It was the twenty-eighth of December, the second day of their winter shift after their very brief Christmas break. And far from what Jong-In was expecting from his partner, Krystal began avoiding him again.

"Jung Soo Jung, will you help me label these blood bags?" he asked, trying to get her attention, but the latter was busy with her mobile phone sending SMS with someone.

"My turn will be later; I finished my blood typing job..." she pressed the buttons of her mobile phone and smiled as she seemed to sent her message.”...so let me have my three hours break."

"Don't you pity me?" he approached the latter and snatched her mobile phone from her hand, "Who are you sending messages with that you grin like an idiot?" he started browsing her mobile phone's inbox and half of it was full of SMS from the sender K. Wu.

"Hey! Give that back to me!" she tried to reach retrieve back her mobile phone but the heir raised it in the air even higher. "Gosh! Don't even try to get my attention that hard, you're really pissing me off Jong-In!" she growled all her nerves out towards the latter.

"K. Wu, K. Wu., K.Wu, K. Wu K.Wu..."he muttered not bothering the latter's protest as he scrolled and counted the messages of the sender."...don't worry Soo Jung, I was really meant to bother you all the time." he then diverted his gaze to the latter. "The name of this person is simply annoying, anyway who is that K. Wu? Care to share my dearest pal?"

She immediately grabbed the chance to retrieve her mobile phone from the latter, and growled furiously, "It's none of your business Jong-In."

"Wow, I've never seen you that secretive and annoyed ever before!" he literally took a step backward due to the latter's temper. "But who is that K. Wu anyway?"

He was really intrigued by the sender's identity.

"It's Kris-oppa, okay?" the heiress revealed, "Do you have anything against it? What's the problem if we're sending messages to each other since Christmas?"

"For goodness sake, of all the people Jung Soo Jung!" Jong-In strongly protested as soon as the heiress revealed the sender's name.

"Why? Kris-oppa just wanted to be friends with me, and so do I. So we exchanged numbers before I went home, is there any problem with that?"

"The problem is...I HATE THAT NEW FRIEND OF YOURS A LOT!" he growled ferociously."...as if you did not know how cruel that person was to Me." he was rather disappointed to the latter that he hung his head low.

"You said WAS, right?" she emphasized the words which is in its past form. "Grow up, it's been years and for sure that, that person wanted to make it up to you that's why he bears to live with you in your mansion!"

He felt rather offended by the latter's defending the mysterious gentleman, "He's been too close with my wife, and now he's even hitting on you!"

"Are you jealous Jong-In?"

"If I say Yes, will you stop befriending that freak?" he furiously shot back half shouting.

"What if I don't want to?" the heiress raised her eyebrow testing how far the heir could bear her persistence, as the tinge of hopeful feeling crept in her seeing the latter’s jealousy.

He then forcefully held the latter's shoulders and growled imposing,” Jung Soo Jung, I said I don't want you to befriend that prick! When will you consider my feelings?"

She wanted to ask the same question to the latter, she mentally mocked him, 'I should be the one asking you that dope! You’ve NEVER considered my feelings.  It's your for God sake childish jealousy that's why you don't want me to befriend Kris-oppa!'

She then attempted to shrugged off the latter's grip, "Hands off me Jong-In. At least you know you're not the only person I can get close to."

He felt completely defeated with the latter's statement. Of course he was definitely hurt, he was so used of the latter only turning on him all the time, but now that the mysterious gentleman entered the picture of their precious friendship, his fear greatly increased that the heiress might grow seriously distant towards him.
 

----------

On the other side of the hospital, Seohyun was busy doing her usual Fecal Analysis and Urine Analysis that she badly needed assistance from another intern.

It so happened that Lay was not really doing anything in the Bacteriology section so she offered some help from the latter.

"Let's do it fifty-fifty. Give me ten urine specimens and seven fecal specimens." the serene gentleman volunteered.

Without even saying a word, the latter did what he told her to do so. Though they were still in good terms already, she still feels a little ill at ease interacting with him.

The serene gentleman noticed the meekness of the latter towards him and began, "Joo Hyun, I thought we're okay now."

She sheepishly smiled at the gentleman, and replied, "Yes, we are...okay now Yi Xing."

"It seems to me that you're not." he slightly felt saddened with the latter's obvious ill at ease expression. She was not really good in hiding her real feelings.

"I-I am okay Yi Xing." she lied as she let out a awkward giggle.

The serene gentleman then narrowed his eyes towards hers, and tried to jest as if he was offended by heart, "Ouch Joo Hyun, do you know how it hurts a lot? I already accepted my defeat that the girl that I like is already taken yet she still cannot forgive me."

The latter cannot control her self but to giggle at the serene gentleman's little drama. "Fine, Yi Xing, we're okay now. Really…"

Seo Joo Hyun is really kind at heart.

Like their early days in the hospital, both of them managed to laugh along together casually when Seohyun's phone that was near her beeped.

'Where's your room? You forgot your packed food. -Wu Fan-oppa'

"Omo, I really forgot our at home!" she thought half panicking, and read the mysterious gentleman's SMS again, "Wu Fan-oppa here?" she then excused herself to the serene gentleman and exited the Body Fluids section.

The latter heard that the mysterious gentleman was in the hospital, 'It will be nice if I could see you even for just a short time Wu Fan-gege.'

When she exited the laboratory she immediately found her Wu Fan-oppa seemingly searching for the room she was assigned to, she then called his name and beckoned the mysterious gentleman that she was there, "Wu Fan-oppa!"

The mysterious gentleman then sprinted to the latter handing her a big bento box for two. "You left it this morning on the dining table."

She thankfully received it, "Thanks Wu Fan-oppa, actually you should not have bothered bringing it here since you’re busy."

"Actually I just brought it here since I'm going to visit a friend here anyway." he then looked around and diverted her attention to Seohyun again,” Where’s the Blood Bank Section?"

"Jong-In's there, it's on the other side of this floor." she pointed to the direction of the said room. " I'll walk you there."

"No, no, let me walk you to your assigned area." he insisted slightly pushing the latter that he should her first since he is the gentleman. "You said you're assigned in the blood bank section, right?" he was about to look for the room and luckily it was just in-front of the. It was really obvious that he was in a hurry.

"Actually I'm just assigned in here Wu Fan-oppa." she opened the door of the Body Fluids section and escorted the mysterious gentleman to enter briefly.

"So this is what you do here?" he eyed the microscopes, and other laboratory materials. "It's quite new for my eyes Joo -" he was cut when he saw a familiar figure of a young man inspecting a specimen under the microscope.

"Yes, this is where I work Wu Fan-oppa." Seohyun innocently answered.

The mysterious gentleman got frozen with his eyes wide.

"What's wrong oppa?" she asked the latter wearing a puzzled look.

"Y-you work with him here?"

"Yes. Yi Xing is my partner." she then diverted her gaze to the serene gentleman and called for his attention, "Yi Xing, Wu Fan-oppa is here. Do you remember him?"

The serene gentleman diverted his gaze and intently looked at the mysterious gentleman's direction, "Of course I still remember him...very well, Joo Hyun."

"Then that's good, your memory is really great." he praised the latter not knowing what he really meant, and diverted her gaze to her almost literally bowled over Wu Fan-oppa then casually clutched her arm with his, "Oppa, you're in a hurry, right? Come on, I'm going to bring you there."

He beamed his attention to the serene gentleman for the last time as they head their way to the Blood Bank Section. ‘This can’t be.’

“Joo Hyun, are you always with L…I mean Yi Xing?” he asked as they almost reached their destination.

“Before… well almost all the time now Wu Fan-oppa.” She briefly answered, “Why?”

“Will you promise me that you won’t be that close to him anymore?”

“Why?” the latter was rather puzzled with his sudden favor.

“Trust me with this please Joo Hyun, promise me that you will never get any closer with that Guy.”

He hasn’t said the real reason yet, but his eyes say it all that Joo Hyun should take the mysterious gentleman’s fore warning seriously.

“I – I trust you oppa.” She replied gripping on the doorknob and twists it as they enter the Blood Bank section.

----------

As they enter the Blood Bank section, the atmosphere was rather quiet far from what she the strident atmosphere dues to the heir and the heiress small bickering. Jong-In was extremely quiet all focused on labeling blood bags as Krystal welcomed them seemingly looking forward for someone.

“Jong-In, Krystal.” She called the two, “Wu Fan-oppa is he – “

“Kris-oppa, it’s really true you came.” The heiress immediately neared the mysterious gentleman, which astonished Seohyun.

“Krys…” the mysterious gentleman was smiling to the heiress as he slowly retracted his arm from the milady. “Of course, I told you that I will come, right?”

Seohyun gave the two an utterly confused look, as she budged in, “Wu Fan-oppa, Krystal? You two, since when did you two have gotten closer?”

“…With Krystal? Just this Christmas, we were able to talk to each other when you and Jong-In…you know…when he was teaching you how to play arcade games.” He tried to sound casual.

Remembering what exactly happened that time, Seohyun turned flustered red. She doesn’t know whether to feel embarrassed nor to eel at bliss for it quite a sensual scene between her and her husband in front of them. “You too have seen it Wu Fan-oppa?”

The mysterious gentleman briefly nodded his head, trying to suppress the tension he feels.

Thus, her discomfiture towards the latter even grew more.

Noticing the milady’s ill at ease expression, the mysterious gentleman diverted his attention to the heiress, and pulled her hand, “Like what I promise, I’ll treat you lunch now. Are okay to go now? Even for an hour?”

The latter briefly nodded her head, all focused to the latter, “I still have three more hours for break, Kris-oppa.”

“Then that’s good I can treat you to a good restaurant then.”  He even gripped tighter to the heiress’ hand.

‘This is really strange, my Wu Fan-oppa never held hands like that not even to Tiffany-unnie, not even with Me.’ Seohyun thought as she gawk intently with the two’s joined hands.

“Jong-In, you take care while I’m gone.” The heiress reminded her partner, and diverted her gaze to the milady near them. “…You too, Joo Hyun-unnie.”

“See you later Joo Hyun.” The mysterious gentleman coolly farewell, “See you later too Jong-In.”

As the two were about to exit the room, a forceful hand swiftly grabbed the heiress’ arm.  “Jung Soo Jung, better be back within an hour or else I’m really going to get angry at you.” It was somewhat a threat to the latter.

The heiress furiously swung his hand off from her arm, “Angry your face Jong-In, why on earth am I going back here in an hour?”

“We still have a lot of things to do you know.” He reasoned out.

“You’re the one who has a lot of things to do, not me.”

The milady was sensing it right, there’s something wrong between the two that’s why they found them all quiet when she and her Wu Fan-oppa entered the room. She then advanced in the middle of the two to halt their quarrel. “W-wait Jong – In, Krys –“

“For real Jung Soo Jung you’re just going to waste your precious time with that guy.” He straightforwardly mocked the mysterious gentleman in front of the heiress and even in front of his wife, who happens to be close with the man he was scorning.

“This will not go anywhere Jong-In.” the heiress had enough with her best friends’ roughness.

"Why you!" the heir cannot contain his anger to himself, he grabbed the heiress other hand and dragged her out of the room.

Wu Fan and Seohyun were left dumbfounded by the two.

She cannot perceive her husband's thought that he suddenly berserk and dragged the heiress and it was even in front of her.

"Did those two quarreled?" He asked.

All she could do was to hang her head low, as feelings of sudden jealousy and disappointment enveloped her.

The mysterious gentleman cannot bear the latter's melancholic expression, he then held the latter's hand, and uttered, "You can't judge the situation without looking for its main reason, let's follow them," And they started chasing the other two.
 

----------

The heir was too enraged that he randomly dragged the heiress from place to place until they reached the hospital's fire exit.

His temper were already sending her shivers and now that he just dragged her in the open air fire exit, the winter breeze just made her shiver even worse.

"I'm only wearing cardigan over my scrub suit you idiot!" like her usual violent self, she jumped off and hit the latter's head.

But the heir was really serious, that he did not budge on her, and just gave her a stern look.

"Are you just going to look at me like that for three hours?" she tried to retract her arm from him but he just held on it tighter, "...because we might freeze here. And please get off me!"

But the heir just tightened his grip on the arm of the latter.

"You're already hurting me, Jong-In!" she protested in pain as she jerked her arm off from the latter.

"Seriously Jong-In، you don’t have the right to tell me who am I going to get close to." she looked at him with a furious stare. The heir was really overboard for her.

"I hate him Jung Soo Jung, you know that!" he growled in her face.

"And so what if you hate Kris-oppa that much? It's not enough reason for you to tell me not to get close to him." she reasoned out completely mocking the latter.

Finally, Kris and Seohyun found them. She was about to get to stop the heir and the heiress' argument but the mysterious gentleman stopped her, "Let's stay here. We should know the real problem before we stop them."

Her anxiousness and jealousy were already mixed inside her chest, yet what the mysterious gentleman was right. She cannot budge between them without knowing the real reason of their quarrel.

"You tell me a valid reason why I should not befriend that person, Jong-In. Seriously; you're acting so immature right now."

"It's simple Jung Soo Jung...you're my best friend. And that Kris is my best foe. For God's sake can't that be enough for a reason!" he argued.

"That's it, I'm just your best friend. And that's why I really love to go far away from you." she was so furious that tears automatically trailed down her eyes. She really wanted to explode.

"Why? Don't say you're just my best friend, because I've never considered one other than you." he pinned the latter on the brick wall too curious for the latter's answer.

The thought of confessing her true feelings initially gave her confusion in mind, but as she realized that there was never really a right time to confess it, or she already lost the right time to confess it she then decided to say it out. "I've patiently waited for you for three years, and I just really waited for nothing."

She tried to be brave and wiped her own tears, "You know why I'm trying to run away from you? It's because I love you, I am in love with you for three years already. And you can't be that selfish not wanting me to try to get closer with someone else, because you already have Joo Hyun-unnie."

His fury automatically sunk, and he was completely shut being blown with the heiress' confession. "I...I didn't know about that Krystal."

The two who were silently gawking were also blown away by the confession. The milady already wanted to protest from what she was hearing, but it will just cause commotion if she'll do. She needed to compose herself no matter what revelations they were about to hear. She needed to think accordingly using her mind, because if she was going to use her heart things will just screw up more. 'What matters is Jong-In's words. I need to hear him.'

"It's too obvious Jong-In, you didn't know. And how I wish I'm not telling it to you right now." she kept wiping the unstoppable tears flowing from her eyes.

He inhaled heavily, and put his hands on his waist to compose him self. He still could not process the latter's confession. But what could he do? As much as he knows her stubborn personality, feelings were a lot more stubborn. He then sat down on the metal staircase of the fire exit, and pulled the latter to sit beside him facing back the other two who were silently watching them.

"Stop crying. You're becoming ugly." he randomly remarked not knowing how to stop the latter from crying. He then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and handed it to her.” Here, I said quit crying."

"And now all you can say is I'm ugly. You don't even know how to make me stop!" she protested wiping her own tears with his hanky.

"I'd be lying if I'm going to say that you're getting prettier when you're crying, idiot!"

Both of them were not really good in complementing other people or each other.

Silence enveloped them for a minute. He waited for the latter to calm down before speaking his heart out, "Jung Soo Jung, if you've told me that when Joo Hyun wasn't still around...Honestly, I might have considered you."

He earned a steely glare from the latter, as her sobs were completely gone.

"Wow, just wow!" she scornfully complemented his confession. "So I should've told you earlier. You're telling me that I should have been the one to confess to you? I am the female here Kim Jong-In you're talking like I should have courted you back then."

He then playfully gave the latter a head-lock that as if they've not fought just a moment ago. "It's all in the past now Soo Jung. I wasn't really thinking of any one else back then. I know myself well; I fancy Tiffany-noona since I was a child but it never crossed my mind to be seriously coupled with her. And you're the only girl beside me back then; if I just knew that then maybe we are the married couple now."

"Are you saying you did like me before?" she asked, retracting herself from the latter.

"It's not that...I'm not really interested to anyone back then. But you always being beside me was the best, if you're the one who married me maybe I'm in love with you now." he casually admitted.

"Seems that you're increasing my regret."

He stretched his arms in the sky, and looked at its awesomeness. "I thought you're a kind of person who doesn't regret."

"I guess I'm still human, Jong-In." she also stretched her arms in the air and looked at the same blue sky. "But will you let me befriend Kris-oppa now?"

He immediately crossed his arms on his chest and protested, "Hell NO!"

"Why?" she asked rather protesting.

"Have someone beside you someday. But please not him." he then pulled the latter into a big warm hug. "Just make sure he's better than me."

She then retracted herself from him, "I will make sure he's going to notice me, and will not make me wait for three years for nothing!"

Thus, everything between them remained as what-ifs.

He raised his pinky finger for a pinky promise.

"That's childish Jong-In!" she cannot hold her self but to laugh.

"Promise me two things Jung Soo Jung."

"Oh, okay." she covered as she cannot control her laughter.

"...that you'll stay best friends with me and marry a good and rich guy someday."

She then intertwined her pinky finger to seal the pinky promise with the latter, "Okay, promise. But do you really have to indicate rich?"

He was really silly for saying such, "...but I want a stable man for you. You're the Samsung heiress, and I doubt if you could bear living a commoner's life."

----------

After hearing the heir and the heiress’ conversation the other two who were silently watching them could only held their hands in support for each other.

Seohyun could not restrain her mixed emotions upon hearing her husband’s words, whereas Wu Fan could only hang his head low after hearing how he was awfully hated by his half brother, and just walked out. The milady just followed the latter and walked back with him.

“I always thought that he hated me that much.” He expressed wearing a faint smile on his face.

“And now I’m in doubt of him how he could manage to stay with me if he’s considering Krystal initially.” She confessed.

“It’s because he learned how to love you Joo Hyun.” he responded making the mood of the latter brighten up even he himself was down already. “…maybe it’s not love at first sight, but – “

Tears started trailing out in her eyes, and so the mysterious gentleman held both of their hands and they halt, “But still Wu Fan-oppa… I can’t understand why can’t I be the only person who is important for him.”

“Joo Hyun, he did not say that…” he drawn the latter closer to him and enveloped her to a hug. “Stop, crying now…I understand you’re jealous.”

He hushed the latter, even though he himself was also jealous, ‘If I were my brother, you wouldn’t hear such things from me.’ He thought.

She then began to tug the mysterious gentleman on his waist which made their hug even tighter as she cried her heart out loud.

“How I wish I just married someone like you Wu Fan-oppa.” She mindlessly remarked as her jealousy and vehemence filled her head.

“Don’t say such things when you’re angry Joo Hyun, you’re just…angry.” As much as he wanted to convey his true feelings and as much as he wanted to say these words, ‘If I were still the heir, then I would definitely be the person beside you.’ All he could do was to oppose his own feelings and say hushing words to the latter which torments him.

“Did I hear you right Joo Hyun?” a familiar voice of a young man echoed the floor – it was Jong-In.

The heir and the heiress were able to watch the mysterious gentleman and the milady’s brief scene.

Seohyun and Wu Fan were astonished with their presence. As mush as the mysterious gentleman wanted to explain what exactly happen the heir was uncontrollably aggressive wit h his judgment.

“Jung Soo Jung, let’s just finish my work.” He hissed to the heiress as he dragged her along with him and growled to his wife, “You explain this to me later.”

But before they could leave them on the scene, Wu Fan gripped on his arm and reminded him, “Don’t forget to explain your self as well, Jong-In. Don’t blame everything on her.”

However, the heir really has his stubborn side he won’t listen to the mysterious gentleman, and just jerked his arm off the latter and walked away.

----------

Not so far from them, the serene looking gentleman was secretly eyeing them.

‘Too much drama the four of you…but I’m glad with this. Double trouble for you Sole Heir.’ Noted him self while looking on his newly captured image of the mysterious gentleman and the milady on his DSLR.