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1996 January 16

Dr. Lee Jaeho was pacing back and forth across the long corridor of the hospital ward. Anxiety was eating him alive, hands fidgeting together, his whole mind occupied with the thoughts of his wife in labour and unborn baby.

"Mr. Lee?" The voice of a nurse took his attention. "Yes?"

"It's a boy." His face broke into a grin of relaxation, gratitude and happiness.

"Great!" An old man exclaimed, who was watching Jaeho the whole time. "It would've been problematic if it was a baby girl. As they grow, you burn with anxiety and you won't know what sleep is until you get her married. Worse if she elopes with someone else! When you are old and tottering, no one will be there to get you even a glass of water!"

Jaeho's displeasure at the man was evident in the sharp gaze he flashed at the man.

Before Jaeho could throw a reply on the man's way, the nurse from earlier came towards him, but this time with a beautiful baby in her hands, wrapped in a white bundle.

"We're very sorry, there was a mistake. It's a baby girl for you." A wide grin curved on his face, as the nurse placed the bundle into his arms. Eyeing the old man, who was now smiling awkwardly at him, Jaeho stared at his daughter lovingly, his gaze full of affection and love.

"Welcome to the world..," He cooed, holding onto his daughter's tiny hands. "...Lee Jennie"

×××

Lee Jennie.

This is her story.

The one and only daughter of Lee Jaeho, the townsfolk doctor, whose world revolves around his dear wife and daughter. Besides being a doctor, Jaeho is a great singer, who records his vocals and then listens to himself singing! Being a doctor, his notion is that, he should invent atleast a medicinal drug, so he has a laboratory set up at home.

Her mother is Mrs. Lee Misun, a college lecturer. A lovely mother one could ask for. She is an excellent chef unlike her daughter. Experimenting new recipes and then savoring it is Misun's favourite hobby!

Misun always used to say that Jennie should've been born as a boy. But Jaeho denies it. He says that their daughter is a tomboy!

Jennie hates cooking. She doesn't even know where is the kitchen in her house anyway. Everyone have something great to say about her, especially her school principal.

When everyone swooned over the handsome actor in a movie, Jennie swooned over the motorbike he was riding. Being the only daughter, persuading her parents (father) to buy her a bike was an easy task.

But unfortunately, riding a bike was not her forte. The first time she rode the bike, a tiny accident took place, resulting in few stitches on her forehead and Jennie had a strip of band-aid on her forehead in every pictures taken during her cousin, Joohyun unnie's wedding.

Jennie came face to face with reality that day. She overheard her aunt talking about Joohyun unnie's marriage proposal, the dowry being 200 sovereigns of gold and 40 million won! She wanted to see the item they were buying with this huge money, but she was greeted with utter disappointment.

An old, bald-headed millionaire husband for a Goddess like Lee Joohyun!

Jennie was very sure of one thing that day. If she was going to sell her soul to a devil, the devil had to be atleast handsome enough!

×××

Now you may have concluded that Jennie's a very good girl. And she is, compared to teens her age anyways. But she has a secret, with Lee In-na, her aunt, or as Jennie called her, wine imo.

Her aunt is an expert wine maker. Not the cheap wine made with 10 to 20 days, no, but the special ones left to ferment for years, delicious grapes, pineapples and more. Jennie is the official wine taster. She gets to taste every wine her aunt brews first. They have a very special bond they both cherish so much.

"No matter how educated or how beautiful the girl is, in our family, she has to finally marry someone of the family's choice." - Those were her aunt's words when Jennie inquired her about Joohyun unnie's marriage. No one in their family liked her aunt's boyfriend. So her aunt refused to marry someone else and now, living happily single.

But one thing her aunt said had caught her up in a tangled mess -"It's always better to marry the man we love or we've to force ourselves to even like him."

×××

So Jennie decided that she would find the right guy for her. But boys in her school were not her type, either super nerds or incorrigible flirts, except one.

Lee Jongin. Handsome, rich, sexy, excellent singer, talented dancer and an amazing actor. What more could a girl ask for?

Soon after deciding that Jongin is her Mr. Right, her school arranged a trip to Busan amusement park. Jennie was tired from all the dancing she'd done and literally fell to one of the window seat in the bus. When Jongin sat next to her, Jennie thought that he had some mischievous intentions like a prank or a dare.

But boy was she wrong...

"Hi Jennie!" Jongin greeted her like a golden retriever puppy.

Jennie gave a half enthusiastic wave and a barely there grin. "Hi yourself."

"Nice song, isn't it?"

"Uhm, yeah.."

"You know my family, don't you?"

"..Yes?"

"My father is a doctor and so is yours. I will become a doctor and you will too, right?"

"...Maybe?"

"I like you!"

"What!?"

"You don't have to say anything now. Think over it and tell me tomorrow."

×××

After a long discussion with herself, Jennie came to a conclusion.

She was going to give Lee Jongin a chance.

Splashing her legs in the pool at the amusement park, Jennie thought of all the future scenarios she would have with Jongin and a shy little grin blossomed on her lips.

But her mood was short lived when she spotted some filthy men openly checking out her classmates, throwing malicious comments. She had enough when one of them spanked her classmate's back!

Marching towards him, Jennie brought her hand forward to slap across his face, but that son of a bitch stopped her, tightly gripping on her wrist.

"Who do you think you are?"

He seethed before moving his hand towards her back. Jennie's weak attempts to remove her hand free were unsuccessful, until someone stepped in front of her and freed the hold.

"Go on" He spat, daring that bastard to touch her. "Go on" Despite his provokes, the gang fled from the area, not before taking home a good punch from the new comer.

Jennie turned to face her saviour, his handsome face blessing her eyes. He glanced at her over his shoulder, before walking away, leaving Jennie in a trance.

"Jennie"

Jongin's raspy voice brought her back, his lips curved into a grin, waiting for her answer.

"When we meet someone we like, we feel butterflies in our stomach, right?"

He nodded, obviously agreeing with her statement.

"What did you say your name was?"

Jennie's question threw him off guard, not at all expecting her to ask something like... that. Tilting his head, he stared at her, wondering why the hell she was acting weird. But her seriousness said something else.

"Lee Jongin"

He answered in equal seriousness, amusement and confusion lacing his voice.

"Yes, Jongin. But when I see you, I'm not getting any feeling. Sorry!"

With that, Jennie literally ran, leaving a confused and embarrassed Jongin behind.
She had met a guy, who had her on her knees, for the first time in her life. That night, there was only two questions running around her mind.

1. Who was he?

2. Is this what people call as love at first sight?

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So, that's it guys! Officially, the first chapter. I really hope you guys liked it. Jennie's in highschool here. What do you think about this chapter?

Additional characters in this chapter :

Bae Joohyun as Lee Joohyun

Yoo In-na as Lee In-na

Kim Jongin as Lee Jongin