Soojung sat on the tree's thick branch, overlooking the entire city. This has become her place to think, to relax and unwind, to get away from the turmoil at home. Her father hasn't stopped hounding her for contact, and all she ever did was ignore him. She didn't want to hear his proposals, his reasoning or his plans for her. What she really wanted was to run, just like she had all her life. She was so sick of everything, and so tired from all the things the world threw at her. And she was alone she was sure, she was always going to be alone. A wave of nausea rocked through her, and rested her head on her arms.

 "Missing school won't get you anywhere."

 She stifled a smile. "I don't want to go anywhere anyway."

 She heard shoes against tree branch, then scuffling and finally a thump, followed by the shaking of her branch. She held out her hand, alarm shooting through her as she caught sight of the ground below. A pair of hands held her, one gripping her left and the other on her right hip. She snapped her head to the left, and opened to say something. He smiled boyishly at her, and all words died on her tongue. "Don't worry, I won't let you fall." She let him steady her on the branch, and noticed that he had conveniently brought her closer to him in the process. She decided to change the topic.

 "How did you find me?"

 "Intuition." She snorted at that. He flashed her a quick grin. "Fine. I asked your driver."

 She let out a short horrified laughter. "You terrorised my driver?"

 "I didn't terrorise him," he said calmly. "I merely asked for directions."

 "Alright but," she looked around her. The leaves were pretty thick around her, and she was going to be hard to spot, even if you were near the branch she sat upon. "I meant how did you find me? Amidst all this?" She looked back at him with a playful smile, and it faltered slightly when she saw his intense stare. She swallowed nervously, and waited for his answer.

 "I can always find you Soojung," he said quietly. "Always."

 "Jongin..." A warning, a hope and a plea all in one name. "We can't do this... you know we can't."

 He shrank back from her suddenly, making their branch shake slightly. "You can't? Or won't?" he glared at her. "Is it because of my family?"

 "No!" she cried, insulted at his accusation. "I love your family! As I said before, I'd rather have yours than-"

 "Then why?" he demanded. Just two words, and she had nothing else to go on. All her reasons flew out of the window, and she was left wondering why she would ever reject someone like Jongin. Kind Jongin. Faithful Jongin. Jongin who would care for her, someone who would actually care if anything happened to her. And he would love her, if he didn't already. 

 "It's... it's complicated," she struggled weakly.

 "Let me help you Soojung," he urged, taking her hand. "Release some of your burden. It's hard to be on your own."

 "No," she pulled her hand from his, and regretted the way her hands felt cold after leaving his touch. "I can't do this. I don't deserve anything you give me."

 "It's mine to give." he growled, shifting closer to her. Soojung sighed in frustration and kept her hands planted on the branch, to stop herself from reaching for him. They remained quiet for a few moments, staring out at the city. The city where so many of their problems lay, and where Soojung knew she wouldn't be able to avoid for long. Since she was so far gone now anyway, she figured she should at least let him know of her feelings.

 "Jongin-ah," she began. She hated him at first, because he had everything. He was wealthy in another sense, blessed with a family who loved him. He had the most endearing personality. But most of all, he could love without compromise. She had been jealous, and had longed to be like him. In the end, she became a part of him. It was inevitable that she'd fall for him. "You're the only place I find calming, even when this world will eventually crush me. You're the only person I care about, because you showed me that there's so much more to me. But most of all, I would like to thank you."

 "For what?" he asked softly.

 "You made me human again," she answered, with a tremulous smile directed at him. Tears had begun to fall, but she didn't wipe them away. "I can feel happiness again. Contentment, peacefulness and many other emotions I haven't felt in a long time. But it also brings me pain, and it... it hurts..." He reached for her and pulled her in, enveloping her in a warm embrace. Soojung clung to him, because she felt so safe in his arms. The first time he had held her, it had been for mere comfort. Their second became intimate, and this? This was love. She had found that love didn't need a declaration, nor grand gestures. She had found it to be the most simple of glances, the small tilt of the mouth in a smile, the comfort of a big family. Love took the form of Kim Jongin. 

 "Tell me what you need," he said, kissing her hair. "Tell me what you need. Whatever happens, stay with me. I'll look after you Soojung, you don't need to be alone anymore."

 "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice trembling. Her muddy self was staring up at her parents, who remained immaculate in their hand made designer outfits. They looked down at her, at disdain and disappointment. No child should ever have to be looked upon like that. She blinked up at them, disbelieving what she just heard. "I said what did you mean?"

 "Don't talk back," her mother snapped. But she heard a quiver in her voice.

 "WELL ANSWER ME THEN!" she screamed at her parents. They winced slightly, but they kept their patience.

 "Your sister is dead," her father delivered the crushing blow. "The funeral is tomorrow and-"

 "SOOYEON!" Soojung screamed, running for the stairs. Her father held her back, grimacing when he touched the mud on Soojung's hair. But still she fought with him, clawing at him, fighting to run up the stairs and shake her sister awake. "SOOYEON! SOOYEON!"

 "There's no point being upset!" her father roared, lifting Soojung off of her feet. She kicked at him, then kicked at the air and thrashed in his arms. "We all knew Sooyeon was sick, and has been for a long time! We can't do anything about it-" he was cut off by Soojung, who had gathered all her strength to give her father a sound smack on the forehead. He groaned and dropped her, her mother letting out a shriek and rushing towards her father. As soon as Soojung hit the floor, she sprinted up the stairs and ignored the angry yelling of her parents. She approached Sooyeon's door, dirt and tears flying off of her, and she wrenched it open with a loud thump. 

 She half-expected her sister to be sitting up in bed, smiling warmly at her in greeting. But she was lying unmoving in her bed, the semi-transparent curtains shut to shroud the room in semi-darkness. Usually they would be pulled back, flooding the room with warm sunshine. Sooyeon had taken it with her, along with all the things Soojung foolishly believed in. She let out a sob and ran for her sister, throwing herself beside her and crying as loud as her heart wanted her. She half-expected Sooyeon to wake up, looking at her in a startled way, and asking why on earth she would be crying. And then she'd let out a sigh of relief, and they would embrace because they only had each other. 

 But this was reality, and it was much much more cruel. Sooyeon lay unmoving, still in her pretty night dress, with her beautiful auburn curls arranged around her. She looked as if she was dreaming, with a small smile playing on her lips. Jung Sooyeon kept her famed beauty, even in death. And she looked like she was happy. Soojung hated her for it; she was stuck in this nightmare, while her sister was in paradise. She wanted to go with her, Soojung thought. She took a hold of one of Sooyeon's hands, and cried even harder when she found that they were still warm. Perhaps if she left now, maybe she could catch up with her. And then they could enter heaven together. She looked about the room, and found one of the fire pokers by the fireplace. She clambered off the enormous bed, and reached for the poker. 

 Its pointed trident told her it would be quick, and perhaps she may not even feel pain when she dies. She closed her eyes and raised the poker, picturing Sooyeon's smiling face. She didn't feel it when she was swept off her feet, the poker wrestled from her. She grew confused and opened her eyes, finding that her father was holding the poker, and looking up she found one of the servants holding her. Her brows furrowed and she started to sob, realising her attempt at suicide was thwarted. She cast an angry glare at her sister's body, "You promised me unnie! You told me you'd stay with me! You said you never broke promises!" she screamed but she knew it was futile. Sooyeon would never hear her. "Sooyeon unnie... I have no one else." 

 "How stupid you are," her father said through gritted teeth. "Get her on the next flight. We should've sent her away a long time ago."

 Before she could go though, she cast a broken look at her father. "All those medications... those cures your doctors said would work... and for what? How much did you spend? And where is Sooyeon? Most importantly," she looked at the floor. "Where's your money now, huh?" Her father's jaw tightened, and he roared for her to be taken away. The servant murmured, and she was led out of the room. She sent one last look at Sooyeon, then bowed her head and marched away in defeat.

 She never even had the chance to say goodbye. Soojung was young, but she already had so many regrets. She pulled back from his embrace, and looked up at him through teary eyes. He brushed a thumb over her eyes, and gently caressed her hair. She grabbed his face and her lips came crashing against his, holding onto him for all she's worth. He kissed her back with the same fierceness, but she felt his love through his touch and the way he held her. She wasn't alone anymore, and she loved him even more. Her body moulded against his, his tongue dipping inside . She welcomed the intrusion, and she fought with him in a sensual dance, her hands roaming up and down his back, massaging his shoulders. 

 It was just the two of them now, and Soojung was glad for it.