Fall for me again

"Hello, princess"

Hechan approached me and called me out in a cheerful tone. 

"Just what the hell are you doing here?!"

Well, I knew what was up, but I guess I still didn't want to believe what was really happening. 

"It's just as your dad said. My dad did a good thing and now we are family. Isn't that great? I came here for the same reason as you did because this is a family gathering"

For fuck's sake. It's one thing, and also not that far-fetched, for Hechan to be a son of a mobster, but it was another thing to be in the same 'family' with him now. What's even worse was that it was Dad who brought this dickhead's family in. To complicate the matter even more, the root of all this was that Hechan's Dad literally saved my Dad's ass. Dad made no secret of it and publically expressed his gratitude for it. No matter how you look at it, we 'owe' them something. If there was one person in this world I didn't want to owe anything to it was obviously this motherfucker. 

"I will just have to welcome you to the family, but it seems you upset Jenn here"

Woobin was next to me again and spoke up, but even he seemed to be caught flat-footed in this situation. 

"I came with no ill intention to anyone. Hey, it's a joyous occasion right?"

Now it was Hechan who was playing things cool. He was enjoying this moment, happy that he caught both me and Woobin by surprise, and probably buzzing from the grand entrance and the warm welcome he's received with his dad here. 

"I'm glad to see that you guys are already getting along"

Dad came by with Hechan's father. 

Read the room, Dad.

"Your daughter has grown to be a beautiful lady Brother Yoon. Nice to see you again, Jenn"

Damn it, I have to call this guy Uncle Yu from now…

But wait-, hang on. Nice to see me 'again'?

"How long has it been? Five years maybe?", Dad wondered.

"I think that's about right"

I looked over at Hana to see if I could read anything from her. She must have known about everything. There is no way that she did not know someone that I met before was in my class. But of course, I was no match for Hana. I couldn't read anything from her face. 

"Jenn, greet your uncle properly", Dad spoke commandingly. 

"N..nice to meet you, Uncle Yu. Welcome to the family"

"Welcome to the family, Uncle Yu", Woobin also took the cue and bowed his head.

"Good to see you again, Sir", Hechan bowed to Dad in return. 

"You guys already starting the party without me?", Uncle Min - Woobin's Dad, turned up as well holding a glass of red wine in his hand, smiling. 

"How wonderful. Three of our kids are all going to the same school now and the same class to boot!", Dad seemed to be sincerely happy about it, and well, I was sincerely unhappy about this situation. 

The three dads all laughed wholeheartedly and had a three-way fist bump. 

"Now, let the kids enjoy themselves. It's no place for us boomers to butt in", Uncle Min suggested jokingly and they all walked off somewhere together in a good mood. 

"Hana-, can I talk to you for a second?", I turned to Hana and although I couldn't read her, I was sure she could read the annoyance in my voice. Why did she tell me all about Woobin but not say a single word about Hechan?

"Before that-, can I have a word with you alone, Jenn?", Hechan cut in. 

"No. I'm not going anywhere with you alone"

"Miss. I suggest you have a chat with the young man"

What is Hana even thinking? But if that's what she says…. 

"Fine. Keep it short though"

Hechan then smiled and offered his hand, as if to offering to escort me.

"Not happening"

I replied as coldly as I could but he took the rejection well, so I followed him as he walked off first.

"Jenn, you knew that guy?", Woobin suddenly grabbed my wrist to stop me, but by the time I turned to face him his face was contorted with pain already. 

"You were already warned. Keep your hands off the Miss"

Gees, Hana, I wish you were like this to Hechan as well. 

But for now… let's see what this dickhead had to say. 

"Where are we going?"

"Let's just get some fresh air on the terrace"

I made a gesture with my head to get Hana to follow me, just in case he was planning anything funny. 

"I don't know why you always think I'd be up to something bad", Hechan protested.

"Because I've already seen what kind of a nasty man you are"

"I've never been bad to you though"

"Doesn't matter. You are a horrible person and you know that"

":Sigh: I've waited for this moment for quite a while now yet you are still like this…"

"What are you talking about?"

By this time, we were standing on the terrace and Hechan was leaning on the fence. God, I wish that fence would just break right now and he would fall off from here. 

"So you've really forgotten everything"

"Whatever happened before, I'm happy that I did"

"Look, Jenn"

There was something different about the way he spoke and called my name just now.

"We met five years ago. Your family and my family, we had a week of camping trip together during summer"

"WHAT?!"

"I could have told you right from the beginning when you transferred to our school, but I didn't want to be pushy"

"So you knew me all along but didn't want to say anything?" 

"Yup"

"Why?"

"Would it have changed anything?"

"No"

Then Hechan gave me a shrug as if to say 'See, what's the point anyway?'.

"Why tell me now though?"

"I was hoping before that we could get close again naturally without pulling up the past. But now that we've reached the point where I am an officially viable candidate, I wanted to declare properly"

"What candidate? Declare what?"

"Hey, Jenn. I like you"

I felt my stomach turn.

"I've never forgotten the time we spent together on that short trip all those years ago"

"Fuck. I don't want to know. Just stop talking. I'm outta here"

"Jenn", Hechan reached out and grabbed my hand as I was walking away.

What the fuck makes all these guys think they can just grab me like that? When I was a boy I've never held a girl's hand even once. Never even dared to think that I could. 

"Let go"

I said just about loud enough for Hana waiting inside standing by the window to hear me. Hopefully, she will barge in and break this dude's arm or something. But when I sought Hana through the window, I saw that she was standing and looking the other way deliberately. 

"I know you've forgotten. And it's okay. But I've never forgotten"

"Just shut the hell up. I don't want any of this"

"I'll make you fall for me again"