The IT Girl's NERD - 《JENRINA》

2 ~ Deal partner

"Hey, Karina!" Winter hugged Karina whose eyes were droopy due to the previous sleepless night.

"Minjeong, what do I do now?" She whined. "Is everyone talking about me?"

Just as she had expected, words got twisted and rumors were spread. She had spent hours scrolling through their university's online forum and before she realised the sun had risen.

A mask and a hat, the perfect disguise for all celebrities, was what she wore. Whereas her outfit was a plain pair of blue jeans and a tank top unlike her usual extravagant style.

"Wait, is it true though?" Winter asked as she pulled away from the hug and intertwined her arm with Karina's. "You got rejected by a computer science geek?"

"Minjeong! Why would you believe such lies?" Karina cried.

"But there are pictures of you two talking..."

"It's those ugly rats who made those rumors." She pulled her mask down annoyed. "Even though it was true that we were talking."

Karina was embarrassed, not much by the rumor that spread but by the actual conversation that sparked the rumor.

"Revenge. Am getting revenge on that son of a .... aish!!" She stomped her right foot suddenly startling Winter.

"What revenge? What did he even do to you?"

"I need to know everything about him first. Where's Ningning?" Karina inquired about their other Chinese friend who was an expert at stalking even though she was also a computer science student like Jeno, it wasn't the reason why she became good at gathering information online. It was because of a series of toxic cheating partners that had led her to develop such a skill.

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"Ningie, my baby!" Karina squealed before wrapping Ningning's small stature into her comparatively larger arms. "How are you?"

"I expected you here. Why Lee Jeno of all people?" Ningning asked disregarding the greeting.

"Is this a thing in computer science, where you guys don't greet people?" Karina asked honestly surprised.

Ningning moved back to her seat where she had a laptop placed on the table. She began typing something. Karina received a message notification.

"What's this? It's saying I require permission to access it." Karina shoved her phone into Ningning's face.

"That's Jeno's information. Unless you tell me everything as is, I won't give you access." Ningning threatened in a cute sloppy accent. "Did he really reject you?"

"She said the rumors aren't true." Winter spoke for her. "But she doesn't want to say what really happened."

"It was me." Karina blurted. "I was the one who rejected him."

"Lies." Both Winter and Ningning said simultaneously.

Scratching her nose, pursing her lips, and her awkwardly conjoined arms were tell-tale signs of Karina lying. They both knew that well.

"Come on!" She whined again.

"Well, he said he doesn't like me." Karina took a seat on one of the desks in the robotics club headed by Ningning after a thoughtful sigh.

"So he rejected you?" Winter asked when Karina stayed silent for too long after her statement.

"No..." then she proceeded to explain to them what really happened, her cheeks turning red as she did so.

"But like is he even a man? Like look at me... is there anyone who wouldn't fall me?" Karina pointed at herself.

"God needed to humble you. That's why he sent Jeno. It makes sense now." Ningning remarked.

After giving Karina access to the file, Ningning nudged her to open it.

"What's this? It's so plain, no interesting facts?" Winter spoke from behind Karina.

"Where's his relationship history?" Karina asked.

"He either never dated or was very low-key with it." Ningning spoke thoughtfully.

Ningning had multiple classes with Jeno but she never really interacted with him like that. She knew his friends. Because who didn't know Jaemin, the most extroverted introvert.

"The best way to get dirt on him is to get it from Jaemin. I will send you his picture." Ningning informed. "But do you even have a plan?"

"I don't know how but the goal is to make him confess to me publicly." Karina said firmly. "Even the rumor will eventually dissappear but it will forever leave a taint on my image. I need him to clean it." She spoke decisively as if it were her own conclusion and not her manager's.

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"Ning said there are usually at the library at this time. Go in!" Karina instructed Winter.

Jaemin was sitting alone at a corner in the library. He was busily working on an assignment that was due in a couple of hours.

"Hi! Can I sit here?" Winter pointed at the empty seat next to him.

"Sure." Jaemin nodded, his string of concentration suddenly disrupted, not momentarily that too. He started wondering of all the empty seats available in the library, why did she have to choose this. Of course, he recognised Winter as Karina's friend.

This is my chance... he thought to himself.

"My name is Na Jaemin, 2nd year software engineering." He extended his hand for a handshake with his infamous silly smile.

"Kim Minjeong, 2nd year psychology major." She shook his hand with a shy smile mentally cussing Karina for putting her into this awkward situation.

A handshake that confirmed acquaintance which was of benefit to both, each interested in one another's friend.

"So what's your ideal type, Minjeong?" Jaemin asked hoping she will ask back the same question. "Me?" He laughed.

Oh another specie, that belongs to Karina's clan...Winter eyed him up and down.

"Just kidding."

"Well, Where's your friend? The one you always hang out with." She asked suddenly more comfortable after his silly question.

"Why? What about him?" The dots were starting to connect. Maybe, Karina had sent her.

"What's his ideal type?" She repeated his questions. Or maybe she was just into Jeno.

"Oh... that guy doesn't really have a specific ideal type. He just likes them innocent, pure ones." Jaemin explained before proceeding to add, "Mine's totally different though... I like mine sophisticated and intoxicatingly attractive."

Winter simply nodded with a smirk. The more she talked to him, the more she realised that he was just the male version of Karina. They liked playing with fire.

"Hey, how about we make a deal then?" Jaemin moved closer and spoke in a whisper like manner. "You are interested in my friend and I am into yours, so how about we help each other?"

He wiggled his eyebrows mischievously.

This was not what Winter had expected. She was actually planning to get close to him in order to get information but it turns out, none of that was needed. One meeting and he was down to seal a deal.

Slightly taken aback by the fact that he assumed she liked Jeno, Winter nodded vigorously and shook his hand in agreement. If only she knew that his first thought was that he thought she liked him, she would probably flip.

"Deal then!" She smiled.

"Deal partner!" He winked at her.

She cringed.

Karina hid behind the door watching the interaction, fearing that her introverted friend might not make it but she did. A little silly cheer dance was but needed to celebrate the success.
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