because of your father"
Ha-ri took a few moments to process her random sentence, but maybe her classmate was referring to something old that has happened in the past. "Oh yeah sure" she just answered.
Hwasa nodded and distanced from Ha-ri. Walking over to her friends, you could hear her mumbling in their ears "I told you"
---
45 minutes later, Yeonjun sighed out loud as his class was finally over. Stretching his arms, he yawned a little bit, his best friend and classmate Ni-ki that was sitting next to him, doing likewise.
"Dude I would love to fall asleep like right now" The younger muttered, packing his stuff as Yeonjun was doing so.
"For real, there are better things than school at the moment" he added, standing up to push the chair against the desk.
The two boys exited the classroom, just to walk to the other side of the campus for their next class.
"Uhm" Yeonjun initiated, looking over to Ni-ki who was walking beside him, "am I the only one who has the feeling of being stared at by everyone since this morning?"
Ni-ki hummed, thinking about it for a few seconds. "Hmm, I thought it was normal for you? I mean you're the Choi Yeonjun"
The taller one shook his head deeply into thought "Yeah but it feels weird, like I don't know"
"I think you're just overthinking it. Happens to me too, you know"
Yeonjun nodded, trying to listen to his friend's advice.
"Have you seen Beomgyu today?" Ni-ki asked, as he decided to drop the topic. Yeonjun gave it a thought. He actually thought he would meet him sooner or later, but he recently didn't show up much in school. "Lately, actually no. I saw him the last time at the English exam."
Ni-ki's face lit up at the mention of the exam "Wait, I think they already graded it! Maybe the list is already hung up"
The Japanese dragged Yeonjun by his arm, as they finally entered the other school's building. "I'm sure you're the first again, Yeonjun" Ni-ki guessed, making Yeonjun chuckle at that.
"Oh, it's a bet? What will you give me if I'm not the first?"
Ni-ki grinned widely, knowing he for sure would win this. He loved to risk bets.
"I'll grant any wish or favour for you Sir" he mockingly suggested, not really caring about it though.
Yeonjun scoffed, as they moved through the queue of people in front of the entrance. Yeah Ni-ki was right, the results were already hung up.
The boy pushed himself through the crowd, as his curiosity grew even more. Looking up for his name on the piece of paper, his eyes widened as he saw himself not on the first place. His name was written in second place, with 98 points in total.
More surprising was the name that was exposed in the first place, with 100 points.
"What??" NI-ki voiced out, as he read the name as well, "how did Choi Beomgyu win first place?"
Yeonjun's lips pouted, as he asked himself the question. He took a picture of the ranking list to send it to Beomgyu, just in case he might haven't seen it yet.
In any way, he was happy for him, it has always looked like that Beomgyu never the best grades in general and struggled with it.
Unlocking his phone, Yeonjun selected the picture to send it to Beomgyu. He hoped to meet him sooner or later, but maybe that was something for another time.
While doing that, he noticed the many other messages in his notification bar as well. He clicked on the recent one, the one from his father.
Ni-ki dragged his friend away from the crowd, both moving to the classroom. Class would start soon, so they had quite of quicken their walk now.
"Well I guess, you have won" NI-ki commented, even though he noticed that Yeonjun's face was fixated on his phone. "Jun?"
Yeonjun quickly looked up, his face quite frozen and blank "Oh yeah sorry. You were saying?"
"Tell me anything I should do for you" he continued, stopping in front of his classroom. "I mean, you have won the bet, so I wanna know asap-" Ni-ki turned around and soon saw that Yeonjun wasn't standing next to him anymore.
The boy turned around some more in the other direction, and saw Yeonjun sprinting away to the exit door.
"What the-" Ni-ki mumbled, but stilled as he saw the notification bar of his phone light up.
Yeonjun:
Sorry, something came up with dad. I'll explain it later.
---
Our main character was resting himself at that time on the couch in the living room. He just got a notification from Yeonjun, and went to check it quickly. He gasped loudly as he saw the picture with his name on the top of the list. The one that everyone in school could see.
Speechless, he stood up and his feet dragged him to his father's office. "Dad! I got the best grade in english!" he exclaimed, as a toddler would to their parents.
Hoomin, who was concentrated on some kind of papers, lifted his gaze at the presence of his stepson. "Good" he answered, and his emotionless gaze went back to his work.
"I was at the top of the ranking list...?" Beomgyu added, in the hope to get a better reaction. But instead, the older male just nodded and waved off with a hand motion.
Beomgyu rolled his eyes and made his way back to the living room. Damn not even a praise, he thought to himself, as he let himself flop onto the couch again.
---
"What did you say?" Ha-ri blurted, as she overheard a conversation from her classmates.
"I said", Hwasa repeated with confidence, "Your relationship with Yeonjun must be fake. Both of your families are monsters"
Ha-ri's mouth fell to the floor. How could she just say that out of nowhere? The girl stood up from the chair and made a few steps towards her classmate. She was sick of always justifying herself. Why wouldn't people just shut up for once?
"Why would it be fake? We love each other dearly, I don't know which rumours you heard-"
"So you are saying this isn't true?" Hwasa questioned, holding up her phone in front of Ha-ri's face.
Ha-ri scoffed and took the phone in her hands. He was expecting probably some picture again of them two or something. Taking a closer look, she realized it wasn't a picture, but an article.
And she knew immediately what it was about.
"So embarrassing, literally the both of you" Hwasa continued, snatching then back the phone from her hands, "and to think you were actually an innocent person, Ha-ri". With that, she faked a laugh and crossed her arms.
Ha-ri's hands began to tremble as she slowly looked up. No this couldn't be true, it had to be a mistake or something.
Ha-ri tried to force a smile and stand up straight "Oh but it is not what it looks like, I'm sure it's just..." she barely managed to finish the sentence, as she realized that it wasn't worth it anymore. Looking around the classroom, she could see everyone staring at her in disgust.
---
"Gyu would you answer the door?" Beomgy's mom called as the ringing of the door echoed in the whole house.
"Mom, it's probably the neighbour again" Beomgyu answered in an annoyed tone, lifting himself from the couch with a groan.
The brown-haired boy made sleepy and slow steps towards the main door. Through the peephole he saw a taller figure standing outside of the door.
Beomgyu raised his eyebrows as he opened the door a little.
"How can I help you?" Beomgyu asked, a little shy though towards the stranger.
"Is Choi Hoomin here?" the man in front of him asked. He was around middle-aged with blondish-grey hair. He looked like he was in hurry, and didn't stop to glance at his watch.
"Oh my father? Yes, he's here, but may I know first who you are?"
"Maybe you didn't recognize me yet", the man voiced, pulling out from his wallet a business card. A polite smile grew on his face as he handed the card to Beomgyu, " I am Choi Soobin, Yeonjun's father"
Beomgyu's eyes widened as he slowly took the business card in his hands. The man was right; it was indeed him. How come he had never met Yeonjun's dad in all these years, and why just now?
"Oh uhm sure" Beomgyu mumbled, opening the door a bit wider, "I'll let my father know, please step in".
Walking back inside, Beomgyu asked himself the reason of his presence. An electric wave flew through his body as he came to realize something.
Yeonjun's dad looked like to be in hurry. His own step-dad wasn't much paying attention to him just now, as if he was interested in something very important. The documents on his desk could explain one thing. Beomgyu froze in the middle of the hallway, as he put the pieces together.
The contract of the two families, that he had sent to the press, has been published.
A/N: Finally I got to reveal Soobin in this story. I'm sorry, but he is going to play the villain here :(