In the club room, Jin and Jisoo sat at the table together. Jin was filling out the captain’s book and Jisoo was flipping through the stack of pictures she had taken of Keun-suk. No matter how many times she looked at them, she just couldn’t pick the best one. “Captain, for the next article, which picture do you want to use?” She asked his opinion. “I’ve thought of a headline.” Jin looked from the book to her. “Basketball Hunk in Full Splendor.”

Jin leaned over the table closer to her. “You mean Suga?”

“Say what?” Jisoo asked with one eyebrow raised.

“RM?” He continued to tease.

“Oh, please.” She rolled her eyes as she shuffled the pictures more.

“Then it must be me.” He said putting his chin in between his pointer finger and thumb and giving her a cute handsome smile.

“Go look in the mirror.” Jisoo insulted him.

“Hey.” Jin said taking offense. “Full of yourself.”

“Shut up.” Jisoo said. A sly smile spread her lips as she picked one picture from the many. “The hunk I am talking about…” She held the picture up of Keun-suk, where he wasn’t staring at the camera and held a basketball at chest level. “Is him.”

Suddenly, Jin’s attention turned from the picture as his mouth flew open. “Beauty.” He mumbled.

“Hunk!” Jisoo said loudly as she shook the picture in his face. “Are you jealous?”

Jin still ignored the picture even with it an inch from his face. “It’s a beauty.”

Jisoo followed the direction of his drooling stare to the stairs directly behind them. Her mouth dropped open as well when she saw the woman standing their looking back at her. Jin was right, she was beautiful. Her raven black hair was long and waved down her back. The business attire she wore hugged every curve of her thin body. Her eyes were intense as they stared back at Jisoo. “Excuse me. Is this the basketball club office?” Her voice sounded like heaven to Jin’s ears.

Still in a stupor, Jin slowly stood up from his chair with a cheesy smile on his face. “Yes, yes.” He stuttered in answer.

Jisoo quickly stood up and tried to block his view of the woman. “Who are you?”

“Friend of your coach, Jang Keun-suk. I’m Kim Jang-Mi.” She smiled sweetly at them.

“Nice to meet you.” They both said at the same time as if they were in a trance.

Keun-suk’s POV

He stood in front of the quiet classroom reading the book he was holding his lecture on. He paused for a moment, for the students to catch up on the notes he was writing on the board. As he waited, his eyes swept over the room. He was looking for Lonna, but the sight of her empty desk concerned him. He quickly composed himself and started teaching again when the last hand raised to say they were finished.

He finished the last lines of the book just as the end bell rang. The students sat at the edge of their seats, waiting for him to dismiss them. “This is the last class I am substituting for Professor Lin. I hope I have another chance to meet you all.” He bowed his head to the students slightly. “We’re done.”

He had expected the class to run for the door, but to his surprise, they all stood up and started to clap for him. Seeing the kind gesture, Keun-suk couldn’t help but feel pride. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling as they all started to leave.

Momo grabbed her full bookbag and walked over to Krystal, who was still putting her stuff away. “Krystal. I don’t have a class after this, so I will leave first.”

“Okay, bye.” Krystal said waving goodbye to her.

Seeing Krystal still in the room, Keun-suk rushed over to her before she could leave. “Krystal. Um, did Lonna request leave today?”

“No…” Krystal said. “She’s probably with Seungwan.” She said honestly. She silently wondered what was taking them so long and felt bad that she hadn’t noticed her gone this whole time. Keun-suk shook his head in understanding. “Sorry Teacher Jang, she didn’t skip intentionally. The pressure she has been under…is really too much.” She was worried for her friend. Their conversation from this morning had left her confused and concerned but leaving her alone with Seungwan felt like a bad idea.

“I know. It’s okay.” Keun-suk gave her a reassuring smile, but inside he too was concerned for Lonna’s well-being. “Today’s notes, please copy them for her.” Krystal smiled in agreement.

Lonna’s POV

After Seungwan had left her behind, Lonna had broke. She hated herself. She had put the ring in her pocket and ran. Her feet hit the path that led to the school without her even thinking about where she was going. She was lost in a sea of emotions. She just wanted the image of Seungwan’s forgiving smile and sad eyes out of her head. She needed air, because it felt like she was being smothered.

Once she got to the large staircase that would lead her to the balcony outside the library, she quickly bounded up the stairs. She honestly didn’t care if she tripped over her clumsy feet and fell all the way back down, at this point anything would feel better than the pain she was feeling. She had never felt like this before, and it scared her.

Once she reached the top of the stairs she ran over to the edge of the balcony and threw herself against the safety rail. “Lonna!” She screamed out her name to the thin air. “Is this what you wanted?!” Her voice was hoarse and cracked as she continued to yell. “You’re too selfish!” She thought maybe if she voiced the horrible things she was feeling, then she could throw them away. She wanted to shout out her secret, she wanted to throw it out to the world, she wanted to quit having to lie. She knew she would feel better if she did.

Just as she opened her mouth to tell it, the image of Mr. Min and her mother, smiling happily as they always do flashed through her head.No. We can’t confess. It would destroy the home life we want to maintain. With this thought, Lonna slid down to the floor as tears streamed heavily from her eyes.Withholding the truth, caused innocent people to get hurt. She thought as Seungwan came to mind. She sadly put her head between her knees as her body shook from the sobs. Must our love be built on the suffering of others? She pondered the question over and over as she sat and cried.

Suga’s POV

Krystal bowed kindly to Keun-suk before grabbing her stuff. “I’ll be going.”

“Bye.” He said waving at her as she started to walk off. Just as she got to the door, Jin and Suga ran inside.

“Jin, you here for me?” She asked confused of her boyfriend’s unusual yet kind gesture.

“That too.” He said. Suga stood beside him silent, trying to catch his breath. “And Teacher Jang, since he is on the way.”

“Ha.” Krystal said as she gave Keun-suk a look. She wasn’t surprised that he hadn’t really come for her, but to make her an after thought to her teacher, made her slightly mad. “I think it’s me who is “on the way”. Look at you, again basketball first, girlfriend second.” Jin didn’t even attempt to argue as Krystal stood pouting cutely in front of him.

“Min.” Keun-suk dared to talk to Suga, who was still standing quietly. “Are you here for Lonna?” He followed Suga’s frozen stare and saw it was directed at her empty chair. “You didn’t know she wasn’t here today?” Suga refused to answer his questions as he continued to look at the desk. He could feel his heart beat in his throat as he started to become worried. “Lonna isn’t the kind of girl who skips class for no reason, as I think you’re aware.”

The question she had asked, that he had refused an answer to, filled his head. “Suga, what are we going to do?” Suddenly, his worry turned to fear as he tried to think of what she could be doing, or if anything had happened to her.

“I’m concerned that Lonna has reached her emotional limit.” Suga didn’t need to hear anymore as he ran from the room. He didn’t know where to find her, or even where to start. All he knew is that he had let his selfishness and pride keep him from her and he had to make it up to her, he had to find her because if he didn’t, he was going to lose her.

Krystal felt awkward in the silent classroom as she stood between Jin and Keun-suk. “Jin, didn’t you come here for Teacher Jang?”

“Yes, Teacher Jang, your girlfriend is really beautiful.” Jin said stunning them both.