A/N - So um yep, the moment every boyfriend should dread. Meeting the in-laws...koff koff...i mean nothing set in stone but yeah~ Anyhoo, meeting the family time! As for everyone who's enjoying the sweetness, savor it! Stuff is about to go down and cute moments will be scarce! 

@reilsm - Haha, welcome back! Glad your lovin the sweetness~ I had great fun writing it! Jieunnie and Sanghyunnie are too adorable >///< And yup, 56 chapters so far planned...unless I add more...

@wookielove - Haha coz cliffies are the best! As for your three years, I'll bet they'll fly past in a flash! (albeit a super painful flash towards the end ><)

@thunbii - Waaah~~ Two comments! I don't mind the double comment, i just love it even more!!! Don't worry about typos, I'm just glad you liked the JieunxSanghyunnie moments! Your reactions make me smile as well >< As for your feeling...it won't be revealed for another few chapters, suffice to say!

@womaninmblaq - I love Ji-eun as well! Just had to make her a strong person because i couldn't imagine her as Sanghyun's partner elsewise!!! I'll make sure she gets prime action in the upcoming chapters as well! As for 'chaton', yeah, i was a little upset at the lack of updates. Sigh. 

@HanSang - Savor the sweetness!!! It won't last for long~~~ Haha, don't kill your pillow in the process! I won't give away the family crisis, but let's just say you can guess by the end of this chapter. And i've finally watched eng subbed B1A4 hello baby ep 4~~~ Lauren is adorable!!!

@ainnurdoongie - Mmm totally agreed! I mean just check out the pic i put for this chapter >///< As for her dad...you'll see~~~ And i spy a new chappie from you!!!

Thanks to everyone for commenting!!! Got a huge surprise when i opened AFF this morning to see 5 comments!!! Makes updating worthwhile~

Finally, Thanks to Chap22 for subscribing! 

Chapter 34 – Returning to the past, his love is questioned  

Dara POV

Had all of this really happened right under my nose? They say people act differently when they are in love. Softer around the edges when they are usually rough, tougher when they are normally as tame as a pet cat, and yet I had never seen Sanghyun show such emotion. For me, his noona – the person who had watched him grow up from a tiny kid into a gangly teenager – to have not seen a thing. Had I really been so self-obsessed?

And despite all that, Sanghyun still believed I was not at fault – that I should not blame myself for not seeing his pain. Part of me wanted to believe in him. Part of me wanted to break something for my unawareness – to match pain with his pain, helplessness with his helplessness.

But I know that such things are futile. Breaking a window will not bring my baby brother’s first love back to him. Hurting myself will not prevent that car accident. I cannot change the past.

But I can change myself. I can change the future. I can become someone who will look out for my little brother through thick and thin – I will become someone who he can rely upon.

So with a hardened heart, I listened to his painful past and tried not to cry.

2 years ago – March 2008…

“Sanghyun,” Ji-eun hugged Sanghyun from behind, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and leaning over. She kissed his cheek lovingly. “Guess what!”

Sanghyun twisted his neck to return her kiss and took in her glowing complexion. Her eyes were bright with excitement and she couldn’t stay still. “What?”

“The president decided my debut date!” Ji-eun couldn’t contain her happiness as she spilled the good news.

“Chincha?!” Sanghyun turned around properly, his eyes lighting up with happiness as well. Ji-eun nodded and squealed with excitement. Sanghyun gathered her into a huge hug. “Congratulations Ji-eunnie!” he kissed her on the cheek.

“The date is set sometime around the second week of September for now.  There’s plenty to do like picking a debut song and filming and promotions!” the words flew out of Ji-eun’s mouth in an excited scramble.

“Slow down!” Sanghyun laughed. “We’ll have to celebrate then, won’t we?” he grinned and pulled Ji-down so that she sat in his lap. Ji-eun twisted till she was comfortable and laid her precious guitar on her lap.

“Celebrate?” she asked, hands skimming the varnished wood as she always did when she was pleased. “We don’t have to? I mean we’re still trainees, after all. Besides it’s all a little too soon. We don’t even know if I’ll debut well.” A flicker of doubt appeared.

“Don’t be silly.” Sanghyun flicked her forehead gently. Then his eyes fell to her fingers that her precious guitar. He noticed one spot was a little dented.

“What happened here?” he pointed to the small scratch mark. Ji-eun’s eyes latched onto it and turned down in a small frown.

“That,” she muttered. “Some staff member was rushing about and bumped into me. I hit my guitar against the wall and it got a small scratch. It wasn’t in its case that day.”

Sanghyun could read her expression. She wasn’t happy. After all, Sanghyun knew Ji-eun treated her guitar like a part of her. However buying a new guitar wasn’t an option either – she was too attached to it.

Then Sanghyun got an idea. “Wait one sec.” he said and slid out of the chair, leaving Ji-eun looking puzzled for a moment. Two minutes later he was back with something yellow in one hand and a black marker in the other.

“What are you doing Sanghyun?” Ji-eun watched as he took her guitar in one hand and set it down on the table.

“Nuh-uh.” Sanghyun blocked her vision with his body. “Close your eyes for one sec.”

Ji-eun complied although curiosity was getting the better of her. She cracked one eye open, hoping to sneak a peek. But Sanghyun knew her too well. “No peeking.” He warned her, turning around once to catch her in the guilty moment. Ji-eun stuck out her tongue and then closed her eyes properly, hands covering them.

“Okay,” Sanghyun said a moment later. “You can open your eyes now.”

Ji-eun did so and Sanghyun handed her back her guitar. And then she smiled.

Sanghyun had stuck a large golden star sticker over where the dent mark had been, covering any traces of the injury completely. Then inside he had drawn a crooked mini-star with black ink.

“It’s a promise.” He explained, then shook his head. “No, not a promise. A belief. My belief that you will be a shining star of the entertainment world one day. Not just a star, but a star amongst stars.” He tapped at the inner star. “So that every time you play your guitar I want you to remember that I believe in you and that I will always be standing right there supporting you.”

Ji-eun was lost for words. All her nervousness at debuting and lack of confidence at success which she had been trying to keep at bay, all of that, Sanghyun had wiped away in one fell swoop. She leaned in to kiss him softly on the lips, enjoying the moment and the calmness which he brought.

“Thank you, Sanghyun.” She whispered as they parted lips. “I’ll treasure it.” She touched the star with one hand and her boyfriend with the other.   

“So what’s the plan for this week then?” Sanghyun said, returning them both to reality.

Ji-eun tilted her head. “The president told me to go home for the weekend and discuss my debut with my parents. Then there’ll be more paperwork to sign before anything can be properly planned.”

Sanghyun pouted. He wanted to celebrate, but he knew home time was more important for Ji-eun’s success right now. It made Ji-eun secretly smile at his cuteness. “But…” she said coyly and watched Sanghyun’s eyes flicker with hope. “I was wondering if you wanted to come with me?”

“You want me to meet your family?” Sanghyun couldn’t stop smiling like a fool. “Really?”

“Yes, really silly.” Ji-eun kissed his cheek. “So will you?”

“Of course.” Sanghyun said. “I’d follow you anywhere.”

Like a fool, Ji-eun couldn’t help but smile at his loyalty. She knew she must be the luckiest girl in the world to have a guy like Sanghyun who would always be her number one supporter. She knew her parents would disapprove in the beginning, but she was sure Sanghyun would win them over, just like he always did. However, what she didn’t know was that this was the turning point the spelled the end of their relationship and the beginning of a darker one.

***

Sanghyun sat nervously in her family’s living room. His posture was stick-straight and his hands on his lap. He looked more nervous than he had when he had first met the president of LOEN. If his next move wasn’t so important, Ji-eun would have been laughing by now.

“This is my father, Lee Sung Min,” Ji-eun nodded towards her father. “And my mother, Lee Su Ji.” Ji-eun cast her eyes upwards at the second floor. “My sister is somewhere else right now, so you’re just meeting my parents for now.”

Sanghyun however was focused on her two parents whose gazes seemed to drill a hole through Sanghyun.

“So,” her father surveyed Sanghyun with a critical eye. “You’ve been dating our daughter for over three months now.”

Ji-eun’s father was a doctor; his position in the medical hierarchy was of top notch and in turn, he expected his two daughters to be just as successful. For Ji-eun and Ji-yun to even get permission to enter the entertainment industry had cost them months of persuasion and shows of dedication. Even then, their father had made them aim to become famous within three years or else he would pull them out and opt for a more scholarly path.

Their mother was no better. She was a fashion designer, married to her work more than her own husband and her success was evident in the cash that flew in. Whilst she loved her two daughters, her expectations were equally high – even more so if their futures involved taking care of their image.

“And you are a trainee at LOEN as well?” Ji-eun’s mother stared at him and raised her eyebrow with one perfectly trimmed eyebrow, her manicured hands smoothening her already wrinkle-freed skirt. “And what plans does the company have for you?”

That was her mother – always looking for signs of success.

Sanghyun next to her gulped. “I believe currently they are focusing on improving my skills.”

“So,” Ji-eun’s father said in a crisp voice. “You have no plans for a debut yet?”

“No.” Sanghyun admitted in a firm voice. “I know that I am not ready yet, so I won’t push them to rush me. I want to be the best before I debut.”

Ji-eun smiled at his honesty. Even her father and mother couldn’t deny the determination in his voice and the strength in his gaze.

“And how do you think you dating Ji-eun will affect your future idol images?” It was her mother, always thinking ahead.

Sanghyun looked at them squarely in the eye. “Truthfully, I know idols dating tend to give adverse images. But I love Ji-eun and I will face whatever obstacles come our way. Whatever I say right now might sound flimsy, but I truly want what’s best for Ji-eun.”

“Then,” her father challenged him. “What if we tell you to stop dating Ji-eun because her popularity suffers?”

Ji-eun stiffened. She hated these questions and answers, especially when there was no concrete answer to give to an indefinite future.

But Sanghyun spoke confidently. “Even then, I would still date her. I will convince her fans to accept us and until they do, I would be there to protect the entire way.”

“And what if you can’t protect her.” There came the unanswerable question. “What happens if Ji-eun no longer wants you around? If your presence is too damaging. What will you do then?”

Ji-eun turned to look at Sanghyun and her heart broke at the immense sadness in his eyes. “If so…” he said in a quiet voice. “Then I would leave her. If I was the cause of her heart hurting, then I would leave her. I would still love her, but her happiness comes first.”

“Is that so?” Ji-eun’s mother tilted her head. “Then we’ll hold you to that.”

There was a deadpan tone in her mother’s voice that Ji-eun did not like. It was like she was certain their relationship was already doomed to failure.

***

From upstairs, a pair of eyes watches Sanghyun’s every movement. From his straight-backed posture to his nervous habit of biting his lips and the way he smiles so earnestly for Ji-eun. It makes her jealous to see such sincere eyes.

The girl twisted her hair around her finger and watched him smile.

Then she planned her own move.

A/N - Hmm hmm~ Sanghyunnie's a man of his own right! Sorry for the long twisted circling family convo, but basically dear mummy and daddy are warning him! And guess who's the wathcing pair of eyes (pft like you haven't all guessed already)