http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9ooZv7SWcQ

Baek Ji Young- Hate it

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After the shocking dinner, Haewon and Inhee returned home.

Haewon sank onto the couch with a stunned expression.

Get married to Kris? There was no doubt that a part of her loved him.

But that love was platonic. She loved Kris like she loved Inhee. There was nothing more to their friendship. He was in love with her, she knew, and she also knew it was cruel to reject him, but she did not reciprocate his feelings. There was someone else in her heart. Until he was gone, there was no room for anybody else.

Inhee clapped and squealed with joy. “I can’t believe this happened!” The sofa dipped as she sat next to Haewon. “Mrs. Wu wants you to marry Kris! She approves of you as her daughter-in-law! This is unexpected but great news!” Inhee beamed and nudged her. “See! I was right! Kris was in love with you! He loves you a lot! Isn’t that good news?! You’re going to be Mrs. Kris Wu, the wife of the CEO of Wu Fashion Inc!”

Half a minute later, Haewon whispered, barely audibly, “I’m not getting married.”

The smile dropped from Inhee’s face. “Excuse me?”

Haewon shook her head. “I’m not going to get married to Kris oppa. I can’t.”

Inhee balked. Her happiness had been crushed by her niece’s refusal. “W-why not?! You heard Mrs. Wu! She gives you her blessing! She wants you to get married to her son!” Haewon closed her eyes as her jaw turned rigid. Inhee continued, “You saw how hopeful Kris looked! He loves you, Wonnie! So of course you can get married to him-“

Haewon couldn’t take it anymore. She shot out of the seat with her eyes wide open. “Well then maybe it’s not that I CAN’T, but that I WON’T!”

Inhee blinked at her. “What…what do you mean?”

Haewon just stared at her while her shoulders moved up and down in shallow breaths.

“What do you mean you won’t marry Kris? Who else-“ Inhee narrowed her eyes. “Are you still thinking about that boy?!”

Haewon looked away, having been caught red-handed.

“I can’t believe this! You are still thinking about him! Why can’t you stop thinking about…Luhan?!” Inhee spat his name as if he was a criminal. Haewon glowered at him. “Auntie, how can you say that? I never understood why you didn’t like him.”

“It’s not that I don’t like him. It’s just…he’s not right for you!” Inhee cried out. “What are you saying?” Haewon asked in disbelief.

“You can’t…you can’t just judge him like that. You don’t know him the way I do!” Inhee opened , but Haewon continued without giving her a chance. “You said that Kris oppa was the one who helped me move on with my life. Well, Luhan oppa is the one who gave me life. He was the one who opened up my heart when I shut the rest of the world out. He was first one to reach out and take my hand in the darkness. How…how could you say such a horrible thing about someone who was so good to me?” Her eyes grew wet in resentment and remorse.

Inhee grew silent. Then calmly, she spoke, “What about Kris then? It’s not fair for him.”

*It’s not fair for you to decide who I should and should not love.* Haewon bit her tongue to keep from lashing back immediately.

Inhee looked at her and softened. “Sweetie…I’m not…I’m not trying to upset you. I know how much Luhan means to you. I’m grateful that he has befriended you. But…don’t you think it’s time you let him go?”

Haewon sharply in her breath and stared at her aunt in bewilderment. What cruel human being had replaced her caring, understanding aunt?

Inhee warily held her hands out. “I’m not asking you to forget him. I just…I think it’s time you erased your fantasy about him.”

“My…fantasy?!” Haewon hissed. “Aunt Inhee! Luhan oppa is a real person! Don’t declare that he was only a figment of my imagination!”

“I know Luhan is real! I saw him, too! I just…you never saw him, sweetheart. You never saw his actions. You don’t know much about him. The Luhan you remember from your youth may not be the same Luhan now. You have no idea where he is now and what kind of a person he grew up to be.” Inhee stated, making things considerably worse.

“Thanks for saying that nothing mattered when I was blind.” Haewon dryly snapped. “That’s now what I was trying to say.” Inhee covered her face.

“…I know Luhan oppa. I know him even better than Kris oppa, and I know that no matter what, he won’t be a disappointment to me. I believe in him. I always have, and I always will.” Haewon turned to go to her room.

“You haven’t answered my question yet. What about Kris?” Inhee asked. Haewon stopped.

“What is Kris to you then? If you have Luhan in your heart, then where does Kris belong?” Her aunt pressed. Haewon swallowed hard. To be honest, she didn’t know either.

“After all these years of taking care of you and trying to make you happy…is this how you repay him?” Inhee whispered thinly. “Haewon, Kris treated you like a princess. He’s gone out of this way to make sure you live a better life. Were you just using him to pass the time?”

Haewon spun around with wide, hurt eyes. “How-how could you accuse me like that?! You know I care for Kris oppa!”

“I know you do, Wonnie. I know you care for him a lot. Look deep into your heart. Somewhere there, Kris is there. He has been replacing Luhan all these years without you knowing. You’re just too stubbornly loyal to let go of Luhan.” Inhee persuaded.

Haewon shut her eyes. “No…no…” She shook her head in denial. She knew her heart, and it wasn’t like that. Luhan hadn’t budged in her heart since the day she had left him.

“I just want you to be practical, Haewon. I want the best choice for you. When I see Kris, I can see him with you. He’ll take care of you and cherish you for the rest of your life. I want you to experience such a perfect world with someone who loves you so.” Inhee whispered.

Haewon opened her eyes. *Perfection is not perfection without Luhan oppa.* She turned back to her door.

“Just remember who has been there for you all these years. Who gave you more? Kris or Luhan?” Inhee gave her the final question.

Haewon went into her room, shut the door behind her, and slid down onto the floor. *Kris oppa or Luhan oppa? I know…I know the answer…but I can’t bring myself to actually say that out loud. I’m scared. I don’t want to hurt either one, especially Kris oppa when he has done so much for me.* She curled into a ball as tears squeezed out of her eyes.

Why did love have to be so hard?

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It was past midnight, and Haewon couldn’t fall asleep. She sat by the window in her pajamas with a can of beer in her hand and Luhan’s letter in the other. Haewon tipped her head back as she took another drink of the beer. The bitter taste remained in , and she winced at the flavor. Haewon set the almost-empty can of beer by her side and placed the letter under the light of the illuminating moon.

Haewon saw how the stickers had been neatly arranged in order for her to be able to read his message. She closed her eyes, trying to remember those days when she had to rely on her hands to read. Haewon traced her fingers over the words.

Dear Haewon…All of my happy memories are with you…Because of you, I smiled, I laughed, I cried…One day, hopefully soon, we will be reunited…Cho Haewon, while you’re apart from me, don’t cry. Eat healthy. Sleep well. Study hard. Make new friends.

*I think I’ve been doing too much of that.* Haewon thought guiltily.

Last of all I wanted to confess to you something that I di