Chapter 23 - His First Love

"Strong? I mean, someone dependable, physically strong like that."

Strong. Dependable. Jun Ho carefully dissected her words.

"Ohhh... He should be buffed then," Siwan said.

"Not necessarily. Some buffed guys just appear strong but they're not. For example, those guys who complain about lifting heavy things," then Jin Ae glanced at Jun Ho's direction slyly.

Jun Ho scoffed lightly. Did he not carry her up to her bed? How could she think he was not strong enough?

"Do you like good-looking guys?" Siwan asked.

"He doesn't need to be good-looking. Handsome men are a handful."

Jun Ho's pupils dilated.

"But what about the doctor? You two look good together," Hyomin commented.

Jin Ae smiled, "Uhm, maybe because I always see his handsome face that's why I'm no longer attracted to handsome guys."

"That means, we just look ordinary to Teacher Son, Mr. Hyun," Siwan whispered as he nudged Jun Ho. Jun Ho forced a slight smile as a response but frowned to himself.

Jin Ae hurriedly took a cup of soju and put a lot of grilled meat on her mouth. The taste was satisfying.

They started again, this time Hyomin gave the cue word, it was actually a question- the number of relationships they had. She proudly said she had three relationships and was hoping the fourth one in the future would be the last. Seo Ah followed suit, she only had one boyfriend during high school and she was currently single. Next, Siwan said he never had a girlfriend but if he would have one in the future, he'll work hard to make the relationship last which earned him a tap of approval from Jin Ae.

Unexpectedly, Jun Ho couldn't answer next so Jin Ae volunteered. She started to count on her finger and that gesture surprised them all.

"Whoa! There were many?" Siwan asked, bewildered.

She already had lifted eight fingers up when she suddenly folded the four down and said, "Four." Then she laughed, teasing them.

"You almost got me!" Laughed Siwan.

Fortunately four, but Jun Ho still couldn't bring himself to smile. Four? She got four boyfriends when he did not even spare a glance at any girl in college and any woman at work. He looked at her disappointingly with a slight pout.

"Well, they just passed briefly in my life. Actually, they never last for a week."

She put it like they were nice and persistent while she was so kind as to hurt their feelings.

'Yes, you are so kind,' Jun Ho thought sarcastically.

"I could imagine them being her slave for a couple of days and when they could not stand her, they disappeared," Seo Ah remarked.

"Oh! Precisely," Jin Ae pointed, glancing at Seo Ah for her correct assumption. Seo Ah and Hyomin gasped from reality while Siwan shook his head disapprovingly.

"That's too bad, Teacher Son," he said.

"But... if they would have just endured a month then I could have rewarded them with a kiss or a hug," Jin Ae defended. She looked at Siwan asking for approval to what she said but he just shook his head and then she glanced at Jun Ho who was deeply settled in his seat.

Jun Ho paused for a second and said in a throaty voice "Honestly, I would have been patient."

Coz yeah, you'll need to have a lot of patience to handle a Son Jin Ae, Jun Ho mused.

"See! It's all about patience," Jin Ae said satisfyingly. She flashed an ok sign to Jun Ho with an eye smile and he followed suit, tilting his head when he did the childish gesture. Was she already tipsy?

There was a long silence before Jun Ho belatedly realized that they were actually waiting for his turn.

"Uhm, I have one girlfriend," he said, trying to sound like his sentence was already a period. Actually, he never had one. Still, their eyes did not leave him, even Jin Ae was looking at him intently.

He was forced to say more, and then an idea popped into his head.

"....we are still happily dating."

Jun Ho saw Jin Ae narrow her eyes.

"....I even introduced her to my colleagues last time."

Jin Ae's eyes widened, realizing who he was talking about. She mimed something like 'me?' at him repeatedly, with her back facing the others, she pointed to herself.

"I'll introduce you to her soon," he continued, happy to see Jin Ae pissed. She showed him a fist and immediately rested her back in her chair before anyone caught her.

"Wow! You're so loyal!" Siwan amazingly commented.

"I thought you're single, Mr. Hyun. Aigoo," Hyomin remarked while Seo Ah sank down to her chair.

They continued for another round. The three shared about their first love. They were so focused on their stories while Jin Ae was focused on eating the food. The game turned like a late-night talk about life and love and the atmosphere made Jin Ae glanced at them and wondered if they were already a bit tipsy. It was also half an hour before 10 in the evening. Without her noticing, a pair of eyes was watching her intently. Then it was his turn to talk.

"I met my first love in high school. It's almost the same as anyone's first love story...."

"....but I have never got the chance to confess my love...." he continued melancholy. Jin Ae turned her head to face him when she noticed the sadness in his tone.

"....I just needed to give her that flower but I did not. Tsk! If I only had the courage to tell her honestly how I feel. If only...." he ended with a croaky word.

Suddenly, without warning, a wail was heard, Siwan was crying.

"I also did not give her the flower that night in our camping. Because she already received so many!" He wailed without tears.

"I received one in our MT," Hyomin said out of nowhere. "Me too," said Seo Ah.

Jin Ae gasped, they were all drunk now, she assumed.

"Jin Ae, how about you? Have you received a flower of confession before?" Hyomin asked. Jun Ho straightened his back upon hearing the question.

"Ask her if she had been in one, she seldom joins gatherings," Seo Ah retorted.

"Yes, in MT or camping in high school. But wait, she has forgotten her memories in high school."

Jin Ae unexpectedly shot a glass of soju as an answer to their surprise.

"You guys should go to your room now before I let you sleep here outside!" she roared and shot daggers through her eyes.

Terrified, Siwan and Hyomin get up hurriedly to go, when they noticed Seo Ah was still sitting, they pulled her inside even though she did not want to.

Jin Ae scoffed and prepared to get up as well when Jun Ho suddenly spoke in a throaty voice.

"I still miss her."

Jin Ae slowly sat back due to the seriousness of his voice. He was staring down.

"Your first love?" she asked. Somehow she was drawn to his story.

He looked up to catch her face glistening from the moonlight, "Yes... I think about her...."

"No. I constantly think about her," correcting himself.

"She's lucky," that's all she could say.

He smiled at her, "And your ex-boyfriends were unlucky."

Jin Ae cracked up. And they shared a warm laugh together while giving each other a comforting smile before going to bed.

* * *

"Next week will be a short break before the second semester. Have you guys planned something for next week?" The adviser asked.

The class president, Kim Min Jung herself, stood up.

"We have already talked about it, Ma'am. We planned to have a one-night and two-day camp on Monday and Tuesday for the whole class. It's up to the others what to do in the next few days."

The class roared happily. Screaming "camping" repeatedly. Kim Jeong Won just smiled but his friend Hyeon Seong urged him to yell happily, his friend also turned to Son Jin Ae, urging her as well. She did not bother.

"Do we really need to get together? We should use the break for ourselves alone," she said under her breath but louder for Jeong Won to hear.

"Are you not joining?" he asked sadly.

She was about to answer him yes, she will not join, when she heard the teacher mention their names.

"Kim Jeong Won. Son Jin Ae. Since you two are just new in the class. I'm expecting you to come. You should join, okay?" The adviser asked sweetly to them while raising an okay sign, waiting for their response.

Jeong Won gestured an okay sign too with a smile. He glanced at Jin Ae and hit her arm using his elbow and she followed suit. Raising an okay sign with her hand and forcing an eye smile.