"because I know what's it's like to be that hungry".

 

 

---

 

 

Yonghwa glanced at Seohyun curiously. What did this woman mean by that? Something suddenly came back to him when he heard that. He remembered when he asked the private investigator to investigate about Jonghyun, he knew there was something strange about the two. For example, the P.I told him that there was a period of blank between when Jonghyun was 8 to 9. No one knew where the two were, no one really cared. What happened between this period of time ?

Seohyun looked at Yonghwa and scoffed, "I feel like you're staring at me because I gave away your goguma cake".

Yonghwa wanted to laugh at her innocent thinking but held it in and replied seriously, "I am".

Seohyun sighed and punched his arm playfully, "Come on, stop being so stingy. The kid needed it more than you do".

Yonghwa caught her wrist mid-air and pulled her to a stop, "You want me to forgive you? Sure but there's a condition".

Seohyun narrowed her eyes and said, "What condition?".

"You have to tell me about your past".

 

 

---

 

 

 

Seohyun and Yonghwa were seated on the park bench. Seohyun bought herself and Yonghwa ice cream in return for the goguma cake. His was Vanilla flavour while hers was Strawberry.

Seohyun her ice cream and asked, "So why are you suddenly so curious about my past?".

"Background checkup on my sister's boyfriend's sister" Yonghwa answered monotonously.

Seohyun scowled , "You didn't ask me the first time we met".

Yonghwa overturned his mind for excuses and replied, "That's because the first time we met, you fainted on me".

Seohyun blushed slightly at that statement and stuttered, "That is... true.. but whatever".

Yonghwa ate his ice cream and urged her, "I'm waiting".

 

Seohyun sighed and started recalling her past,

"My parents passed away in a car accident when I was 14, Jonghyun was 8 at that time. We were taken in by social workers and were sent to an orphanage for a temporary stay. One day, I heard the social worker talking to the owner of the orphanage, they said that Jonghyun and I had to go to different adopted homes because there aren't any available families that were willing to take in two children at once.

So I took Jonghyun .. and ran away".

 

Yonghwa's lips opened slightly as he gasped, "What?".

Seohyun smiled gently and nod, "Yup that's the stubborn, irrational me at the age of 14. I didn't think very far when I ran away with my 8 year old brother. I soon found out that taking care of a kid when you are still a kid yourself isn't as easy as I thought. The nights at the park was too cold and the testers food was never enough to fill our stomachs. It was also risky to go into public places since the social workers might be looking for us".

 

Seohyun turned to look at Yonghwa and asked, "Are you still interested to listen on? because the rest of the story isn't that pleasant either".

Yonghwa replied stubbornly, "I can take it".

 

"If you say so. I left our district with Jonghyun and we took a few days to travel to a far district where we wouldn't be recognized. I went around looking for jobs. I didn't want Jonghyun to stop studying. but it wasn't easy because I wasn't at legal age yet. Luckily, in the end, I found a job at a shop lot that sold grocery and I worked for them for 4 years. I didn't get any salary though but Jonghyun and I got three meals a day and a place to sleep at least. At night when everyone was asleep, I would secretly do part time jobs like peeling vegetables and handicrafts to earn some money. By the time I turned 15 and Jonghyun was 9, I earned enough money to send Jonghyun to school. I beg the aunty at the grocery shop and she finally agreed to help me sign up Jonghyun for school with condition, I continue working for her for no salary".

 

Yonghwa stared at Seohyun incredulously but didn't interrupt.

 

"My life went on like this until I was 18. I finally am a legal adult and can finally stand on my own feet without being afraid of anyone else. With all my savings from the part time jobs in the 4 years living at the back of the grocery shop, I had just enough money to rent a small apartment which is the apartment I have been living in until that -- nevermind. I managed to earn a more official job which is my job at Tiffany's cake shop and that's how I have been living until now".

 

Seohyun ended the story and looked up at him. He wasn't smiling but he wasn't frowning either. He looked as if he didn't know how to react. Plenty of emotions flooded through him but he didn't know whether to comfort her or to play it tough.

"You look.. taken aback" Seohyun said carefully, scanning his expression.

Yonghwa shook his head and said, "I just didn't know you had such a rough past".

"It's not something I like to talk about".

Yonghwa felt ashamed of himself suddenly. He made Seohyun remember such painful past because he was curious. How selfish could he be ?

"I'm sorry, if I knew, I wouldn't have .." Yonghwa blurted.

"Asked?" Seohyun cut in and chuckled. "It's not your fault. The past is the past anyways and it can't hurt me anymore".

 

Yonghwa looked up at her and saw a sparkle in her eye. A sparkle of flame. A flame of determination. He finally understood why he fell in love with this woman.

She was strong despite everything she's been through.

She was brave despite all the wrongs in her life.

She was determined despite everything else.

 

She still had that sparkle in her.

 

 

---

 

 

Yonghwa rolled uncomfortably in his bed that night. He failed another day of confessing. Why was confessing so hard for him when it seemed to be so easy for Jonghyun? Just one day and Jonghyun had his sister in his hands.

Why was it so difficult for him?

"ARGHHHHH" Yonghwa continuously kicked his blanket with his feet childishly.

 

 

---

 

 

Yonghwa spent the following morning at work daydreaming about how he was going to confess to Seohyun. At the board of directors meeting, he even accidently answered Seohyun to the question, "Which company should we list as our next target of sales?". He still remembered the rare embarrassment when all the board of directors turned to stare at him.

All he could was bow his head in apology, clear his throat and pretend he is reading the file in front of him.

 

 

---

 

 

Yonghwa jogged around the garden, searching for a trace of Seohyun. He wanted to come home early and eat dinner with them but his work did not permit him. From when he could remember, it was always his work first. But now, just to spend time with Seohyun and Yoona (and keep an eye on that Jonghyun !) , he actually slacked off on work more than he ever dared to imagine and in result, he was trapped by a pile of documents today. He finally arrived home at 10 pm and asked the maids where Seohyun was at, (he tactfully asked them where Jonghyun was at first so they wouldn't be suspicious) but the maids told him Seohyun went out for a walk at the garden.

 

Yonghwa finally spotted her. Surprisingly, she was sitting on his favourite hammock, swinging slowly to the front and then back. Yonghwa smirked and quietly snuck behind her, approaching her slowly.

Her back came closer and closer until..

"Yah" Yonghwa hit her at the back playfully.

Seohyun jumped and let out a little scream, "EOMMA YA!".

Yonghwa laughed out loud and ran a few metres back incase Seohyun wanted to whack him back. He stood slightly bent over as he clutched his stomach. His stomach actually hurt from laughing.

 

When Seohyun realised it was just him, she turned red and started yelling, "JUNG YONG HWA I SWEAR I AM GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU DO THAT AGAIN !".

Yonghwa laughed and said, "That actually sounds tempting".

Seohyun looked furious and folded her arms to her chest, "Choding".

Yonghwa straightened up and attempted to keep a straight face, "Ahrasso, mianhaeyo. I was just playing".

Seohyun pulled a face, "You're late".

Yonghwa cocked his head, "Did I make an appointment with you here or something?".

"No" Seohyun scowled. "I meant you are late as if you came home late".

"Ah, there was a lot of work at the office so I came home slightly late today" Yonghwa explained.

"Oh" Seohyun said and went back to staring at the moon.

"What are you doing here alone?" Yonghwa asked.

"Nothing, this house is too big sometimes I feel better at the garden" Seohyun said. 

Yonghwa stared at her.

Seohyun sighed, "I know. I'm ridiculous".

Yonghwa shook his head, "No, I don't think you're ridiculous".

"Then why are you staring at me like I'm an idiot?".

"Because.." Yonghwa said slowly, "That's exactly the reason why I like to sit here by myself sometimes. You do know this is my hammock".

Seohyun shrugged, "Everything in this house is yours but I guess, this is one thing we actually agree on".

"That's a good sign" Yonghwa nod his head.

"Yeah" Seohyun agreed absentmindedly.

 

Yonghwa stared at the moon and back at Seohyun. He decided, he was going to confess right here, where the moon was watching over him.

No more waiting, he was going to do it.

And he couldn't careless whether Jonghyun walks in on them or another maid falls on her face.

He was not going to be stopped this time.

"Seohyun, I have something I want to say to you".

Seohyun looked at him, "What?".

 

Yonghwa gulped and started,

 

"Seohyun, I just wanted to say that I like you" Yonghwa confessed earnestly.

 

Seohyun's eyes widen in surprise but Yonghwa quickly said, "Please don't say anything, let me finish. Look I don't know when I started to like you, or how. All I remember was a crazy lady who's brother was trying to woo my sister and a crazy lady that kept kicking my shin and the next thing I know, I'm in love with you. I don't expect you to like me back by telling this to you but I just have to get it out of my chest before I lose my mind".

Yonghwa ended his speech with a loud breath.

 

Seohyun stared at him.

 

"Yeah" Yonghwa let out another loud breath.

 

Seohyun stared at him.

 

Yonghwa fidgeted uncomfortably.

 

Seohyun jumped off the hammock and went to stand in front of Yonghwa.

 

Yonghwa's legs trembled.

 

"Are you serious?" Seohyun said.

 

"Dead serious" Yonghwa said determined.

 

Seohyun shook her head and gave Yonghwa a look of pity, "Sorry, Jung Yong Hwa".

 

 

---

 

 

Yonghwa felt his heart drop, like a stone plummeting down a cliff. Straight down to the bottom. He just got rejected.

 

Seohyun bit her lips and said, "I don't have time for love. I have to look after Jonghyun, I have to earn money to support my family, I have to find a living. A relationship requires commitment and time and I don't have any of those to give away. You better find someone else".

Seohyun was about to walk away but Yonghwa gritted his teeth and held her wrist tightly. He pulled her to look at him.

"I don't need your time or much of accompanying. I just want to be with you. I know you like me, I can feel it!" Yonghwa insisted.

Seohyun tried to break free of Yonghwa's grasp but it was too strong, "I don't like you".

"You like me" Yonghwa insisted again.

"You're delusional" Seohyun scoffed.

"You're in denial" Yonghwa scowled.

"Trying to fool yourself that I like you won't change my mind about anything" Seohyun said stubbornly.

"I am never going to stop liking you, if you don't give me a chance. I'm always going to be around you and I will never move on with my life. I'm going to stay right here until you give me a chance" Yonghwa said, his eyes shining with determination.

"What's the difference between forcing me into a relationship and me willingly being in a relationship with you then?" Seohyun argued.

"There is no difference" Yonghwa said plainly.

"This isn't right" Seohyun insisted.

Yonghwa stopped for a moment before saying, "I just need a chance. Just accept me, for a month or two. If it really doesn't work out in the end, if you really don't like me in the end. Then I permit you to break up with me, and I'll never bother you again".

"and if I give you this chance, what's the point if I don't even like you?".

"The point is there because you do like me, you just don't know".

"We are not going to be in a relation--" Seohyun started but Yonghwa clamped his hands to his ears and started chanting, "WE ARE DATING ! WE ARE DATING ! WE ARE DATING !".

He chanted it loudly all the way back to the house, muffling the screaming protests of Seohyun.

 

Seohyun stood frustrated at the hammock. 

 

"What in the world" she muttered to herself in frustration.

 

She just got forced into a relationship.

 

 

---

 

ANYEONG !

Yeah I'm back with another update.

I doubt you guys expected me to update so quickly but I guess because I left this story for a period of time. I just wanted to give you guys a quick double update before anything comes up and disrupts my writing again. 

Thus, behold the confession-ional Jung Yong Hwa, (literally a person who is professional in confessions).

I swear only he can force a person into being his girlfriend this casually.

Yongseo is now officially together, (even if Seohyun denies it)

Stay tuned !

THANKS FOR READING AND COMMENTING !

-Jung Hae