THE ONE I THOUGHT I'D NEVER KISS

CHAPTER 10

(Nice to Meet You)

KAIREN CLOSED THE DOOR of the car, climbed into the passenger's seat then leaned his back on the soft seat. He crossed his arms in annoyance.

How can he not act like that? His mother just agreed to transfer him to other university.

He just moved to that University but he got into trouble right away. He just punched a professor. Is it his fault if the teacher's jaw is weak that he immediately loses consciousness?

He just can't stand his green jokes, especially purely rude jokes intended to ruin the images of his fellow female students. His ears doesn't like those kind of immorality.

When the male professor asked him about their topic and he answered correctly, he started to laugh at him or to whatever he just said. He was even told that he was very smart and asked if those who came from prestigious academies were really like him, boasting every knowledge he knows.

Everybody fake laugh with the professor. But that doesn't make him happy. He said nothing more and let his fist reach for the male teacher in the jaw. He took his bag and left the class.

All his classmates in that subject were amazed. Others were even thrilled because finally, someone stood up for them.

He was already looking forward for the school to his parent. Her mother did arrive and because she was protecting their name, she said that they will transfer him to other university for the case to be closed. That is something he did not want.

"Kuso! Kuso! Kuso! [s**t! s**t! s**t!]" he cursed, mumbling, in his father's language.

Pissed off, he left his mother who is still talking at the school's office.

"Move out," he ordered the family driver. "You heard me, right? Get another car to drive my mom home. Tell her, I took this," he refers to the car.

The driver can't do anything but give him the keys and watch him leave at full speed.

He drove in an unbelievable speed. He only has a student driver's license but he runs like a professional racer.

After a few crossroads, he suddenly hit hard on the brakes, making him more annoyed.

"What the hell?!"

A woman just passed by his front way. When the car stopped, the girl went down on his sight.

Did he crash her?

Damn!

He angrily got out of the car and went to the front. Fortunately, there was no traffic at that time. The road is wide for others to passed by. He can't cause traffic.

"Are you out of your mind?!" he asked exasperatedly to the young woman who was sitting with her face covered in palms.

He didn't seem to run into her.

The wrinkle on his forehead disappeared when the woman looked up.

She was wearing the University uniform of the university where he just came from. She looks like a gentle person because of the straight long hair and korean eyebrow arch. On the edge of her eyes, tears were forming.

"A--are you c--crying?" he shattered.

Did he hurt her? But she is still more than a meter away from the car.

"Are you okay?" he asked unsurely.

She stood up, wiping away the tears in her eyes.

"I'm not crying. I'm not." The rattling in her voice is obvious but she keeps on denying what is obvious.

To his surprise, she started crying out loud, like a child who's lollipop was taken away from her. People passing by around where they are heard it and started looking at them.

They probably think that he is the one who made her cry. The first thing he did was took the handkerchief from his pocket and hand it to the girl. Thankfully, she immediately took the handkerchief and wiped away the tears. But it still didn’t stop crying.

"Hey! Did I hurt you? Stop crying."

He looked at the people around and whispers grew louder.

He had no choice but to take a step forward towards the girl. He hesitantly hugged her and stroked the back of her head.

"Stop crying." His breathing stiffened when the girl's delicate hand reaches his back, grabbing on his uniform.

"He's a jerk. A total jerk," she said softly amidst crying.

He's thankful that he is not the reason she's crying. A few minutes passed, she broke the hug, sniffing.

"Thank you. I'm sorry that I just hugged you all of a sudden. That man is just stupid." she paused and realized that he was a stranger. "I'm sorry," she apologized again.

He was also stunned by the way she talks. After all, her face doesn't show a character of being a talkative. Not just that, she talks really fast, that he can't answer her back right away.

She glanced at the vehicle he was using.

"Is this yours? Can I tag along? Are you going to school?"

"I'm not going anymore," he sparingly answered her questions.

"Ah. All right. I just saw the logo on your polo shirt. We're from the same university." She smiled and stepped to the side of the road. "It's okay. Go on your way. Thanks for this, huh?" referring to the handkerchief she raised.

Awkwardly, he nodded and combed his hair with his fingers before heading back in the car. He looked in the side mirror as he drove away. The girl was still there and looking at his direction.

He looked straight at the road and was conquered by his conscience.

Damn!

He just realized he was driving back to where the girl was standing.

"Hop in."

The maiden smiled and without hesitation, sat down beside him. She started asking questions and telling stories that he couldn't understand very well because she was constantly talking. It only stopped when he played the band One ok Rock in the car. He intended to make it louder so that he would not be disturbed by what she was saying.

He droved her at the school gate. She thanked but he just pretended that he can't hear anything, as his head kept up with the rhythm of the song.

When the girl finally entered the campus, he turned his head to where she headed. But the driver and his mother in her arms crossed is what he saw.

The next day, he returned to the University to pick up his credentials and surrender ID. He was about to turn the car around when he sae who is in front of him.

This is the woman he droved yesterday. He was happily talking to another woman. The girl looked at the car and since it was not tinted, he was easily be recognized. She waved and walked closer. He panic that he even fell the key from his hands.

"Hi!" she greeted, while looking at his casual clothes. "You didn't come to class? Waiting for someone?"

She noticed that he was not in uniform. But he did not answer.

He started the car and drove away. Just like yesterday, he glanced at the side mirror again.

He saw someone approached and hold the girl by the arm. He trampled on the break when he saw the girl slaps the guy.

He drove backwards and stopped on the side of the two. The woman seemed to be hurt by the tightness of the grip.

"Listen to me, b***h! No one has ever slapped me, except you. And you have the guts to do that in public? Are you forgetting who am I?"

He quickly got out of the car and approached the two. The woman forced herself away and stood beside him.

"Get in the car," he insisted. The woman touched his arm when he spoke again in an angrier voice. "Get in the car!"

Frightened by his tone, she hurriedly obeyed, and sat in the front seat of his car, while peeking through the open window.

"So, you're the new guy?" he said, looking at him from head to toe. "Don't you know who you're messing with?"

He smirked when he introduced himself as the son of the professor he punched just yesterday.

"Ah. So, that's why. Like father, like son. No wonder that you inherited your behavior from your rude father."

"What did you say?" His fist rushed at him but he managed to dodge.

"My turn," he proclaimed then quickly punched the part where he also hit his father. The two were really the same. It was just one blow, but was fast asleep.

He also got in the car when the people around started taking pictures.

"Seatbelt on," he said and the girl immediately followed.

He was driving fast in furious, making the girl beside to panic.

"W--wait! Please slow down! I don't want to die yet!"

He took a deep breath then slowly released the gas, slowing down their pace.

"Why are you like that?"

The girl did not answer his vague question.

"Why are you just riding with someone you don't even know? You'll be kidn*pped that easily. Why do you give your trust that easily? I'm just a stranger." He's mad.

Kuso! [s**t!]

The woman blinks her eyes a few times, somehow astonished.

"What?!"

"I see you can talk a lot. I thought you only knew a few words because you're saving too much of your words." She placed her hands on her lap. "You saved me. Not just once, but twice. So I think it's okay for me to go with a nice person, like you. "

"But I'm still a stranger. And I'm telling you, I'm a bad guy."

Out of the topic, she uttered her name, introducing herself. His forehead crumpled.

"What?"

"That's my name. And you are?"

A few seconds passed before he answered.

"Kairen."

She smiled sweetly. "We now know each other's names. I think, we're not strangers anymore."

BRIANNA THREW THE EMPTY wallets in the open car window upon taking all the money inside of it. She was busy fixing and counting the bills when she heard the voices of the two in the back of the car.

"Charmaine," Jinro softly called Chang's real name, caressing the girl's cheek.

"Why did you come back? I'm okay. It's now okay but why?" she whispered in her silent weeping.

Chang was half awake on Jinro's shoulder. She had drink a little more that night.

The guy who is driving, looked at the two in the mirror above the dashboard. He took a deep breath then stepped on the brake. He then turned off the engine.

"Why are we stopping?" she asked.

They are on the long side of the road surrounded by woods, unresidented. To the left of the woods, just a few meters away, is a vast body of water, surrounded by large rough rocks.

"Get out of the car," he told her.

"What?! I did not do anything wrong. Why are you telling me to get out?"

"We're both getting out of the car, Bryan. Let's leave them alone for a while." He opened the door and went down.

"No. I won't go down. I won't leave my friend especially when she's drunk." She even crossed her arms.

"Please?"

She looked back when Jinro spoke in an obvious sad eyes.

"Are you that guy? The one you thought was a ghost because he suddenly disappeared?"

He didn't answer and just looked at the girl next to him.

She took a deep breath. "So, that's you. What a small world. You're still a liar. You'd think that I forgot that you pretended to be the Ayasaki heir the first time we met?"

Chang always talks about a certain guy of her past. And she was the one who helped her in that tight situation. She thought that her friend moved on too much for it would hit on any gorgeous men she met.

"Sorry."

"I'm going out. But I'll be back soon." She got out of the car and followed Kairen who was walking towards the forest to the beach.

"Karen! Wait!" she shouted, catching up with the guy.

The woods are not that dense. In fact, the moonlight still reaches their path. It is obvious that the place was taken good care of government because it looks like a park even though it is naturally made. The place is perfect for nature lovers, with the cool breeze from the cold water by the shore, which is really relaxing.

The wind was a bit strong that night. The waves of water were crashing against the rocks. Kairen climbed up one of those two meters hugh rocks and sat down, lighting a small white stick on his lips. He inhaled then released a thick smoke.

She moved away a little. Most of the men in their mansion smokes. And she hates the smell of those so her grandfather also gaved up his smoking habit and told his men not to smoke whenever she was around.

The man noticed her steps. He only took a sip but he trampled the cigarette on the rock to put out the burning end.

"I'm sorry," he murmurs. "I forgot you're there."

She looked at the ocean, rubbing her arms for heat, pretending that she heard nothing because of the strong wind.

"What?" said Kairen. "I'm not that rude. I still have respect for women."

"So, I'm a woman now?"

"You're still a boy to me Bryan. I see you as one."

"Tss! Let's go back," she said then turned around in annoyance.

"Matte [Wait]. Let them talk."

"Why should I?" She looked up at the man who were on top of a rock. "You should know that that guy was the reason my friend became miserable."

"Jinro will not waste this chance. Now that he found her. And I will do that as well, if I were in his place." He sighed. "I think you should also know that my friend has his reasons," he defended.

"What suppose would that be?"

"What if I tell you that he lost his memory?"

"What? You're just kidding. How come he knew Chang's real name?"

"It's up to you whether you want to believe or not. Let's stay for a while. That's their problem. Why don't we talk?"

She crossed her arms. "What are we going to talk about Karen?"

He run his fingers on his messy hair. It was messy but not even a finger stucks in it. He arranged his sit to face her. She was surprised when he held out his hand.

“My name is Kairen Ayasaki,” he begins an unbelievable introduction.

Her eyebrows curled up. "I know."

He gestured her to take his hand.

"Okay. Okay. Brianna Imperial." She stepped forward and accepted his hand as well, shaking it like they just met.

What the hell is this guy up to?

"Nice to meet you, Bryan," he answered.

She harshly let go of his hand. She even thought that the guy was serious.

He is unbelievable!

"I said Brianna." She even stressed every syllable.

Her annoyance seems to fade when she saw his lips slowly drew a sweet smile. Next, was a weak and stingy laugh slipped his mouth. It was more like a chuckle of happiness.

Does this guy lost a screw?

"Would you mind if I talk business?" he said after.

"Business?" she asked, confused.

"Let's get married as soon as possible."