Ji Hyo emotion got little bit better after two weeks. She was still confused and hadn’t decided on how to face Jong Kook yet but she knew she wanted to see him badly. She had been striving so hard to not text or call him. It was torture to her. She missed him so much that she took out his shirt, putted it on her long pillow and hugged it to sleep every night. His smell was like a medication for her sadness and anxiety. When she hugged that pillow, she could feel like he was laying next to her. His scent, his voice, his breath were vivid in each and every dreams of hers in the last 2 weeks.

She woke up early that day, looked for her best dress and done the prettiest make up. She asked Shin Hye to buy some ingredients and she took them to Jong Kook’s place. They had each other house keys to make it easy for them to visit each other. Ji Hyo came to Jong Kook apartment early to avoid attention. She happily prepared a healthy Ginseng chicken soup for him. He loved that dish and she knew he missed Korean food after 2 long weeks away from home. She didn’t tell him that she came. She planned to surprise him with the feast that she prepared. He loved it when she cooked even though she didn’t do it often.

A phone call interrupted Ji Hyo cooking progress.

“Shin Hye ah” – Ji Hyo answered as she saw her sister number.

“Unnie … What are you doing?” – Shin Hye asked with a concerned tone.

“I’m cooking. Why?” – Ji Hyo was curious with Shin Hye worried voice.

“Did you read any news today unnie?”

“No, why? Is it something about me?” – Ji Hyo was worried.

“No, well don’t read anything; don’t even turn the TV on. Wait until Jong Kook oppa get home ok?”

“Why?” – Ji Hyo laughed at Shin Hye ridiculous request.

  “Just promise me unnie” – Begged Shin Hye

“Arraso” – Ji Hyo hung up

“This girl is really ridiculous, now she just made me more curious.” Thought Ji Hyo and she pulled out the news website in her phone. The first thing caught her eyes were the picture of Jong Kook kissing another girl and some more pictures of them hugging in backstage. Looking a little bit closer she could tell right away it was Park Soo Jin.

She dropped her phone on the floor before she could read anything else. Her legs also turned weak and gravity easily pulled her down to the floor. She couldn’t believe what she just saw anymore. If there was any other girl she would think the pictures were Photoshoped but it was Park Soo Jin, his ex-fiance. So when they were in a fight, he happily enjoyed his sweet time with his ex-fiancée. She didn’t want to believe in that thought but a picture speaks more than a thousand words. “It meant he already made up his mind” – She thought and her tears dropped continuously on the floor.  

Ji Hyo was sad but she wasn’t mad at Jong Kook. She blamed herself for being the reason for their separation. He loved her. She believed that but she was the one had to be hard headed and kept looking for the memory that should be buried to the ground 15 years ago together with her first love. She was the one that put the wound on his heart that made him cry. So of course it was normal for him to be with another woman who could comfort him and made him happy. She wasn’t deserved his love. She admitted it.

She used all her strength to pull her body up and turned off the boiling ginseng chicken soup on the stove. She came to his bedroom and took all her clothes away. She left some clothes at his place before because they spent the night with each other often. She then took his key out of her keychain and left it on the coffee table. She took out a post note and wrote

“You must be tired, please enjoy the ginseng soup.

I wish you happiness.

I’m sorry”

Some tears drops couldn’t escape falling down to the note. She putted the key on top of it. She took a moment looking at his apartment. That couch was where they always cuddled while watching movie. That kitchen over there was where he often prepared her breakfast. That bed was where they spent sweetest moment together. But now, they were all just the past. Her vision got blurry from the tears. Everything was blurry just like their memories. They would all become blurry after that day. She walked out of his apartment, locked the door and said good bye. To who? She wondered. To the apartment? To him? To their memory? Or to their relationship? To all of those, she supposed.

She dialed a number in her phone

“Annyeonghaseyo Ji Hyo ssi” – A man voice brightly greeted

“Annyeonghaseyo CEO-nim, Can I come over now to sign the contract with Star Empire?” – She politely asked

“Of course, any time. I will be in the office today. Should I prepare a press conference for our agreement?”

“Please do so. Thank you” – She hung up then dialed her sister.

“Unnie” – Shin Hye greeted

“Get the car ready, I will be home in 20 minutes. We will have the press conference with Star Empire today”

“You decided to sign with them?”

"Yes"

“Unnie…”- Shin Hye hesitated. “You already read the news, didn’t you?”

"Yes"

“Unnie, let’s wait for Jong Kook oppa to go home and talk to him. I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding” – Shin Hye desperately counselled.

  “There is not much thing to talk about. He made his choice so I should make mine too. Please just do as I told” – Ji Hyo said and hung up without saying good bye. Explanation? Should she give him a chance to explain? Maybe she better not. What if his explanation was that he really got back to his ex-fiancée? She wouldn’t be able to bear hearing that. May be no explanation will be best for her broken heart. It was painful enough.

Meanwhile at Incheon international airport, it was a chaos full of reporters. They were all eager waiting for Jong Kook return. His pictures were the hottest scandal. Each and every information about the girl he kissed would put the news to top rank. Jong Kook still knew nothing about his scandal. He rushed to the airport in the morning without reading any news. His phone was burning with phone calls and message but he wasn’t able to read since he had to sit on the airplane the entire time

He was in shock seeing all the reporters gave him so much attention. He gave them social greet but his manager quickly grabbed him and let him know about the situation. He was freaking out seeing his kissing picture in every major electronic newspaper. The first thing he thought about was Ji Hyo. She probably read the news by now. He had to explain to her. He called her but she didn’t answer. He texted her and she didn’t reply. He planned to run to her place but the reporters kept following him. His manager had to ask for back up to him to his apartment.

He kept calling Ji Hyo the entire time he was on the way home but she didn’t pick up. He called Shin Hye hoping she was with Ji Hyo.

“Shin Hye ah, is your unnie there? Can I talk to her?” – Begged Jong Kook

“Unnie is here but it is not a good time to talk oppa.” – Shin Hye whispered.

“Why? Did she read the news? She read the news, didn’t she?” – Jong Kook desperately asked.

“N-ne oppa. You messed up big time”

“Please let me talk to her Shin Hye. I can explain” – Jong Kook begged in desperation.

“I’m sorry but not right now oppa. Unnie in press conference”

“Press conference for what?” – Jong Kook asked with a frustrated voice.

“She is signing with Star Empire oppa. She had waited for you to come back to make the decision but after reading the news this morning, she decided to sign with them”

Jong Kook’s manager pulled his phone away before he could finish his conversation with Shin Hye. They arrived at his apartment and it took 6 security guards to pull the reporters off his back. It was a hassle getting into his apartment. But the misery was just begun. He smelt the delicious fragrant of ginseng chicken soup right when he walked inside the apartment. He walked into the kitchen and he could tell right away it was Ji Hyo cooking. “She was here” – he believed.

 He then walked to his bedroom to change his clothes and he found all her clothes were all gone. The tears started pouring out of his eyes. He sat on the bed, covered his face with his hands, and cried. She left. She really left. They had a lot of fights before but never once she took all her clothes away. He was losing her. He walked back to the living room and noticed the post note and the key on the table. He read the note. He saw her tears mark. His tears also dropped overlapped her tears. She really left his life – He thought in devastation. Just like Shin Hye said, he did mess up big time …