>Lia<
  "Have you eaten something for dinner?" Gi Kwang-goon asked worriedly.
  I leaned back in my chair. "I don't feel like eating. You're not here. Dinners not the same without you."
  I heard him sighing on the other line. "But you have to atleast eat something. You have to take care of yourself, Love."
  "I feel like eating honeydew," I said suddenly.
  "Honeydew? But you don't like honeydew."
  I shrugged. "That's the thing. I feel like eating it now. Lately, I don't have the appetite. Even if I want to eat, it would be some weird stuff."
  "Because you miss me?"
  "Like crazy. I can't wait to have you back tomorrow. I miss you so much."
  "Not as much as I miss you. And don't try to change the subject, Garfield. Go and buy the honeydews. Now. If I was there, I would have bought it for you."
  "I know." I peered out of my office's window. It was raining so heavily that I couldn't even see a thing. "I can't go out. There's still a raging storm out there."
  "It's still raining? Since this morning?"
  "Yeah."
  "How are you going to get home from the office?"
  "I have no idea."
  "Don't go out until the rain stop."
  "Yes, daddy. Stop worrying. I told you to have fun, didn't I?"
  He sighed again. "How am I supposed to have fun when you're not eating?"
  "Are you eating properly?" I countered.
  "That is not the question here."
  "Ah hah!"
  "Just eat, Lia. I don't want you to collapse when I'm not around to catch you."
  "I'm a strong girl. I won't collapse just cause I didn't have enough food."
  He groaned. "Garfiiiieeeld... Why are you so stubborn?"
  I crackled. "Arasso, arasso. I'll eat something. What time does the showcase start? Shouldn't you be with Beast right now?"
  "I'm faking a stomachache and hiding in the toilet."
  I laughed. "Why would you do that?"
  "That way, I could talk to you longer without having people screaming how many minutes I had left in my face."
  I laughed again. "You're so bad. You should go back. The showcase shouldn't be delayed because of you."
  "Technically, it's because of you."
  "The more I want to hang up now. Go, Gi Kwang-goon. Break a leg."
  He was quiet for a moment. Then, he mumbled in a sad voice, "Okay."
  "Bye—"
  "Don't say that!" He said sharply. "This isn't goodbye. So don't say that."
  I was startled. "Oh. Then, can I say, see you soon?"
  "Yes. That's better."
  I smiled. "See you soon, baby."
  "See you soon. I love you."
  "Right back at you."
  We hung up. I dropped my hand from my ear tiredly, my smile completely vanished. I wasn't in a stable state today. One minute I was up and high, the next, I was feeling so low, that I wished I had agreed letting Gi Kwang-goon stayed home. I missed him so much, my emotions plunged down to near depression. I sighed and rested my head against the seat, closing my eyes. What was wrong with me? Just because Gi Kwang-goon wasn't around, I couldn't function properly? I was never like this. Was this love? Even if it was, it shouldn't be this extreme.
  "Lia! Lia! Oh, Lia! Help me!" My secretary unnie barged into my room without knocking.
  A spark of irritation lit up within me. I was going to snap at her, but then I saw the frantic look in her eyes.
  "Waeyo, Unnie?"
  "Help me, Lia-ah. My daughter is waiting for me at the kindergarten. And I couldn't fetch her because it's raining so heavily."
  "You want me to send you there?"
  "Yes, please. Thank you, Lia."
  We set off. Even though Gi Kwang-goon told me not to go out in this rainy weather, I still went out without any hesitation. Unnie needed help. I couldn't just refuse because my husband didn't allow me.
  It was the angriest storm I had ever encountered. I could barely see through the window screen. Since it had been raining from morning, many areas were flooded. It was a serious flooding. The water was still rising up.
  My stomach churned nervously. I just hoped my car could still move in this flood and we wouldn't have to get down and swim.
  We reached the kindergarten and unnie got her daugther in the back seat.
  "Unnie, I'll send you home. Where do you stay?"
  She rattled off her address to me. "Kumawo, Lia."
  Unfortunately, unnie's hometown was a lowland. That meant it was easier for flooding to occur at that place. When I drove into her home area, the water was up to my car's door handle. That was how high the flood had gotten.
  "Eottoke, Unnie? How to get out of the car?" I asked her as I peered out of the window shield to drive across an intersection.
  "It's alright, Lia-ah. We can waddle across the water and— LIAAA!"
  There was a flash of light at my window and then suddenly, I heard a loud metallic sound crashing against metal seconds before I felt something hit my side hard. My body was violently thrown around in my seat. My vision was like I was doing triple rounds of back flips. Then, blackness.
  When I came back to my senses, my ears were ringing. I blinked once. I couldn't feel anything. No pain, nothing. I was numb.
  My limp body was crumpled to the side in an awkward position. My seatbelt was choking me, but kept me hanging. If it didn't, I would have fallen and squashed unnie under me. Since the car was pushed over sideways, unnie was lying on her side against the door. The window cracked and water was leaking in.
  "Unnie," I called. My voice sounded weird. Something was tickling down my temples and I started feeling light headed.
  "Unnie," I called again. She stirred. "Unnie. Gwaenchana?"
  She coughed and turned to me. I saw a long gash at the side of her face. Blood glistened against the dim light.
  "Lia... My daugther..." She whispered painfully.
  I turned my head to the back to look at Unnie's daughter. She was lying fully back against the door, unconscious. I saw her blood mixing together with the pool of water. I turned back to Unnie.
  "We have to get out of here." I coughed, and blood sputtered out of my mouth. I wiped them off. "Unnie. We need to get out of here. The water's coming in. If we didn't die because of the accident, we'll die of drowning."
  Her brows furrowed in pain. "Arasso. But, my daugther."
  "Don't worry, Unnie. I'll get her out. But you have to go out first, Unnie. You have to stand up and try open my door. Then climb out. Here, I'll help open the door." I felt around in my own body first, trying to find any broken bones. My right shoulder hurts when I tried to move it. I think its dislocated. Other than that, I was sure nothing else was broken. I unbuckled my seatbelt and caught myself before I could slammed down on Unnie. My whole body seared in pain. I could only stand on one foot because my right foot was twisted, but not broken. Now then the pain showed itself, I thought.
  My left foot stood on the window's glass though, and it broke into tiny pieces. Water rushed into the car vigorously.
  "Unnie, pali." She sat up, her body shaking violently. "I know it hurts, unnie. But we need to get out of here fast."
  I looked up at my door. It was a disaster. We couldn't possible open it when it was squashed like that. But the back door wasn't that bad. Atleast, the window was still available. Even better, the glass was cracked. It would be easier for me to break it.
  I helped Unnie sat up and then we went to the back. Our progress was painstakingly slow. Water had already went over my ankle. Unnie was holding onto her daugther, trying to wake her up. I should have told her to check if her daughter broke any bones before she could lift her, but hell. I was in pain and all I wanted to do was get the hell out of there.
  With every strength I could master, my left fist punched the glass window repeatedly to have a reasonable gap for us to escape. The pieces of glass peirced my skin, but I didn't flinch. Lucas and I were used to this kind of pain.
  "Unnie, you have to climb out," I told.
  "But, my daugther—"
  "I'll carry her out. Unnie, pali. We don't have much time."
  "But, your shoulder. It's lopsided. How are you going to carry her?"
I looked down and my shoulder. "I—"
  "It's okay, Lia. I'll carry my own daughter. Okay?" She stood up determinely.
  She lifted her child in her arms and squeezed through the window. But she couldn't climb herself out, because of the child in her arms.
  I dropped down on all fours and said, "Unnie, step onto my back. Then climb out."
  "But, Lia. Your shoulder—"
  I shook my head and felt the world spun. "Don't worry about that, Unnie. Just step on my back and get your daughter out of here." Those were the only words that would have made her agree with me, I know.
  She gave me a guilty look but nodded. She stepped on my back and my hands shook while my body screamed in pain. But I didn't collapse. I couldn't. I needed to get Unnie and her daugther out safe. Her passed through the window and she sat on the top of the car. Curling her legs up, she was free.
  My body crumbled to the floor. My vision was spinning, hot vicious pain was searing through my body, my head felt light. My nostril filled with cold water and the memory of the swimming pool came back to me. But for some reason, it didn't scare me as much, because instead of remembering Dad's torture, I remembered Gi Kwang-goon's eyes. Eyes that was full of love for me. My heart warmed. Gi Kwang...
  "Lia! Get up, Lia! Come on. You need to get up!" Unnie screamed hysterically at me from above.
  My half closed eyelids snapped back open and I tried to sat up. But my shoulder hurt and my head was spinning.
  I gave up after the fifth try, just remained lying down on the water.
  "Lia, get up!" Unnie was screaming and crying at the same time.
  It was like I was far away, hearing her screams at a far distant. My vision started to cloud. My breathing was coming in short, sharp breath. I was dying. And I guessed I wanted it, because it meant I'd be joining Lucas. But Gi Kwang-goon... I didn't want to leave him, but I wanted to join Lucas. I didn't know which to decide; either to fight to stay alive or just let myself die. So I remained limp.
  A deep, familiar voice suddenly snapped me out of my daze. "Lia!"
  ו•••••×
  We were tailing her in my jeep. When I saw her came out of the building, wearing a plain white shirt and black skirt— damn, she was hot— I made sure that Brook, my driver, didn't drive too close to her vehicle. We tailed her at a reasonable distance. Not too close yet not too far. Lia would know immediately if someone was tailing her car. I'd seen her sharp eyes worked their magic. But since it was raining, she wouldn't be able to see.
  Then, that big trailer truck came out of nowhere. It crashed against Lia's at top speed. Her car flipped to the side and rolled over a couple of times. I jerked forward in my seat, shocked. My heartbeat halted painfully in my chest as I stared hard at Lia's vehicle. What the hell just happened?
  I realized a minute later that Brook had stopped the car and was staring stunly at Lia's car too.
  "What should we do, Boss?" His rough, hoarse voice whispered. "Should we help them?"
  I shook my head. "Wait. Just wait."
  I sat forward in my chair, my elbows rested on my knees and my chin on my fingers. I stared hard at Lia's car, willing my fierce stare to bring her out of the car. I waited. Waited for her to come out. There was nothing, no movement at all. My fingers drummed against my chin anxiously.
  "Come on, Lia... Come on. Get the hell out of there," I muttered, exasperatedly under my breath. "Damn you, hotstuff."
  The rain was so heavy that I almost missed a movement at the back window. Someone was punching it, breaking the glass.
  "That's my hotstuff." I turned to Brook, smirking. "She's incredible, isn't she?"
  He had a disbelief look on his face. "Ye—yes. How could she...? She should be injured. But—?"
  I turned back to the car. "You don't know her. She's strong."
  The glass broke through, and a head popped out. But it wasn't Lia's.
  "What the hell?!" I exclaimed, angry. Why wasn't she saving herself?
  The head looked down, then I saw her stepped onto something inside the car and climbed out. She sat there with a child in her arms. Then, she looked down and started screaming. In this weather, I could barely make out the word Lia forming on her lips.
  "Boss, I don't think the other one's coming out," Brook told me nervously.
  I didn't even glance at him. "Just wait."
  We watched for another few minutes, but nothing happened.
  Brook glanced at me worriedly. "Now, boss?"
  "Wait!"
  Come on, Lia. Get out already!
  It was obvious that she wasn't coming out. I should have seen that earlier.
  "Boss—"
  "Go, Brook!"
  We sped to the side of Lia's car.
  "Get the lady and the kid in the jeep," I threw a vague order at him before leaping out, splashing into the water. Immediately, I was drenched in the rain.
  I placed my hand on top of the Lia's car and pulled myself up. The car shook violently. The lady shrieked a little before she saw me.
  "Oh, thank god! Help me," she wailed in Korean.
  "Ma'am, please follow the man over there. We'll bring you to the hospital," I fast talked then dismissed her just like that. My first priority here was my hotstuff. I skidded to the window and looked down. "Lia!"
  She was a lump on the ground. There was blood all over her head, flowing down to her face and dripping off her chin. Her shoulder was in an odd position, dislocated. There was a gash along her arm. I didn't think she knew that.
  "Lia, baby, can you hear me? I'm getting you out of here!"
  She turned her head and her unfocused eyes laid on me. "You," she simply said.
  I plastered my trademark smirk. "Yes, hotstuff. It's me, your favorite guy. Miss me?" I slipped into the car and dropped beside her.
  She coughed out blood before whispering, "Why are you here? Have you been following me? Who send you?"
  "How can you still be asking me these questions when you're all beaten up? What's important is I get you out. Any broken bones?"
  "No."
  I picked her up immediately. Her familiar figure fit in my arms perfectly.
  "Hold on tight to me. I need to use one of my arms." I guided her not injured arm to go around my neck and made sure she was gripping onto me tightly.
  My feet found an edge to help me climb out of the window. Once we were out, the cold rain mercilessly drenched us. Lia started shaking in the cold. I cuddled her close to me.
  "Brook! Get the car closer!"
  I managed to jump into the jeep without dropping Lia. I sat beside the lady, still cuddling Lia to my chest. The lady was cuddling her child to her chest.
  "Move it, Brook."
  The car speeded away to the direction of the nearest hospital.
  I gazed down at Lia. Her eyes were half closed, her breathing labored. "Open your eyes, hotsuff. Look at my handsome face. Don't go to sleep, Lia. Lia!"
  I didn't get a respond. Her half closed eyes shut fully then, and she went limp in my arms.

  •Gi Kwang•
  I checked my phone for the tenth thousand times. My Garfield wasn't replying my text.
  "Ya, Gi Kwang. Kemanhae. She's probably busy." Hyun Seung caught me.
  "She usually replies me immediately. But now..."
  Doojoon looked at me. "Stop worrying, Gi Kwang-ah. She's probably asleep."
  Our hotel elevator arrived then, and all six of us, including manager-hyung, piled into it. My phone rang at exactly that moment. I whipped it out of my pocket, hoping that it was Lia. But I was terribly disappointed. It was my abeonim. I frowned. This was random. Why was he calling? He knew never to call me when I went overseas. My family had to wait for me to call them. I'd called yesterday. So why was he calling me now?
  "Yeoboseyo?" I said into the phone.
  "Gi Kwang-ah," my abeonim started. There was a cautious tone in his voice. The one he used when he wanted to break a terrible news to me.
  "Abeonim, waeguerae? What happened? Did something happen to eomeonim?" I asked worriedly.
  The kids and manager-hyung were watching me silently. None of them were talking to each other, their attention were all on me.
  "Your eomeonim is fine, Gi Kwang-ah."
  "Then what's wrong?"
  "How did you know that something's wrong?"
  "You called me. Isn't that big enough of a giveaway? And there's that tone you're using. I know something's up. Tell me!"
  "I suggest you sit down first before I break it to you."
  "There's no chair around. I'm in the elevator. Just tell me abeonim!"
  And then he told me, and my heartbeat jerked to a painful stop in my chest. I didn't think I heard him right. He couldn't be right. My Lia... No. No. That was not possible.
  I didn't realize I had dropped the phone until Dongwoon went down and caught it in time.
  "Gi Kwang-ah. Waeguerae? What's wrong? Gi Kwang!" Yoseob was shaking me.
  "Gi Kwang-hyung, Gwaenchana?" Dongwoon asked. When I didn't answer, he talked to my abeonim.
  My legs buckled under me, and I went crumbling to the ground. Doojoon, Junhyung, Hyun Seung and Yoseob tried to catch me.
  Doojoon looked up at Dongwoon in worry. "What's wrong? What did Gi Kwang's abeonim say?"
  Dongwoon had on his grim face. "We need to go back now. Lia is..."
  I blocked him out. I couldn't stand to hear it again. My Lia... She couldn't be.. She couldn't... NOOOOOO!