Jan Di had gone for the doctor and notified everyone that Ji Hoo was awake. The doctor had explained everything to Ji Hoo, and he'd simply nodded along. Ji Hoo had been in and out of consciousness, so she hadn't really gotten to talk to him. The doctor told Jan Di that this was completely normal. Ji Hoo hadn't spoken since he said her name.

A few hours later, Ji Hoo opened his eyes to see the people closest to him surrounding him. Grandfather and Jan Di sat beside his bed. F3 looked on like wolves watching over their pack. Ji Hoo scanned the room. He finally spoke.

"Why are you all just standing around staring at me?" he asked hoarsely. "You're making me uncomfortable," he grinned ever so slightly.

They all smiled at this very Ji Hoo comment.

"Ji Hoo-yah!" Grandfather beamed with tears of joy and relief in his eyes and patted Ji Hoo lightly on the back. F3 approached his bedside.

Yi Jeong flashed his trademark grin. "You rascal, don't scare us like that ever again!" He put a hand on Ji Hoo's shoulder. Woo Bin put up his fists. "Yeah! Or else!" Ji Hoo chuckled weakly.

Joon Pyo approached with a hardened expression. He crossed his arms. "Ya, Yoon Ji Hoo, you're such a pain! Do you know how much trouble you caused?" Joon Pyo smirked and held out his hand to clasp Ji Hoo's.

"Mianhae, Joon Pyo. It'll never happen again." They exchanged a look reserved for best friends.

"Good, it better not!" Joon Pyo replied haughtily. Ji Hoo shook his head and smiled.

"Welcome back," Joon Pyo said with a grin.

Ji Hoo nodded, then turned to Jan Di. She was smiling at him with fresh tears. Ji Hoo smiled tenderly back at her. Their eyes met in a lingering gaze, and he softly sighed. Jan Di endured the emotionally-charged gaze as long as she could and then broke it. She glanced downward and smiled to herself. Joon Pyo observed the interaction silently and shoved his hands into his pockets.

Nurse Park Eun-Ji entered the room and glanced to each visitor in turn. "I'm so sorry, but could I ask you to all step out for a bit while I check up on him?" The group began to clear out and Eun-Ji thanked them and bowed.

"Oh, Jan Di?" Eun-Ji turned to Jan Di as she moved to exit.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to stay and help?"

Jan Di thought about it briefly and then nodded. Joon Pyo shot Jan Di a glance, and then he left with the others.

"Yoon Ji Hoo. It's nice to finally meet you, officially. I'm Park Eun-Ji." She bowed to him. He nodded in acknowledgment. Eun-Ji stuck a thermometer in Ji Hoo's mouth. "Jan Di, would you check his pulse?"

Eun-Ji took out the thermometer when it beeped and glanced at it. "Normal, good… Jan Di here has been helping me to take care of you. I feel like she's my assistant or something. She's been so dedicated."

Ji Hoo looked to Jan Di, and she looked down, as she held two fingers against his wrist. "I…really didn't do all that much," she insisted, staring hard at his wrist. She hesitantly glanced up at him and Ji Hoo smiled at her tenderly.

"I tried to kick her out a few times, but it got so hard to keep her out that I just enlisted her help instead. She was practically a resident here." Eun-Ji checked Ji Hoo's heart rate.

Jan Di opened to protest but nothing came out. She couldn't really deny what Eun-Ji was saying. Jan Di smiled awkwardly. What is she saying? Really! How embarrassing…

Ji Hoo looked to Jan Di again. "I really wasn't here that much…," she weakly protested. Ji Hoo just continued to smile.

"Well, you're looking good, Yoon Ji Hoo," Eun-Ji smiled and put her hands on her hips. "I'll be going now. I'll tell the others they can come back." She gave Ji Hoo a wink before leaving the room.

Jan Di gaped after Eun-Ji. Did she just wink at him?

Ji Hoo turned to Jan Di. She sat next to his bed.

"Sunbae, how are you feeling?"

"OK," he said simply.

They stared at each other for a moment.

"So…" he began. "…You took good care of me?" Ji Hoo grinned at her. After getting past the initial emasculation of Jan Di seeing him in his invalid state, he found it endearing that the love of his life would so painstakingly care for him.

Jan Di chuckled nervously. "Oh, I really didn't do much. Nurse Park was exaggerating… She's a little bold," Jan Di pursed her lips.

Ji Hoo looked down and raised a brow. He sighed and leaned back against the pillow. "Are you going to scold me like the others?" His eyes remained closed and he wore the hint of a smile.

"No. I think you've suffered enough. But then again…," she put a finger to her lips, "…I am actually very mad at you." She poked his arm.

"Why?" he asked, opening his eyes and looking at her.

"Because, you really worried me…"

He was surprised by the depth of emotion in her voice. He reached out and captured the hand that had poked him. Jan Di's lips lightly parted at his touch. "Mianhae…" he mumbled contentedly, closing his eyes and covering her hand with his own. "Mianhae, Jan Di-yah." He began lightly her hand that now lay against his bed. The corners of his mouth curved slightly upward, and he could feel his strength slowly returning.

She smiled affectionately at him, as he continued to lightly run his hand over hers. Her chest rose and fell. "It's OK. I'm just relieved that you're awake and OK and that you…remember me," she said.

He understood this statement all too well. He opened his eyes and gazed intently into hers. "Like I told you before, you're not someone who can easily be forgotten."

She gave a small smile and looked down. "Sunbae…"

He watched her for a moment, and then he smiled. He closed his eyes and relaxed into the pillow once more. "No, I could never forget about my little otter," he mused.

"I think that's the drugs talking…," she teased and took back her hand hesitantly.

He chuckled weakly. "It's not the drugs..."

"You know," he continued after a moment, his eyes still closed. "…I feel like I dreamed of you…"

She didn't know why, but she felt her cheeks burning slightly. She rubbed her leg.

"…I don't know if I was partially conscious or what. It was really strange. There were times when I felt like I was just on the verge of consciousness, and then other times there was nothing. You know that place you are in as you begin to fall asleep or right before you wake up?"

She nodded. She knew the place well.

"It was like this strange lucid dream I couldn't wake up from…I kept trying to get back, but I was stuck." He paused and opened his eyes. "…I could hear your voice sometimes… I even thought I saw your face once. I felt like I was trapped in a labyrinth, and you kept trying to show me the way out."

"Sunbae…" She said, affected.

"I know, it sounds ridiculous…," he smirked.

"No, it doesn't… Do you…remember hearing anything specific?" she asked hesitantly.

He thought for a moment and looked at her. "There were times when I thought I heard music and voices…but I can't recall anything specific."

"Oh." She nodded, unsure whether she was disappointed or relieved that he hadn't heard the things she said.

"Did you…say something to me while I was unconscious?" he asked seriously.

"Oh, well I said a lot of things…" She looked away.

"What did you say?"

"Oh, just useless things, really…" She gave a short laugh and wiped a tear away with her sleeve.

"Well, I don't know what you said, but all I know is that I really wanted to get back…to you." He smiled tenderly at her. He took her hand again and squeezed it. Jan Di's lips parted, and they stared at each other for a moment.

"I really wanted you to…come back…to…" she stopped. They continued to stare at one another. Jan Di began to feel a steady thumping within her chest before the moment was broken by the others returning.

Ga Eul and Jan Di had lunch in the hospital cafeteria and talked casually, and then they went to visit Ji Hoo. They approached Ji Hoo's room, and Jan Di suddenly snapped back against the wall and hid on the other side of the door. She grabbed Ga Eul by her coat sleeve and pulled her next to her.

"What's wrong?" Ga Eul asked, incredulous.

Jan Di peeked around the corner. "That nurse is in there again…" Nurse Park Eun-Ji was talking with Ji Hoo.

"Why are you hiding from her?"

"I'm not…" Even though she did embarrass me earlier… "But, she's just always here…"

"She works here." Ga Eul stated the obvious.

"I know, but she's always here…in his room…doesn't she have other patients to see?"

"Ahh," Ga Eul raised a brow.

Jan Di continued to hide around the corner, and Ga Eul, being the great friend that she was, remained with her. Though, they both felt a bit ridiculous. Eun-Ji sat on Ji Hoo's bed and was talking with him now. She touched his arm lightly.

"She certainly is an attentive nurse," Ga Eul commented.

"A little too attentive, if you ask me…" Jan Di mumbled.

"Ahh!" Ga Eul exclaimed in a hushed tone and pointed at Jan Di.

"What?"

"You're jealous!" Ga Eul whispered.

Jan Di gaped at her. "I am not!" Jan Di scoffed but turned a bright shade of red.

Jan Di peered back into the room. Eun-Ji was turned away from them and facing Ji Hoo. Jan Di saw Ji Hoo smile and give a short laugh.

Jan Di gasped lightly. "She made him laugh!" she exclaimed in a hushed tone.

Ga Eul shook her head. "You're so jealous…"

Jan Di covered Ga Eul's mouth. Having heard something, Eun-Ji and Ji Hoo turned to look toward the door. Ji Hoo cocked his head and stared upon catching a glimpse of Jan Di.

"Come in," Nurse Park called.

Jan Di cringed at having been caught, and she slowly entered the room. Jan Di smiled awkwardly and held up a hand in a static wave. "Annyeong." She approached Nurse Park and Ji Hoo. Ga Eul followed sheepishly behind.

"Why were you lurking outside?" Ji Hoo asked, facing Jan Di from his bed.

"I wasn't lurking!" Jan Di stammered. "Just thought it might be a private conversation or something…" Ji Hoo smiled.

"Private?" He raised a brow.

"Well, you know…confidential or something..."

Ji Hoo chuckled and shook his head, amused. "No, it wasn't confidential."

"We were just chatting. Jan Di, how are you doing?" Nurse Park asked.

"I'm fine, Nurse Park, and you?"

"Doing well!" she said in a bubbly tone.

"This is my friend, Chu Ga Eul."

"Nice to meet you. Park Eun-Ji." Ga Eul and Park Eun-Ji bowed to each other.

"Is…everything OK, Nurse Park?" Jan Di asked hesitantly.

"Oh, yes. He's recovering nicely. He will need some physical therapy, though. And we'll have to keep him in the hospital for another week or so, just to be safe."

"Oh," Jan Di replied.

Jan Di and Ga Eul walked together down the hall of the hospital after a casual visit with Ji Hoo.

"It's such a relief that Ji Hoo Sunbae is alright now," Ga Eul commented, as they walked along arm and arm. "Yi Jeong Sunbae was very upset about it…." Ga Eul recalled how Yi Jeong had comforted her in the hospital room when she became tearful over the situation. Yi Jeong had been stoic and cool as always, but she knew he was hurting over Ji Hoo, too. She'd done her best to comfort him, too.

Jan Di sighed and nodded. Ga Eul noticed that Jan Di still seemed troubled.

"Is something wrong, Jan Di?"

Jan Di sighed. "Oh, well…not really."

Ga Eul continued to look at her friend, demanding that she spill it with her eyes.

"It's just that…I'm not sure what to do…"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, when Ji Hoo Sunbae was in the coma…I thought about him a lot. Even before then I'd been thinking about him a lot, and I realized something."

"What did you realize?"

"I realized that…I love him. No, I loved him before. I realized that I'm in love with him."

Ga Eul's lips parted. "I had a feeling… What are you going to do? Are you going to tell him? Are you going to tell Joon Pyo?"

"I said it to Ji Hoo Sunbae while he was unconscious. It just came out. I don't know how to say it to his face…I keep freezing up whenever I think about it. And I don't know how to tell Joon Pyo. I don't want to hurt him."

"Jan Di, if you love another man, you have to tell him, even if it hurts him. You should just say it and get it over with."

"I know… It's just going to be one of the hardest things I've ever had to say. I told myself that I shouldn't be with either of them. It's just so complicated. …Even if I do tell Ji Hoo Sunbae how I feel, will we just start dating? I don't feel like I can just start dating him suddenly…"

"Jan Di, it may take some time, but Ji Hoo Sunbae has always been understanding and patient with you. I'm sure he would be willing to wait until you're ready if he knew how you felt."

"He probably would. But why should I make him suffer through this with me? Ga Eul, I just feel like I'm no good for him. Look at all he's been through because of me."

Ga Eul gave Jan Di a sympathetic glance.

"He got hurt trying to protect me…"

"That wasn't your fault."

"I know, but he's been hurt so many times because of me. Not only have I hurt him emotionally, but now he's getting hurt physically because of me. That's twice now. He could have died. I don't know how I would have lived with that."

"Everything he's done has been because he really loves you," Ga Eul said.

"Maybe loving me is a bad thing." Jan Di looked down dejectedly.

Ga Eul hugged her friend warmly. "Oh, Jan Di-yah…"

Jan Di breathed a heavy sigh. "We should change the subject! What about you, Ga Eul? How was it seeing Yi Jeong Sunbae?"

A smile spread across Ga Eul's face and she looked down. Jan Di noticed Ga Eul's cheeks grow rosy.

"Did something happen with you two?" she asked.

Ga Eul continued to look down and smiled. "Well…we kissed."

Jan Di gasped. "You kissed, really? And you're just saying so now? Tell me everything!"

Joon Pyo entered Ji Hoo's empty room and sat beside him. Ji Hoo had drifted into a light sleep. Joon Pyo studied him for a moment. Ji Hoo stirred and opened his eyes.

"Joon Pyo?" Ji Hoo mumbled drowsily.

"How are you feeling?" Joon Pyo asked.

"Not too bad."

There was silence.

"Ji Hoo-yah…" Joon Pyo said his name purposefully.

"Yes?"

"I'm leaving for New York in a few days. I have business to take care of. And there was a new development in catching Kim Hyun-Woo. I'm going to take care of him once and for all."

Ji Hoo nodded. "Well, I appreciate you coming all this way to visit me."

"I'm relieved that you're OK."

"Thanks."

Joon Pyo nodded. He looked down and wrung his hands lightly.

"Is something on your mind, Joon Pyo?"

Joon Pyo sighed heavily. He leaned forward and rubbed his temples. "I saw your pictures."

"Pictures?"

"Of you and Jan Di in the wedding attire…"

"How did you-?" Ji Hoo began.

"Jan Di wanted some things for you, so I went to your house, and I happened to find them while looking for a box. I wasn't trying to snoop. Mianhae…"

Ji Hoo tightened his jaw and was silent. He couldn't help but feel uneasy about having his most private and treasured possessions searched through.

Joon Pyo looked to Ji Hoo. "What was that all about it anyway?"

Ji Hoo sighed. "It was just a silly contest we entered," he replied bluntly. You were engaged at the time anyway…

Joon Pyo nodded. "I see."

Ji Hoo sighed. "It's nothing for you to be concerned with," he said simply, looking away.

"That's not what I'm concerned about."

"Then, what?"

"It's her feelings for you that I'm concerned about…"

"Her feelings? She feels nothing more than friendship for me…," Ji Hoo said harshly, suddenly inexplicably angry.

"That's not true," Joon Pyo snapped back. "I wish it were..."

They stared at each other tensely for a moment.

"What are you saying, Joon Pyo?" Ji Hoo demanded, at a loss.

Joon Pyo took a deep breath. "I heard Jan Di say…that she…loves you." Saying the words tasted like vinegar upon his lips and burned like acid going down.

Ji Hoo's lips parted. He looked down and blinked wildly. His heart was suddenly racing and his thoughts were rampaging within his head. "When did you hear her say that?"

"…While you were in the coma." Joon Pyo stood and began to pace around the room, hands on his hips.

Ji Hoo fought to steady his breathing. "…I'm sure she only meant that she loves me as a friend…or, maybe she was just emotional at the time…" he said, as calmly as he could, but he was still reeling. He fell back against his pillow.

Joon Pyo shook his head and continued to pace. He put a hand to his head. "I tried to tell myself that at first, too, but no, it was more than that."

"Why are you telling me this, Joon Pyo?" Ji Hoo felt like he was on a carnival ride. He was dizzy and his stomach was unsettled. It was worse than the after-effects of the head injury.

"I don't know… Maybe I was hoping you'd tell me it wasn't true…"

Ji Hoo sighed heavily. He put a hand to his head and rubbed it. "I can't really say how she feels. She hasn't talked to me about it…" She'd been difficult to read and had been giving mixed signals, so he really had no idea what she was feeling…

"It's probably something you should discuss with her…," Ji Hoo said. He promised himself that he'd discuss it with her soon, as well.

Ji Hoo wanted to get out of the hospital for a bit. He'd changed into street clothes, and he and Jan Di had taken a walk outside of the hospital. They sat once more on the bench where they had kissed. It seemed such a distant memory now.

Ji Hoo was going back and forth on bringing up what Joon Pyo had told him. They sat there silently.

Jan Di frowned and stared at her hands. "Jan Di, gwaenchan-ha?" he asked.

She sniffed and nodded.

"What is it?"

"I'm just so relieved…" She sighed and turned to him. She put her arms ardently around his neck. He pulled her closer and embraced her warmly.

They broke the hug and leaned their heads comfortably against one another for a moment. "You know, when I was in the coma, I wasn't really sure what was real and what my mind was conjuring up. Some pieces have been coming back to me, but it's really fuzzy. I hoped you could fill in some of the blanks for me…"

Jan Di nodded. "I'll try."

"I remember something about a dream, but I don't remember if it was yours or mine or what it was about…"

Jan Di looked down.

"Oh yeah…" she laughed nervously, "...I told you about a dream I had. But you weren't really supposed to hear that…" she cleared .

"Oh. Well, I don't really remember anything about it, just the notion of a dream really. …You really won't tell me about it? How bad could it be?"

"It was just a silly dream…"

He nodded and squinted at her. He decided to sweat her a bit. He'd stare at her until she caved.

"Ahh, fine!" she exclaimed, after a moment of his intense gaze. She smiled awkwardly. "Promise not to laugh?"

He nodded.

"Oh, I can't believe I'm going to tell you this, but…I had a dream that you and I…were married and had kids." She wrinkled her nose and looked away.

"Really?" The tone in his voice indicated he seemed to enjoy that. Ji Hoo smiled and looked down. He raised a brow and looked back to Jan Di. She was making every effort to look at anything but him. Currently, she seemed to be focusing intently upon a sapling across the courtyard.

"That's not really a funny or silly dream, though," he said.

"No, I guess not…" Just embarrassing… She chewed on her bottom lip, still unable to look him in the eye.

He grinned. "Did we get along?"

She chuckled. "Yea, we did."

"Was I a good husband and father?"

She stared at her feet, her cheeks becoming rosy. "Yea, you were…" she smiled affectionately over at him. He returned the smile.

She fidgeted with her hands in her lap and looked down again. "…The kids were cute," she commented.

He smiled. "I'll bet, if they looked anything like their mother…"

She felt her cheeks burning. She scoffed. "Oh, you! Get out of here!" She shoved him lightly. He chuckled.

"Well, the boy looked like you actually; he was a violinist…and I could see a little of both of us in the girl. She had your eyes…" Jan Di patted her legs lightly.

"It sounds like a nice dream," he muttered, looking off and picturing the scene in his head. He cleared his throat and sighed, as he returned to reality.

"Don't be too embarrassed about it…dreams are funny things. You really can't control them. You probably just dreamed that because you see me all the time and we live together." He thought he would ease her embarrassment a little. He paused. "I've dreamed of you before…"

"Really?"

He nodded and nudged her with his shoulder. "But I'm not going to tell you about it," he whispered.

Jan Di gaped. "Sunbae! That's not fair…come on…" she fake-pouted.

He chuckled. "No way, I'm not telling, so just forget about it."

She pursed her lips and gave him a dirty look. "That's mean… OK, fine, I understand...," she nodded.

Ji Hoo grew serious again. He stood and turned from her. He took a few steps. "Geum Jan Di," he said her full name, so she knew he was serious. She stared at his back.

"If I ask you a question, will you answer me honestly?" he asked cryptically.

"…Yes," she responded simply but was suddenly very anxious about what this question could be.

He took a deep breath. "While I was unconscious, did you…say that you loved me?" He asked delicately. He wished he could have heard it from her lips…

Her lips parted, and her eyes darted from side to side. "How did you-?"

"It doesn't matter. Did you say it?"

She paused, still stunned. "…Yes." You weren't supposed to find out about that either…

Ji Hoo sighed and turned toward her. He gazed intently upon her. "Did you mean it?" He moved closer to her, awaiting her reply on edge. He studied her reaction, as an equation he was attempting to solve.

After a long pause, she took a deep breath and released it slowly. "…Yes, I meant it. I do love you." She immediately looked down and began to fidget with her hands.

Ji Hoo nearly lost his breath. He took her arms fervently in his and then released them, just as quickly. He put both hands to his forehead and turned from her for a moment. He closed his eyes tightly and exhaled deeply. He turned around once more to face her.

He captured her arms again and ran his hands up and down them firmly. He touched his forehead to hers and both pairs of eyes instinctively closed.

"You have no idea how badly I want to kiss you right now…," he whispered against her, his eyes still closed. He was feeling as though he could burst at any moment. Jan Di was still, her eyes remained closed, and she quivered lightly.

He brought her back to arm's length and looked at her. "But, we should work this thing out with Joon Pyo first…"

She nodded and glanced downward. He pulled her closer and placed a burning kiss upon her forehead before bringing her all the way in and holding her against him. She hesitantly wrapped her arms around him, too, and they remained there blanketed for the moment in their fledgling love.

Is this really happening? He thought.

What now? She wondered.

Jan Di wrung her hands nervously and waited for Joon Pyo on the bench outside the hospital. Jan Di had told Joon Pyo that they needed to talk. Joon Pyo was preparing to return to New York. Things had been tense, and they hadn't spoken much. She hadn't known why until Ji Hoo informed her that Joon Pyo had been the one to tell him about the words she'd spoken while he was comatose. She couldn't believe that Joon Pyo had heard. She couldn't believe that he hadn't said anything to her. She couldn't believe that he'd told Ji Hoo. It wasn't the way she wanted either of them to find out… She'd been giving the whole situation a lot of thought, an obsessive amount of thought actually, and she'd come to a conclusion.

Joon Pyo approached her on the bench and stood before her. He shoved his hands into his pockets. He seemed to be avoiding eye contact.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked roughly. He surely had a pretty good idea…

Jan Di fidgeted and couldn't seem to form words.

Finally she said, "…I talked to Ji Hoo Sunbae, and…I know that you heard what I said…" Her words were shaky, and her legs felt like jelly. She was relieved to be sitting now.

Joon Pyo tightened his mouth and looked away, his eyes slightly reddened and moist.

"Joon Pyo, I'm so very sorry…" she expressed genuinely.

"For what?" he asked, not looking at her.

"For…these feelings I've been having…for hurting you…"

Joon Pyo blinked back tears and did his best to put on a strong front. She slowly moved from the bench and knelt on the ground before him.

He scoffed and looked down at her. "What are you doing? Get up!" he demanded.

She bowed her head. "Forgive me, please, forgive me," she pleaded sincerely.

He exhaled sharply and pulled her roughly to her feet. He looked at her, with an expression of stone, as he held her by the arm. "What are you trying to say to me right now?"

She swallowed hard and struggled to look at him. "I love you, Joon Pyo. I do, very much, but I just can't be with you while I'm having these other feelings." Tears were streaming down her face now. "Mianhae, Goo Joon Pyo, mianhada…" she blubbered.

He took both of her arms and inadvertently gave her a light shake. "So, you're breaking up with me now, is that it? So, you're going to be with him now?" Derision dripped from the word 'him,' despite referring to his best friend.

"No, I'm not going to be with him right now. It's not fair to him, either."

Joon Pyo scoffed and released her. He turned quickly from her and then back.

He stared hard at her. "I think you're going to realize you made a mistake and soon…so, let me know when you do!" he sneered and walked off on her. It was clear that Joon Pyo was hurting badly. She closed her eyes tightly and tears squeezed through and ran down her cheeks. She began to softly sob.

Joon Pyo and Alex had returned to New York. Alex sat in her office deep in thought. She put a hand to her forehead and lightly rubbed her temple. She stood decisively and made her way to Joon Pyo's office.

She knocked. She opened the door and hesitantly entered when there was no response.

"Joon Pyo?"

He sat in his chair with his face buried in one hand. She was aware of his recent separation from Jan Di.

She approached him slowly. "Are you OK?"

He was silent.

"I know how you must be feeling…"

"No, you don't. You have no idea…" his words dripped with venom.

"I do. I too have been heartbroken, as you know. But, it's completely different. The person I dearly loved is no longer in this world. Joo-Won is no longer in this world, but Jan Di still is."

Joon Pyo simply stared at her.

"At least you can take comfort in that fact, if nothing else. She is still here. I know you must be very hurt and angry right now. And that isn't going to go away for a long time. But, take comfort in the fact that the pain will ease with time, and you will be able to go on. And you can be happy again…"

"And were you able to be happy again?" he asked automatically.

"I will be. For awhile, I'd moved on. Recent events devastated me all over again, but I will be happy again. Once this is all settled, I can, and I will move on."

He sighed. "I'm not just going to give up on her… I can't…"

"I figured as much, but keep in mind that sometimes knowing when to let go is just as important as persevering… There's an American saying…hmm, how does it go? If you love something let it go and if it comes back, then it was meant to be, and it will be yours forever. But if it doesn't, then it wasn't truly yours to begin with…something like that."

"That's stupid. Is that supposed to make me feel better?" he snarled.

Alex sighed. "I'm just saying… Jan Di is likely very confused right now, but she may come back. But you can't push her away and be cruel to her. You just have to give her space and let her decide on her own."

Joon Pyo exhaled sharply and rose. He began to pace around the room.

Alex sighed again. "But, I didn't come to talk about that. I came to to tell you something. I came to tell you that I'm going to meet with Hyun-Woo."

"What?" Joon Pyo demanded and spun around to face her.

"I've already been in contact with him. I know all too well that it's a trap, but I'm going to help you put a stop to him once and for all. You can follow through with Woo Bin's plan, but I'm going to be involved."

"I forbid you to do that! It's too dangerous!" he shouted. He closed the distance between them and grasped her arms, more intensely than he'd intended.

"You can't forbid me from doing anything," she said matter-of-factly. "But seeing that you care, even in the slightest, warms my heart….," she paused.

He tightened his mouth and scowled. He released her.

"I know you think this won't work… Hyun-Woo is a lot of things. Stupid is not one of them. But he does have a few weaknesses. One is his over-confidence. The other is me. I am his weakness. I'm not being arrogant now. I just know this to be true. So, I'm the best person for the job."

Joon Pyo sighed heavily. He shook his head. "Fine, but be careful. We'll back you up."

"Thank you. I'll be careful…you, too… But just in case something does go wrong…" She gazed into Joon Pyo's eyes. She put both hands on his neck and pulled him in. She crushed her lips against his, in a quick but passionate kiss. Joon Pyo's eyes widened as she pressed her lips against his. She ended the kiss, and Joon Pyo stared at her dumbfounded. "What was that?" he demanded after catching his breath.

"I don't know… In case something happens, I just wanted you to know how I feel."

Alex turned and walked out. He froze and stared after her, momentarily incapacitated.

Ji Hoo had just been discharged. He stood with Jan Di near the bench outside of the hospital, preparing to go home. Jan Di was morbidly silent.

"Did you talk to Joon Pyo?"

She nodded slowly.

"How did it go?"

She sighed. "As well as could be expected… I guess we're broken up now."

He sighed and quickly put his arms around her and held her close to him. He heard her begin to softly cry against him.

"I know you're hurting… I wish I could take that away for you… When you're in pain, I am, too."

"Sunbae," she mumbled against his chest. He wrapped her up tighter.

He hesitated. "Jan Di-yah?"

"Hm?"

"There's something I wanted to tell you…" He pulled her back to arm's length.

"What is it?" she asked, wiping the tears.

He took a deep breath. "…Nurse Park Eun-Ji asked me out." He wasn't sure why he was telling her this now… Perhaps he wanted to know her reaction. Perhaps he wanted validation that her feelings were genuine.

Jan Di's lips parted and she looked down. Her forehead scrunched lightly. She actually wasn't all that surprised. She looked up at him seriously, with still moistened eyes. "Oh."

He studied her. "How do you feel about that?

She pulled away. "What do you mean how do I feel about it? All that matters is how you feel about it."

"Well, how I feel about it depends on how you feel about it…"

"What do you mean?"

He pursed his lips and looked at her knowingly. He sighed. Silly girl… Is this an act, or are you still so clueless?

"Do you…like her?" Jan Di asked, with butterflies in her stomach.

He sighed. "She seems nice, and I admit that I thought about giving it a shot, but…"

"But?"

"She actually asked me out a week ago, but I never gave her an answer…I told myself before that I would try to move on if the possibility came along…that's the only reason I was even considering it, but when you told me you loved me…well, that's all meaningless now."

He took a deep breath and continued. "I know that you're not over Joon Pyo yet…and I know that it will take time, but I'm willing to wait for you. I can be patient and wait until things are more comfortable and you feel ready…" He took both of her hands in his.

Her chest began to rise and fall more heavily. She looked down, and her eyes darted from side to side. She looked up at him. "Sunbae, you shouldn't have to wait for me to be ready. You've already been so patient with me. You've already been through so much because of me…just look at where we are now…" She freed her hands from his.

"I don't care about any of that," he practically shouted.

"I just don't know how this is going to work…," she mumbled hopelessly.

He sighed. "Well, it's not going to be easy, but it'll get better, I promise."

"It's just so complicated…"

"I know, believe me… I'm not asking for anything from you right now, except…I just need to know that there's hope for us someday, that you want us to be together someday…" Jan Di blinked and looked down.

Ji Hoo sighed and took her arms in his. "I know what I want, who I want…" Do you? This is not an ultimatum by any means… I'm not asking you to choose or for a commitment. I just need to know that you feel the same as me, and that there's a chance for us."

She stared at him helplessly and then looked away. Her resolve was faltering. She began to shake lightly, and her knees felt weak.

Ji Hoo was unrelenting. She'd never seen him this way before. "I guess what I'm saying is…one word from you, and I won't go. I'll wait for you if you just ask me to." He ran his arms up and down hers again. His eyes begged for her to tell him not to go, to fight for him for once in her life, to allow the seed of their love to grow. If she did so, he wouldn't be able to withstand the urge to take her in his arms right now and kiss her like there was no tomorrow. Was he begging? Perhaps, but at this point he no longer cared.

They were both breathing heavily now. His hands had stilled, and he held her there. He was staring at her, eagerly awaiting her response. She couldn't look at him and a million different thoughts were fleeting through her mind. Her heart felt like it would burst. Her mind flashed to all the times he'd cared for her and loved her, genuinely loved her. She desperately wanted to tell him not to go, but then her mind suddenly flashed to all the times she'd caused him pain, emotionally and physically. She was no good for him. She was his downfall. And as long as she was still in the picture, he could never live a happy life. Maybe he was better off with someone like Eun-Ji…

I don't want to hurt you anymore, Sunbae… I'm so sorry that I have to do it one last time…

She took a deep breath and pulled away from him. She took a few steps back, looking down at her feet as she stepped. "It's just too hard…," she said, trembling. Then, she raised her eyes resolutely to his and said, "…You should go… You should go out with Park Eun-Ji."

Ji Hoo reacted as if he'd just been punched in the stomach. He stared at her for a moment and then nodded, his eyes slightly moistened now. Then, without a word, he turned from her and walked off. Jan Di watched after him for a moment. She shuffled to the bench and slumped onto it. She leaned forward, buried her face in her hands, and began to softly cry. Her love life was going just great… She'd just broken up with her boyfriend, and she'd now sent the man she loved off to another woman. But, this would be her punishment… She would truly be alone now…