Past Guilt

You could hear a pin drop in the classroom as the small girl came out from behind Secretary Lee

"I am Empress Kyo SeolJu. Please take care of me."

Her quick bow and her honey-like voice washed over them as Kyo SeolJu was the epitome of cute.

"Mmm, good girl. If those beasts touch you, come to me. I will take care of them."

His voice was rough, and so were his hands, but he tried to be gentle when he pat her head,

"Boys, we have a very important mission! Before class is over, we must get the little empress to the break room without those beasts noticing. This takes precedence over everything else! If you fail, we will never be able to get our little empress back. Does everyone understand?"

A clear, yes, sir reverberated off the walls of the room.

"Is that really necessary? I am not a doll. I think I can handle a bunch of boys."

With her hands held behind her and her head tilted to the side, Kyo SeolJu gazed up at General Park with watery eyes. His old heart melted while he silently vowed to keep her from all of the beasts in the school.

"No need to worry. Go sit."

The old man had some reservations at first, however, there was no way someone could hate a girl as adorable as her. Giving a nod, she ran up the stairs to sit beside Kang SeoJun and Cho HaYun. Both boys clung to each arm immediately when she sat down. Giggling, she didn't realize that someone in front of her was eating vinegar. The seating arrangement was made by Kang SeoMin, and he had done a good job if he did so himself.

Knowing she had yet to remember him, he had put the least likely to hinder him and the most likely to help him by her side. Cho HaYun and Kang SeoJun sat on either side of Kyo SeolJu their seat was in the center. The ten desks were placed in a semi-circle with the teacher in the front. Each desk could fit five students plus elbow room easily. Kang SeoMin placed the desks like this so he could see Kyo SeolJu.

"Alright, this is your last year of high school and for the twins, this is your last year of college."

Although General Park's tone was serious, his face was gentle as he glanced at Kyo SeolJu.

"Haru, Meng Meng, and DoHyun already finished high school. So, they must be taking courses for college, right?"

Poking the boys beside her, Kyo SeolJu glimpsed at the three in question.

"Yup! We spent one-year training and two years since our debut. So they should have finished college. SeoMin should be in college too."

Cho HaYun rubbed his head against her shoulder and Kang SeoJun explained further,

"HaYun, Kwang, and I have been getting ahead in school so we could go to college with the four of them. The four of them stayed behind so we could catch up. It was SeoMin-hyung's idea."

Nodding in understanding, Kyo SeolJu peeked at Kang SeoMin from the corner of her eye. To her surprise, her bias was watching her. Blushing, she turned away just to be met with Cho HaYun and Kang SeoJun's knowing gaze.

"Mom, am I going to have a dad soon?"

Cho HaYun smirked while pretending to look for a ring on Kyo SeolJu's finger.

"He's just my bias. I found NG24 because of Z. I fell in love with his first song, it was the first song I performed in competition. Since then I have been a fan of NG24."

Taking out her school books, she shamelessly confessed.

"All of you take out your tablets. We will be taking the business course test first, then move on to the finance test. We will have a break in three hours."

General Park announced the itinerary for the next three hours with ease, however, his students were not giving him their full attention.

"Little doe, you can take some time to play with your tablet and laptop before your test."

The old man's soft, doting voice did not befit his giant frame and imposing presence. Focusing on the general, Kyo SeolJu took note of the long pale scar across his eye. Kyo SeolJu's anguished voice was resounding in the silent room,

"Does it hurt?"

All of the men in the room looked to her. Her eyes watered as she remembered how he got the scar. They all knew the story of how the old man got his scar when he was saving Kyo SeolJu.

"I'm sorry I broke my promise. I-I didn't stay with you. I'm so sorry!"

Her voice broke as she tried to hold back her tears. The general had been her bodyguard since the moment she was conceived, however, due to her memory loss she was unable to remember the old man before he saved her. She was on her way to the airport with her mother when they got into a planned car accident. If it wasn't for the general's quick thinking Kyo SeolJu and her mother would have died in that car. The general put his car in front of theirs and took the hit for them. But despite him having a military vehicle, the general was still injured. The young Kyo SeolJu had stayed with the general until he was taken to the hospital and her to the airport.