14

Three days ago, while Myungsoo was monitoring the stock market, he got a call from Woohyun.

“Hey, when exactly are you going to come back? The investors are not going to invest if they don’t make the transaction with you!” Woohyun blurted the moment Myungsoo put the phone next to his ear.

“You know what’s worse? They are going to cancel the project!” Woohyun threatened.

“I know, I know. I get what you mean okay? Calm down and tell them this, my stay here is only due by next week. I settled down things and I even got myself tons of pending projects here. They can’t shake me off just because they tell me to do things in a hurry. If you tell them this and they still back out, let them do so…. But I guess they wouldn’t,” Myungsoo chuckled at the end of his sentence. That was how confident he was in terms of keeping his enemies close.

Myungsoo heard Woohyun sigh from the other line. “I have your word, right? Next week, that is when you’ll be coming back.” He hung up.

--

Myungsoo, in his ever luxurious Mercedes Benz, stopped by in front of Jiyeon’s house.

“Are you ready?” Myungsoo asked as Jiyeon went out of her house, carrying a backpack.

Jiyeon tossed her bag in the backseat and went to sit down beside Myungsoo. “Where are we going? Is this unplanned? No… you planned this, seeing how you disappeared last night when I tried to ask you.” She muttered to herself.

“Let’s get going, we have a long way to go.” Myungsoo replied, avoiding her question.

“What is this…. Am I being kidnapped?” Jiyeon continuously asked Myungsoo as their car ran through the highway. “What do you need from me? You’re already rich!”

Myungsoo just laughed at her surprising show of wits and jokes. “If you want to sleep, then sleep. Here, let me lower your seat,”

“Nope, I am going to sleep here…” Jiyeon refused her seat to be lowered and instead leaned on Myungsoo’s shoulders. “By the way, aren’t you still mad at my dad?” Out of nowhere, that question came out of .

It took Myungsoo some time before he answered, “I would be lying if I say that I don’t anymore.”

“My company was almost hitting the lowest of the lowest. That was a successful revenge, if I were you. You planned to refuse investing after getting my hopes up right?” Jiyeon said.

A smile formed in Myungsoo’s face. “I told you I have a lot of things to say. But now’s not the time… I need to concentrate on driving, you know.”

Jiyeon pouted her lips in disappointment. “Then at least tell me why in the end, you decided to save the company….?”

Now Myungsoo was already organizing his thoughts to give her the most appropriate answer. “Because Ki Joon hyung said you’re having a hard time. If you ever went bankrupt, and lose all of your money, I thought you wouldn’t be able to live alone, especially because you’re used to being rich. I couldn’t imagine you working your off just to earn money to support yourself. I can’t let you experience what I had back when I was just a poor, newspaper boy.”

“Having you is enough….” Jiyeon replied. “I don’t care if I go broke, or if I give up all the luxuries that I used to have…. If having a simple life with you would compensate for how I failed to stand for you against my father in the past, then I guess I can live comfortably.” Jiyeon added and cuddled in him much more tightly.

Those were heartwarming words, but instead of being overwhelmed by what Jiyeon said, Myungsoo felt bad. He has something hidden behind the smile that he tried hard to portray.

After more than an hour, they arrived at a rest stop and decided to take a break from driving. “What do you want to eat?” Myungsoo asked Jiyeon.

“Ah, I want to eat ramen.”

They purchased two cups of noodles and poured hot water to it. They sat down on one of the benches and waited for it to cook.

“By the way, what happened to the deal between you and Yoona? I thought you were in talks with her…”

“You know what I’m good at….. keeping people’s hopes up.” Myungsoo grinned. “She was so into it, and she even tried to seduce me for the deal to happen. I don’t know why but, I think she really hates you. Why is that?” Myungsoo asked.

Jiyeon thought deep and responded, “I can also feel that she hates me. But I don’t know why….. Hmm, I think I met her several times already….”

Myungsoo blew on his cup of noodles and upon checking that it was good to eat, he handed it to Jiyeon—a plain display of manners.

He finished eating before Jiyeon so he went back to the store and bought some snacks. Jiyeon waited inside the car and in a minute she fell asleep not knowing that Myungsoo came back and their car started moving again.

They reached South Jolla province a little before three pm. Myungsoo parked the car inside a park and carefully tapped Jiyeon’s arm to tell her that they’ve arrived.

Yawning and still dazed about the place, Jiyeon got out of the car. She rubbed her eyes as she watched Myungsoo take out a folded bike from the car’s trunk.

“If I’m not mistaken, you still don’t know how to ride a bike right?” Myungsoo grinned and unfolded the bike.

Jiyeon’s jaw dropped and she felt thrilled about learning how to ride it for the first time.

“Here, give it a try.” Myungsoo told her, and invited her to hop on. Jiyeon gladly did so, and she looked so cute trying to reach the ground with her toes. “Don’t worry, I’ll be here to hold you.”

And so Jiyeon had her first bike ride, with Myungsoo helping her out in case she falls. His hand was on the bike’s handle, while his other went around Jiyeon’s waist carefully guiding her way around the park.

Jiyeon felt excited and eventually she pedaled fast until she didn’t notice that Myungsoo no longer supported her. As she circled around the park, she never ceased to smile as the warm air touches her skin.

From afar, Myungsoo looked at her and smiled like a proud parent. Even if it was too late for them to do things like this, they felt happy in their own little world.

Myungsoo found a shade under the tree, and sat down as Jiyeon continued to play with the bike like a child who just learned how to use it.

Jiyeon never fails to make Myungsoo in awe, especially when she does things like this that brings out her inner beauty and character. She was happy, and like a contagious virus, the entire park was filled with happiness too.

--

When the sun started to set, Myungsoo took out a basket of food from his car and laid a mat on the green grass. And just as the dark successfully ate the light, he lit the candle and their romantic dinner began.

Jiyeon found it absurd so she just laughed whenever Myungsoo feeds her. Myungsoo noticed this and he , “If you like it so much, tell me with your actions.”

“Are you always like this to your girlfriends?” Jiyeon back.

Myungsoo took a bite from the steak and replied, “I have never had a girlfriend. You know that rumor? That I’m a successful good-looking bachelor.” He chewed on his food before adding, “But sometimes I do this to women who I make a business deal with…… and the strategies always change, depends on the deal.” He winked.

Jiyeon rolled her eyes in disgust, “Wow, so are you just making a business deal with me now?”

Myungsoo laughed at her so hard. “If I were to make a deal with you, I’d take you to bed.”

At this comment, Jiyeon’s blood rose up. Smokes came out of her nose and ears, and she wanted to slap him hard.

“Just kidding,” Myungsoo laughed hysterically. “I’m actually trying to be romantic. I’ve never done this before, believe me.” Then he shifted to a more serious tone. “When we met again, do you know how much I wanted to hug you and tell you that I missed you? But I always set that thought aside, because I wanted to let you see that I’ve changed. I wanted your father to know that his words struck me so hard that it made me a completely different person.”

Jiyeon seriously listened to him and this time, she lied down on Myungsoo’s lap. “Did you ever think of me when you were in the States?” she asked and looked at him.

Myungsoo caressed her hair and answered, “There was not a time when I never did…. But I was afraid to meet you again, and I don’t know why.”

“Right now….. what are we?” Jiyeon held Myungsoo’s face and her eyes showed an honest thirst for an answer.

Under the blanket of the stars, and the wind that gently passes by, Myungsoo received a question that he was not ready to answer.

After a couple of minutes of silence and thinking, Myungsoo kissed Jiyeon’s forehead. He smiled at her, and this gave Jiyeon an indirect response.

The both of them checked in the hotel to spend the night. They shared the same room, but the bedroom had two beds.

Myungsoo lied down first and closed his eyes in an attempt to sleep. Suddenly, he felt Jiyeon beside him.

Jiyeon, after washing, climbed up to Myungsoo’s bed. She didn’t know why but she just felt like sleeping beside him. She had this extraordinary feeling that he’ll be gone again, and she doesn’t want to let him go.

Myungsoo had this surprised look when he saw that Jiyeon was beside him, and their bodies lied close to each other. But he was a good man, and he wasn’t easily tempted to do things that other men would usually do.

He lied on his side, and now they were facing each other in a small-sized bed.

“I don’t know why you chose me over Sehun….” Myungsoo spoke up. “He was there when I wasn’t….. and he was undeniably a good man.”

“Because my heart told me to…. And it would make me a bad person if I cheat on my feelings.” Jiyeon said, and she hugged him tight.

“You’re in a room with a man…. You don’t know what might happen.” Myungsoo hugged her back, and .

Jiyeon breathed deeply and in a soothing voice, she said, “I love you,”

Again, Myungsoo was not prepared to answer her. He had something going on in his mind and instead of telling her he loves her too, he said, “Seeing you again, and spending the night like this is so much more than enough.”

--

In the early morning of the next day, Jiyeon woke up to the sound of her phone loudly ringing. When she answered it in a half-awaken state, Ki Joon was on the line.

“Jiyeon, where are you? Your father woke up just this moment! Hurry and come here to the hospital!!”

All of a sudden, Jiyeon fully awakened. She shook Myungsoo who slept beside her and told him that they should immediately go back to Seoul.

“What? Why? What happened?” Myungsoo who was confused asked her.

“Ki Joon called to say that dad woke up! Come on, let’s hurry!” Jiyeon jumped out of bed and hastily packed her things.

Myungsoo was surprised to hear the news but he sluggishly went out of bed. “Can’t we go back in the afternoon? I still have a lot of things planned for us…”

Jiyeon paused and looked at him, “No. Wasn’t it clear for you? My father woke up after two years! Let’s go this instant.” She firmly replied.

In a short time, Jiyeon was all ready to go. Myungsoo grabbed her hand and in a very sincere tone, he begged, “Please Jiyeon, stay with me for a little while… let’s go back in the afternoon.”

“Do you hate my dad so much that you don’t want me to see him?” Jiyeon misunderstood Myungsoo and added, “Hate me too if you want but he’s my father, and I will go see him this instant.”

Myungsoo became speechless when Jiyeon said those words. She misunderstood him completely. Jiyeon angrily went out of the hotel room and left him without a word.

--

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Jiyeon blurted out.

“His plane bound for America just left this afternoon.” Ki Joon replied.

A/N: Myungsoo has gone back to America. Does this mean they will be separated again? That’s sad :( Please stay tuned! Comment your thoughts down!