"Did you forget something, sir?" asked Mr. Kang when he spotted Youngbae walk back inside the showroom.

Youngbae paused mid-stride as he headed towards the jewelry display in the back.  "Ah... yeh."  Youngbae nodded and gestured in front of him. "Could I take a look at that please?"

The older gentlemen frowned slightly in confusion, but didn't say a word as he pulled out a set of keys from his back pocket and headed towards Youngbae.  He went behind the black velvet display and unlocked it, pulling out the tray that held the solitaire ring.  "Actually... this really shouldn't be out here."  Mr. Kang flushed.  "This was part of a meeting from earlier this morning and it looks like someone did not put it back..." He hesitantly laid it on the glass display.

Youngbae picked up the small ring and held it gingerly between his fingers with both hands.  He rotated it slowly and watched the light reflect blindedly throughout the multi-facets.  There was something mesmerizing about the rock that captivated his eye.  

"It's a beauty isn't it?" Mr. Kang sighed. 

Youngbae looked up and half-smiled at the euphoric look on the older man's face.  "Yeh... it is."  He put the ring back on the holder, placed both of his hands on the display, and hunched over it. 

Thinking.

"D-did you want to see any other designs?" asked Mr. Kang, trying to break the uncomfortable silence.

Youngbae looked up with a sheepish smile on his face.  "Aniyo.  This is the one.  I just..."  He looked embarrassed.  "I don't even know her size."

It took a moment for Mr. Kang to realize who Youngbae was referring to.  But when he did, he straightened and looked at Youngbae directly in the eyes.  "She will fit it."

Youngbae lifted an eyebrow.

The older man motioned to the poster behind him.  "She will fit it."

It was the marketing picture of Amina.  The same one that initially led Youngbae over to the display.  He hadn't bothered to look at it closely before, so enamored by the ring in the display.  But he did now... and he could tell in the photo that she was wearing the very same ring

He imagined it was his ring she was wearing. His heart skipped a beat.

"We're doing a new luxury line of diamonds... all GIA certified VVS2 and up, colorless, ideal cut.  What we have here," Mr. Kang motioned his head towards the ring in front of Youngbae," is the first of many to come.  It is rated IF, nearly flawless and has been precisionally cut so that it sparkles the way it does." He paused. "It's the same exact one she is wearing in the ad... and she's the only model that has worn it." 

"I'll take it."

"It's not for sale."

Youngbae started abruptly, feeling irate. He narrowed his eyes.

Mr. Kang raised his hands.  "At least not yet.  It isn't a line that we are offering to the public for sale until several weeks from now, but let me see if I can get an exception."

"Who do you need to talk to?"

"My sajangnim, Eun Hyun-Ki."

The irony was not lost on the two gentlemen.

Youngbae shook his head at himself.  He couldn't believe it.  After seeing how Amina's parents treated her, he didn't want a thing to do with them.  For her sake, he quickly promised himself that he would only tolerate them as a formality because they would be his future in-laws, but nothing more. He could feel the anger start to build up inside him again.  But after several long seconds... he just let it go. Youngbae let out a short scoff under his breath.  What better time then now?

He pulled out his wallet and laid out his black card on the display case. "Just charge whatever price to my card and get me a meeting with your boss."  Youngbae gave Mr. Kang a steely direct gaze that broke no argument.  "I have a few words to say to him myself."

An hour later...

"Youngbae?"

Youngbae glanced behind him as he walked out of the corporate office doors towards the main elevators. He was feeling disgruntled and was not in the mood to talk to anyone.  He just wanted to get home and be with his girl.

Hanna furrowed her eyebrows as she came towards him.  "What are you still doing here?"

Youngbae ignored her question. "Where's Amina?"

Hanna closed the distance between them.  "She stormed out of here... about thirty minutes ago."  Her eyes were distraught and the colors on her cheeks were high.  "You can't let her leave."  Hanna shook her head and pleaded.  "Please... she won't listen to me."

Youngbae smiled tightly.  "What makes you think she'd listen to me more?"

"Because she loves you.  And I know she'll do anything for you."

"Like choose me over her family?" He sneered sarcastically and cocked his eyebrow.

"Aigoo..." Hanna rolled her eyes and sighed.  "You know that's not what I mean.  But yes!  I gave her hell about it, I'll admit it." Hanna declared, her cheeks stained red.  "But I'm just trying to look out for the best interests of our family - as a whole." 

She watched as Youngbae punched the down button hard with bottom of his fist.

"What about her interests?  Doesn't anyone give a damn about that?"  He turned away in disgust and stepped into the elevator lift. He turned back to look at her.  "You, of all people, should be fighting for her the most."

Hanna stuck her hand out to stop the elevator door from closing.  "Please Youngbae!  Don't let her leave!"  Her eyes shone like glass and her voice was strained.  "If she's not with family... at least I know she'll be safe with you."

He could hear the desperation in her voice.  It mirrored the ache he felt earlier that morning.

"Please... just don't let her go."

Youngbae flexed his jaw, feeling his frustration mount.  He had been trying to not let her go all day.  But he knew he would have to... eventually.  Unless he changed her mind.  He looked at Hanna.  "I'll talk to her." He saw a glow in Hanna's eyes and rushed to bring a dose of reality.  "But I have to warn you," he advised sternly.  "We already spoke about it today and she already has her heart set on going."

"But she doesn't leave until Friday late afternoon right?" she asked, looking hopeful.

"Neh," Youngbae nodded.

"Then you time." Hanna pressed.  "So you better try hard to convince her.  Every day."

"Neh," Youngbae replied, melancholy.  "Every day."

"And every night," she glared, meaningfully at him.

His lips curved up against his will as he pried her arm off the elevator door to unblock it.  "Annyeong Hanna-sshi."  He bowed as the doors closed.

Amina was tucked up inside a blanket on the sectional when he arrived back at his apartment.  And even if he hadn't run into her cousin, judging by the pent up closed expression on her face, he could tell that the meeting with Hanna didn't go so well.  Youngbae took off his baseball cap and tossed it on the coffee table next to his keys before sitting down.  He spoke to Amina softly.  "How'd it go?"

Amina's eyes flickered to him briefly before she returned to the television set.  "I don't want to talk about it."  She burrowed further underneath the covers, with only the top half of her face visible to him.

Youngbae quietly sighed. He scooted up along the couch and pulled the blanket away from her body so he could climb in behind her.  She didn't protest as he made himself comfortable.

He inhaled her neck as he wrapped his arms around her torso.  "Tell me what happened." 

The soft sounds of a variety show on TV filled the room as he waited for her to respond.

He felt her shake her head against his chest. 

"It can't be that bad," he reasoned.

He could see tears roll down quietly across her the bridge of her nose.  He wiped them away.

Amina spoke, staring unseeingly straight ahead.  "There are days like this... that I wish I grew up as an orphan.  So I wouldn't know who my family was or cared if they supported me or not." She twisted her lips and let out a bitter half-laugh.  "Maybe then it wouldn't hurt so much."

"She basically said she didn't want me to leave," Amina sniffed.  She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and took a quick breath of air.  She was depending upon Hanna's support to carry her to America and when she didn't receive it, it had crushed her.  "She threatened to tell my father... and that's when I told her it wouldn't matter anyway.  Because he had already cut me off."

Youngbae tightened his hold on Amina, still affected by it all.

She didn't notice.  "That's when Hanna basically screamed at me... asking for details.  She thinks... I should have compromised with them.  Considered their position, especially with my father's condition." Amina sat up, too upset to continue.

"Like how?" Youngbae furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding.

Amina wiped another tear away and glanced down at him.  She was too offended by Hanna's suggestion to even respond. "Ani... I won't say it."

He grabbed her arm.  "Tell me," he urged.

Amina couldn't even look at him.  She concentrated on the edge of the blanket instead.  "She said I should have told my parents that I was breaking it off with you.  And then for you and I to keep our relationship a secret.  That way, I could keep everyone happy and would be able to still go to school."  Amina looked away, so ashamed that she said that. 

"Do you have any regrets?" he asked quietly.

She jerked her head up and faced him.  "Ani."  She could see it was weighing on his mind.  "I don't regret what I said or did.  I would do the same all over again."

Youngbae could tell that she meant every word that she said.  He took her hand.  "Then what happened?"

"I told her that I wasn't going lie about something that means so much to me."  She looked at him with sadness in her eyes.  "We exchanged some words.  To be honest, I don't remember exactly what we fought about... but I just remember disagreeing with her on me leaving."

"You should probably clear it up with her before you leave."

Amina shook her head.  "I don't want to."

Youngbae narrowed his eyes. "Wae?"  This wasn't a side of her he was used to.  She normally was more forgiving.

"Why should I?" Her eyes flashed at him, her anger misdirected.  "All my life I've always been the obedient daughter, the gracious cousin.  Always doing what they've asked of me, never straying. But never once did they ever consider my feelings... my dreams."

Amina looked intently into his eyes.  "I want to choose who I want to love.  And I want to choose where I want to go.  And if they can't support that... then I don't need them in my life."

"Jagi..." Youngbae said.  He could tell she was hurt by her family's backlash.  But she would regret turning her back on them one day.  "This is your family you're talking about it.  They're all that you have.  Won't you at least try to make one last effort?"

Amina searched his face, her eyes wavering in confused pain.  She couldn't understand why Youngbae was pressing her to reconcile with her family now after what she'd been through.  "Whose side are you on?"

Youngbae could tell he had slipped. The hours spent with Amina's father and cousin had affected him.  "Yours, baby."  He squeezed her hand in reassurance.  "I'm always on your side... But this isn't even about side."  He looked away and shook his head before looking directly at her.  "This is about you.  I don't want you to leave with any regrets." 

He continued. "No matter what happens, they're still your family.  Through thick and thin, they're all you have.  Whether you agree or not, maybe one day you will understand their reasoning."

Amina stared at him for so long, it started to unnerve him.  He shifted in his seat.

"Maybe one day," she agreed quietly.  "But just not today.  Today, I just want to be mad at them."  She tugged his hand so he could ease up into a sitting position next to her.  "And just for today, could my boyfriend be mad at them too?"

Youngbae could see the lingering sadness in her brown eyes.  He felt like a jerk for trying to reason with her when he should have been consoling her instead.  He murmured against .  "Would that make you feel better?"  He nudged her lips and kissed her softly.

She nodded and closed her eyes.

The following evening...

Tonight was the night.

ARGH! Youngbae let out a big mental sigh and shrugged the tension out of his shoulders.  He could have saved this for her last night in Seoul, but he didn't want to rush it.  He wanted to savor this moment with her.  Hell, he would have proposed to her yesterday when he bought the ring but her family had ruined the mood.  He took a deep breath and shoved his hands deep down his jean pockets and felt the small black and gold-gilded, velvet box for the nth time that day.

They had spent the whole day together again.  It was mainly cooped up in the studio, but she didn't seem to mind.  She sat quietly in the back and watched as he worked with the rest of the producers going over tracks and re-arranging chords.

Every once in awhile he would catch her glance and smile boyishly at her. 

He had just finished a section of music when he walked out of the recording booth and Jiyong jumped him from behind.  "Yah!" Youngbae grinned.

"You sang really well tonight, Youngbae-sshi..."Jiyong teased in a high-pitched voice.  "Could it be because you missed me these past couple of days?  Here, let me give you a kiss..."  Jiyong leaned in and puckered his lips near Youngbae, who just laughed and averted his face.

Lydia Paek, a petite Korean-American blonde, and YG producer, sat next to Amina and turned to her with an amused expression on her face.  She had been keeping Amina company throughout the evening during breaks and they were becoming fast friends.  "Does it bother you when they do that?"

Amina felt Youngbae's eyes on her.  Keeping her eyes on him, she answered Lydia.  "Aniyo... It doesn't bother me at all.  Because I know he's coming home with me tonight."

That started a round of cat calls from their other producer, Choice 37, and Jiyong, causing Youngbae to blush, while Lydia busted out laughing.  

"Alright then," Choice 37 grinned.  "I guess that's our cue to wrap it up." 

Youngbae walked over to Amina, his eyes twinkling with merriment.  "Ready?"  He held out his hand to her.

She smiled and took his hand.  They said their goodbyes to everyone and left the studio. It was late... and they didn't care who saw.  They held onto each other's hand as they walked the halls and bowed to every staff member they passed, much to the staff's amusement.  If someone had to go in-between them, Youngbae and Amina would wait it out and press up against the side so they could pass by. They knew they were being silly and traded secretive glances.  But it was fine by them.... because they were in love.

They reached the entrance doors and let go.  Amina grabbed her hoodie on and burrowed into the fabric, pulling on her shades.  Even though it was night time, she had to be cautious now that they were out of their comfort zone.  They reached his car and soon were speeding down the main roadways.

She took off her sunshades and turned towards him.  He still had a small smile on his face.  "So what do you want to do tonight?"

Youngbae glanced over at her seductively and his lips.  "Mwuh? You don't know?"

Amina giggled, feeling herself turn red.  "Before that..."

He chuckled.

"You're going to feed me right?" She leaned over and massaged his ear lobe while he drove.

He pretended to look annoyed.  "I guess I could feed you first." 

She grinned impishly up at him and pressed a quick kiss on his cheek before laying her head against his right arm.  "Good... because I'm going to need a lot of energy for what I have planned for you tonight..."

He groaned quietly.

She smiled into his sleeve.

They ended up picking up dinner and taking it back to his place, much to his dismay.  He really should have thought this out better, he chided himself.  Maybe rented out a rooftop that overlooked the city... hell, even the YG rooftop would have been preferable over his apartment living room.  But yet, here they were - watching a re-run episode of Running Man and eating kalbi with chopsticks while snuggled up on the sectional next to each other.

He sighed.

Amina looked up at Youngbae, wondering what he was so distressed about for the second time that evening.  He had been giving her pained glances ever since she suggested they come home for dinner instead of driving around town.  It was getting late... and she knew he had spent all day at the studio. She pressed herself close to him.

"Tired?"

Youngbae touched his cheek to her temple.  "Ani..."

They sat and watched the show until a commercial came on.  Once it did, Amina moved away to clean their dishes.  He tried to pull her back down to him.  "Bae-yah!"  She scolded playfully over her shoulders, as she tried to stand up with both hands full. "I'm going to drop these..."

"Don't leave..." he said with a fading smile.  It was now or never.  "I have something for you..."

She grinned.  "Mwuh?"

He turned slightly pink.  "Just something... before you leave on your internship."

Amina watched his eyes carefully.  So this was what was stressing him out.  She nodded.  "I'll be back... just let me just wash these dishes." She tried to not think of what it could be as she went through the motion of washing their plates and placing them on the drying rack. She dried her hands and it immediately hit her.  The silence.

Suddenly she felt nervous.  Amina walked back into the living room.  He had turned the television off.  She found Youngbae sitting hunched over on the edge of the sectional where she had left him, his legs spread slightly apart and his head held in-between both of his hands.  He appeared deep in thought and wouldn't have even noticed her presence if she hadn't made a small noise.

Youngbae looked up, slightly abashed at being caught off guard.  He patted the seat next to him and waited for her to sit down.

Amina sat down and faced him.  She ran her eyes over him, immediately noticing the nervousness and quiet animation in his body movements.  He wouldn't look at her. "You said you had something for me?" she asked cautiously, peering at his face at an angle.  She felt like she was talking to a child with A.D.D.

"N-neh," Youngbae stammered, trying to recover his thoughts.  He reached for her hand and tucked her fingers within his.  There were so many thoughts... He hadn't felt this nervous in a long time. He his lips and looked into her patient brown eyes.  He calmed his nerves and slowed his breathing. "Jagi... Nan nul saranghae. Nuhman saranghae."

Amina felt tears sting at the back of her eyes.  "Nado saranghae..." she replied.  She didn't know why he was confessing himself to her now.  She watched as he took a deep breath, his lips and face flushed red.  He took a moment to gather himself before he continued.

"I've never felt like this with anyone before..."  He searched her eyes.  "You make me feel... complete.  Whole.  Myself."  He smiled.  "I never thought I would find someone like you.  And instead... you found me."  He brought the small box out of his pocket.  "I don't want to lose you.  I want you in my life forever..."

Amina watched as he looked down to open small box, breaking the spell he cast over her.  She suddenly realized he had just proposed.  Alarmed, she pulled back away from him.

Youngbae unhooked the ring from the box and placed in halfway between them.  "Marry me."

She stared at the ring for several heartbeats before looking up at him.  But he already saw the answer in her eyes.

He dropped his hand.

"Bae-yah..."  Tears began to form in her eyes. "Mianhae..." she cried.

He turned away from her, but not before she saw the deep pain that slashed across his face.

"Oppa!"  She tugged on his shirt so he would face her.  "Look at me!" Tears rolled down her face as she tried to reach for him again.  "Please..."

Youngbae stood up and tossed the ring down, walking a few yards away.  He didn't dare face her.  He was still in shock.

Amina stared blindedly at his back through a blur of tears.  So this was how it was going to end.  Fine.  So be it.  At least she would have her say.  "I don't understand. I told you... I didn't want to be engaged so soon.  You have your career.  I have my school.  And now, especially with me leaving... unless," she trailed off.  "Unless that was your plan all along.  To make me feel guilty and stay."

She saw a slight flinch in his posture and confirmed her own suspicions.  Amina bit down on her lip bitterly and nodded to herself.  Bastard. She grabbed her purse and shoved her phone inside, searching for her coat.

"It wouldn't have worked," she called over her shoulder.  "I would have left anyway.  So there was no need to propose... no need to tie yourself down to me."

Amina struggled with her shoes, the tears flowing down heavier now, but eventually got them on. She wiped the tears away.  "The only thing..."  She took a deep breath, struggling to compose herself as she became more upset.  "The only thing that hurts the most is knowing that you were just like them..."

Youngbae turned to snap a reply only to hear his apartment door slam. He was too late.

She was gone.