Chapter 3: The new guy in her life

Hyun Woo was correct. Hyun Jeong's cold was indeed so bad till she was not allowed to go school the next day. Being one kind of nerd, Hyun Jeong was worried about her school work. Hyun Woo had assured her that Sung Min would pass him the handouts and notes at the end of the day so that he could bring home for her.

 

"Sung Min ah! Where are the notes for Hyun Jeong?"

 

"Oh, I handed them to Hyun Joo just now when I saw her along the corridor. She was heading home already. I knew you would be having basketball practice this afternoon, so I guessed it would be better to ask Hyun Joo to bring home the notes right?"

 

Sung Min had made a point there. Hyun Jeong would want to read the notes and start her revision as early as she can and Hyun Woo won't be back home probably till dinner time.

 

It was evening time when Hyun Woo reached home. He saw two pairs of unfamiliar shoes outside his door and the shoes looked like male shoes.

 

He did not see anyone in the living room or dinning area as he entered the house. He walked up to the study area as Hyun Jeong and Hyun Joo should be there at that timing. He heard some laughters coming out from the room.

 

"Hyun Woo oppa!" Hyun Joo greeted as her brother entered the room. He saw two unfamiliar faces in the room with Hyun Jeong and Hyun Joo.

 

"Let me introduce you my classmate! He is Moon Min Ho." Hyun Joo pointed at one of the males. "This is his brother, Tae Won. He is also Hyun Jeong Unni's classmate."

 

Tae Won appeared to be familiar to Hyun Woo. However, Hyun Woo did not know of his existence until now.

 

"Oh, and you all are doing homework together?"

 

"Hyun Joo and Min Ho are doing a history project together whereas Tae Won and I are revising our work. I'm trying to catch up with whatever I have missed in school today." Hyun Jeong replied.

 

"Ah, okay. I will see you guys later at dinner. I shall go and wash up." Hyun Woo pat on Hyun Jeong's head while making his way out of the room. He noticed that Tae Won had his eyes on him when he put his hand on Hyun Jeong's head.

 

The Moon brothers did not stay for dinner as they had a family dinner to attend. Hyun Woo noticed that Hyun Joo could not stop talking about Min Ho throughout the meal.

 

After dinner, Hyun Woo managed to catch Hyun Jeong alone at the living room.

 

"How was your studying session just now?"

 

"It was great. I don't think I have missed out anything today. Tae Won is a good tutor."

 

"Do I know him? Or am I supposed to know him?" Hyun Woo began to be curious about this guy named Tae Won, who was the first guy friend that Hyun Jeong had knew not through him.

 

"I don't think you would ever interact with him. He is part of the student council board and his studies rank amongst the top few in our cohort. I think he doesn't really play sports, so a sporty idiot like you wouldn't know him."

 

"Ya! What do u mean by a sport idiot like me?" Hyun Woo exclaimed while throwing one of the cushions at Hyun Jeong.

 

"I'm just stating a fact." Hyun Jeong smirked at Hyun Woo.

 

"Yah! Jo Hyun Jeong!" Hyun Woo exclaimed as he attempt to tickle Hyun Jeong.

 

The two was fooling around in the living room area, one trying to tickle the other with the other trying to escape. Soon, Hyun Jeong collapsed onto the sofa with Hyun Woo on top of her, trapping her between his arms and the sofa.

 

"I shall see where can you run now." He smirked.

 

Hyun Jeong stared at Hyun Woo, giving him an innocent expression. Hyun Woo gazed into the widened eyes and flustered for a moment before gaining back his mind.

 

"Fine, you win!" He said as he got up from the sofa.

 

"Free ice cream tomorrow!" Hyun Jeong cheered.

 

Back in his room, Hyun Woo could not get his mind off from what happened in the living room, especially the moment which Hyun Jeong stared right into his eyes. He could feel blood gushing up his face and down to his fatherhood. He went into the toilet and turn on the cold water, attempting to cool his mind and body. He did not know what was going on with himself.

 

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On the way to school, Hyun Jeong's hands accidentally brushed against Hyun Woo's. As soon as that happened, Hyun Woo quickly retracted his hand. Hyun Jeong did not notice his action.

 

"Jun Young ah, why will you blushed when you see someone?"

 

"Hm, when you are embarrassed or when you see someone that you liked?"

 

"Why is that so?"

 

"I don't know. Why did you ask this? You blushed when you see someone? You liked someone?"

 

"No, I don't!"

 

"Are you sure? Who is the someone?"

 

"That someone doesn't exist!"

 

Hyun Woo realised that it was a mistake asking Jun Young as everyone in the group knew about this by lunch time, including Hyun Jeong.

 

"Who is the girl?" Sung Min asked.

 

Ji Eun also looked at Hyun Woo in curiosity as well.

 

"Ya! Hyun Woo oppa! Why am I not the first one to know?!" Hyun Jeong commented while pouting her mouth.

 

Hyun Woo swallowed thickly when he saw her doing so. He found her actions cute and subsequently lost on his own world.

 

"Ya! Jo Hyun Woo!" Sung Min called out, pulling Hyun Woo's mind back to reality.

 

"No one, no one!" Hyun Woo said in frustration. He could not possibly say the truth and tell the others the person causing him to blush was Hyun Jeong. They would probably think he was lying and things may get awkward between him and Hyun Jeong. He was comfortable with his relationship with her currently and did not want anything to change it.

 

"Hyun Jeong ah!" A voice called out.

 

Everyone at the table turned to the voice. It was Tae Won.

 

"Tae Won-ssi."

 

"Are you ready to go?"

 

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot." Hyun Jeong stood up.

 

"Where are you going?" Hyun Woo asked.

 

" I'm helping Tae Won-ssi with the student council board. I see you guys around."

 

Hyun Jeong stood up and left with Tae Won. Hyun Woo felt a pinch in his heart when he saw the two leaving together.

 

"Who is the guy?"

 

"He was transferred here half way through last year. He is one of the top students. Plus, he has the looks. Some of the girls around were crazy about him. Just don't understand why the girls in this school go crazy for people like Hyun Woo and Tae Won."

 

Hyun Woo showed a small awkward smile as he heard Sung Min.

 

"Moon Tae Won." He said in his mind.

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"So you haven't told us who is your special someone?" Jun Young asked Hyun Woo as they walked back to their class.

 

"Special someone?!" Hye Jin murmured as she followed closely behind.

 

"No one, no one! How many times must I repeat myself?"

 

"There won't be any smoke without any fire. Someone is hiding something." Jun Young chuckled.

 

Hye Jin, who was eavesdropping them, was furious when she heard that Hyun Woo liked someone.

 

"I must know the person. He can't like anyone other than me," she said to herself.

 

Just as she was entering the classroom, she saw Hyun Jeong with Tae Won. She noticed the way Tae Won looked at Hyun Jeong. A thought came across her mind.

 

"I shall start my plan by playing Cupid," she smirked.

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Tae Won was walking towards the student council room after class when he was approached by Hye Jin.

 

"Moon Tae Won."

 

"How can I help you?"

 

"I should be the one to ask you that."

 

Tae Won gave Hye Jin a puzzled look upon hearing that. "Why do I need your help for?"

"Simply because I know the Jos better than you."

 

"What are you.." He was interrupted by Hye Jine before he could complete his sentence.

 

"Don't think I don't know what is going on in your mind about Jo Hyun Jeong," she smirked.

 

Tae Won felt that he was caught red-handed for doing something.

 

"I ..." He stammered.

 

"Don't worry. I will help you."

 

"Why would you want to help me? What do you gain from it?" He wondered why she would want to help him to get Hyun Jeong.

 

 

"Well, that's not something you should know. You just need to know we are now alliance."

 

 

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Hye Jin was rather busy these days. Not just with the normal school work and club activities, but also matchmaking Tae Won and Hyun Jeong, and of course, herself with Hyun Woo. She has been helping Tae Won with ideas to ask Hyun Jeong out. On the other hand, she has acted on the idea that Hyun Woo has a special someone and has been spreading that rumor as anonymous around school, with a new version every week. By the end of the second school term, the rumour has became that Hyun Woo is interested in Hye Jin. However, Hye Jin, being herself, act as though it was really rumour (which was really the case) and behaved as per usual around Hyun Woo. The gang, on the other hand, has been teasing Hyun Woo with Hye Jin, and this included Hyun Jeong and Hyun Joo. 

 

Hyun Woo was puzzled how did the rumour start and how did Hye Jin get into the picture? He resolved that it was the numerous projects that they had together. He was uncomfortable with the fact that Hyun Jeong was one of the people teasing him. After a few inner arguments and several occasions of distancing himself from Hyun Jeong, he concluded that he might have liked Hyun Jeong more than what it should be between cousins. He gets angry and jealous when Hyun Jeong hangs out with other guys and getting all sorts of touchy with them, especially with Tae Won. He did not like it whenever she hangs out with Tae Won and they have been doing so recently.

"Finally the first half of the school year has ended!" Hyun Joo cheered at the dinning table.

 

"I thought someone was so excited for school at the beginning of the year?" Hyun Woo teased.

 

"What do you guys intend to do over this school break?" Mr Jo asked.

 

"Aren't we going for any family trip?" Hyun Joo asked.

 

"Not this holiday. I will need to be away in America for some business matters. We will go Japan for the next break."

 

"Alright! Then what should we do over the long holidays?" Hyun Joo asked.

 

"Grandma is visiting some of our relatives at the village. You guys can accompany her." Mrs Jo said.

 

"But I think there is only accommodation for two or three. So not all three of you guys can follow."

 

"It will be so boring at the village, right?" Hyun Joo commented.

 

"Grandmother, I can follow you," Hyun Jeong said.

 

"Hyun Jeong unnie, you are so horrible. How can you let me stay in this house with my brother alone? Without you? He will go crazy and murder me."

 

Hyun Woo spat out his food as Hyun Joo commented.

 

"Ya! Why do you sound as though I am a demon?"

 

"Remember when Unnie left for her class camp back in elementary school for five days? You almost tore this house down."