“Come in,” Jisoo opens the door to her apartment.

After telling Jisoo that he will take her to her house, Jinyoung called Jisoo’s manager from his phone and granted an okay. Jinyoung took her belongings, bid his goodbye to Sang Won and drove his car with Jisoo. But on the other side, Jisoo is confused about what exactly going to happen.

“Where should I put this?” Jinyoung raises her dress with his hand?

“Let me take care of it,” Jisoo moves closer to grab it. Jinyoung raises his hand higher.

“Where should I put this?” Jinyoung asks her the second time, with a little pressure each word.

Jisoo hesitates, “My bedroom.” Jisoo turns and heads to her bedroom.

Jinyoung follows her from behind, holding on to her dress. She lets him in and points at her bed for him to put her dress on it. “Just lay it down on my bed; I will put it in my closet later.”

Jinyoung steps closer to her bed then looks back at Jisoo and says, “It’ll be better if I put this in your closet now. I don't want you to do heavy works”

Jinyoung’s firm tone makes Jisoo nervous. She walks to her closet and opens one side of it. “Just put it here.”

Jinyoung steps in and carefully puts her dress between her other clothes. After finishing his job, he steps back and stares at Jisoo.

“What do you want?” Jisoo bravely asks Jinyoung after keeping herself quiet since leaving the photo shoots’ hall.

The chilly air between the two of them starts to form again after Jisoo lets out her question. Jinyoung reads her expression and finds fear in it.

“Let’s talk in the living room,” Jinyoung walks away from Jisoo and heads to the door.

Every bad thing that Jisoo can think of coming to her head right now. Did she hurt him? Did she do something bad? Does the company find out?

Jisoo stops at her track as she sees Jinyoung stands in her living room, facing the wall.

“Why do you keep ignoring me, Jisoo?” Jinyoung begins to speak. “Why do you hate me that much?” Jinyoung turns to her and carefully looks at Jisoo’s eyes.

Jisoo feels hesitant for a moment, “I don’t hate you. I just did what we agreed on before. Don’t you remember the terms we talked about?”

“I do,” Jinyoung answers flatly. “But, I don’t remember the one saying we can’t greet each other in events. Why are you skipping all shows that had me in it?”

Jisoo fidgets in her spot, “I’m not. I coincidentally can’t attend those events.”

“Really?” Jinyoung asks again. "Why does it feel like you hate me though?"

“I’m not. Why do you keep saying that?”

“Because it looks like you can’t even see me in the eyes for the last ten years.”

Jinyoung's words resonate and corner her. She trembles from where she stands and on the verge of spilling her heart out, and it's bad.

“Jinyoung-ah, we agreed on continuing our life and letting our past go. I don’t hate you, I’m trying hard to keep my promise.”

“But it’s been ten years, Jisoo. Don’t you think it’s time for us to forget about them? Your dating ban is long gone now.”

“Yeah, so? Does it matter to you? Why do you care if I was ignoring you or not?” Jisoo pants between her words. She hates how Jinyoung pesters her about her wrongdoings without giving her chances to protect herself.

“It matters to me," Jinyoung answers. "Because I still like you."

Jisoo’s heart skips a beat. All those years, telling herself to move on from him will be a waste of time if it's him who still likes her. Her legs are wobbly and suddenly loses all of the strength to keep her from falling.

Jinyoung walks closer, staring deeply at both of her eyes. “I like you, Jisoo. It never changed.”

The words coming from Jinyoung tear her up; she is so scared of her feelings right now, she doesn't want to meet his eyes. It’s been ten years for her to constantly telling herself that she needs to move on; to save him from herself and anyone that will hurt him. But he just ruins everything.

“I thought I can forget about you," Jinyoung starts to explain. "Because you ignored my presence, so I thought of doing the same thing too.I busied myself with a lot of things and you know what? It only worked for a while; because I can't stop looking for you.

“Do you know how excited I was when I found out that you’re nominated for Critic’s? I was there in the venue, looking to all directions, but you didn’t show up. Not even in Baeksang and Blue Dragon, even though you won,” Jinyoung pauses.

“And when I thought of giving up, destiny works its miracle, giving me a chance to see you again. You were there that night, looking more beautiful and mature than the last time. I was trying to be friendly or at least to have a normal conversation with you. But you didn’t even see me in the eyes, Jisoo. So, I was once again, telling myself to forget about you.

“I've been lying to myself, Jisoo,” Jinyoung looks at Jisoo with such sad eyes. “I told myself, you moved on, so I need to. You don’t like me anymore, so I need to do the same. Yet, I keep coming back to ten years ago, when holding you felt like the best thing in the world.

“We’re not busy with our groups anymore. We both work as individual artists now. The company has long gone care about our love affair, don’t you think it’s time for us to be together. Can you like me?”

Jinyoung’s words pushing every tear that has been kept inside her. Why does she like him? Why does she love him that much?

“You can’t like me, Jinyoung,” Jisoo pleads.

“Why?” Jinyoung battles the need to get angry and confused at the same time. “Why can’t I like you? Why are you telling me that I can’t like you?” Jinyoung steps closer to grab her shoulders and looks at her eyes, which glimmers with tears.

“Are you dating someone right now?”

Jisoo shakes her head softly.

“You don’t like me?” Jinyoung asks carefully. “Because, if that’s the reason, I could try to make you like me.”

She's weak. All of the words Jinyoung says hurting her little by little, to know he's suffered only crushes her heart. Jisoo cries harder; she shakes her head vigorously and whispers “no” a few times.

“Then, why? I’ll change anything you don’t like. I will buy you flowers every day, cook for you, silly dance for you.”

“No, please Jinyoung-ah. You can’t like me,” Jisoo talks in between her cry.

“Why, Jisoo? Why can’t I?” Jinyoung pushes the tears that begin to burst from his eyes. “Why are you crying? Where did I hurt you?” Jinyoung softly rubs her upper arms down.

“I know I’ve been hurting you for a long time now; for your hidden sadness that you never share with me, it’s time for you to tell me what is it that’s hurting you?” Jinyoung asks and waits in silence.

“Nothing. You’re not hurting me.” Jisoo replies in a whisper. “Can’t you like someone else?”

“I can’t.”

“Why?”

“I can’t if it’s not you. I don’t need a reason.”

“You need a reason to like me, Jinyoung-ah,” Jisoo talks in a louder voice.

Jinyoung stops breathing and lets out his heart. “Because you exist in my dreams and future,” Jinyoung firmly replies and looks at Jisoo.

Don’t. Jisoo curses her heart; her guards just crumble to pieces, leaving her heart beats faster, harder, making her body weak.

“You won’t believe how many times I wish I didn’t agree to our stupid arrangement. How I wish I had the power to tell your sick director and CEO that I love you enough to save you from malicious comments and disturbing scandals.

“Yet I can’t. I can’t in the past,” Jinyoung inhales. “But, I’m different now, Jisoo. I gain much confidence in the past years. I gain skills from my military duty. I have enough income to last and plans for our future. All I need to know is what should I do for you to accept me?”

Jisoo shakes her head again, showing all of her sadness at him.

“Jisoo-ya,” Jinyoung raises his hand to her face and sheds her tears gently. “What should I do? Why are you crying? If It’s not me that hurts you, then what is it?” Jinyoung repeats the same question, feeling like a broken puppet.

“Please,” Jisoo breathes hard, “you can’t like me.”

“You can’t tell me that if you don’t tell me why?” Jinyoung moves his thumb to her cheek and cups her face with his right hand. “What did I do wrong?”

“You did nothing wrong,” Jisoo cries. “There’s nothing you did or need to do to like me. You just can’t.”

Jisoo looks down and avoids Jinyoung’s eyes. Her hands occasionally wipe her tears or curl in front of her chest. Jinyoung keeps staring at her, tries hard to caress her shoulder and to stop her tears.

“Am I that bad, Jisoo-ya?” Jinyoung speaks softly. “Is there nothing I can do to be with you?  Why do you really hate me? I’ll do anything to be better.

“Please, Jisoo. What should I do to deserve you?”

He loses his strength, his power to stay. Jinyoung closes both of his eyes, letting his tears fall and ignores every pride he has in him. He cries for the thought of hurting her, for the fact he’s not enough for her; for all the dreams that have her in them.

Double updates for everyone who's been waiting patiently.