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He intended to corner her in a narrow space where she could neither flee nor hide, and drive her toward him like a hunt. The problem was that even after dragging Jiyu to the courtyard, he felt at a loss as to what to say or how to start.
Hunter stood tall, looking down at her with his head tilted slightly. It was an instinctive sense that he could not let this opportunity slip away.
‘Damn it. It’s been six whole months.’
There were so many things he wanted to ask.
Specifically, he was curious why she had suddenly slapped him across the face in the middle of a kiss.
Of course, he was the one who had told her to hit him if she didn't want to do it. But if she hadn't wanted to, she should have hit him before the first kiss.
‘Or did she not like my kissing? Did that fucking Alexander Lafayette happen to be a better kisser than me?’
As his thoughts drifted there, the spark caught onto his already short fuse, and he flared up. His body felt like it was boiling; despite the chilly weather, beads of sweat trickled down the back of his neck.
[Fuck….]
Swallowing the curse, Hunter burned with a fighting spirit of unclear purpose.
[Jewel Parker, date me.]
Having spat the words out solemnly, he flinched and blinked. He was more surprised by his own words than she was.
What—what did he just suggest?
His eyes darted around, wondering how to handle this situation, before he slowly nodded.
‘No, this is it. Why didn't I think of this sooner?’
It was a victory of the subconscious. Come to think of it, this was a great way to solve several irritating problems all at once.
If he made Jiyu his girlfriend, he wouldn't have to beg pathetically for a single kiss every time he entered a tournament. He could call her and summon her whenever he wanted, and if she decided to hide away for no reason, he could proudly hunt her down and demand she appear before him immediately.
He could prevent the misfortune of losers like Steven Burlinsky getting her number, and above all, if that fucking Alexander Lafayette tried to kiss her again, he would have a legitimate excuse to beat him down on the spot and crush that high-and-mighty nose of his.
Besides that… there were a few other things he wanted to try with Jiyu other than kissing.
‘There's no need to think too seriously about it.’
As Jerard had said, the probability of marrying a high school girlfriend was less than one in a million.
Most of the guys he hung out with at school had girlfriends. If anything, he was on the later side. At his age, it was natural to date casually and break up casually.
Jiyu didn't seem like the type to annoyingly interfere with him while he was busy practicing tennis. Therefore, making her his girlfriend was convenient in many ways.
Hunter let out a smirk and looked down at Jiyu.
She blinked, staring back at him blankly.
She must be shocked. The honor of becoming Hunter Hamilton's first girlfriend.
Right then, she frowned slightly.
[…Are you crazy?]
[What?]
Hunter paused.
Crazy? That wasn't the answer he was expecting.
She asked with a bewildered expression.
[This is too weird. Suddenly asking me to date you out of nowhere.]
Ah. Was it a bit sudden?
[What's weird about it? Is there any reason why you can't date me?]
[…….]
Jiyu's lips parted as if she had something to say.
[Are you doing this because of that Lafayette bastard?]
[Lafayette? Why is Rex coming up here? That's not it—]
[If it's not that, then what? Why not?]
Hunter took a step forward, pressing her. Jiyu bit her lip, hesitating for a long time before looking up at him.
[Hunter? Just in case, I'm asking one last time….]
[What is it? Hurry up and say it.]
He pressed her.
Surely she wasn't going to refuse. No way. Not unless she was insane.
[Do you… like me?]
When Hunter only blinked without answering, Jiyu was the one to urge him this time.
[Answer me. Is that why you're asking me to date you?]
He swallowed hard.
‘Do I like Jewel Parker? Fuck. Do I? Is that why I asked her to date me?’
His heart dropped. The feeling of his chest tightening was quite unpleasant.
‘Since when does liking someone feel like this?’
The emotion he felt was far removed from joy or happiness.
Anxiety, impatience, and a sense of self-loathing born from a desire that surged at any given moment.
‘There's no way this is the feeling of liking someone. But if she absolutely needs to hear those words before dating, I might as well just say yes.’
Hunter lifted his chin slightly, looking down at her from the bridge of his nose.
[If that's so important to you, then sure. Satisfied now?]
Jiyu slowly narrowed her eyes. Then, she pressed her lips firmly together.
Hunter flinched at her cold expression.
[I see. Hunter Hamilton, I'm sorry, but there is no way I will ever become your girlfriend.]
He tilted his head, thinking he had misheard.
[…What did you just say?]
[I don't like you. No, to be honest, I hate you. So, the thought of dating you is, truly, not even the size of Daisy's pinky nail.]
Jiyu stood up abruptly. Her face, which had been flushed just a moment ago, was now pale.
Hunter remained frozen like a winter fountain, following her only with his eyes.
[That answers your question, right? I think I've said everything, so I'll be going now.]
She turned around coldly. Then, she quickly hurried out of the courtyard as if escaping.
Hunter stood frozen in place for a while, like one of the statues decorating the courtyard. His gaze landed on the blazer sprawled across the bench. Jiyu had tossed it onto the bench like a piece of trash before leaving.
He slowly approached the bench and picked up the blazer. Then, he slammed it down onto the ground with all his might.
Hiding behind the curtains of her room window, Jiyu watched Hunter leave the courtyard with a murderous expression. Her heart pounded like thunder. The blazer, left lonely and sprawled on the ground, was swept here and there by the late autumn wind.
✾ ✾ ✾
It was the worst Christmas.
Three o'clock in the afternoon. Jiyu covered her mouth and let out a long yawn. She was waiting for a flight from Southwest Florida International Airport to New York LaGuardia Airport.
The airport was crowded with travelers. Since she had tried to get a same-day ticket, the direct flights were sold out, and after a long wait, she barely managed to secure three tickets with a layover in Atlanta.
It was a tradition to spend winter break in Naples, Florida, where Alan was from.
Jiyu's grandfather had passed away while Alan was in college, and her grandmother had also passed away shortly after she was born. Alan was an only child, but his cousin, Jeremy Parker, who had grown up like a biological brother, still lived in Naples.
This year, they had rented a luxury house instead of a hotel. It was a house located within a gated community surrounded by perfectly maintained walking paths and a small lake.
The garden, surrounded by palm trees, featured a warm jacuzzi with bubbling jets and an outdoor pool with adjustable water temperature.
However, the vacation, which was scheduled until January 2nd, ended just three days after arrival because Alan had to return to New York after receiving an urgent call from his company. The Christmas dinner they were supposed to have with Uncle Jeremy's family was also canceled.
Jiyu and Ae-jeong were utterly disgruntled, having been enjoying the warm Florida weather in the middle of winter, swimming leisurely and sunbathing, only to be told they had to return to New York suddenly.
Alan remained tight-lipped about what was happening, but seeing the usually gentle man so sharply on edge, the two of them couldn't even complain and had to keep their mouths shut.
It was the first time Jiyu saw that a person's face could look not just pale, but gray.
While waiting for the plane, she whispered to Ae-jeong.
“Mom, is Dad’s company not doing well? It’s not going bankrupt, is it?”
“Don’t say such unlucky things! Your father’s company is huge and very successful. The chairman is very famous on Wall Street. They attracted so much investment last year that he got a big bonus. We wouldn't have been able to buy our house if it weren't for this company. A company this big doesn't just go bankrupt overnight, even if it shakes a bit. So don't worry.”
But Ae-jeong, despite saying that, looked equally anxious, not knowing the reason.
By the time they arrived in New York after six hours, it was pitch black. After arriving home, Jiyu fell asleep after midnight, listening to Alan's urgent voice on the phone in the study.
Despite it being the weekend, Alan went to work the next day. She only found out what had happened on January 2nd, while watching the TV news.
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