“Hi, Jadis.” Hoya said as soon as he comes to in the counter of the coffee shops.

“What did you call me?”

“Jadis. White Witch from Narnia.”

“I know that. Why did you call me Jadis?” Ahra gives him a glare.

“Because you always have that cold appearance and you like witch story. So, you’re Jadis. That nickname suits you.”

“Silly. What are you doing here?”

“I want you to go with me.” Hoya smiles.

“Can’t. You know my shift ends at…”

“12.45. I know. I’m gonna wait. I also know it’s Saturday, so you don’t have musical practice and you’re free after the shift.” Hoya said with confidence. Ahra just stares at him in daze.

“God, are you stalking me?”

“No. I’m just…I’m…good at memorizing.” Hoya stuttering. To be honest, maybe he's indeed 'stalking' her.

“Whatever… You know you can be here unless you order something.”

“Right… What should I order? Umm… Chocolate Ecclair.” Hoya said after looks at the menu list.

“No, you can’t, it’s too sweet. You need to watch your blood sugar.” Ahra said coldly.

“Since when you care about my health?” Hoya chuckles.

“Don’t get me wrong. I just don’t want you to pass out in my working place.  Drink Apple Juice instead.”

“Okay… Apple Juice.” Hoya smiles. Somehow he feels glad. She cares about me, a little...

“3800 won.”

“You don’t give me any discount?”

“Nope. Your order will be served in a minute. Thank you.” She said flatly as recieving the money.

Hoya smiles as he brings the cup of Apple Juice to the table in the corner. He’s waiting for 30 minutes until Ahra shifts ended. Now they’re on the train heading to the hidden corner Seoul city. They’re arrived in the small suburban area near a hidden bay. It’s a nice place with a gentle breeze where they can see harbor and the sea.

“I don’t know there’s such a place in Seoul.” Ahra said.

“My mom brings me here often when I was a child. It becomes my favorite place after that. You know, there is a similar place like this in Japan.”

“Minato Mirai. Yokohama.”

“How do you know?” Hoya asked.

“Are you kidding me? I lived there.”

“Oh…I forgot. This place always makes me calm. When I was diagnosed and my dad said I shouldn’t dance anymore, I went here. I cried…for…about an hour.” Hoya said while his eyes wandering through the blue sky.

“You’re the first guy that I know who shamelessly admit that he’s a cry baby.” She scoffed.

“What can I say? I really did cry.”

“Was that hard? That time when you know you can’t dance anymore?” She suddenly asked.

“Hardest. You know I’ve been gifted so many things since the beginning. Life, family, materials…even this good-looking face. I’ve always been happy. That’s why, that become the first time I feel that life is so worse and unfair. It’s a cruel destiny.” Hoya said.

Ahra just stood still. She doesn’t say anything, she just listens to him.

“But after I met you I know that was nothing. Nothing to be compared with your life or anyone life. Mine could be the easiest. I know it’s silly. All my life I always feel that I’m imperfect, but now I don’t care anymore about perfection. I’m happy with myself.” He smiles.

“No one controls your destiny. Even at the very worst, there is always choice. That’s what I always believe.” Ahra finally said.

“Right. And my choice is to be happy. To forgive this cruel life. And to love.” Suddenly Hoya pulls Ahra closer to him. Ahra’s head on his chest, so now she can hear clearly his heart beats. Hoya cupped her face and lifts it. He looks at her eyes with a deep warm gaze.

“I love you.” He pulls her face closer until their lips meet gently. Ahra do nothing but closes her eyes.

“Please be my girlfriend. I won’t let you be alone. And I will make you happy.” Hoya said between the kiss. Ahra just stood still trying to avoid his eyes. She has a mixed feeling in her chest. This is it! This is what she wants. This is what she needs to achieve her goal. But what is this feeling mean? There’s another weird feeling appears when Hoya looked in her eyes.

“I’m sorry…I…” She's stuttering.

“You don’t need to say it now.”

“What? Hoya…”

“I’m sorry because I rushed it. But I will wait for your answer. And, even if you said ‘no’, it’s okay…I still want you know that I’ll love you. I’m gonna try to makes happy.” He gives her his innocence look.

“I need time.” She said finally. Hoya just nods and smiles.

On the way home in the train Hoya is sleeping. He must be tired, she thought. She watches his sleeping face and notice that Hoya is indeed a pure young man. Slowly she places Hoya’s head and rests it in her shoulder to make him feel more comfortable.

I’m sorry, Hoya….

[Hoya POV]

I walk home with a nervous feeling. I just confessed to her. Actually it was spontaneous, that’s why I can understand that Ahra was surprised and decide to take some time. I got it. I’ll wait. But I can see the problem that my family has right now can’t wait. I saw my dad and brother’s face at the moment I enter the house. They’re holding the latest edition of Finance Week with a gloomy face.

“Dad? Hyung?” I look at them. Both look troubled. I saw my father staring at some paper and suddely tries to hide it after he saw me.

“Oh…Howonnie you’re home? Have you eaten?” My brother break the silence.

“What is that?” I asked about the paper that my dad just held.

“It’s nothing.” My brother said. I don't believe it.

“No, let me see it.”

“Howon, listen to your brother!” My dad finally shout.

“No, dad! I need to know. Stop treating me like a baby!” I shout back. I never shout to him before. I guess I make him surprised. He looks down later.

Then I saw the paper, it’s on the headlines. The latest edition of Finance Week. And article with my dad’s face on it.

White-collar crime: LJ Entertainment Issues of Past Embezzlement?

No! One good thing because I’m a Business major, I know exactly what is it mean. This kind of issue is dangerous. I wonder about the stock price and stakeholder opinion. The board may go crazy because of it. And also about the press. What is it? I look at my dads face, but surprisingly he just stays calm.

“Dad, this is not true, right?” I asked him in a rush.

“Of course. We will handle it, Howon.”

An hour later I spend my night in front of my laptop searching the news about my dad’s company. It’s serious. The stock price significantly decreases.  The board is crazy and they demand explanation. Even though this rumor is not clarified but this kind of issues rise suspicions. I sigh. Who did this? Why spread this rumor?

My head becomes dizzy as I look at the articles. Crap! What’s happening?! I’m worry about my dad. I wish I can do something to help. A few moments later my brother’s entering my room. He walks to my desk and close my laptop.

“Don’t think about it.” He said.

“Why? You’re gonna say it’s not my business?” I said coldly.

“Howonnie…”

“Hyung, I’m a 'Lee' too. Don’t treat me like a baby boy. Don’t hide the things like that anymore.”

“I’m sorry. We’re just worry about you.”

“I’m worry about dad more. And about you too.” I said.

“We’re fine, Howonnie. This kind of thing happens a lot in a stock market. We’re gonna do some clarification and board will be calm in a while. You know Dad. He’s a capable man.”

“I know.” I sigh.

“Have you eaten dinner?” He asked. I shook my head.

“Wash up and come downstairs, okay. Let’s eat together.” I nod. I admire my brother a lot. It’s been a while since my brother helping my dad managing the company. Even though he’s busy with his orchestra but he still managed to get some time to help my dad. He’s an amazing brother that I proud off.

[Siwon POV]

I walk out from Hoya’s room and sigh. I need to make him calm. A while later I saw my dad busy calling someone downstairs. This is really a serious matter. It’s not just a random article. It has proves. I don’t even know how the source get those classified proves. It’s hard to say, but my family has some history that I’m not proud of. But, it’s in the past… It should just stay in the past.

“Dad? How is it?” I asked my dad. He just called someone.

“I’m contacting Secretary Kang.”

“How can they get those documents?”

“I don’t know. I think we need to ask your friend to track the source.”

“Dad, could it be…has connection with those packet boxes?” I asked carefully. It's too obvious.

“It can’t be. You know it too.”

“I know. But it’s so coincidence.”

“She’s dead, Siwon-ah. All of her family too.” My dad said.

“Not the little girl. She could be somewhere. It must be her.” 

“Well, she’s nowhere to be found. It can’t be her.”

I sigh. That girl could be the only one who knows about our family secrets. I’ve been tracking her for years but she’s nowhere to be found. I thought she’s dead too, like her mom. But maybe not…maybe she’s hiding somewhere. Waiting for revenge. I startled when I hear my phone buzzes.

“Oh, Sunggyu…”

“About the thing you asked me before. It’s done. Should I send it to you?”

“No. Let’s meet…”

I meet Sunggyu 10 minutes later in a coffee shop near our house area. Sunggyu is a genius hacker that I know from a long time ago. He’s been doing a lot of works for me before. Now he’s sitting across me wearing his usual black hoodies with a cappuccino and his laptop in front of him.

“What do you got?”

“That girl…is not an ordinary girl, man.” He chuckles.

“Show me.”

“Yoo Ahra, born in Gwangju 3 February 1991. Her parents are died in a car accident when she was 2. Since then she’s been living in the foster house until she was 10. Was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she’s 8. But it’s been cured when she’s adopted by Japanese-British couple. Yoshimura Jun and Victoria Watts. They lived in Yokohama for 3 years before finally moved to England because the couple divorced. She lived in Liverpool with her adopted mother before finally she’s back to Korea 3 years ago and starts a college in KNUA.”

“Looks like she had a cruel story. But it seems she’s not that bad.”

“I’m not finish yet. When she was in Liverpool she was some kind a rebel. She becomes manic depressive when she was 14 and was admitted to mental institution. But she’s cured a year later and live a normal live. Later when she’s a sophomore in high school she caused a big trouble that makes the authority send her to juvenile.”

“She was in juvie? What did she do?”

“She almost killed people. She set a fire to some kids that used to bully her after punch them bad. She burned them alive inside the house. Can you imagine that? But they’re lucky because the police patrol see the fire and saved them. Man, she had guts! What a girl… Later she’s sent to juvie for two years.”

She’s dangerous girl. I knew it. I got this feeling. I shouldn’t let Hoya get closer to her.

“What about the thing that I asked you later?”

“Connecting this Yoo Ahra girl to Han Yi Soo? I did. But turns out they’re really have no connection.” So it’s just a false alarm.

“Okay, good work. Send the documents to my office. I’ll send your payment tonight.” I said.

“Are you really alright? Things are bad about LJ Entertainment in a stock market.”

“That’s why I need you to do more works.”

“What?”

“Track the source of Finance Week article. Call me if you can identify it.”

[No one POV]

“Chateau Palmer. You bring me a good wine.” Myungsoo take a sip of his glass

“I just wanna have a toast.” She smile while pouring the wine to her glass.

“Too early too celebrate, girl.”

“It’s not a celebration. It’s an opening toast.” Ahra smiles while staring at her wine glass.

“I heard they checked your background.”

“Well, I let them. There’s nothing to hide anyway. Everything is safe.”

“Vicky and Jun-sama really teach you well.” Myungsoo scoffs.

“Yeah, they will find it all. Including the juvie records. What can I say? I was a bad girl back then.” She chuckles.

“Hmm…that’s true.”

“Everything they find about me is true. Except the fact I was never in a foster house. That Victoria and Jun is not a couple. And I’m not their adopted daughter. I’m their apprentice. Also the fact that my birth mom is not died in a car accident. She died when I was 12. She died because of injustice and greed of those nasty people.” Ahra said with that deep glare. She sounds emotionless. Myungsoo looks at her with a calm expression. She has it inside her. Vengeance and a cold anger.

“Anyway, if you were bad girl, that what are you now?”

“I’m a wicked girl.” Ahra smiles.

“Revenge may be wicked, but it’s natural."