"Appa!" Hyunsu screamed and cried while running around the hospital. "Appa!!!" I grabbed her and quickly hugged her to me, "Shh baby, please calm down." She only screamed and cried louder while trying to pull away from me, "Appa!!!" I let a single tear fall as I listened to her cry. I hated this, I hated every bit of it. I can't stand to see my daughter upset. Jiyong may be a bad guy, but his daughter loves him something terrible. I never can understand his relationship with her. 

 

"Umma!" I held her closely and rubbed her back softly. "I want appaaaa!" I nodded slowly as I continued holding her, I wiped her tears and blinked mine away. "Look at me Hyunsu," I tilted her chin up so she'd look at me. My heart began to sink when I seen how red her face is from crying. "I promise, everything is going to be okay." She stared at me and sniffled while I wiped her tears away, "B-but appa..." She pointed towards the room he's in. I held my tears in as I nodded slowly and kissed her forehead. I couldn't tell her he'd be okay because I don't know if he will be. 

 

I carried her in my arms as I sat down on a chair in the waiting area. She laid her head on my shoulder and sniffled a few times. Seunghyun walked over to us and sat beside me, "You both look tired." I just kept my eyes locked on the floor as I held Hyunsu in my arms gently. I faintly rocked her back and forth to hush her and to help her fall asleep. "I'm cold umma..." I took my jacket off and put it on her immediately. She snuggled up against me and yawned softly while closing her eyes. 

 

Seunghyun sighed quietly as he watched her fall asleep. He looked up at me and then spoke in a soft voice, "You need to go home Chaerin." He put a strand of hair behind my ear and nodded. "I-I c-can't..." 

 

"You both need some sleep. You're both exhausted..." He bit his bottom lip then sighed. "Alright, at least let me take her back to my place so she can sleep?" I looked down at Hyunsu and kissed her forehead, "Okay." I slowly gave her to him and he held her close. He leaned over and kissed my cheek before standing up, "Promise me you'll come back to my place tonight. You need to rest." I stayed quiet and didn't say a word. He sighed a bit and shook his head slightly, "Call me later." He carried Hyunsu out with him. 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Hours passed as I continued to sit there hugging my knees to my chest. After all he's done to me, I still care for him. I have no clue why, I just do. I bit my bottom lip as I started to think about Youngbae. He's still alive...or so Jiyong says. I remember the night Youngbae was shot. I can't believe Jiyong lied to me all these years, he knew how heart broken I was. When someone makes you think someone you love is dead when they're not, is very cruel. Yet here I am, still caring for the man that has hurt me countless amount of times...and he's only said sorry to me...once. 

 

"Mrs. Kwon?" I heard a soft voice speak to me and I looked up, "It's Lee..." The doctor nodded slowly and looked at me, "You're the wife of Mr. Kwon though, is that correct?" 

 

"Nae," I stood up slowly and quirked an eyebrow. "Is he alright? What happened to him?" The doctor stared at me quietly for a few seconds before I stepped back a bit, "What happened to my husband?" 

 

"He's had a massive heart attack ma'am." The doctor sighed lowly and put his hand on my shoulder, "He's in a coma at the moment." I bit down on my bottom lip and stared at the doctor, "He...he's going to be okay though right?" 

 

"You can go visit him in room 103 ma'am." My eyes slowly began to tear up and I shouted, "HE'S GOING TO BE OKAY RIGHT?!" The nurses began to surround me as I began to panic. "Ma'am, please calm down." 

 

"NO! Not until someone answers me!" The nurses tried to grab my arms but I glared at them and pulled my arms away, "Don't ing touch me!" The doctor pulled the nurses away, "Mianhae, but if you're husband doesn't pull out of this coma on his own, he won't survive." The doctor sighed slowly and walked away. I froze in one spot and stared straight forward. I couldn't process what I was just told. How can this happen? He can't just die on me like this! He can't just die on his daughter either! I ran to the room he's in and barged through the door. 

 

"Jiyong!" I stared at him while standing in one place. I let my tears fall as I began to walk over to him. I gently grabbed his hand and stared at him, "J-Jiyong...wake up please! I want to go home!" He just stayed still and didn't move a muscle. I broke down in tears and sat beside him. I held onto his hand and covered my face with the other. I whispered lowly to myself, "Please don't go Jiyong...I'm sorry for everything too..." I continued to cry and whimper under my breath, "You still hold a special place in my heart Kwon Jiyong, I still love you..." At that moment, I felt his fingers being laced with mine. I looked up at him but he still had his eyes closed. "Please stay with me..." 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

When morning came, I had my head rested beside our hands. Seunghyun slowly entered the room and walked over to me, placing his hand on my back, "Chae?" I groaned softly as I began to wake up and lift my head up. I looked at Jiyong, but he was still in the same position. I rubbed my eyes and then looked up at Seunghyun, "Where's Hyunsu?" 

 

"She's outside with Minji, don't worry she's okay." I nodded slowly and kept my fingers laced with Jiyong's. Seunghyun looked down at our hands and quirked an eyebrow. 

 

 

How can she still love and care for him? After everything he's done to her?! I told her that I would treat her right and I'd never hurt her, yet she's still by his side. Maybe she's right, maybe I really don't know anything about her. But why can't she understand that I can't stand to see her with him? How do I keep on living to see her being hurt by him? 

 

I hate knowing such a beautiful person is being pushed out of the light and into the shadows by a jerk like him. It hurts me to see her in so much pain. What can I do to convince her to leave him for good? What can I do for her to see that she deserves better? Maybe...just maybe if I can't make her see it, Youngbae will...

 

 

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair. "Chaerin," I looked up at him and he cupped my cheeks. "Please come home with me. You need to take a shower, get food and get some rest." I shook my head at him and then looked back at Jiyong, "I can't leave him." Seunghyun growled under his breath quietly and then looked down at me with pleading eyes, "Please Chae. I'll bring you back later this evening, just please." I nodded slowly and sighed...

 

"Okay, give me a minute please?" He nodded and walked out of the room. I looked at Jiyong and stood up, gently pulling my hand away from his. "I'll be back later, I promise." I slowly leaned down and kissed his lips softly. I caressed his cheek with my thumb and spoke softly to him, "Please Jiyong, don't leave me." I slowly headed out of the room and over to Minji. 

 

Minji handed me Hyunsu and smiled weakly, "I'm going to go see him real quick. I'll meet you guys in the car." I nodded and followed Seunghyun out. I don't want Hyunsu to seem Jiyong right now because I don't want to scare her. I showered her face in kisses and carried her on my hip, "Hey pretty girl." She giggled softly and kissed my cheek, "You're pretty too umma." I smiled at her and put my forehead against hers. 

 

Minji slowly walked over to Jiyong and took his hand, "Hey oppa." She sighed quietly as she stared at him. "I'm so sorry for everything I ever said or did wrong to you." She began to tear up and she leaned over to kiss his forehead. "Please," She whimpered under her breath softly. "Please don't leave..." 

 

She held his hand for a few minutes and let her tears fall. She stared at her brother and felt so guilty. She's part of the reason why his childhood was bad. "Mianhae..." She wiped her tears and slowly walked to the door. She glanced back at her brother one last time before heading out of his room. 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

I sat on my bed and slowly brushed my hair out. I had finally gotten to take a shower, put on clean clothes and get some food in me. I stared at the floor quietly and didn't say a word. Part of me hates Jiyong, but the other half still loves him. I'm such a confused woman. I don't know what to do anymore. I want to just give up, but that will not help me. My umma always used to tell me to be strong and to keep moving forward because God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers. She used to say if I never give up, good things will eventually come to me. 

 

How long do I have to keep being strong though? I'm tired, so tired of everything. I just want to give up all together. I want to lie down, close my eyes and never wake up again. I have wanted to die for years now but I'm still waiting for it to happen. If I didn't have Hyunsu, then I would wish I was in Jiyong's position right now. I don't want him to leave me...he has helped me through a lot of rough times. He's just a man who's lost his way.

 

"Chaerin?" Seunghyun walked into the room and sat on the bed next to me. I continued to stare at the floor quietly while brushing my hair. "Well that's as untangled as it's ever going to be." He chuckled in hopes of making me at least smile but he failed. He sighed as he took the brush and made me look at him, "Talk to me Chae." 

 

I began to tear up as I bit my bottom lip and whimpered, "I don't want him to die Seunghyun." He looked into my eyes and his heart began to sink. He could tell that I'm hurting so badly. He pulled me into his lap sideways and wrapped his arms around my waist tightly. I cried on his shoulder and held onto him. He bit his lips as he held me close, "I'm so sorry Chae." 

 

I spoke between sobs, "I may hate his guts for what he's done to me, b-but I don't want him to die! Seunghyun please, please, help me!" I looked at him with pleading eyes that are filled with tears that are just falling non-stop. "Please help me through this!" He cupped my cheeks and caressed them gently with his thumbs. His eyes began to tear up slowly as he spoke softly to me, "Everything will be okay Chaerin, I promise."

 

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

 

 

Jiyong faintly whimpered in his sleep as he gently gripped onto the hospital blanket, "C-Chaerin..." He was dreaming about the moment he first met her. He tried to wake up from the coma in hopes of seeing Chaerin in person again, but instead, his mind slowly drifted back to continue the dream.