Her parents were very much speechless when they opened the door by around ten in the evening and see Sooyoung smiling at them like she just went home late after a night’s out with her friends.

“Umma, Appa,” she smiled weakly.

It took them moments before her mother pulled her in a hug, sobbing, “Oh my baby girl,” she cried, parting and cupping her face like it is the first time she saw her youngest daughter after years.

Tears finally made it to Sooyoung’s eyes when reality sinks in that she is really home. She hugged her mother again, crying for real.

Jinhyuk stopped when he saw the three of them on the front porch. He waited for them to part before he moved with their baggage and with Yeojin.

“Umma! Appa!” he greeted making the couple speechless again.

“Jinhyuk?” Mister Choi squinted his eyes.

“The very one,” he smiled with open arms.

The old couple looked at Sooyoung before they moved to hug him after earning an assuring nod from her.

“Where have you been all this time? You barely give us calls,” Mister Choi asked while they all lounge at the living room.

“He has been with me in Paris, but he rarely goes home in our apartment. He is way too busy on business matters,” Yeojin replied.

“Oh, come on Umma, it’s not like you don’t know the nature of the business world. And you know that I might not be able to stop myself from running back in here when I hear your voice,” Jinhyuk smiled at Mrs. Choi, hugging her one arm.

“Yeah, then it also resulted for you not to be around on Sooyoung’s wedding,” their mother smiled at him.

“So how was Sooyoung in there? Did she give you another round of tantrums?” Mr. Choi asked.

“Oh, you don’t know how hard it is to please that bottomless stomach of her. She keeps on asking for kimbap in Paris and even in China,” Yeojin rolled her eyes, leaning on the sofa.

”Kimbap? But she don’t really like kimbap, she is more adept on eating ramen,” Mrs. Choi looked at Yeojin.

“Then I don’t know what food spirit went through her that she keeps on crying for kimbap with large strips of cheese,” Yeojin replied with her eyes closed.

“I guess you are all tired, we can continue this catching up tomorrow. Jinhyuk can stay on the guest room since his room is not yet ready, Yeojin you can stay on Soojin’s old room. She may come around tomorrow once she learns that Sooyoung is back,” the older female on smiled at the two before everyone retires on their quarters.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The very next day, everyone in the mansion is all in good mood since they all have solved one of their problems. What is left is their problem about Sooyoung’s whereabouts. Tao will not be back within two days since he has to wait for the inauguration.

Lay went earlier on Soojin’s café house to relax a bit. The day’s still young so he enjoyed his warm coffee while reading a book from Kris’ collection which looks like it haven’t been touched since it was bought.

“Hey there Yixing,” a voice made him look up from what he is reading. There could only be one who has the likes to call him by his birth name.

“Jinhyuk gege,” he looked at him, putting down his book.

Jinhyuk took the opposite seat as Taehyung moves to get his order, “I’ll have one Americano,” he said and smiled at the shocked Lay in front of him.

“How was life? It’s really been a while,” he leaned on the chair checking the scenery outside on the clear glass since they are close on the glass walls.

“Oh, well, I am already working,” he replied, folding the end of the page he is currently on before he puts down the book.

“Where are you employed?” Jinhyuk asked.

“I am working under the Wu’s business group,” Lay replied, sipping on his coffee as Jinhyuk’s order came up.

“Then you are probably a friend of Kris eh?”

Lay smiled, “You really know everything. No doubt you are the invisible Jinhyuk from the academy. I can’t forget your stay in us in China.”

“I have to stay in there to teach, you know the power of being intelligent and excellent,” he grinned, laughing after a while with Lay from the joke. But Jinhyuk is really a top student from the main branch of the academy in Paris. The jingle of the door made Jinhyuk look at the newcomer since Lay had his back on it. A knowing smile made its way on his lips. It was after a while before he speaks which made Lay choke on his drink.

“Hyoyeon!” a voice called on Hyoyeon as she stands up waiting for her order. She looked at the person before he squealed, “Jinhyuk Oppa!” she ran to get to his table, reaching to hug him. After parting, did she only notice the person with Jinhyuk. She gave a smile before turning to look at Jinhyuk again, “Oppa, where have you been? It’s been like ten years,” she smiled.

“Been busy on works and Sooyoung’s back. You should pay her a visit at home,” he replied, watching the reaction the two will express discreetly as he sips on his coffee.

“Sooyoung is back? Wae? Where have she been?” Hyoyeon asked, surprised.

“Well, she had been in Paris for three weeks I think for a photo shoot with two known designers in there then more than a week I think in China. We just came back yesterday night,” he replied.

“Omo! Jinja?” she blinked.

“I really can’t believe that the excellent female student is here, so where do you work now?” Jinhyuk asked.

“I work under the Empire, but I decided to tone down my role,” Hyoyeon replied, getting uneasy.

“Oh, why don’t you take a seat?” Jinhyuk pulled the chair beside him.

“No need, I will not be long, I still have to get something,” she replied.

“It’s nice to see my juniors getting jobs on known business empires,” he smiled at the shocked two followed by silence.

The silence that is filled with unspoken words. Jinhyuk looked at the two with an amused smile, knowing well that these two had been with him during their training days. Lay and Hyoyeon avoided his gaze as they fiddle on something. The three of them had their minds working, secrets unraveled in front of them with unspoken words. The ring of the alarm from the counter, “Hyoyeon noona! Here’s your order,” Namjoon called her, breaking the silence.

“I guess I have to go, see you around oppa,” she smiled then gave a bow over Lay who returned the gesture. Once she is outside the café house, Lay let’s go of the air he had been holding back.

“Had some history with her?” Jinhyuk asked after a while.

Lay just gave a sad smile, avoiding his eyes as he punches something on his phone.

Jinhyuk stood up and grabbed his coffee, “You can call Kris and pay his wife a visit. I can’t stand the sight of seeing my younger sister in pain,” then he the counter.

“Namjoon, place the charge on me, including his drink,” he pointed on Lay and handed his card on Namjoon.

When Jinhyuk’s already gone, Lay picked up his book getting on the counter.

“Hyung, what will we do with your payment?” Namjoon asked.

“Add it on your savings; I know you guys rent an apartment so you can have it,” he smiled then left the café house to get back to the mansion.

*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The rain starts to pour down by afternoon. Jinhyuk came home before the downpour. Mr. and Mrs. Choi were seated on the living room with Soojin.

“Jinhyuk, where have you been?” Soojin asked, sitting beside her parents.

“I dropped by some old friends,” he replied and moved to give the old ones a kiss.

Once they are settled on the seats, he looked at them.

“May I know why you did not inform me about her wedding?” he asked.

“Because you did not even bother to call us since you had that scholarship,” Soojin replied.

“So it would only mean that you will only tell me if I called you?” he looked at the calm Soojin.

“Yes, you stayed away from us for almost ten years with almost no calls or any means of communication at all,” Soojin looked at him.

“Because I might not take it and leave right away without even finishing what I should finish in there. You don’t know how hard it is to keep myself from grabbing my phone and call you in here,” he breathed.

“What keeps you from calling us?” Soojin asked again.

“You know how dirty the business world is. Enemies tend to use people close form you; I had to keep Yeojin and Junhong away for their safety,” he looked at the older ones who were silent all the time.

“Umma, Appa, you don’t know what is his background. You don’t anything about Kris so why did you agreed on letting Sooyoung be tied up on him?” he looked at the two.

“His mother made sure of her safety and she is very persistent on letting Sooyoung be married on him,” Mrs. Choi asked.

“You should have at least called me. You don’t know what danger you had placed her into,” he stood up, pacing back and forth in front of them.

“What difference would it make if we called you? You would tell us not to agree and refuse her offer? Why? What is dangerous about him?” Mrs. Choi asked.

“His grandparents and everything about his background,” he replied.

“I cannot sacrifice my younger sister’s happiness. I can’t stand the idea of allowing her to file a divorce just because you said that his background is something dangerous and fearful,” Soojin glared at Jinhyuk.

He chuckled, “Yeah. What difference would it make anyways? I am not her brother in the first place so my opinion is not needed,” then looked up to see Sooyoung a few feet away from them, tears b her eyes.

Without saying anything, every one of them looked up at her as she runs back to her room, her footsteps echoing inside the house.

None of them moved for a while. Jinhyuk took the initiative to follow her up to her room.

He found her curled up on her bed, sobbing. It pained him to see her cry as he slowly moves to sit on her bed.

“I’m sorry Soo,” he started.

“I just don’t want you get hurt or anything. You know how dear you are to me. I might know what to do if I learn that you got hurt or the like because of his grandparents,” he added.

“Oppa, I know what danger waits for me. His mother told me about it, everything I need to know. But,” she pulled herself up, turning to look at him, biting back the tears.

“I can’t take the idea of leaving him now. Oppa, I can’t possibly make it knowing that I will not get to see him or hold him again,” she sobbed.

Jinhyuk sighed, pulling her into a hug, “It’s not that I don’t want you to be happy. I just don’t want you to get hurt.”

“Oppa, we survived a year together. He promised that he will protect me and he really did. I am the one who overreacted on his ways since I am not used on it,” she replied, leaning on Jinhyuk’s shoulder, tears spilling.

“You love him?” he asked, rubbing her back to comfort her.

“You don’t know how speechless I get to express the feeling,” she replied, feeling drowsy again.

“Then I guess, he is your real prince charming even though the story shows how wicked his life could be in case,” he replied but Sooyoung finally drifted off to dreamland since she had been crying endlessly since earlier because of the intensity of missing him.