CHAPTER 3: GLAVER

Days rolled by in a similar fashion. Eunha found herself looking forward to each day, not because of the education, but because of Sunghoon. They would see each other in class, walk together to their next class, and chat during lunch time.

With each passing day, Eunha found herself more and more drawn to Sunghoon. She enjoyed their conversations, the way he would listen intently to her, the way he would laugh at her jokes. She liked how he was smart, funny, and easy to talk to. Her heart would race every time he smiled at her or touched her arm to get her attention.

It was a Friday evening, and Eunha was in her room, getting ready for dinner. Her mother had told her that they were expecting guests that night, a business associate of her father. As she fixed her hair and makeup, she thought about the upcoming dinner, feeling a little bored at the thought of having to make small talk with snobby adults.

She was just putting on her earrings, admiring herself in the mirror, when her mother called from downstairs. "Eunha, darling, the guests are here. Come down quickly."

Eunha took a deep breath, steeling herself for the night ahead. She smoothed her dress one last time and walked down the stairs, plastering a polite smile on her face. As she entered the living room, she saw her father talking to the guests - a middle-aged man and a woman.

As she looked at them, she realised they were the Shim family - her father's old business associate. Mr. Shim was a tall, imposing figure with a stern face, while his wife, Mrs. Shim, was a soft-spoken woman with a kind smile. They both looked up as Eunha entered the room, their eyes taking in her appearance.

Just then, the door opened, and a tall boy with a handsome face walked in. It was Jake Shim, a year older than Eunha, and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Shim. Mr. Shim's face brightened at the sight of his son, and he clapped a proud hand on Jake's shoulder.

As Jake entered the room, Eunha immediately recognised him. From a young age, their parents had arranged for them to be together, and they had known each other since childhood. Despite the arrangement being agreed upon by their parents, Eunha had never really felt attracted to Jake romantically. To her, he was more like a distant cousin - someone she had known all her life, but not someone she had ever considered as a potential partner.

As she greeted them all, she noticed that Jake's eyes lingered on her for a moment longer than necessary. He smiled at her, but she couldn't help but notice the hint of possessiveness in his gaze, as if she belonged to him.

The rest of the evening passed in a blur of polite smiles and small talk. Eunha tried her best to engage in the conversation, but her mind kept wandering to thoughts of Sunghoon, their interactions from the past few days playing in her head.

As dinner was served, Eunha foundherself seated next to Jake, their parents on the other side of the table. She could feel his eyes on her, studying her every move, and it made her skin crawl.

The conversation was mostly about business, with Mr. Shim and her father discussing some project they were collaborating on. Mrs. Shim and her mother were chatting about some charity event they were planning to attend. Meanwhile, Eunha picked at her food, feeling more and more uneasy as the evening wore on.

Every now and then, Jake would try to engage her in conversation, but she would politely respond with short answers, keeping her attention focused on her food. She could tell he was getting frustrated with her disinterest, but she couldn't bring herself to pretend she wanted to talk to him.

The dinner finally ended, and the Shim family prepared to leave. Eunha's father shook hands with Mr. Shim, thanking him for coming. Mrs. Shim came over to hug her, whispering in her ear, "It's good to see you, dear. You've really grown up." Eunha couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt at her words. She knew her parents were happy about this arrangement, but she could never see herself with Jake.

She glanced over at Jake, who was standing next to his parents. He was looking at her, a mixture of frustration and disappointment on his face. She quickly averted her gaze, not wanting to hold his gaze any longer.

Finally, the Shim family said their goodbyes, and Eunha breathed a small sigh of relief as they left. Her mother started clearing the table, and her father excused himself to his study, leaving Eunha alone in the living room.

She sat alone in silence for a while, replaying the events of the evening in her head. The image of Jake's eyes on her, his possessive gaze, made her uneasy. She couldn't help but think about Sunghoon, his warm smile and comfortable presence. She knew she shouldn't be comparing the two of them, but she couldn't help it.

She realised then how much she enjoyed the time she spent with Sunghoon, how he made her heart race and her mind lose focus. But he was just a friend, she reminded herself. They were just classmates who happened to get along well. There was no point in her harbouring any feelings for him.

Feeling a little restless, she decided to head up to her room. Maybe a hot shower would help her relax. As she walked up the stairs, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and felt a flutter in her stomach when she saw it was a message from Sunghoon.

"Hey, what are you up to?", the message read. She knew she probably shouldn't feel so happy about a simple text message, but she couldn't help the smile that formed on her lips.

She quickly tapped out a response. "Just got back from dinner. How about you?" She hit send and waited for his reply, her heart beating just a little faster than usual.

A few moments later, her phone buzzed again. "Just finishing up some homework. Pretty boring." He added a smiley face emoji at the end. She couldn't help but find his simplicity charming.

She sat down on her bed, her fingers typing out a response. "Homework on a Friday night? Boring indeed." She hit send and then added, "You need to learn to have some fun."

"Yeah, I know," his reply came soon after. "But if I want to pass the semester, I gotta work hard." He added a winking emoji, and she could almost hear his voice saying the words. She smiled at the phone, her heart doing a little leap.

"What a responsible student," she typed out, her tone playful. "I bet you get all the teachers' praise." She added a smiley face at the end, hoping he could feel her amusement through the phone screen.

"Only the pretty ones," he replied, followed by a laughing emoji. Eunha felt a flutter in her chest at the playful banter. She couldn't resist the urge to tease him back.

"So, you're just a charmer, then?" she typed, a smirk on her face. She was starting to feel more and more comfortable in this conversation, their usual banter coming naturally to them.

"Just for you," he replied, followed by a heart emoji. Eunha's heart skipped a beat at the message, the fluttering in her chest growing stronger. Was he flirting with her? Or was he just being playful? She couldn't tell, but she found herself secretly hoping it was the former.

She tried to keep her cool, not wanting to let on how his message had affected her. "Oh, so I'm special, am I?" she replied, keeping her response light. She added a wink emoji, hoping it conveyed the right mix of playfulness and flirtyness.

"Of course you are," he texted back, followed by another heart emoji. Eunha's heart was racing now, her cheeks heating up. He was definitely flirting now, there was no doubt about it. But how should she respond? She didn't want to come on too strong and scare him off, but at the same time, she didn't want to appear indifferent.

She tried to think of a coy and witty response, something that would keep the banter going. "You sure know how to flatter a girl," she texted back, followed by a smiley face. She added a blushing emoji, hoping it would let him know she was enjoying their conversation.

"Only the ones worth flirting with," he replied, followed by a kissing emoji. Eunha's mind was spinning now. He was definitely flirting with her, and he was not holding back. Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, and she found herself grinning like a fool.

On Sunday, Eunha and Sunghoon decided to meet up at the busy mall. They agreed to explore the shops, grab some food, and just enjoy each other's company.

As they met at the entrance to the mall, Eunha's heart skipped a beat as she saw Sunghoon waiting for her. He looked casually handsome in his faded jeans and plain white t-shirt. She had put a little extra effort into her outfit, wearing a cute sundress that hugged her figure just right.

"You look nice," Sunghoon said, smiling at her. His eyes roamed appreciatively over her dress, and Eunha felt a little thrill at his obvious admiration. "Thanks," she said, blushing a bit. "You don't look too bad yourself."

They walked side by side through the bustling crowds, their conversation easily flowing. They poked fun at each other playfully, and Eunha felt herself relaxing in his company. They stopped by a few shops, trying on silly clothes and laughing at themselves in the dressing room mirrors.

As they walked past a jewelry store, Sunghoon suddenly stopped. "Hang on a sec," he said, his eyes glued to the display in the store window. Eunha came to a halt next to him, curious about what had caught his attention.

Sunghoon pointed towards a beautiful silver necklace in the window. "That's pretty," he said, still looking at the jewelry. Eunha leaned in closer to him, her eyes taking in the necklace. It was a delicate chain with a small heart-shaped pendant. She thought it was lovely.

"Yeah, it is," she agreed. She couldn't help but think how nice it would look against her skin. She found herself imagining Sunghoon gifting it to her, wrapping it around her neck. She immediately pushed the thought away, feeling silly for even contemplating it.

Sunghoon was still staring at the necklace intently. Eunha could see the gears turning in his mind. He glanced at her, then at the necklace, then back at her. "What do you think?" he asked, his voice slightly hesitant.

Eunha tried to keep her voice casual, but she couldn't help feeling a flutter in her chest. "It's nice," she replied, trying to keep her tone nonchalant. "Why do you ask?"

Sunghoon shrugged, still looking at the necklace. "Just thought it would look good on you," he said, his voice softer now. Eunha felt her heart skip a beat at his words. She couldn't tell if he was just being friendly or if there was a deeper meaning behind his statement.

There was a moment of silence as they both stared at the necklace in the window. Eunha could feel her heart thudding faster in her chest. She couldn't help but wonder if Sunghoon was thinking about gifting her the necklace. The thought was both thrilling and scary.

She found herself biting her lip, debating on whether or not to say something. She was about to open her mouth to speak when Sunghoon's voice interrupted her thoughts. "We should check out the food court," he said suddenly, tearing his gaze away from the necklace. "I'm starving."

Eunha felt a pang of disappointment as the moment passed, but she quickly pushed it aside. "Yeah, food sounds good," she agreed, forcing a smile. As they walked away from the jewelry store, Eunha couldn't help but glance back at the necklace once more, wondering what might have been.

As they made their way to the food court, Eunha found herself feeling both disappointed and relieved. It was probably for the best that they hadn't dwelt on the necklace any longer. She didn't want to read too much into Sunghoon's words or actions. He was her friend, and that was all. They shouldn't make things complicated.

When they got to the food court, they browsed the various food stalls, eyeing the different dishes on offer. They decided to split a pizza and sat down at a small table to eat. As they shared the pizza, their conversation continued, moving away from the necklace and onto other topics.

Eunha tried to focus on their conversation, but her mind kept drifting back to the necklace and Sunghoon's words about it looking good on her. She found herself wondering if he had meant it in a friendly way or if there had been something more behind it.

Throughout the meal, she kept stealing glances at him, searching for any kind of indication that he might be thinking the same things she was. But his expression was casual and easy, giving no hint of any deeper thoughts. Maybe she had been reading too much into the situation, she told herself.

Once they finished their pizza, they decided to walk around the mall some more. As they strolled down the wide corridors, Eunha found herself lost in thought. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something more between them, but she didn't know how to bring it up without making things awkward.

As Sunghoon and Eunha continued their wanderings, they didn't notice a familiar figure watching them from a distance. Jake was in the mall too, shopping for some new clothes. He had seen them together, laughing and chatting, and an unexpected pang of jealousy flared inside him.

As he watched them, he saw Sunghoon make her laugh, and a sharp pain shot through his chest. He clenched his fists at his sides, trying to quell the feeling of possessiveness that was starting to take hold.

He knew that Eunha wasn't his property, and yet he couldn't help but feel a sense of ownership over her. They were betrothed, after all. Seeing her with another boy, laughing and enjoying herself, stirred up an irrational anger within him.

Jake followed Sunghoon and Eunha discreetly, watching their interactions closely. He couldn't hear what they were saying, but he could see their easy banter and the playful smiles they kept exchanging. The sight made his blood boil.