SpartAce I: School Love Affair

can you date him?

Ji Hyo is surprised to see the girl who enters the convenience store she is in with Jong Kook.

She steps into the store with such poise and looks around in a graceful way that makes her wonder if she herself ever possessed such grace before.

Eun Hye sees them, and surprise crosses her eyes. Ji Hyo can not figure out whether it is because of seeing Jong Kook or because of seeing them together.

Still, she smiles brightly as she walks towards them.

"Ji Hyo-ssi. Jong Kook-ah.. ", she greets and looks down at all the food they are paying.

Suddenly, she feels a bit uncomfortable. There were sausages, chocolates, lollipops, noodles and bread in the counter. She is afraid Eun Hye might get the wrong idea.

"Are you going out? ", she asks.

Ji Hyo and Jong Kook instantly exchange looks and deny in chorus, making Eun Hye laugh and shake her head.

"I mean, are you guys going somewhere? ", she rephrases her question.

That seems to ease both of them.

"Ahh.. ", Ji Hyo says and chuckles.

"No, she's just buying all these stuff for her sister. ", Jong Kook lies, making Ji Hyo look at him.

"Ahh, what a sweet sister. ", Eun Hye says. "Well, i should be going.", she says.

Both of them nods and exchange looks once again when Eun Hye has gone to pick what to buy.

After they bought the food, they go straight to Jong Han's school.

Ji Hyo is amazed to see all the children running around in the playground.

"WAAAAAHH! EONNIE! LOOK! LOOK! MY EONNIE IS HERE! ", they turn to where  Jong Han's voice is coming from.

She is bouncing up and down excitedly not so far away as she tells her friends about her eonnie.

"Eehy! You don't have an eonnie!", one of her friends say.

"I have one now, come on! Look how pretty she is! ", she says and runs towards their direction, followed by her friends.

"Jong Kook Hyung! You brought eonnie here! ", she says as she hugs her brother's legs.

"No, i didn't. She insisted to come. ", he answers.

"Wah! She's so pretty! ", one of Jong Han's friends burst out while the others stare up at Ji Hyo in awe.

"I told you she's pretty! ", Jong Han says as she draws to Ji Hyo in a hug.

She bends down to hug her back, her smile inevitably reaching both of her ears because of the children's compliments.

"Thank you. ", she says to the kids, and catches Jong Kook rolling his eyes.

She ignores it and just gives the plastic of food to Jong Han. "Here. This is for you. You should share some to your friends. ", she says and the children cheer.

She and Jong Kook sits in a bench under a tree while Jong Han shares the food and play with her friends. She is having fun just watching the children play that she does not even notice how silent they are.

"You love kids, huh? ", Jong Kook asks, reminding her of his presence.

"Who doesn't? "

"Lots of people don't. ", he answers

"Really? ", she asks and pauses to think if it is really possible. "How heartless of them. ", she adds.

She hears Jong Kook scoff, making hee look at him with a frown.

"You're just so smart inside the classroom, do you? You're completely blank when it comes to life. "

"Yah! I'm smart enough to know that you're indirectly calling me stupid right now. "

"I'm just stating a fact. "

"Isn't that the purpose of school? To get us ready to face life outside of school? "

"All the school is teaching is all loads of crap. We can't really apply all those things in real life. Students need experiences, not exams that checks how good we are at memorizing. "

"Do you really think you can survive through all those experiences without a guide? ", she argues.

"We'll never know if we'll not try. "

"It's better to face something equipped, you know. "

"It's not necxessary for people to succeed at their first try. The important is the experience. It's the best teacher of all. "

"Yah! ", she snaps, unabke to contain her irritation. "Not all people are good in moving, you know. There are also people who learns better through theories than experiences. "

He stares at her for a while, and for a second, he looks like he is about to say something. But at the last second, he changes it.

"Fine. I admit that you're good at standing on your own point. ", he says in surrender.

"Of course i am.", she says stubbornly.

That time, Jong Han comes to them with her backpack already in her back.

"Are you ready to go home? ", Jong Kook asks.

She nods simultaneously so they both stands up and heads out of the school play ground.

"Eonnie.. ", Jong Han calls while they are walking along the street.

She is walking hand in hand with Jong Han while Jong Kook follows behind with Jong Han's pink bag in one shoulder.

"What do you think of Jong Kook oppa? ", the child asks.

"Huh? ", she asks, confused.

"I mean, do you think he is nice? "

She looks back at him, and gives him a glare before smiling back at Jong Han.

"Yeah, kind of. ", she says.

Jong Han's eyes brighten, a smile crossing her little face.

"Really? Then is he handsome, too? "

She thinks it is okay to lie to a child, so she nods. "Yeah, a lot of girls seems to like him at school. ", she answers.

"Then can you date him? "

"What?! ", she and Jong Kook snaps in unison, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Jong Han-ah.. ", Jong Kook says in a warning tone.

"Why? Can't you? You said he's nice, and handsome. And he also got a cute little sister. Why can't you date him? ", she asks.

She chuckles at the innocence of the child. "I just can't, Jong Han-ah. We're just friends. You'll understand it when you grow up. "

"But i want you to be his girlfriend. In that way, someone will take care of him, too. "

She glances back at Jong Kook. She can see the overwhelmed expression in his eyes, as if he is touched by how his younger sister thinks of him.

"He'll find someone. Don't worry, i'll even help him. ", she reassures.

"Really? "

She nods.

"Someone who is nice, and pretty and caring like you? "

"Not like her, please. ", she hears Jong Kook say in a low voice.

She glares at him before turning to the child, who seems to have not heard anything.

"Of course. Now let's get you home. ", she says.

When they arrived in front of Jong Kook's house, she watches them go inside and bids goodbye to the siblings.