Jong Kook sat still on the driver seat. Ji Hyo’s voice echoed through his mind. “Oppa! Please fight for me!!!” He kept repeating the sentence inside his head. The image of the cheerful Ji Hyo appeared everytime he tried to erase the woman’s voice from his head. The more he remembered the more he wanted to fight for her. He gripped the steering wheel tighter than usual. Appa can you just let it  go? Don’t make me choose between the two of you. He slowly made a turn to a smaller road that led him to his house.

He stopped his car slowly at the exact same place where he parked his car the day before. Everything’s going to change at the moment I knock that door. He sighed. Doubtfully he turned the engine off and unlocked the car’s door. It was barely 8 in the morning but the sun had shone brightly. Jong Kook covered his eyes with his fingers. He wished it was raining like yesterday so he could feel Ji Hyo’s presence beside him. Now he needed to fight alone and that was not an easy thing to do. He rushed to the front door and hesitantly knocked it. He took a deep breath and tried not to regret his final decision.

“Jong Kook-ah?” a warm voice greeted him. All he thought about was his appa, he didn’t expect her eomma to open the door.

“Ah eomma, it’s you.” He let out a small smile, indicating that he was relieved. At least for now he could stay calm.

“Ah-deul, come in. I thought you had gone back your apartment.” She seemed to be very happy to meet her son. The door was opened a bit wider to create a space for him to walk in. Jong Kook’s guard was up. He prepared for the worst thing to come up. The real battle. He slowly walked in, searching for the person he had been looking for.

“Jong Kook-ah, relax. Your appa’s not here.” His eomma patted his back, trying to make him comfortable. She could see a fear and a little bit of hatred in her son’s eyes.

When Jong Kook heard the statement, he started to feel more comfortable in the old house. His appa’s presence really affected him. There was no use for him to worry too much since his appa would not come back at least until a half hour later. His mother told him that he decided to walk to the nearest minimarket to buy some stuff there.

Jong Kook’s appa walked slowly. His feet were no longer as strong as they were 10 years ago. It was a good thing that he almost reached the market. He only had to walk a few meters away. Ah, I’m an old man now. He sighed as he realized that his breath was uncontrollable.

Although his legs were weak, his eyes were not. He suddenly caught a figure he thought he recognized. The old man narrowed his eyes to take a deeper look, making sure he wasn’t mistaken. Isn’t that the lady who borrowed me an umbrella yesterday? What is she doing there? She looks like she just saw a ghost. He frowned and tried to call her.

“Agassiiiii!!!” The woman across the street looked at every direction, trying to find the source of the loud voice. She was bewildered, nor sure that the call was meant for her. Then she caught the old man’s eyes. Her expression changed dramatically.

“Harabuji? You’re here?” She said laughingly as she crossed the street. She bowed politely to him and said a few greetings. Jong Kook’s appa was really pleased to meet someone as nice as she was. He told her what he was doing there and asked her a few questions.

“What are you doing there, agassi? You looked like you just saw a ghost.” He chuckled, showing some wrinkles on his face.

“The same as you, harabuji. I’m just about to go to the minimarket.” He nodded in understanding.

“Why are you always alone? Don’t you have a boyfriend? A pretty lady like you shouldn’t go everywhere by herself.” He chuckled again, noticing that he was having a finger in the pie. The woman didn’t answer and giggled shyly instead. By her gesture, he knew she didn’t want to answer that so he asked another question.

“Aigoo you’re being shy. What’s your name, Agassi?” There was a gap between the question and the answer. It seemed like the lady hesitated to answer it.

“Seong Im. You can call me that.” She smiled naturally.

“Okay then Seong Im-ah. “

Ji Hyo hadn’t heard someone calling her real name for such a long time. It was nice to hear that again. She felt welcomed. I wish Jong Kook’s appa is this nice. She said to herself, imagining what did his father look like.

“Seung Im-ah, I would be happy if you can visit my house. I haven’t returned the umbrella anyway. And to be honest, I am too tired to come back to my house and walk back here to return it to you.” The old man asked casually. Ji Hyo didn’t expect to see the harabuji again when she borrowed him the umbrella, so she actually had given him it for free. Not knowing what to answer, Ji Hyo was startled for a few seconds with her blank face. She was considering whether to say yes or no to the invitation.

Her mind was still in her relationship problem with Jong Kook. It wasn’t the right time to visit a local man’s house. But a part of her wanted to live life and forget about the burden for awhile. She took one last look at the motel across the minimarket. Oppa, when will you come back? I hope you’ll come back with a good news. The image of Jong Kook appeared in her mind. Then she decided.

“Sure, harabuji, it would be an honor to meet your wife.” The old man’s face brightened when he heard her answer. Slowly he walked to the minimarket entrance with her.

They both continued their conversation as they went into the minimarket. It didn’t take long for them to find what they had been looking for. Ji Hyo paid for the old man’s grocery. He refused it at first, but she insisted. The action made the old man liked her even more. For a few times he kept on repeating this sentence: Yah Jong Kook-ah, you’re an idiot. Why can’t you find a woman like this....

When they finished shopping, the sunlight had shone even brighter than before. The old man walked fast in front of Ji Hyo, leading the way to his house. His weak feet suddenly felt stronger. He couldn’t wait to show the helpful lady to his wife. She would be happy too to see her.

During the walk, the old man and the young lady had a conversation. Ji Hyo told him that she lived in Ilsan and that was the first time she went to the city.  After being informed by her, Jong Kook’s appa talked a lot about the city. He told Ji Hyo about places with good views that she had to visit, tasty traditional food that she really had to try, and the rest was all about weather information.

After having a long walk, they finally arrived in front of an old house. Ji Hyo thought it was a beautiful house. She loved the place very much, especially the big tree in front of it. She stopped and stared at it.

“I used to play with my son under this big old tree.” The old man walked toward the tree he just mentioned. JI Hyo caught a glimpse of pain in his eyes. He seemed to miss him a lot, although Ji Hyo didn’t know anything about their relationship. She supposed her son never visited him or maybe he was just reminiscing some good old days. She wanted to ask him about that but suddenly she saw a car. A car that looked exactly like Jong Kook’s. She was startled.

“But past is past. Let’s just get in.” The old man’s voice woke her up from her deep thought. She quickly turned her head to look at the harabuji and nodded.

When the harabuji opened the door, a female voice came out from inside, “Yeobo, is that you? Our son is here!!” From the way the woman called the harabuji, Ji Hyo assumed that she was his wife. Her suspicion grew even bigger when she heard that. It was such a coincidence. The harabuji’s son presence, the car outside, Jong Kook’s visit to his parent’s house. It didn’t make sense.

The old man didn’t say anything to his wife, he told Ji Hyo to come in instead.

“Come in, Agassi. My ah-deul is here. If you really don’t have any boyfriend, I could introduce you to him.” For a moment, Ji Hyo doubted his own idea of Jong Kook as the harabuji’s son. Harabuji says it like his son doesn’t have any girlfriend. Well Jong Kook oppa told her father that he had me and if I’m not mistaken, his appa is going to introduce him to his friend’s daughter. If this harabuji is Jong Kook’s appa, he wouldn’t introduce me to his son. Everything in her brain went fast as she thought about the whole think. But then she felt her blood rushed to his head when she noticed that the harabuji had not finished his sentence.

“Well, my son said he had a girlfriend and he fought hard when I told him I wanted to introduce him to another girl. It seemed like he wouldn’t like that girl. But maybe he would like you.” He chuckled, not noticing Ji Hyo’s change of expression.

She said nothing as they walked to the living room. She felt like her heart was going to explode. The mixture of happiness, curiosity, high expectation, and fear crept into her mind. She took a smaller and slower step behind the harabuji.

“Forget about my son, I’m bringing my savior with me now, Yeobo. Remember the woman who helped me yesterday? She’s here.” He chuckled happily as they reached the living room. Ji Hyo was positively sure she could hear her own heartbeat. From where she stood, she could see some parts of the harabuji’s wife. She saw her hair and the clothes she wore. Slowly she was getting nearer to the living room which was located right behind the white wall. When she was about to see the ah-deul who sat exactly beside the wife, the harabuji said again.

“Jong Kook-ah, forget about the A company heiress. Marry Seong Im-ah and I would be really happy.” 

A/N: Okay this is kinda short but I think you would still like it anyway. I've never planned to make Jong Kook having to choose between Ji Hyo and his appa in the first place, but that was worth the read wasn't it?

I didn't reread the chapter so if you notice any mistake or you don't understand the plot, please tell me. I'll try to fix it :)