Kikwang sighed in frustration.

“Are you sure?” he asked the landlord.

The elderly woman nodded.

“I’m sure. There is no woman living here with the name Lee Na Jun” she replied.

Kikwang frowned.

“And you said that over 50 people have moved in and out in the past month?” he asked.

Once again, the landlord nodded.

Kikwang ran a hand through his hair and shook his head.

“Thank you” he said before he bowed to her and left her office.

As he shut the door to the office, he cursed.

It had been two days and still, he had nothing to help track down his mother.

Where exactly was she hiding?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hello Hyosung.”

Hyosung jumped as the voice reached her ears. She turned her head and looked at the woman standing behind her.

Hyosung smiled a bit.

“Oh, hello Mrs. Lee” she replied.

The woman smiled at her as she adjusted her basket of groceries.

“You look tired, honey. Has something happened recently?” Mrs. Lee voiced.

Hyosung placed the box of cereal in her cart before she turned to address the woman.

“Life has been hectic lately. My work preoccupies my attention most of the time.”

“Oh? Where do you work?” asked the woman.

Hyosung paused. Although it was sudden, she didn’t miss the change in the woman’s eyes. It made Hyosung feel uncomfortable.

“I work for KBS. I’m a writer” Hyosung said with a forced smile.

“Oh?! How exciting!” the woman replied.

Hyosung shook her head.

“No, not really” she replied.

“What does your husband do?” the woman asked.

Hyosung could feel her face get hot.

“H-husband?” she asked.

Mrs. Lee raised an eyebrow.

“Aren’t you married?” she asked.

Hyosung let out a laugh.

“No…we are just…together. We haven’t talked about marriage yet” Hyosung replied.

“Oh, well he is very handsome. I hope you two get married soon.”

Hyosung suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

“Oh…have you met him?” Hyosung asked.

“I saw him a few days ago as he entered your apartment. In fact, I have seen him a lot. The only one whom I haven’t seen in a few days is that young girl” Mrs. Lee replied with a smile.

Hyosung felt something in her stomach.

“Where is she?” Mrs. Lee asked as she stepped a bit closer to Hyosung.

Hyosung forced a smile as her hands gripped her shopping cart.

“She has been busy with school. She’s applying to college soon” Hyosung replied.

Mrs. Lee slowly smiled.

“Is that so?”

Hyosung gave the woman a quick nod.

“I have to go now, Mrs. Lee. Excuse me…”

Hyosung turned her back to the woman and began to push her cart. She felt the sudden fear in the pit of her stomach. It was her….

Before Hyosung could make it out of the aisle, the woman called out to her once more.

“You can’t protect her” Mrs. Lee voiced

Hyosung instantly turned back to face the woman but all that greeted her was an empty aisle. Hyosung swallowed hard and let go of her cart.

She ran down the aisle and looked around, searching for the woman.

“Where are you?” she asked herself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sohee sighed as she pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on her knees. She was completely bored with sitting around and doing nothing. She wasn’t allowed to go out and meet her friends or to even attend school for the moment.

She looked up when Hyorin walked into the living room.

“I’ll be going to work now” voiced Hyorin.

Hyorin owned a small café a few blocks away and even though she hardly had to go in to work, this week she was short on staff so she had no other choice but to leave Sohee by herself.

“Will you be okay by yourself?” she asked Sohee.

Sohee shrugged.

“Not like I can do anything about” Sohee replied with a small smile.

Hyorin gave Sohee an apologetic look.

“Sorry about that” Hyorin voiced.

It wasn’t long before Hyorin closed the front door and left Sohee alone. Sohee sighed once more as she picked up her cellphone. She tapped a few keys, smiling when she saw Jiyong’s name and number. Before she could call him, Kikwang’s face took over her screen and she immediately answered his call.

“Oppa” she greeted.

“How are you doing?” he asked.

“Okay, I guess. Just a bit bored, that’s all.”

Kikwang laughed a bit.

“Sorry about that” he replied.

Sohee frowned. She didn’t want to put any more burden on his shoulders so she didn’t tell him  that she feels very lonely.

 “Are you eating well?” Kikwang asked.

“Yeah.”

She could hear him shift around through the phone.

“Oppa…when can I come home?” she asked.

They shared a moment of silence.

“Just wait a little longer” he told her.

With a sad sigh, she let it go.

“Okay” Sohee replied.

When she finally disconnected the call, she shut her eyes. It hurt to look at anything. She could bear it…

The phone vibrated in her hand and she looked at it and smiled as she saw who it was.

She answered the video call and Jiyong’s happy face greeted her.

“Hey” he said.

He looked at her through the screen and she couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey” she replied.

“You look sad” he said with a frown.

Sohee shook her head.

“No way” she replied.

They shared a moment of laughter.

Jiyong knew that she had a reason for staying away from school, their friends…and even him….he just didn’t know the reason.

“Miss me?” he prodded.

Sohee rolled her eyes playfully.

“Of course not” she replied.

Jiyong looked at her and Sohee gulped.

“W-what?” she asked.

He looked at her.

“Sohee…I miss you” he replied in a soft tone.

Sohee felt something in her stomach sink down.

“I wish you would tell me what is going on so I wouldn’t worry this much.”

She looked away from his face on her screen.

“Jiyong…it’s not that I can’t. It’s because I don’t want to” she replied.

“Why not? I can help” he replied.

Sohee looked back to his face. The thought of him knowing everything about her…how she ruined so many things in the past…it scared her.

But then she thought of how Hyosung had never blamed her. Sohee often wanted to do nothing but yell and shake Hyosung. Hyosung should have blamed Sohee…not comforted her.

Sohee wondered if she could ever succeed in pushing Jiyong away. Would he leave her? He would be safer if he cut ties with her.

“I’ll tell you everything” she suddenly voiced.

It caught him off guard.

“You will?” he asked, his eyes lighting up.

Sohee felt her body shaking.

“But you have to come here. I can only tell you if we are face to face.”

Jiyong furrowed his eyebrows.

“Are you sure?”

It was pretty late and he knew that she was supposed to stay home and not invite anyone over.

“Y-yeah, I’m sure.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Are you insane?”

When she didn’t answer, Kikwang slammed his hands down on the table and Hyosung winced at the sound.

“Kikwang…calm down” she replied.

“No I won’t calm down Hyosung. What the hell were you thinking?! Huh?!”

Hyosung had decided to tell him about what had happened at the grocery store and also about how his mother had managed to befriend her only a few days ago.

“Kikwang, stop” she said as she finally stood up and faced him face to face.

“Nothing happened” she voiced.

Kikwang rolled his eyes.

“She’s crazy. Anything could have happened to you.”

They looked at each other for a long time until Kikwang let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his hands over his face.

“I should have never dragged you into this” he voiced.

He shook his head.

Hyosung crossed her arms across her chest.

“Well I’m already involved” she countered.

Kikwang walked past her and into their bedroom. When he returned, he held a small duffle bag and a handful of her clothes.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she walked up to him.

Kikwang ignored her and began to stuff her things into the bag.

“Kikwang!” she yelled as she grabbed his hands to stop him.

“Stop!” she commanded.

Kikwang pushed her hands away.

“You need to leave” he voiced.

Hyosung froze in her movements and stared at him with a hurt expression.

“You’re not pushing me away from this” she replied.

“Don’t you get it?! I can’t protect you, Hyosung!!”

Kikwang threw the duffle bag to the ground in rage. Hyosung silently watched as he struggled to control himself.

“Yah…did I ever say that you needed to protect me!? I can take care of myself” she voiced.

Kikwang turned to look at her.

“I chose to stay with you and to help you through this. If you push me away when you need me the most, how can I ever forgive you? You blame yourself for everything that has happened but you never want to share your burden with anyone. Sohee has struggled to help you but you still keep her at a distance. Do you want us to live like this? I don’t want to be with someone who can’t trust me.”

She bent down to grab her things. As she shoved the clothes into the bag, Kikwang’s hand reached out stopped her movements.

“I’m sorry” he replied.

Hyosung sighed.

“I’m scared…because she came so close to you” he explained.

They looked at each other.

“I don’t think I can stop her. You’re not safe here” he voiced.

Hyosung snatched her hand away from him as she rolled her eyes.

“Look, I’m not telling you to leave me…It’s just that I think you will be safer away from me….just for a little bit.”

Hyosung frowned and Kikwang reached down and patted her small stomach.

“For the baby?” he suggested.

Hyosung rolled her eyes again but she unwillingly relented.

“Fine…” she said after a few seconds.

If it meant the safety of her child, she would do what she told.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jiyong  stared at Sohee in shock.

“W-what?” he managed to say after she had finished speaking.

She looked at him with blank eyes.

“You heard me. I want to break up. I’m done with faking things that I don’t feel for you. I’m tired of you” she said.

Jiyong scoffed as he shook his head.

“Yah…do you think I’m stupid?” he asked.

He took out his phone and almost shoved it in her face.

“All these calls and these messages….you can’t fake the emotions behind them. You love me, Ahn Sohee.”

Sohee could see the tears in his eyes.

“You love me…like I love you. Why are you trying to make me a fool by breaking up with me?” he asked.

Sohee looked away from him.

Jiyong clenched his jaw. What was she hiding from him?

“Tell me the truth. What happened? Did you cheat on me? Are you being forced to do this? Tell me!”

He grabbed her shoulders.

“There isn’t anything that you can’t tell me” he voiced.

Sohee heard the desperation in his voice.

“Just tell me the truth.”

He hugged her tightly to show her that he wasn’t going to give her up so easily. She couldn’t help herself anymore. Sohee hugged him tightly as she cried.

“What is it?” he asked softly.

Sohee struggled to get the words out.

“I…I”

Jiyong caressed her back and she cried even more.

“Someone is trying to hurt you…right?” he asked.

Sohee nodded.

“Because of me?” he asked.

She shook her head.

“Because of your brother?”

Sohee shook her head again.

“You?” he asked.

Sohee slowly nodded.

Jiyong sighed as he held her tighter.

“Idiot…”

He pulled away from her so he could see her face.

“Even more of a reason that you need me around” he said.

As they looked at each other, Sohee could feel slight relief.

Jiyong let her go.

“Sohee…will you tell me the truth from now on?” he asked sincerely.

She hesitated in answering.

“What do you want to know?” she finally asked after a moment of silence.

“Everything” he sighed.

He pointed to himself.

“I’m not going anywhere…no matter what. You’re stuck with me and since we have to live our lives together…there can’t be any secrets.”

It was answer that was meant to soothe Sohee…but she couldn’t help but laugh.

As the laughter died down and the silence took over, Sohee knew that she had no choice now.

“I’ll tell you everything.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Oh…Hyosung, are you quitting?”

Hyosung looked up and saw her friend Hyoyeon standing in front of her desk.

“Oh, Hyoyeon…”

Hyosung looked at the box of her belongings that sat on her desk.

“No, I’m not quitting. I’m starting my maternity leave tomorrow.”

Hyoyeon gasped and dropped her coffee mug.

“You’re pregnant!?” she asked in shock.

Hyosung bit her lower lip as her fellow co-workers were now staring. She let out a nervous laugh.

“Yeah…I am” she replied.

Hyoyeon looked at Hyosung.

“But you don’t look too far along. Why are you starting maternity leave so early?” she asked.

Hyosung smiled.

“I talked to the boss and asked if I could work from home instead. My doctor recommended it since it seems I’m under a lot of stress at the office. I promise to be back once my official maternity leave is over.”

Hyoyeon smiled.

“Well, congratulations. Take care of yourself and make sure you invite me to the baby shower.”

The friends shared a small farewell before they parted ways. Hyosung turned in her last report to her boss and was soon on her way out of the office.

She took in a deep breath as she stepped outside. She was lucky to have gotten the chance to work from home. Now, Kikwang wouldn’t worry about her so much.

Hyosung walked to her car, struggling to hold her belongings while looking for her keys in her purse.

“Need any help?” a voice cut in.

“Yea-”

Hyosung stopped talking as she felt a gun against her back.

She didn’t need to turn and look to know who it was.

“Don’t make a sound. Walk.”

Lee Na Jun pushed Hyosung in the direction of a black car. Hyosung refused to walk.

“What are you doing? I told you to walk” Na Jun voiced through clenched teeth.

Hyosung reacted quickly as she swung her box at Na Jun. She didn’t wait to see if she caused Na Jun any damage, she just ran. She ran as fast as she could, her eyes searching for anyone…just anyone.

As she turned a corner, she saw a few people out on the street. She opened to scream but as a mere sound escaped , she felt someone pull roughly on her hair. Hyosung struggled as a cloth covered her nose and mouth, pressing down on her face. She managed to make out Na Jun’s face for a brief second. Hyosung clawed at the woman but she could feel her hands get weaker and her eyesight get blurry.

“Shhh” she heard Na Jun coo before everything went black.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sorry I took so long to update….AGAIN.  I won’t give excuses but I promise I will try very hard to update quicker. Anyway, it seems like the story is picking up. This story only has a few more chapters to go so the next few chapters will be heavily loaded with angst and drama and romance and fear and everything else that you can think of. Now that Sohee is going to tell her whole story to Jiyong and now that Na Jun has gotten to Hyosung, how do you think things will play out??? Will Kikwang really be willing to kill his mother, especially when Hyosung is involved? What does Na Jun plan to do now?!?! GAAAAHHHHH, find out in the next chapter!  Until next time!!!