♈︎ ♉︎ ♊︎ ♋︎ ♌︎ ♍︎ ♎︎ ♏︎ ♐︎ ♑︎ ♒︎ ♓︎

The dark light

That holds my heart

Sharply

Cuts through

♈︎ ♉︎ ♊︎ ♋︎ ♌︎ ♍︎ ♎︎ ♏︎ ♐︎ ♑︎ ♒︎ ♓︎

You disdainfully commented,plopping down on a chair, your face flustered, "Could anyone possibly be more arrogant and condescending? I simply can't tolerate that conceited jerk!." Seated in the cafeteria next to your friend Seo-Jun, who is pursuing a master's degree in business accounting, you casually swept your long, reddish-brown hair over your shoulder. Across from you, Ji-Hu and Bong, your other two friends, looked up in surprise and greeted you with nods.

They observed your irritated expression with amusement. Ji-Hu, another fiery redhead friend, sat across from you, absorbed in the latest fashion magazine, her perfectly manicured eyebrow raised. She was the group's fashionista, known for her exceptional sense of style, which is why she was studying fashion merchandising. She was also known for her direct and candid nature.

Ji-hu simply rolls her eyes, observing your flustered demeanor, her mouth forming a subtle smirk. Oh my goodness, the famous duo was back. The entire faculty is aware of their squabbles and bickering.

You furrow your brows and adjust your glasses on your nose, sneaking a peek at the food selections your friends have chosen to eat. You're so hungry that you could eat a Chinese panda.

"Don't tell me. It's Mr. Kim taunting you again? What did he do this time? When will this feud end? Wow, it's been almost 6 years," Bong dryly remarked as she savored some kimchi from one of the small bowls.

"When one of us dies and it isn't me," you say sourly, stretching your arm to get yourself a bowl.

"Do you know how awkward it is to sit with our boyfriends when you two start bickering all the time? It's no surprise that history Professor Jo is obsessed with you two. You can't just bury the hatchet. Gosh," Seo-Jun shook her head, stunned, as she looked at your sour expression while you took a bowl and began dishing out some of the assorted spicy kimchi.

Arin pursed her lips and averted her gaze from her well-meaning friends. They'll never understand how grudges function; for her, they last a lifetime. Her banter with Namjoon dates back to her first year, and she'll never forgive or forget what he did. He broke her fragile heart, and no one comprehends why it takes her so long to forgive and why she holds onto grudges for so long.

Her grotesque next-door neighbor, a Taiwanese foreigner named Mr. Wang Chan, can attest to this with his big, red cheeks and fleshy, thick lips. He accidentally killed her puppy when he drove out of his yard and ran over her beautiful, frail pet. She was four years old at the time and still despises her neighbor. Even if he tried to make amends by sending her gifts on her birthday, she would simply look at them with disgust and hand them over to her parents or brother. She doesn't want anything from that scumbag.

"Arin," Bong says, smiling with motherly softness, "you're getting your master's degree. Do you really want to go through life with unjustified hatred for Namjoon? Do you realize you're imprisoning yourself? He is free, and you are not." Bong, a petite girl with long, honey-blonde hair, majored in medicine and is pursuing a pediatric degree.

Arin sighed deeply. "He's such a know-it-all. He's out there, dazzling and unbothered by life. He has the entire world spinning around his thin, ugly fingers, and everyone falling over him. Even the professors are swooning over him. He makes me sick! And, excuse me, six years does not heal a wound." You grimaced as you took a deep breath. Talking about this jerk would land you in the ICU, but you couldn't stop yourself.

Your friends tried not to chuckle as they realized you still found the 'jerk' hot. His presence still bothered you.

Seo-Jun sighed deeply as she wiped her mouth with a paper napkin. "Even if he is a nincompoop, he's gorgeous. Nobody can deny Namjoon is a sizzling steak." She smacked her lips together as the other girls burst out laughing, especially when they saw your unimpressed expression.

Bong and Seo-Jun high-fived each other.

"You girls are such his fans, even if you're dating guys cuter than him," you snorted.

Bong chuckled as she twirled a strand of her honey-blonde straight hair around her finger and looked at you dreamily through her dark lashes. "We know...but I love my boy, Sangwoon, but Namjoon is dreamy. You're not obligated to buy from the candy store, but you may look to your heart's delight." Seo-Jun joyfully clapped her hands.

Seo-Jun smiled as she looked into your eyes. "Arin, girl, stop worrying about Namjoon and start living. He is living his life to the fullest."

Ji-Hu's ruby-red lips lifted at the corners as she looked at you with sympathy. "Just accept that he's now dating the future K-drama star. They move in significantly bigger circles. The Kims and the Jungs are business partners, and their children were destined to be together."

"Excuse me! I don't care if he dated a rock. He and Min-ju can go lava-crawling. I couldn't give a damn."

You pursed your lips tightly together as you poked the poor pork pieces with your chopstick. Poor pork. Ji-Hu's words drew the brows of Bong and Seo-Jun. They were all aware that you were still upset about the new couple who surfaced on Valentine's Day. Ji-Hu looked regretful as she observed your emotionless face, but they could all see the hurt still lingering in your eyes. You simply couldn't get past your hurt feelings.

You glanced at your friends quietly. "You're all in committed relationships. Obviously, Ji-Hu isn't serious about dating, but your boyfriends adore you all. When you graduate from university, you'll almost certainly marry them. I can't even look at boys with hope because Namjoon took it away from me. I can't put my trust in anyone. I just wish I lived in another universe. Forget Namjoon ever existed." Your hazel eyes were teary as you stared at your friends, who looked a little ashamed.

Ji-Hu took a deep breath. "I apologize for being careless with my words, Arin. Namjoon deserved your wrath, and you can hate him until the end of time. I'm just concerned that there are so many lovely things and opportunities all around you. You're so pretty, but your negative attitude will ruin any potential love interest. Just open your eyes and live your life, my friend." She said this casually while looking at her colorfully manicured nails.

You shook your head, rubbing your distress-filled eyes under your foggy glasses wearily. "You don't get it. Mr. Jo, the most reviled history professor of all time, assigned Namjoon to be my peer tutor for my research project. This is my most important year yet, and I have to spend two months of my miserable life with that conceited jerk!" You smacked your fist on the table. You could feel your body trembling as a result of your inner turmoil. Tears were visible at the corners of your eyes.

Your friends' eyes widened in surprise. Oh no, a bloodbath was on the way.

The deep scars really left a trace behind...

a/n : Thank you so much for all of your responses/reads for this new "historical genre." I hope you enjoy the characters who will be trapped in the fictional world of the "Joseon Period."

1. Do you think Arin is being petty by holding a grudge for so long?

2. Do you believe you will be able to forgive easily if you have been deeply wronged?