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Jihyo sighs as the rain keeps on pouring down heavily. She tries to call a taxi but none of them are available. She even tries to call her manager to pick her up but she didn’t even pick up her phone. What’s the point of calling Jong Kook when he is far away in China? It is not as if he could fly to her in a heartbeat. Although at times like this, she wishes for him to do so.

She decides to take shelter inside the café as she is shivering from the cold. She rubs her arms as she enters the café. The pleasant smell of coffee greets her and she is suddenly craving for a hot cup of cappuccino to warm her up.

“Omo, is that Song Ji Hyo?” she hears the patrons of the café murmurs. She then realizes she didn’t even wear a mask or sunglasses to cover up her face. She was too cold to even bother herself looking for them in her bag. She silently curses herself for making a mistake that even a rookie wouldn’t dare to do as she approaches the barista by the counter with a smile on her face.

“Can I get your order, Song Ji Hyo-shii?” the barista asks with a smile on his face. She didn’t know whether the smile is actually genuine for her or it’s because he had to since it is in his job description but she is glad to see someone smiling at her for a change. It is definitely a breath of fresh air compared to her other days where people would just glare at her.

She then pays for her overpriced coffee and took a seat at the back of the café, where it is secluded enough for her not to be noticed that easily by the public although she did get stares and people rudely pointing at her in the café but she ignores them. She takes a sip of her cappuccino and she instantly smiles over the taste, the aroma and how the warmth spreads. She looks outside to see it is still raining heavily.

“I guess I have to be here for a while then”, she sighs.

“That’s good.”

She jumps and the coffee spilled a little on the table, fortunately, instead of spilled it on her clothes. She looks up to see the person she wanted to meet the least, or never in her life. She fights the urge to scoff and leave the premises but since it is raining, she is stuck here.

“What are you doing here, Eun Hye-shii?” Jihyo asks while grits down on her teeth.

Eun Hye smirks slightly and takes a seat in front of her, even though Jihyo never asks her to do so. Jihyo raise her eyebrows to see the younger wear clothes that she never thought the latter would wear. She wore a black hoodie that looks like it hasn’t been washed in a while, she wore sunglasses earlier but she took it off to show the obvious black circles under her eyes. She even looks a lot paler than before, her lips chapped and dry and her eyes look as if life have been out of them.

It is as if Eun Hye have lost her will to live anymore.

“To be honest… I don’t know. Out of all days, I bumped into you today. It’s funny….”, Eun Hye says, then coughs out of nervousness.

Jihyo looks down to see the younger’s pale hands holding her own cup of coffee but her hands are so jittery, she spills a bit coffee here and there on their table.

“Are you okay, Eun Hye?” she hesitantly asks. Eun Hye just widen her eyes out of disbelief and just stare at Jihyo.

Jihyo have never thought that Eun Hye would look like that after all what happened. She expects Eun Hye to at least take care of herself but no, she indeed has lost a lot of weight and she’s holding that cup of coffee as if her life is depending on it and it made Jihyo wonder… When was the last time she had sleep?

“Because… uh... you kind of look like a mess”, Jihyo says, breaking off the silence since all Eun Hye is doing was staring at her, burning holes onto her face.

Eun Hye slightly chuckles and leans back on her chair. “Because my life is a mess, Jihyo. Might as well dress like it”, she whispers, loud enough for Jihyo to hear.

Eun Hye takes a sip of her coffee and sighs in content as she sets her cup down. “Do you want to know why my life is a mess?”

Jihyo mentally prepare herself in case where the younger blamed her for everything because that is the most likely Eun Hye would do. She would always pick someone to blame her problems to because she can’t admit her own mistakes like a coward she is behind her mask.

She closes her eyes as she breathes in, waiting for Eun Hye’s toxic words to have an effect on her mind.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything that I did to you.”

Jihyo widen her eyes and looks up to see Eun Hye with glassy eyes.

“I don’t know why it took so long for me to admit my mistakes to you, for me to ask you for forgiveness, something that I really don’t deserve… at all but I think it’s the right thing to do. It is to set my mind right. I don’t want to go back anymore, to my old selfish ways that is.”

Jihyo stares down at the table, unsure of what to say but Eun Hye takes it as to continue on what she is going to say to the older.

“You’d probably wondering why am I even here… why am I even asking you for forgiveness… right?”

Jihyo just nods.

“I’ve lost something. I’ve lost it forever”, Eun Hye’s voice broke and she wipes her tears using her sleeve. Jihyo widen her eyes as she realizes something. Eun Hye’s skimpy clothes, the sudden weight loss, her pale skin, how she looks like she hasn’t slept for days…

She had lost her baby and she probably doesn’t know whether it is a boy or a girl. From the looks of it, Eun Hye’s ex haven’t return to her since she looks she had been abandoned.

Jihyo mentally curses that the café doesn’t provide facial tissues on every table. She didn’t even bring her own. She just looks pitifully at the younger who is trying to pull herself together since she is in public. Thank goodness no one pays attention at both of them.

“It took… me… to lost something for me to realize all of the wrongdoings that I have done to both you and Jong Kook”, she says between sniffles, calming down a bit. “I realize that I’ve turned into a monster, or even worse than that.”

“I-“

Eun Hye stops her. “No, please… just hear me out okay?” Jihyo sighs but nods anyway.

“What I did was selfish of me… I know I shouldn’t have used Jong Kook or to crushed your career like that but goodness, how I wish to have a taste of your fame. I did anyway but it backfired really badly didn’t it”, she forced out a laugh.

“I’m sorry that I ruined your relationship. I’m sorry that I made everyone around loathe you and made them to stand by my side. I’m sorry that I used Jong Kook and I’m sorry for ruining you”, Eun Hye says while looking into Jihyo’s eyes.

“It’s funny how it turned out you know? I never even wanted to keep the baby in the first place but as time passes, I was just amazed that there’s a living being inside me, another heart beating inside me besides mine. The cruellest thing is- “

Eun Hye voice broke and Jihyo didn’t know what to do to comfort the younger. She only pats the younger’s hands awkwardly a few hands as her effort. Eun Hye pressed her lips to a thin line.

“Everything was taken away from me. I thought that at least I have the baby but… the doctor just said I’m not strong enough to have it. I’ve lost everything, Jihyo and my