16 First Day

In the morning, Jin's alarm jolted him awake. He quickly turned it off and made his way to the bathroom to prepare for the day. After gathering his things, Jin headed downstairs for breakfast, only to be stopped by the maid who had served him the previous day.

"Mister Jin, Miss Rose invites you to have breakfast at the mansion," she said.

Jin thought for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Sure, lead the way."

The maid led him to the mansion's dining room, where he saw Rose sitting at the table. Jin bowed respectfully and took a seat.

"What would you like to eat, Jin?" Rose asked with a smile.

"Just an omelette and orange juice for me," Jin replied.

The maid nodded and went to the kitchen to prepare the food. As they waited, Rose struck up a conversation, asking Jin about his experiences in America.

Jin was happy to oblige and shared his stories with Rose. When he finished, Rose complimented him on his adventures.

As they began to eat, Jin asked why Rose chose to live in the mansion instead of with her father in America. Rose's smile faded slightly, and she hesitated for a moment before answering.

"My mother loved it here. She had a beautiful garden in the back, and I enjoy taking care of it now. As for my father, he hardly ever comes to visit."

The conversation ended on that note, and they finished their meal before heading to the car with Lee waiting outside. Jin had a brief moment of humor when he asked Lee if he was the driver, which almost earned him a smack from the man. Once Lee saw that Rose was sitting beside Jin, he quickly changed his tune and coughed before getting into the driver's seat.

The drive to Jaewon High School took about 30 minutes, and they arrived to a flurry of attention. A few boys tried to hit on Rose, but Jin intervened with a killing glare. They made their way to the teacher's office to report in, and then they parted ways for their respective classes.

Jin headed to the Fashion Department and was greeted by Daniel. After a friendly exchange, they both heard the teacher announce the arrival of two new transfer students. Jin and Daniel entered the classroom, causing a stir among the students due to their striking good looks.

Jin took a seat beside Jay, and after a brief greeting, he began to doze off, waiting for lunchtime. The school bell eventually Ring, and Jin made his way out of the classroom. He noticed that almost all the girls in his class were watching him curiously, wondering where he was going.

He made his way to the Beauty Department to meet up with Rose, who emerged from her class shortly after he arrived. Eli Jang was surrounded by girls, but Jin just smiled and shook his head as he and Rose walked to the canteen.

Upon entering the canteen, Jin noticed that Daniel was the center of attention. But as soon as he and Rose appeared, all eyes were on them.

Jin told Rose to sit and went to grab their food. While he was gone, a group of boys attempted to get close to Rose, but Jin quickly put them in their place with another intense glare.

After lunch, they split up again. Jin went to his class and saw Daniel falling asleep. Zoe tried to wake him up, but when he woke up, he suddenly exclaimed, "Oh, f*ck!"

Everyone turned to look at Daniel and Zoe, while Jin chuckled. When school ended, Jin bid Jay farewell and went to the beauty department.

Jin had been waiting for Rose outside of her classroom when he suddenly heard a voice behind him. "Jin?" the voice said, and Jin turned around to see Eli Jang standing there. The two childhood friends hadn't seen each other in years, but Jin was thrilled to see him again.

"Hey, Eli Jang, we meet again," Jin replied while smiling. However, Eli Jang attempted to punch him, but Jin easily dodged. Eli Jang then hugged Jin tightly and said, "Where have you been?"

Jin could see a capital 'H' on Eli Jang's forehead, hidden by his hair, as he was hugging him. Everyone in the beauty department was staring at them, but Jin didn't mind. "Let go, Eli Jang. Everyone is staring," Jin said, and Eli Jang released him.

When Rose came out of the classroom, she asked Jin if he knew Eli Jang. "Yes, he was my childhood friend. We used to live together," Jin replied. Eli Jang asked again, "How do you know her, Jin?"

"I work at her place. That's why I'm following her," Jin answered, trying to avoid revealing too much information.

As they walked towards the school gate, Rose asked Eli Jang where he lived. "I live nearby," Eli Jang replied.

Jin couldn't help but feel a bit jealous as he noticed Eli Jang and Rose seemed to be getting along well. However, he quickly shook off the feeling and focused on catching up with his old friend.

When they reached the gate, Jin and Rose said goodbye to Eli Jang before entering the car. During the ride, Rose asked Jin about his friendship with Eli Jang. Jin shared stories of their childhood and how they used to explore the woods near their old home.

After reaching the mansion, Jin went to the building, changed his clothes, and went downstairs. Lee called out to him, "Hey, kid, how was school?"

Jin smiled and responded, "It was fine. I met an old friend of mine." He then added, "Stop calling me kid, Lee. I'm not that little anymore."

Lee laughed and said, "No matter how old you are, I'll always call you kid." Jin just shook his head and asked, "Where is everybody?"

"They're all on a mission," Lee replied. "I'm becoming the driver, so the captain has stopped giving me missions."

Jin nodded and went to the field to train his body for three hours. Afterward, he took a quick shower and went to his bed to rest.

As Jin lay in bed, on the cusp of sleep, his mind wandered to Eli Jang. He recalled the capital 'H' he had noticed on Eli Jang's forehead earlier, Jin couldn't help but think. "The hostel still exists, huh? That's good," he thought to himself.

However, the thought also crossed his mind that Gun, the man who had been pursuing Eli Jang, was likely still on his trail. Jin clenched his fists, feeling a surge of protectiveness towards his old friend. "I'm probably stronger than Gun anyway," Jin reassured himself, with a sense of determination in his heart. He didn't want to see Eli Jang suffer or be in danger again.

With these thoughts swirling in his mind, Jin closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.