LOVE:ZERO

As a result, inside her dresser drawer, a round tin cookie tin was filled with colorful ribbons.

But they weren’t particularly pretty.

“Ugh, these ribbons are so ugly. It’s not like I’m one of the children’s comrades who praise the prime minister, but what can I do, all the kids in this neighborhood wear them, and they won’t let you play unless you do, so you have to.”

Jiyu nodded, not quite sure what she was saying. She half understood and half didn’t understand what Ae-Jeong was saying in Korean.

With clumsy hands, Ae-Jeong spread the ointment over the bruise on her white forehead.

Jiyu, who had been rushed to the emergency room with a mild concussion, had a bump on the back of her head and a bruise on her forehead.

Luckily, other than the bump and bruise, there was nothing else wrong.

“Ugh, that’s going to take more than a week to heal. I’m glad you’re okay, but you look like Ann from an abusive home.”

She clicked her tongue in disbelief.

“…Ouch.”

When Jiyu turned her head away from the merciless fingers, Ae-Jeong grabbed her chin and turned her around.

“Hold on, little one. The bruise will heal faster if you apply some bruise cream. It’s too bad it happened right before school starts. Well, at least it’s not like you didn’t get anything out of it…”

After the accident, Hunter’s mom, Lauren Hamilton, apologized to Ae-Jeong and invited her home for another play date on the first day of school.

Jiyu’s school, Astor School, and Hunter’s school, Alton School, were both prestigious, century-old private schools across the street from each other.

The Astor School is an all-girls school and the Alton School is an all-boys school, with different headmasters and the same foundation.

Students from both schools attended classes at their respective schools, but there were plenty of opportunities for them to bump into each other.

They shared a sports center with a swimming pool and a large library, as well as after-school programs and clubs.

Big events such as cultural festivals and homecoming were organized by the PTAs of both schools.

Offering the best of both co-education and single-intimacy education, and with a track record of producing generations of social leaders, the two schools were in the top tier of the Upper East Side’s prestigious private schools.

The first day of school.

At dismissal time for kindergarten and elementary students, there was chaos outside the doors of Astor and Alton.

Parents chatting and waiting for their turn to be picked up spilled out into the street, making it difficult for cars to get through.

The first day, the dismissal process took longer.

To safeguard children from kidnapping and other threats, the school asks parents to pre-register the names of their pick-up individuals, and the homeroom teacher must personally hand them over after checking them out.

It was the first day of school, and Ae-Jeong, dressed head to toe in designer clothes, grabbed Jiyu by the wrist as soon as she picked her up and tugged her toward Fifth Avenue.

“Jiyu, come on, let’s go. Hunter’s waiting for us!”

She urged, her voice filled with excitement.

Jiyu, her face pale as a sheet, held back the urge to scream out loud that she didn’t want to go.

Her eyes were red with tears, but she bit her lip tightly.

She was afraid that if she broke down and cried, all eyes would be on her in front of the school.

She couldn’t decide what scared her more, Hunter Hamilton or the stares of strangers.

Ever since she was rushed to the hospital with a concussion, Hunter had become more terrifying to her than a ghost in the middle of the night.

But Ae-Jeong didn’t know that.

She shook her head weakly and dragged her feet, but unable to gauge her child’s reaction, Ae-Jeong grabbed Jiyu’s slender wrist and pushed through the crowd.

As soon as they rounded the corner of Fifth Avenue, they saw Lauren standing there, holding Hunter’s hand.

As the mothers exchanged pleasantries, Hunter glared at Jiyu with irritation and disdain.

She shuddered and backed away, but Lauren put her hand on Hunter’s shoulder and gave her a gentle shove.

Hunter’s legs buckled, and he was pushed backward, toward Jiyu.

He sucked in a breath as she ducked behind her mother, and he pulled her close.

When they stood face to face, Hunter stared at something beyond the crown of her head and blurted out.

“…I’m sorry.”

Lauren urged, squeezing Hunter’s shoulder.

“And?”

Hunter jerked his head away and sighed.

“Forgive me.”

“And?”

He held out something in his hand.

“This is a gift of my apology.”

Hunter’s expression turned rotten when he saw it, and Ae-Jeong grabbed her arm and forced her to look away.

Jiyu’s gaze dropped to the object he held.

It was a book wrapped in a gift ribbon.

“…”

Jiyu’s lips curled into a smile.

It was the latest in her favorite unicorn series.

Her shoulders, which had been up to her ears in tension, dropped a little.

She wrapped her tiny fingers around it and took it.

“Jiyu, what are you going to say when you get your present?”

Affection poked her in the back.

“…Thank you.”

Jiyu let out the learned greeting in a crawling voice.

Then Hunter whirled around and looked up at Lauren, demanding.

“Okay? Now let me go to the playground. Rex took all the kids to the Central Park playground except me.”

But Lauren shook her head with a stern face.

“No. You’re having a play date with Ziyu at home today. Be a gentleman, Hunter Hamilton, if you don’t want to get banned from the playground again.”

Then he nodded to indicate that they were on their way.

The two of them hurried their children and started toward their apartment on 80th Street.

Hunter stomped his feet, a growl rumbling in his throat as he struggled to contain his anger.

Left alone with Hunter, Jiyu hugged the book tightly to her chest and paced, chasing after his every move.

Hunter, standing there, red-faced, quickly caught up to her and grabbed her arm abruptly.

Jiyu stopped dead in her tracks.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that the adults weren’t looking at them, and Hunter whispered in her ear.

“I really hate you, Jiyu Parker.”

His anger leaked out of him like the wind in a raspy whisper.

Jiyu rubbed her still burning forehead and choked back another sob of frustration.

She hated Hunter, too.

But she didn’t have the courage to say it out loud, so she just paced.

ꕥ

“Rosa, take the kids downstairs to the playroom.”

Upon arriving at the Hamilton residence, Lauren asked Hunter’s Nanny.

“Yes, Mrs. Hamilton.”

Nanny, an older Hispanic woman, nodded and accepted Hunter’s bag.

Affection sucked in a surprised breath and turned to Lauren.

“Is this Hunter’s house as well as the one downstairs?”

Lauren nodded with a nonchalant expression.

The Hamilton Residence occupied the top three floors of the apartment building.

“Downstairs is our family floor, and below that is the hired man’s quarters.”

Affection’s mouth dropped open.

“And who uses this floor, the penthouse floor?”

Lauren shrugged one shoulder.

“This floor has a hall we use for events, a formal dining room, a parlor, a study, and guest rooms.”

“I see…”

Ae-Jeong’s gaze scanned the view out the bay window, over the terrace, Central Park, and the Hudson River.

The space, as open as a playground, decorated with artwork and antique furniture, seemed to be what Lauren called a “hall.”

“So, why don’t we go out on the terrace and have some tea while the kids play?”

“Yes, yes, yes! The terrace!”

Ae-Jeong nodded vigorously and smiled a flattering smile.

Lauren turned gracefully toward Hunter, whose mouth was hanging open.

“Hunter, Jiyu really likes books, why don’t you go to the playroom and show her your library?”

It was a soft command that sounded more like a suggestion.