Hyukjae sat next to Sehyun on the plane while she eagerly chatted with him about anything and everything that came to mind. Donghae was a few seats away on the opposite aisle, watching him closely. He stared and observed him closely from where he was sitting on the place. From the way he would politely smile at his mother and nod his head shyly whenever she would laugh a little too loud to the way he would play with his fingers to ease some his own nerves. Donghae took in the way his eyes crinkled when he would let out a genuine smile and loved how his lips stretched to show how happy he was. 

A loud clearing sound someone's throat brought him out of his trance and Donghae shifted his eyes away from Hyukjae to his father. 

"What?"

Donghwa just smiled knowingly at him and lightly stirred the crystal glass he was holding before glancing back to where Hyukjae and Sehyun were sitting. 

"You really got yourself a good one, son." Donghwa commended with a proud smile then taking a sip of his drink. "I don't think anyone's ever spoken to your Grandmother that way since...well since me and your mother got married. I'm glad you're marrying him."

Donghae smiled half-heartedly in agreement before glancing towards Hyukjae's way once again. This time, the other just also happened to be looking his way and they both ended up staring at each other. Donghae didn't want Hyukjae to think that he'd been staring at him the entire time but also couldn't quite tear his eyes away from him. Hyukjae's words from earlier still echoing in his head and he couldn't help but wish that every word he said earlier was true. 

Three Hours Earlier...

Donghae's grandmother looked at Donghae directly and firmly said, "It's time to make a choice." She then turned to Hyukjae and continued. "Are you ready to be part of the family or are you just here for our money?"

Hyukjae stilled from shock at her blatant accusation while Donghae vocally expressed his outrage. 

"Halmeoni! You're crossing a line!"

Donghae's grandmother paid him no attention and waved for one of the helpers to go to Hyukjae. She bowed to her before walking to where Hyukjae was sitting and showed him the check that Donghae's grandmother had written beforehand. 

"I don't normally question the shaman's matchmaking skills but I didn't get this far in life based solely on the words of the Gods." She adjusted her sitting position and completely disregarded the scandalous look Sehyun, Donghwa and Donghae sent her way. Hyukjae's eyes remained on the check that was in front of him, still completely speechless at what was happening. "I don't let strangers into my family and have written you a check to pay off your family's debt and still live quite comfortably after."

"Umma!" Sehyun shouted indignant that she would go that far to humiliate Hyukjae. "What is the meaning of this?!"

Donghae was fueled with anger and grabbed the check from the floor to throw away but Hyukjae reached for his hand and stopped him. He looked at him with a scowl on his face and asked with his eyes why the hell was he stopping him -- Hyukjae didn't say anything and quietly picked up the check himself before standing up and walking closer to Donghae's grandparents. Everybody in the room watched him quietly, the tension in the air thick as they all waited to see what he was going to do.

"This is a lot of money." Hyukjae said once he was only a few feet away from the elderly couple. He held the check tightly with both hands before looking up to both of them with a blank look on his face, but his eyes lingered longer on Donghae's grandmother. "I think maybe I still haven't quite grasped just how wealthy your family is because I never would have thought one family could ever have so much that you're willing to hand over such an insane amount with no regards."

Donghae's grandmother sneered while Donghae's grandfather remained expressionless waiting to hear the rest of what Hyukjae had to say. 

"300 million won is more than enough for me and my family." Hyukjae let out a quick breathy laugh and shook his head. "I certainly wouldn't need to work for the rest of my life with this in my bank account." 

"Hyukjae." Donghae called out to him not sure what he was thinking but the other ignored him. 

"Your private investigators might have been able to dig up my past and my debts but what they failed to tell you is that not once did I ever ask anybody for a handout." Hyukjae took a deep breath and upon release, swiftly tore the check in half. "I may not have much but everything I do have, I earned for myself and for my family." He tore the piece of paper again into smaller pieces and not once did he break eye contact with Donghae's grandmother. "I don't know what your values are in this family but my family knows how to respect and honor each other. I may not be able to offer Donghae anything but at least with me he'd never have to lose a family again."

Donghae heart skipped a beat hearing Hyukjae's words. His mind not quite adapting to what was happening in front of him but whatever it was, he really really liked it.

"I don't have a private jet or a big house but I will never put anything else before him." Hyukjae crumpled the shredded check together before dropping it on the floor. There was no anger in his voice but the eye contact he had with Donghae's grandmother, he knows that she understood he meant every word he said. "Unfortunately, I don't have anything to give him but myself so if that's not enough then maybe I really don't belong here." 

Hyukjae clenched his jaw and turned to walk out of the house. Contract or no contract, his words were true to heart and the belittlement he felt upon seeing that check was enough to send him over the edge. The value of the contract may not have been as high as that check but now that he knows he had broken his own rule, there was no way he could face Donghae like before. A quick tear fell through both eyes which he wiped away as soon as he felt them drop. He's not quite sure how he was gonna go back to Seoul but he could always figure that part out later. Any room with Donghae around is too small right now and he can't quite wrap his head around the realization that he had foolishly fallen in love with the other. 

"Hyukjae! Wait!" 

He heard Donghae's voice call for him which only made him want to run away faster. Why was Donghae following him!?

"Hyukjae! Where are you going?!"

He groaned and ran down the marbled stairs as fast as he could. When he reached the bottom he turned around and glared at Donghae who stopped in his tracks at the top of the steps. 

"Stop following me!"

Donghae didn't listen and took a step forward closer to Hyukjae which in turn made the latter turn around and stalk off. Hyukjae walked briskly away from Donghae and was only stopped when the other ran after him and pulled him back by grabbing his arm. 

"Hyukjae, will you stop walking away from me, please." Donghae semi-begged and semi-scolded. He was a little out of breath from running after him and from all the anxiety he had built up within himself. A rapidly pumping heart and a messy mind was not a good combination to have and Donghae's never experienced anything quite like it before. "Why are you running away from me?"

"Why are you following me?" Hyukjae countered angrily and tugged his arm away from Donghae. "Go back inside. I can find my own way back."

"Hyukjae, you're being ridiculous." Donghae grabbed his hand and stopped him from leaving. "Don't go."

Hyukjae's heart skipped a beat asnd soared to the sky hearing Donghae's words. Hearing those words come out of Donghae had such a great impact on him that the tears he was trying so hard to keep from falling just spilled out of his control. He felt the other pull on his hand and this time Hyukjae didn't bother to fight against Donghae and allowed the other to pull him back in his embrace. Why the hell did he have to realize he was in love with Donghae now?!

"Hyukjae?" He felt Donghae's arms around him tighten while they both turned around to see Sehyun and Donghwa approaching with a worried look on their faces. "Donghae, son...I'm-I'm sorry about what your Grandmother did. I-I thought after the hearing the shaman's words she would leave it at that."

Donghae gritted his teeth t