16 January 2014 8:30 PM

Hye Kyo stopped dead in her tracks, causing In Sung to run into her as they entered the restaurant. It had been 10 days since the engagement announcement, and in that time they’ve had to play the roles of their lives in order to sell it. Some days have been easier than others, and it was fairly child’s play to fool the press and gossip tabloids. If anything, the public seemed to have received the news with an uncommon delight, and things had gone much smoother than they had anticipated. After the initial shock from almost everyone, they had received an amazing level of support and well wishes from family, friends, and fans. Both knew there would be hell to pay later on, if things went according to plan and they were able to finally catch Alan once and for all, but that was the least of their worries at the moment.

“Hye Kyo, what the….” In Sung started to ask, but then he saw the reason why she had stopped, and he froze in silence as well. For standing in the foyer of the restaurant were Joong Ki’s grandparents. The 2 couples stared at each other for a long moment, their awkwardness did not go unnoticed by the hostesses.

“Good evening sir, ma’am,” In Sung was the first to break the silence, bowing deeply to show his respect for his best friend’s grandparents. In Sung’s words seemed to break Hye Kyo out of her trance, and she hastily added her proper greetings to them as well.

Song Il Woo was the first to respond as he warmly greeted the younger couple and congratulated them on their engagement. For the briefest of seconds, his eyes met with In Sung, and the 2 men exchanged a silent understanding.

It was much harder for his wife, Park Eun Hye, to address the couple. Over the past 3 years, she had come to love Hye Kyo like she was her own granddaughter. She had fully expected Hye Kyo to get married soon…but the choice of the groom had totally shaken Eun Hye. She had been stunned to hear the news that Hye Kyo and In Sung were engaged. She had so many questions…and she would be dishonest if she wasn’t a little hurt at the turn of events. And when the wedding invitation came in the mail, well, that didn’t sit well with her at all. Had Hye Kyo been stringing Joong Ki, Eun Hye’s beloved grandson, along all this time? Had she used him just to get In Sung jealous? Had she been dating both of them all along? And what did Joong Ki think of all of this? She had heard him send his congratulations through the news reports, that he had even agreed to be one of the best men, along with Kwang Soo, for In Sung. Nothing made sense to Eun Hye, but she couldn’t quite figure out what was wrong. Regardless, she just couldn’t bring herself to face the happy couple.

“Cong…congratulations,” Eun Hye managed to say, her voice ice cold and less than pleasant. “Il Woo, I’ll wait for you in the car.”

Song Il Woo could do nothing but look apologetic as his wife swept past everyone and exited the restaurant, leaving an uneasiness that the staff were unsure of how to address. “I…I’m sorry…it’s been a long day…my wife…she’s….”

“Please, honorary grandfather, do not think anything of it. I am sure honorary grandmother is just tired. We just hope that you would honor us by attending our wedding.” In Sung stated, relieving the tension and giving Il Woo an escape. His words did just that, but it also raised Hye Kyo’s curiosity. Exactly what was In Sung’s relationship with the elder Songs that he used those terms to address Joong Ki’s grandparents? It never occurred to her that In Sung actually knew the Songs in any way other than through Joong Ki. There were so many questions that she wanted to ask, but it would have to wait for later. For now, they had to put on yet another act of “hopelessly-in-love” as they dined at this very public restaurant. They knew that their pictures would be splashed all over the papers in the morning, and that’s exactly what they wanted. The bigger the bait they presented, the greater the chance they would have of drawing Alan Song out into the open.

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13 February 2014 10:15 AM

With 1 day to go before what is being called the “wedding of the century,” Seoul, indeed all of South Korea, had not seen anything quite like this spectacle. It seemed like the entire country had gone completely crazy for the upcoming nuptials. Normal protocol dictated that celebrities keep their weddings private, sharing information only after the ceremony and even then, not to give anything but the bare details. In Sung and Hye Kyo had completely broken all those rules. They had been very open with the details of their wedding plans and as a result had created legions of obsessive fans and well-wishers. Every little movement of the bride and groom was recorded, analyzed, and re-analyzed by the press, the fans, the public. In Sung had joked on more than 1 occasion that he and Hye Kyo should get the best acting awards for the year by the reaction of the public to their wedding announcement.

“Those were the exact words?” Senior Detective Lee asked, the urgency and concern evident in his voice. He had not been keen on In Sung’s plan from the beginning, and the congratulatory advertisements in the newspapers this morning told him that his gut instinct had been right. “It actually said ‘Hope your wedded bliss starts off with a bang?’…are you sure?”

“Yes sir.” The junior officer answered, not exactly sure what his boss was thinking. Other than the number of outlets that this particular congratulatory ad had been placed in, the officer didn’t really see anything that was unusual about it. For the past week or so, numerous other similar notes had been observed throughout the Seoul metropolitan area and in other media markets across the country. “Shall I enquire more into who placed the ads?”

“No, that’s fine. Thank you.” And with that, Senior Detective Lee hung up the conference call and faced the others around the table. “I can double the security around the church, but I still think it’s too dangerous. You need to cancel the ceremony. We have no idea what he’s going to do.”

“NO. We’ve been through this. We know he’s going to be there tomorrow. This is our only chance.” In Sung replied adamantly. “It’s his pattern. You know that whatever he’s going to do, he’s going to do it himself. You already have enough security in place. We just need to keep our nerves to catch this bastard.”

“Besides, the news that will break in about 5 hours with our KBS interview will drive Song completely over the edge.” Hye Kyo spoke, supporting her partner in crime.

“Are…are you really sure you want to do that?” Detective Lee asked. He knew what they were going to do…and Hye Kyo was right. It will drive Alan Song insane.

“Of course. We need a coup-de-grace, and when In Sung and I announce later today that I’m expecting our first child, it will serve that purpose.” Hye Kyo replied calmly, knowing full well that the reaction will be anything but calm later this evening.

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13 February 2014 7:05 PM

The smoldering ruins of the television on the floor flooded the air with the smell of burnt electronics. The man who had destroyed the TV sent fear through his subordinates, who were standing farther back in the hotel room. They didn’t know all the reasons as to why he hated the couple so much, but then again it was not their place to ask. He was paying the very handsomely for their services, and part of the deal was not to ask too many questions.

“No…you will not live happily ever after,” Alan Song seethed as the interview replayed in his mind. In Sung and Hye Kyo looking obliviously happy…thanking all the supporters and well-wishers…announcing that they were beyond the moon delirious with joy when they found out, just earlier in the week, that they were expecting. The young couple stating that they couldn’t have hoped for a better way to start their life together, after all these years. In Sung looking lovingly at Hye Kyo as he stated that they wanted as many kids as possible.

Alan Song smirked as he looked at the TV monitor that he had shot just seconds ago. “It will not be your wedding the country will see tomorrow…it will be your execution. And I will enjoy the looks on your parents’ faces when they bury you.”