Two days later, Dong Woo presented the letter and the bills as evidence at the court. He had investigated the letter from Sung Gyu, run a forensic examination and there was a 98% match to Sung gyu’s current handwriting. The evidence was indeed authentic, but what was contentious was the intention behind the flowers. It could be that he wasn’t involved in altering the evidence but was aware of it and therefore was guilty of what happened, or it could be that he was indeed the one who did alter the evidence and witness statements, the flowers and the letter being yet another form of manipulation towards the victim to stand in his benefit would a situation like this would rise. 

It was a genuine concern, brought up by Howon in his round of questioning. Sung Gyu knew that the letter and the bills couldn’t do much for his part. But it did provide an alibi for 11th and 12th July incidents as it was proven that he had not been in Seoul at that time. The first trial for that week ended without much change, so did the next, and the next as they continued to go around and around the same table. On the fourth one, Doyeon was presented as a witness from the defendant's end. 

Doyeon, as promised, was cooperative and committed to the end. She expressed her recollection about receiving the flowers and the letters and insisted that she never saw Sung Gyu before that day or even after. There was then the doubt that he may not have approached the victim with the same purpose as he had with the eye witnesses. But Doyeon’s sincerity, somehow, may have shifted the judge’s perception to some extent.

One of the arguments was that Sung gyu had approached the eyewitnesses at the Belle-Vie premises. He had been there a few times back then, especially during the trial where he’d met his mother in law and her friend when he had updated them on the progress of the case. Doyeon assured that she had never seen him at work. But that didn’t provide evidence as to the fact that many of the witnesses claimed that they met him there. The eye witnesses stuck to their testimonies and none of them unfortunately so, ever changed. With the new evidence added, the case dragged on for another month, trials getting postponed and rescheduled every once in a while. 

At home, however, things were truly thriving. Hyerim bloomed beautifully. He could be exaggerating, but he thought that she was getting prettier by the day. She put on weight, her face became rounder, her smile brighter, and every chance they got, they cuddled in bed or the living room and talked about the future that they were going to have. After all of this was over, they would move to a family home, although it would require them both perhaps a long drive. They would have a wedding ceremony, not too extravagant as it was not what they both preferred. Hyerim said that she’d like to adopt another rescue to give Momo a younger sibling that was not human. His mother or sister would come around once in a while, and they’d had to babysit her children a couple of times, once overnight even, as his sister decided to go to work again. Yoonho was now in that age where they try to stand and walk a few steps then topple over to stand and walk again, so the days that they’d come and stayed were simply the best for both Hyerim and him. 

Yet, work was still as hectic; she had more cases to work on, Sung Gyu had so much on his plate. For once in his life, however, he was not overwhelmed. She helped him compartmentalise things by talking about them at the foot of the door every day, and she shared her stresses with him. They finally got house help because they had to be more organised by the time the baby came around. They also started working on the baby room as well.

Things went on pretty ordinary for a while. No surprises, no downward spirals, no sudden escalations. He attended work and trials as usual, she attended to work and helped Dong Woo around with the trials. But then, on one later autumn afternoon, everything changed.

It was another trial day. Sung gyu was in his car, heading to the court. It was one of those days that Hyerim would be present at the trials with him, so she was in the car accompanying him as well. His chief of staff was in the front seat, and they had only rounded the road towards the main entrance of the courthouse when the chief of staff received a call. It was quick, meticulous. The call ended, and he turned to face Sung Gyu.

“What is it?” Sung gyu asked him.

“There’s been a report released on judge Ryu Wonho” His chief of staff replied. “Highlighting investigations done on previous incidents of preferential treatment”

He felt as if he was suddenly dragged into a whirlwind. “A-a report?” He stammered. “What report? Who was it that called you?”

“Secretary Kim” The chief replied. “It’s all over the news, sir. There isn’t further information on it, yet. but-,” He turned to look at him yet again, and there was a distinct smile of the chief’s otherwise stoic features. “-there a chance that we’d see a change in the case, isn’t that right, sir?”

“We might…” He muttered, and glanced over at Hyerim. She was on her phone, looking at the news, all the articles that’s been released on the reports. “It’s true,” Hyerim replied. “A report on re-investigations done on Judge Ryu’s past acts of preferential treatments...and the investigations have been done by-,'' Hyerim stared at the phone for a while, and looked up at him. “Prosecutor Lee Howon”

Sung Gyu had met Howon the past month, just in the passing and hadn’t really had a chance to talk to him. He was always on the edge, always ready to burst; he assumed that he’d been tangled up in something, something that had to do with this...but he hadn’t really thought to this extent, not with the influence that judge Ryu and the presiding judge on his case had on them.

“There’s going to be a prescon this afternoon” Hyerim went on. “Prosecutor Lee would be talking about it to the press today”

“And the hearing?” Sung gyu asked, more from himself, and then, as if on cue, the chief’s phone rang again.

“It was Secretary Kim again” He informed him after the call ended. “The hearing will be postponed for today”

“What are we going to do, then?” Hyerim asked him.

He couldn't think straight at that moment. Everything had gone back to a different level of a mess again.

“I don’t know” He let out a heavy sigh. “But I guess we will head back to work”

As of that moment, it felt like the best choice of action for him. Secretary Kim would be more informative on it than he himself would  be, and perhaps even Minister Baek. They would gather the officials and the judges association on this; tables would most certainly turn with the new developments, and it was hard to tell, as of now, the fate of his own trials.

Sung Gyu’s two phones were ringing and buzzing in his pockets, and he wasn’t in the right mind to answer any of them. Hyerim had calls coming one after the other, all of a sudden, to which she answered quietly and briefly. The fact that she glanced at him to check if he was hearing her had him concerned. He knew that couldn’t be anything else but her probably having done something that she shouldn’t have.

“Um, I’m needed at work” Hyerim told him hurriedly. “Can you drop me off at the next bus stop? I need to be at the station soon”

They had already pulled out of the lane towards the courthouse and were back on the main road again, headed towards the ministry of legislation.

Sung Gyu observed her for a moment, the body language, the way that she didn’t meet his eyes, and he knew.

“We can take a detour to the police station, we have time,” Sung Gyu told her, and called his driver. “Can we take the next turn and head to the NIS please?”

The driver agreed, but then, judging by the way Hyerim reacted, it was obvious that it wasn’t where she was headed to. 

“I...I need to be at the prosecution office, actually” Hyerim said in a quiet voice. Sung Gyu gave her a look, a thin lipped smile.

“You knew all about it, didn’t you?” He told her.

Hyerim cleared and looked away. “I don’t know what you’re talking about”

He let out a heavy sigh and called the driver again. “Sorry, let's take a detour to the prosecution office”

“Thanks” Hyerim muttered, her arms folded on her chest. Sung Gyu shook his head, gazing at her.

“Jung Hyerim, you think you can keep that from me but you are as transparent as glass right now”

She said nothing in response.

He took a deep breath. “Listen, sweetheart-” 

She widened her eyes and looked over at him. She must have been embarrassed to be called endearing names when they were in the presence of his staff, although she was no secret for them. Yet he continued. 

“I’m not mad at you” He informed her. “Nor am I upset that you kept it from me. In fact, I already knew that you might do things that you probably shouldn’t, and I’ve accepted that nothing I would say or do would change your mind…I have accepted you for who you are, and I’d still love you for that, I am not mad at you”

“Not even if I say that I threatened them to put me back on the case?” Hyerim asked him in a small voice.

Sung gyu blinked. It took a second for the truth to sink in. “Excuse me?”

Hyerim sighed and turned to face him. “I threatened them,” She said. “I threatened the chief to put me back on the case again and told them that I would contact the press and release everything I knew about Gangnam police if they didn’t. You know what would happen if I did that, right? So they let me work with Woohyun again. Woohyun was working with Howon on the case as you already know, and I insisted that we investigate Judge Ryu’s past judgements as well. It was tough work, took us ages, and both Dong Woo and Prosecutor Lee dragged your case long enough to give us time to dig Ryu’s dirt out. It’s a whole lot of dirt, Sung Gyu, all the acquittals that Ryu had accommodated on the sidelines for money and power, and all the times somebody else got framed; police officers had been indicted, some forcefully fired or suspended off cases, Gangnam station working with convicted criminals to enable Ryu’s abuse of power. It’s all been a monopoly, Sung Gyu. And you were dragged into it”

Sung Gyu stared at the road, the vehicles passing all at a speed that his slow mind couldn’t catch up with. In a way, it was all very believable. It was all very evident, and the fact that the truth had come out was not what had him mystified for a while. It was the fact that he had been oblivious of this all for the past three months. Hyerim had been doing all that, Howon and Dong Woo and probably even Yeri knew what was going on, but he didn’t. Why didn’t he?

He slowly turned to face her. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked her.

“For the time being, we kept it amongst the people who were working on it,” Hyerim replied. “Because it was all uncertain, and we couldn’t take a risk”

For the first time ever, Hyerim had actually kept something large and important to herself. It actually made him smile “I’m surprised by your improvement”

“Thanks”

“What about Dong Woo?” Sung gyu asked her. “Was he involved?”

Hyerim shook her head. “No, he only worked on your side, with Doyeon and the eyewitnesses...I helped him when I  could and-,”

“Wow” He let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. “I-I don’t know what to think, Hyerim. I mean, I already knew that this would happen at some point but…” He laughed awkwardly. “But i didn’t think it would take this turn so soon...and like this”

“Neither did I,” Hyerim smiled. “I was only thinking about all the ways I can save you from this mess, it was all that I could think about, and now that it’s happening…”

He heaved another deep breath then, and a profound sense of accomplishment filled his heart. Hyerim for Sung Gyu was a saving grace, one that he had never expected he would find. Ever since she’d come into his life, he realised, things had only climbed up a little bit higher from the endless abyss that they fell into. That trust, that comfort, that immense security that he had, knowing that he could trust Hyerim with his whole life, he didn’t think anyone had ever made him feel and of that ever before. 

Sung Gyu reached out and took Hyerim’s hand. “I’m a little bit mad at you, but above all of that, I’m proud of you, Hyerim. What would I be if not for you?”

“That was never an option, Judge Kim” Hyerim haughtily replied. “I had always been here”

They dropped her off at the prosecutor’s office and whizzed back to the legislation ministry, which was, yet again, in complete pandemonium. Unlike the previous times, the media frenzy and other gatherers seemed to carry a more positive outlook; the fan girls were out on the streets again, some even holding banners of him with heart shapes, proclaiming their love for him. It hadn’t been long since the news about the reports had broken out, yet how fast the general public reacted, although he had been through this many times, was beyond him.

His guards, as usual, fought the reporters away as he hurried his way up the steps to the main entrance. They no longer took the back door, Sung Gyu didn’t feel the need to, as he had bravely faced up to the reality of his life now. And he was glad that he had, for he could be bold and keep his head held up high as the tables have turned and places have shifted. He made no statements, no reactions as it was not his place to do so yet until Howon and even Woohyun and Hyerim had done their part.

As soon as he entered the office, he was greeted by a flamboyance of cheer and greetings from his team and fellow officials of the legislation. Minister Baek was up in the front, wearing the proudest motherly smile. She approached him, stared at him for a cautious moment, and much to his befuddlement, pulled him into a brief hug.

“I knew that you would get through this one” She told him as she pulled away.

“I-I don’t think I did anything...minister Baek…” He looked at the rest of the gathered crowd. “...and everyone. It is the dedicated prosecution and the NIS and-,”

“Oh, don’t be silly, Vice minister Kim” Minister Baek waved him off. “If it wasn’t you who got dragged into this, Ryu would have gotten away this time as well”

“I wasn’t all that nice as well, back then” He informed them.

“You were just a new judge. It was wrong of Ryu to use you like that...now he’d serve his well deserved time in jail” Minister Baek went on in an amused tone. “Anyway, let us all gather at the meeting room, we will see what the next step would be”

An hour and a half in the legislation officials meeting later, they all gathered in his office room where Secretary Kim had the TV, prepared for the press conference. He stood there in the middle of the room; anticipant, anxious, as minutes seemed to pass as slowly as hours. It felt like it was ages later that the news came up, the existence of the Report came up and soon, there was Prosecutor Lee Howon representing Seoul Prosecution office up on the podium, making the grand announcement.

“Following an investigation made upon an audio recording released to the NIS a few months ago, Vise Minister of the legislation Kim Sung Gyu was accused of manipulation of evidence and witness statement of a ual assault allegation from year 2011. The investigations and the trials were in effect for the past few months, yet, due to the conflicting evidence and statements made by all relevant parties, further investigations were conducted on Judge Ryu Wonho, the presiding judge of the initial trials, who publicly accused Vice Minister Kim Sung gyu of the manipulations, was investigated as well. Following would be the most crucial findings of our investigation, and I believe the law enforcement would take the necessary actions in order to hold the accused accountable”

Nam Woohyun, the leading investigator of the case took the podium afterwards, and for the next few minutes, he proceeded to announce all the acquittals, false indictments, forceful dismissals and a number of incidents of preferential treatments that had taken place under judge Ryu’s supervision. He further revealed the relations that he had had with the Gangnam police and another few metropolitan police stations, the information fraudster ‘K’ and some other well known criminals and mafia gangs that he’d had connections with. Along with judge Ryu’s, other government and legal officials were mentioned, which did not, much for Sung Gyu and his colleague’s relief, did not include himself. 

“Further investigations will be carried out by the National Intelligence Service along with Seoul Prosecution to ensure that the credibility of the country’s legal system is reestablished,” Woohyun carried on in a final note, and it was then the time for the questions by the press, at which point, Minister Baek went and turned off the TV.

“I’ve been waiting for that to happen, right in his face” She muttered, grimly, her hands resting on her waist.

“But this is an ugly blow on the entire system, Minister Baek” One of the officials put in. “That we, as the ministry of legislation allowed this to happen”

“The responsibility is on all of us” She let out a heavy sigh and looked over at Sung Gyu.

“Vice minister Kim. you did well. But I hope the experience taught you the lesson; who to trust, whom not to if you want to stay in the game”

The game, indeed, was far from being over, but he thought he got his fair share of experience by then, to know exactly what not to do; trust, as it happened, wasn’t something to be considered if one was to remain a government official, whether he liked it or not. It was something that he had learned a long time back. A politician, and a good citizen wasn’t something that you could be all at once.

The trial resumed three days later where further evidence, based on the latest developments were presented by Dong Woo. Howon hadn’t much to offer from his end, and on that day, it was decided to make a final verdict, for it was already decided who the real criminal was. The proceedings continued as usual. Sung Gyu was asked for his final statement, whereby he pleaded not guilty. The judge, now quite unhappy himself, given how the situation took a turn, explained his reasons behind the final verdict, and made his statement. After months and months of emotional struggle and a roller coaster ride, the Belle Vie acquittal finally came to an end. Sung Gyu was pronounced not guilty of all charges, and the rest of the personnels involved, including the prosecutor, Judge Ryu as well as the witnesses who had given false statements were called out to be investigated, and court was adjourned.

For the first time in years, Sung gyu could breathe freely again. He looked around himself, all the brilliant and gleeful smiles, happy for his future, happy for himself. He pulled Dong Woo into his arms, the friend whom he had trusted over his life and never failed to deliver; it wasn’t a win only for himself, it was a win for Dong Woo too, to restore his confidence, to reassure him that he was capable despite whatever happened in his past. “We did it Dong Woo-yah” Sung Gyu muttered into his shoulders.

“I hardly did anything” Dong Woo chuckled, pulling away.

“No Dong Woo, you did so much” Sung Gyu shook his head. “You defended me, you protected my dignity in this place and worked so hard for the past three months, didn’t you? That’s more than enough” Sung Gyu pulled him into his arms again. “Thank you…”

“Thank you...hyung” Dong Woo muttered in a small voice, after a while. “For believing in me. Thank you”

He met Howon’s eyes only for the briefest moment, despite their misshapen relationship, Sung gyu believed he still owed Howon so much, for restoring faith in the legal system again, for serving justice to Dooyeon and himself again. As Howon left the courthouse, hurried and confident on his feet, Sung Gyu made a mental note to talk to him again, in better circumstances. 

Once all was said and done and the court began to clear out, Hyerim traversed the way through the receding crowds to where he stood, still in disbelief, still in incomprehensive happiness that didn’t feel real, not even as she pulled him into her warm embrace. It was the first time after that day in his bedroom that Hyerim cried again; tears of joy, tears of relief into his shoulder as he held her close.

“We did it, Hyerim, we did it” He whispered to her, rocking her back and forth. He could see hundreds of eyes upon him; Kim Sung gyu who was known to have been married Seo Yeri now holding an unknown woman in the crowd, no care to the world. If he was to be completely honest, he wanted the world to see them, just as they were. He wanted the world to see her, his only pride and his joy, his partner, his best friend, the love of his life, the one person who didn’t leave his side and promised to stay right beside him through better and the worst. Sung gyu wanted the world to see her and know her, the one person who stood beside him when the rest of the world couldn’t.

She pulled away from him and took his face in both her hands. “I...I already knew this would happen but…” She sobbed, shook her head. “Oh Sung Gyu” She cried again and pulled him into her arms once more. “It’s over now..it’s all over”

The long months that he’d spent standing on the very edge, looking out into endless possibilities, one worse than the other; he could have fallen over and lost himself at any point; the only reason that he’d held on, was her.

“It’s all over” He reiterated, holding her closer in his arms as, around them, the world moved on. “And I promise you, Hyerim, it won’t happen again”

The two of them had to part ways for the time being, for, at the end of the trial were the repercussions; the media frenzy that he had to respond to, the general public that had looked up to him and tainted his name. He had to build the broken parts of his life from scratch again, and with investigations on Judge Ryu starting, the case was still far from over. His guards accompanied him outside, and he didn’t stop for the media or the gathered crowds when he left the courthouse for one last time. He returned to the legislation ministry where another press conference was held; then a meeting with the legislation officials, and long hours of discussions with the judge's association. He knew that the aftermath would take long to die off, and the investigations on Ryu’s doing would continue, where, perhaps, he would have to testify and pay the price for his own role in the acquittal.

However, he knew that there was indeed a brighter light where the tunnel ends. The Belle-Vie ual assault allegation will be reinvestigated, and the executive and the CEO of Belle Vie cosmetics were to be called in for trial again; there would be harsh penalities on the witnesses who had accepted bribery and other manipulative agreements from Ryu’s side, and both the prosecutor and judge Ryu as well as his left and right hand judges from the Belle-Vie trials eight years ago, along with the chief officer of Gangnam police station wereto be suspended, indefinitely, from their positions. Things were to show a brighter outlook in terms of what appeared the biggest hurdle of his life. And finally, after years and years of spending a life that he’d lived feeling like it wasn’t his own, like he was breathing underwater, looming in the dark, Kim Sung gyu was able to find himself again. He was able to breathe again, find joy in life again. Everything that had appeared distant and impossible for him; love, recognition, family, a better life, all were in his grasp, him in their embrace. Life couldn’t possibly get any better.

A week after the final trial, Hyerim suggested that they called in all the people involved and pay them their gratitude; especially Howon, whom he hadn’t had a friendly relationship from the beginning, and Dong Woo, despite being a new father, had put in his all to defend him; and even Yeri, whom Sung gyu thought he still a owed a lot to, and his family, his parents and his sister, who still had believed in him when he’d thought they didn’t. Then Kim Doyeon, the start and end of this all, the one who had to battle a fight as tough as his own, and made him believe that there was still hope left in this world. Sung Gyu, of course, did not forget everyone else who had backed him throughout that time at work; Minister Baek, Secretary Kim, Chief of staff Park, all of whom were invited for the dinner as well.

They weren’t exactly good cooks, and Sung Gyu’s small flat could hardly fit in a lot of people, therefore they hosted the dinner at a fancy restaurant. It was on the upper floor of a glass panelled building, overlooking the vast city outside. He hadn’t imagined that everyone he invited would be willing to attend; especially Yeri and Howon. But he was surprised to see that they were some of the first people to arrive. The dinner itself was quite an amiable affair where, for once, everyone could interact without restraints; they chatted, they reminisced, they laughed and smiled. And towards the end of that night, Sung Gyu held Hyerim in his arms against the backdrop of the city lights and glow of the horizon and announced to the gathered crowd; “We’re getting married,” where Hyerim added, with an incessant gleam in her eyes which never seemed to fade these days, “And we’re expecting!”

That night, Sung Gyu and Hyerim lied in bed, having made love again, with her in his arms, sound asleep. In that quietness, that tranquility, Sung Gyu thought back to the past six months of her life, a brief walk down the memory lane where everything about his life completely changed. They say that bad things happen for a reason, and at that moment, he had that sudden enlightenment, that, perhaps, on the day that he’d made the wrong decision to go against his better judgement eight years ago, he’d done so for a good reason. Fate worked in the strangest ways, and he would have never thought that the only time he’d nearly become a convicted criminal would be the time that he’d set many things about his life straight again. He mended the broken relationship with his family, his father finally came around to show even a semblance to acceptance upon him actually working towards the right the wrongs he did. He and Yeri were finally able to come to a closure, the unspoken feelings that were left unhinged in the air finally acknowledged and sealed away. Dong Woo got to see his long lost best friend again, and Sung Gyu later heard from him that he and Howon were able to meet up and talk out their indifferences, mend their broken bridges again. They say that bad things happen for a reason, that all bad things had a silver lining. Sung Gyu wouldn’t have believed this to be true, until now.

And the best of all, his mistake from eight years ago brought him to tonight, to this moment, where he held her in his arms, her warm breath brushing his skin, their hopes and dreams warmly tucked away between them.

“Sung Gyu?” Hyerim’s voice, thick with sleep, called him.

“Hm?” He glanced down at her, his fingers in her hair. 

“What are you thinking about?”

Sung Gyu pulled her closer in his embrace. “A lot of things”

She raised her head to look at him. “Like what?”

“Like how fate nearly sent me to jail just so we would fall in love with each other”

Hyerim laughed. “Now that I think about it, that’s actually true”

He hummed and kissed her gently on her head. “Who would have thought?”

“Who would have thought…” She reiterated, rubbed a hand up his arm.

A moment of silence, and- “Sung Gyu?”

“Hm?”

Hyerim extricated herself from his arms, just within a small distance, and met his eyes. “Now that everything is over, do you want to do the things that we couldn’t do?”

He raised his brows. “Like what?”

“Like dates,” Hyerim replied. “Let’s go on a date, you and I”

Dates, long walks in parks, kisses on the beach and crashing rains, feet sunk in sand, salt on their lips, all the things that he thought they wouldn’t do, he realised, they could do them now. Without conditions, without restrictions, they can finally love.

“I’d love that” Sung Gyu sighed in joy, pulled her into his arms and left a chaste kiss on her head. “I’d love that Hyerim, I’d love that very much”

He closed his eyes when Hyerim’s hand descended up his back, held him closer, and he breathed her in. In that warmth, in that quietness, with her sweet scent in his breath, the gentle thud of her heart against his skin, Sung Gyu thought; ‘This is life’ He fell at peace again. He had finally stopped running, chasing, obsessing over a life that he didn’t feel like his own. He was done pleasing, he was done being pushed and pulled around, he was done living for others. He had slowed down, chosen his path. He was living again.

“Sung Gyu?” Hyerim called him again, her lips moving against his skin.

“Hyerimmie…”

He could nearly feel her smile. “I know what you’re thinking about”

He raised his brows. “What am I thinking about?”

She pulled away and laid a hand on his cheek. “A lot of things,” She said. “I don’t know if you wanted to hear this right now, but I loved you, I love you, and I will love...I will be right here, right with you to the end”

Sung Gyu smiled, his heart inflated, blossomed like a flower. “I love you too” He told her, and he could say no more. 

His throat was thick with emotion, his heart pounding hard. He knew that there was a lot left for him to work on; with Hyrim, with his family, with his friends, with his life. But for once, he didn’t feel the need to push himself or work himself to the edge to please them, for he knew that he had plenty of time left. Plenty of time to love her, to love all of them and in all the right ways he knew

~Fin~

Author's note

With 272 pages and 161583 words, this story finally comes to an end. It started way back in 2019 inspired by a single tweet by one of my friends, and although I abandoned it somewhere in the middle due to my personal traumas after losing one of my pets of ten years, the characters of this story were so close to my heart that I couldn't bring myself to let them go. I loved their rawness and vulnerability, and I loved breathing life into them. I lived with the strong, resilient Jung Hyerim and sensitive, vulnerable Kim Sung Gyu for the past three years, desperate to give them a happier, brighter ending. I'm so glad that the inspiration returned to me after Sung Gyu's come back in December 2020 to pick up the pieces together and write this story again.

I know that not many people would have read this and come to its end; regardless, to those who read this up to any point, those who read it halfway through, a few chapters, skimmed them through or stayed with it to the end, all of you, Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I've been writing Sung Gyu fan fictions since 2013 and this would be the 4th long fan fiction that I would be completing, and I wouldn't have come this far without you. I've had a time where I wrote for others; waited for the comments, the subscriptins, the views and likes, but at some point I realised that my work, the dedication I put into them and the joy I find within the characters and the worlds I create couldn't possibly only be tallied down to the recognition I recieve. The numbers are not reflective of my capabilities. I loved and absolutely enjoyed writing this story; for others and mostly for myself. Anyone who read this to the end, I hope you felt the same.

On a final note, I hope you continue to support Sung Gyu and Eunji and Infinite and Apink to the end. I am sorry from the bottom of my heart if anything about this story disappointed you. I'm not very intelligent in terms of law and politics; I'm a math teacher so please do excuse me. And apologies if I hadn't done enough research. I promise to do better.

Thank you for being here this far.

See you again in my future work.

Loads of love,

Achini