Hyun Ji awaited his arrival. She had missed him dearly. All she wanted to do was to pull him into a hug but she knew she couldn't. The moment she saw the door open, her heart stopped. Seeing his figure walk into the room, Hyun Ji's eyes grew watery. Her heart clenched. Her lips trembled. As he took his seat, he stared into her eyes. He was smiling but she knew him well enough to see the sadness in his eyes. 

Placing her palm on the thin glass, he did the same. Their hands had met each other though there was a barrier. Her tears threatened to fall but she knew it wouldn't do her any good if she were to break down right there and then. Using her free hand, she picked up the phone which was attached to the wall. He followed suit. 

Gathering all her strength, she spoke.

"How are you, Appa?"

Her voice came out as a soft whisper but even so, it was still audible to her father's ears.

"I'm fine, kiddo. What about you?" he asked with a shaky voice.

Liar. You're not fine. You're anything but fine. Hyun Ji thought.

"I'm fine too," she said even though she herself knew that that was a lie. Somehow, lying seemed to run in the family.

"How's school so far? Any news about that art course you mentioned about the other time?" her father asked, referring to her previous visit a month back. For some odd reason, Hyun Ji seemed to be radiating a darker aura compared to back then. 

"Oh yeah, about that," she paused and managed to fake a small smile, "I'm currently taking that course. My teacher was impressed with my artworks. She even showcased one of them on the display board in the classroom."

"Wow, looks like my daughter's skills are getting recognized. I wouldn't be surprised to hear that you're the next Picasso." He let out a soft chuckle, his eyes twinkling for the very first time that day. Usually, when he cracked such jokes or in such a manner, she'd laugh along with him but this time, she didn't. She simply scoffed into a small smile and went back to her gloomy self the next second. Her father frowned. He knew something was up.

"Kiddo, what's wrong? Why the sad face?" he asked. He was about to reach out for her hand when he realized he couldn't. Reality hit him hard as he withdrew his hand and heaved a low sigh. Hyun Ji was completely oblivious to what had happened as her mind was in her own field of thoughts while her head was hung low.

"Kiddo?" he called out to her once he had recovered from that mild heartbreaking moment, snapping her back into reality.

"Appa..." she let her voice trail off, hesitating for the slightest moment. Seeing her father gesturing for her to go on, she finally spoke.

"Is it wrong to push others away?" Getting those words off her chest took a lot of effort. Looking into her father's eyes, she saw flashes of many emotions - ones she barely had the chance to make out. 

"Well, that depends on the situation. What's your reason for pushing others away?" he asked. Hyun Ji debated in her mind whether she should tell him or not but due to the fact that she wasn't able to gather the courage to spill the truth, she went with the decision to remain quiet. That action of hers was enough for her father to get the message. It took him a while to speak. He made sure to think through his answer and to be careful with the way he phrased his words. He didn't want to say the wrong thing, especially not to her.

"If that person tries to bring you down or demoralize you then you have every right to push him or her away because there is no point in entertaining their childish antics. On the other hand, you should never push away a person who truly cares for you because it's hard to find such people. Opening up to others takes time. It takes trust. It's a hard thing to do, putting your trust in others, but if they can trust you enough to make the first move, then why not you?" Hyun Ji paid attention to every single word he said. As much as she wanted to take his advice, she couldn't. As much as she wanted to put her trust in others, she refused to. As much as she wanted to bring down her walls, she didn't. 

She had her reasons. Unfortunately, those reasons were the ones that made her push others away. Regardless of that, she simply thanked her father for giving her that piece of advice. Her father didn't question her any further. He knew she didn't want to talk about it so instead of pestering her, he changed the topic.

"How's Umma?" At the mention of her mother, Hyun Ji perked up slightly.

"She's fine. She talks about you often, always bringing back the good old memories," she said, letting out a soft chuckle as her father did the same. Even so, her chuckle died down at the next moment as she said, "She misses you a lot, you know?"

"I know," her dad said as he smiled bitterly. "I know."

Hyun Ji was about to speak when a man in blue entered the room on her father's side and said, "I'm sorry but the time is up."

Hyun Ji could've sworn she felt her heart shattering to bits as she let herself hear those words coming out of that man's mouth. Time flew by too fast. She didn't want to leave just yet. She wanted to talk to him longer. She wanted her father.

Unfortunately, life refused to grant her wishes as she watched her father rise from his seat.

"Take care Hyun Ji-ah. Bring Umma along the next time you visit, okay?" he said to which she nodded determinedly.

"I love you," he said, his voice trembling.

"I love you too," Hyun Ji replied as her grip on the phone receiver loosened. 

That was their last exchange of words as he placed the phone receiver on its holder and was handcuffed once again. A lone tear made its way down Hyun Ji's cheek as she watched her father's figure slowly disappear from her sight. She remained in her seat for a few seconds longer to recollect herself.

Once done, she placed down the phone receiver and made her way out of the room with a heavy heart. 

Walking out of the hell also known as prison, she turned back to look at its exterior. 

Flashback

"Happy birthday to Hyun Ji. Happy birthday to you." A wide smile came across Hyun Ji's lips as the birthday song was sung to her. Her eyes twinkled at the sight of the Oreo cheesecake in her mother's hands. As her mother placed the cake onto the dining table, Hyun Ji charged towards her parents and gave them a tight hug, thanking them for buying her favorite cake.

"We didn't buy the cake, dear," her mother said, earning a confused look from Hyun Ji.

"Your brother baked it. He felt sorry for not being able to celebrate with us today so he baked this cake for you. He said he'd make it up to you over the weekends, though," her father said. Hyun Ji felt warmth enveloping her heart. She felt so touched by her brother's gesture. Even though she had been upset with him for not being able to celebrate her birthday that day, that simple gesture meant a lot to her. Indeed, she had the best brother one could ever have.

Just as she was about to cut the cake, the doorbell rang, halting their mini celebration. Her parents exchanged glances, mentally asking each other whether they were expecting any visitors. Neither of them were. Baffled, Hyun Ji's mother said she'd tend to the door. Making nothing out of it, Hyun Ji went on with the mini celebration with her father. She was enjoying herself as her father gave her a piggyback ride. That was, until her father was called by her mother.

"Dear, could you come here for a while?" Setting Hyun Ji down, her father headed towards the direction of her mother's voice as Hyun Ji trailed behind him. Hyun Ji didn't know why her heart was beating rapidly at that point of time. Neither did she know why her instincts were setting off the alarm, saying that something bad was going to happen. The moment the two arrived at the door, Hyun Ji saw two men in blue standing at the doorway, their faces kept straight. Hyun Ji knew fairly well who those two men were but what she didn't know was their purpose of appearing at her house.

"Jung Shin?" One of the two men asked her father with a pointed look on his face. Unsure of what was going on, her father could only nod. 

"You're under arrest for the murder of Lee Dong Hoon."

Hyun Ji felt another tear run down her cheek as her hands tightened into fists.

My father may have made mistakes before in his life but he is not a murderer. 

Hyun Ji felt a surge of determination run through her body as she wiped her tears away.

Don't worry Appa, Gun Min oppa said he'd win the trial for you. Just as a small spark of hope ignited within her, reality smacked her right in the face. He said a lot of things actually, and one of them involved him coming back.

Hyun Ji turned her back to the prison as she walked off. 

It's been a year and I'm still waiting for his return.

≈♦♦♦≈

Hyun Ji was on her way home when a particular sound caught her attention. Stopping in her tracks, she scanned the area in search of the source of that sound. Unable to find it, she furrowed her brows but that was when she heard the sound once more and this time, it was louder. Looking down, she met a pair of sparkling eyes and in an instant, she softened. Crouching down, Hyun Ji brushed her hand against its fur.

"Hey Buddy," Hyun Ji smiled. As though it understood her greeting, it looked into her eyes and meowed.

"Are you hungry?" Hyun Ji asked to which the creature meowed once more. Chuckling, Hyun Ji stood up and headed into a nearby store to buy some snacks for it. Coming out with a small packaging, she tore open its seal and poured some of its contents onto the pavement. Without having to be told twice, the cat attacked the mini pile of cat biscuits. 

Hyun Ji watched as it ate happily, completely unaware of the smile that had somehow managed to find its way to her face. She found herself envying the creature for having the ability to stay happy even though it was alone. She envied the fact that it still had the sparkle in its eyes even though it probably had to go through a lot just so it could fill its stomach. Even a cat that probably wondered about the streets like a lost soul was happier than her. Hyun Ji heaved a sigh but was snapped out of her thoughts when she felt a pair of eyes on her. It was none other than the cat itself.

Pouring some more of the tidbits onto the pavement, Hyun Ji rolled up the packaging and stood up.

"It was nice meeting you, Buddy. I'll see you again real soon, okay?" Hyun Ji said before patting it one last time. The cat hadn't attempted to stop her from leaving but as it watched the kind soul's figure disappearing around the corner, it hoped she'd keep to her promise.

A/N: Well, here's Chapter 4! That's right, Hyun Ji has a brother but the question is, where is he? I'll really messing with you aren't I ;) Oh and yes, the cat's presence actually plays a part in this story. Do leave your opinions regarding this chapter :)

-RedGuitarist