Hello! thanks for the comment bella78! Hope it can continue to be interesting for you all :)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Krystal’s POV:

My mind must be playing a trick on me.

I mean, HELLO, I’m seeing Lee Taemin seated opposite me. Nothing can get coincidental to this extent that it becomes so absurd. I mean firstly, this is the engagement dinner of Minho oppa and his fiancée. I don’t think Minho oppa knew Lee Taemin, for as far as I know.

But the fiancée might know him.

True…but…here’s the second reason. Things wouldn’t be so coincidental that we’re arranged to be seated on the same table, not even mentioning the total impossibility of me sitting opposite him. Too much of true coincidence needed for it to be valid.

So conclusion: the Lee Taemin seated opposite me is not real. He’s just someone I imagined because I was too absorbed in the engagement ceremony, and was starting to think how it would have been like between us if I had not run away.

“Krystal.”

The imaginary Lee Taemin called…my…name?

Seriously, is my imagination so wild that even an imaginary figure can talk?

No matter what, it just had to mean something bad. Either he is for real, or something’s very wrong with my brain.

And I definitely should run away whenever possible.

Which I did, and the imaginary Taemin did as well, after me.

Heck! So he is real!

And you know what? Screw all those plots in dramas that say that the guys cannot catch up with the girl that ran away from him, because in reality, guys are so much fitter than us girls, and it’s more than possible for them to catch up. Lee Taemin is definitely, no exception.

 “Krystal, stop running away from me.” He told me.

Stop running away? Just stop chasing then! I screamed into my head.

“Lee Taemin, what do you exactly want me to do? Don’t you want to annul our marriage as well? Isn’t what I’m doing now according to your wish?” I asked.

 “Of course not, my parents insisted that I find you back and…we carry on with the marriage.” He replied.

“So what’s your opinion about this? You want us to be married as well?” A glimmer of hope held in my heart. Maybe, there is a special place for me in his heart.

Then again, I’m actually not very optimistic about this. But this is going to be the very last time I’m holding such hopes of him, I told myself.

 “I don’t believe in marriage. I don’t believe that love can last.” He finally announced his stand.

“Great. Then stop looking for me.”I shut my eyes and replied, trying to hold the tear in my eye. ! Why does it still…hurt?

“No. I need you to cover for me.”

The last hope I had held on so tightly shattered with his words. “Right, so you just want us to be married, so that they will not bother about your playboy life.” I tried to paraphrase his words.

 “Yes.” He replied.

“Fine, I will agree with your plan if you can convince me. But before that, leave me alone.” I wrung off his grip and ran away before the tear was seen by him.

Or did he already see it?

Not like his impression matters any further. If he sees it, then let it be.

Stop crying! I told myself. Now you know his stand. He never liked you. He never did! Now you see it clearly!

“Stop being such an idiot. Get over him Krystal Jung!” I told myself.

And I naively thought that I could be the last woman in his life, when he accepted my confession that day.

I knew his playboy habits, but the thing is that, during his playboy days, we still hung out together. So I was the only one who knew him outside his ‘playboy world’.

And you may ask, why did I fell in love with him even when I knew that he’s a playboy?

Well, I don’t have an exact answer for this, because people who loved before should know this: love does not always come with reason. He might treat you bad, or he might just treat you as transparent. But sometimes, the sweet thing he does is sufficient enough to make up for all the bad things he does. That’s just how weird the thing called L-O-V-E is.

And now, I’m going to bid goodbye to this thing called L-O-V-E.

Sometimes, you need something destructive for you to make a firm decision.

And today is just destructive enough.

The next day I appeared with red eyes to work. Yes I cried litres of tears last night. It’s going to be the last time I’m crying over him like this.

Oh, have I mentioned my happenings during the 2 years?

Ever since I left High School in the States, I had been living in Korea, working full time as an administrative officer at Choiison. That’s how I got to know Minho oppa. He’s the General Manager there.

And then you may ask, how does a manager get associated with a tiny administrative officer like me?

Well, 2 years ago when I first came here, Minho oppa worked as an administrative officer as well. So we were colleagues, and no one knew that he is the son of the Chairman. That was how we knew each other and became close friends, and I’m thankful that the closeness continued even after his identity was revealed after his 1 year training and he was assigned the role of General Manager.

Then again, as close as we were, there were some things that I had not told him. Lee Taemin was one thing.

“Krystal, what’s wrong with your eyes?” Minho oppa asked.

“Mr Choi…it’s nothing really.” I replied. Since it was office hours I definitely have to call him by his surname.

“Hmm…okay…just tell oppa if there’s anything.” Minho oppa smiled and entered his room.

That’s just how nice he is.

And then you may ask, why have I not fallen for him throughout the 2 years?

He has someone in his heart. And I don’t have the intention to replace the one in his heart, especially when there is still someone in my heart. Then again, now I’m not that sure, if the one in his heart is still the same one from what I heard 2 years ago, or is it a different one.

Yuri. That name somehow rings a bell in me, but I just could not figure out who she is. I’m pretty sure I had heard her name before. Kwon Yuri, the one in his heart that I heard 2 years ago. But now, something inside me says that it’s got to be his current fiancée in his heart. I think she is called Choi Sulli or something. She’s kind of a natural beauty. Oh and did I mention she’s of my age as well? Somehow I really do hope to see her again. I think we will be able to get along really well :)

So, I finally endured till the end of the day, when I returned to the small house that I had rented.

And poof! He showed up there.
I guess he was already able to make use of his great connections from his family to find me.

“Krystal.”

Act normal. I told myself.

“Hi!” I smiled and unlocked the gate normally, stepped into the house normally, about to close the door normally…until he pushed the door open abnormally.

“We need to talk.” He said.

“Haven’t I already said this clear. I will not go along with the marriage.” I replied, trying to push the door close, but he was still stronger.

“Neither do I want it. But we have to abide to the promise.” He replied, forcing the door more open.

“That’s your problem, not mine.” I replied flatly. I mean, as long as no one finds me it’s none of my business.

“It doesn’t work that way!” He became agitated and pushed the door fully open. He stepped into my house and swung the door close with a *boom*.

Oh my. What’s wrong with him? I have never seen him so…angered before. So, I tried to run away but he pulled me back and pushed me against my wall.

“Yah! Lee Taemin, what are you doing?” I asked, after trying to muster all the courage I had. Deep inside, no one knows how much I was freaked out by this side of Taemin.

“Krystal. Just abide by this.” He stared straight into my eyes.

What did I see in his eyes, sincerity? How could it be? I must be imagining it.

“I don’t want to!” I told him flatly.

“Why?” He asked back, still pinning me against the wall, and inching closer.

What is he trying to do?

I tried to shift my gaze away from him. “Just, don’t want. Which part of don’t want don’t you understand?”

“And which part of why don’t you understand?” He retorted.

OH DAMN.

Why?

“I don’t want you playing around with other girls especially after you’re ‘married’ to me.”

“That’s impossible!” Taemin replied as if in shock. “You know me…” he started rambling on…

“Yes I know you. That is why it’s a NO!” I interrupted before he could finish his words.

He loosened his grip on me. I immediately pushed him aside. He leaned against the wall, as if trying to ponder through my words. As if he would.

I decided to say more since he was still in a rather blanked out expression.

“So, before you promise to quit all that playboy habit, don’t expect me to promise you anything.”

I was about to open the door to signal him to leave when he suddenly grabbed me by the hand and pinned me against the door.

Not another thing like that again?

“Please, Jung Soojung.” He suddenly gave off the innocent puppy expression.

LIKE HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO REACT TO THIS PUPPY-LIKE TAEMIN?

“No.”

“Please…”

“No.”

“Pleaseeeeeeee…”

“N-O, NO!” I expressed my stand.

He gave off an I-am-a-deserted-puppy look and left my house.

And now, I’m once again affected.

But the good thing is I know I’m less affected than before.

Means, I’m slowly getting over him :)