The funeral was held right after their emotional parting. Jung Yong Hwa didn't leave Joohyun's side, staying true to his promise not to let go of her. He became her strength, the one she can turn to, he became her world. As well as Yebin, the child was ecstatic having another company, moreso acting as her father. The poor child had decided to call him Appa, which made Yonghwa giddy. They acted like a family, with Yonghwa completing the family tree. Just when she thought that happy ending do exist, reality came back in just one snap, destroying the world she made with just Yonghwa and Yebin on it. 

"Why didn't you call me?" Jang Dong Geun said through gritted teeth, who just arrived at the funeral pushed her to a private room the moment he saw Yonghwa went outside to get Yebin who's playing with her newly found playmates 

"She just died yesterday! How do you expect me to call you when I'm the only one who's in charge of all t-"

"Don't you give me that bull!!" He shook her, grabbing her shoulder as he grasps on it tightly. 

"You should've visited her, you should've fought for her. But look what cowardly act you did just to save yourself" This is it, she thought. She doesn't have anyone to protect anymore, she doesn't need to keep mum and let Dong Geun do anything he asks her to do just so he can save her mother.

"You don't have any right to say anything like that if you don't know what really happened!" he slapped her hard, making her stumble to the floor. She didn't make any sound, biting her lips to stop the scream that was threatening to come out. 

"Kill me. Kill me now" she whispered, her words dripping with hatred "You ruined me already, what's the worst thing you haven't done?" 

"Shut up!" 

"For three years I did everything you told me with eyes close and mouth shut because my mom is the most important person to me. I followed what you said not to report your wife to the police when she killed my sister and her husband! Your wife didn't just destroyed my life and mom, but she just took the poor child's parents just because of her own selfishness. She's ing evil and you didn't even do anything to h-"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" he slapped her again,harder this time

"What? You're hurt with the reality? YOU MADE ME LOOK LIKE YOUR MISTRESS TO HIDE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE A CHILD WITH ANOTHER WOMAN! YOU TOOK NO HEED OF THE HARSH COMMENTS BEING THROWN AT ME, NOR DEFEND ME TO ANYONE WHO THROWS NASTY REMARKS ON ME! NOT THAT I WAS EXPECTING YOU TO DO SO. BECAUSE EVERYTIME THEY GET TO JUDGE ME, ALL I CAN THINK OF IS THAT I'M DOING IT FOR MOM. I'M SAVING MOM."

"YOU WANNA DIE? IF MY WIFE FINDS OUT THAT YOU'RE MY DAUGHTER SHE'LL KILL YOU TOO!"

"THEN SO BE IT! I DON'T CARE ANYMORE WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF SHE FINDS OUT! IN FACT, I'LL BE THE ONE TO TELL HER EVERY ING THING!"

He crouched down to match her eyes that was full of hatred directed at him "Then what? Abandon Yebin too?" 

It was like she was struck by a thunder, how can she forget her? 

"Ah, you still have a consideration after all?" she scoffed "From now on, don't you ever show yourself in front of me or Yebin" 

"I'm her grandfather"

"You are nothing to us" 

"How dare you!" He was about to slap her again when the door opened loudly, followed by him falling on the floor hard as Yonghwa punched him few times before rushing to Joohyun's side

"Joohyun gwenchana?" his face full of worry as he examines her face, his eyes narrowed at the blood beside her lips "You son of a !" he stood up and punched Dong Geun once again, face full of blood "How dare you slap her?!" 

"Stay out of this!"

"No! You won't be able to hurt even a single strand of her hair anymore!"

"This is none of your business!"

"Everything is my ing business and so you get the out!"

"I'm her father!"

"I know" he calmly said "I heard you awhile ago, and you don't deserved to be called that when all you did was to manipulate your own daughter and ruin her"

"You don't know anything"

"I've known enough"

"Get the hell out of here" 

"You just said what I'm about to say" he stood up and opened the door "Which one do you prefer? Drag you here to the exit or walk on your own?" 

"The moment I step foot out here, your life will be in danger" Yonghwa grabbed Joohyun and bury her head in his chest covering her ears

"I'll protect her, which you failed to do"

"Please protect her" he remained stoic amidst the shock he felt when he changed demeanor "And tell her I'm sorry for everything that I've done" with one last look at the sobbing Seo Joo Hyun in his chest, he walked out and didn't looked back

"Baby" he pushed her lightly and cupped her cheeks, wiping the stubborn tears who won't stop falling with his thumb "Everything will be okay, I'll protect you" 

"Ani" she said between sobbed "Protect Yebin instead, promise me to protect Yebin more than me. Please baby please" she pleaded, cupping his face "Please?"

"I'll protect you BOTH. You're my family, my very own family. I won't let anything happen to the both of you now" 

"Y-you heard us talking?"

"Ne"

"You now know who-"

"Joohyun, I know everything now"

"Mian if you found out about it this way Oppa, I-"

"It doesn't matter, and matter of fact, I am now more at ease."

"Thank you"

"What for?"

"For everything"

"Then you'll be thanking me forever"

"There's no forever"

"Till whenever then" he pecked her lips lightly but she flinched making him narrow his eyes at the bruise on the side of her lips again "Let's fix it before Yebin see it" 

"Ahras-"

"DOWN!!" both their heads snapped to the people outside who's running in different direction. Panicking strides, groans and muffled curses echoed on the four corners of the huge room. 

BANG!

"Yebin!!" Seohyun let go of Yonghwa and went out of the room without waiting for him to follow. "Yebin!" she called frantically, looking around. Another gun shot was heard and she saw Yonghwa ran after the person who's carrying the crying Yebin. It was the her mother's doctor. Yonghwa pulled her out of his hold and said a short thank you before he went to Seohyun's direction. 

She stood there, looking at the door where her father was lying with blood surrounding him. His eyes were closed and he was gasping for air, he was shot at the middle of his chest, denying him of a chance of survival. 

"A-Appa" she went to his side and held his hand. No matter what happens, he's still her father.

"M-Mianhae princess." a lone tear fell as he took his last breath, asking for forgiveness for the daughter he always protected but haven't got the chance to bond with. 

She saw Geun Suk lying dead cold at the ground with blood in his chest, he must've died protecting Dong Geun too. Her half brother whom she didn't even felt the connection is also gone. 

It felt like everything inside of her died, turning off all her emotions, she felt numb, too much pain can cause a person to shut down. She felt Yebin urging her to stand up, felt Yonghwa's arms as he circled her with his warmth. But the warmth she's been expecting wasn't felt, nor was it acknowledged. Her eyes darted to the black car at the other side of the street, the window rolled down and she saw his father's wife with a sinister smile on her face. The gun she was holding glistened by the ray of sun, it was all too sudden, like her body automatically moved, protecting her own family. 

"Seo Joo Hyun!"

"Omma!" 

Was what she last heard before everything went black, her body became numb, and flashes of Yebin and Yonghwa's face, their happy memories came rushing in like a movie. It was so beautiful, the most beautiful part of her life. 

                                                                                     ================================================

"Yebin uljjima. Omma will be fine, please stop crying for Appa, please?" The little girl nodded weakly, covering with her small hands to stop the sound of her cry. "Omma will be fine" he caressed her hair, wiped her tears, and kissed her temple. 

His heart is breaking, his head is pounding, and to top it all, he's scared and on the brink of insanity. What's keeping him going is sat in his lap, the poor soul is shaking with too much trauma seeing her mom in front of her getting shot by her great grandmother. It's too much for a child to bear, it's too much for him too. He wanted to ran out that time and kill her, but she's too fast and she shoot herself after she shoot Joohyun. Even her sudden death didn't gave justice to the lives she took selfishly. 

"Sleep, and when you wake up, Omma will be by your side"

"Pwomise?" she looked up at him that it made him want to weep, to cry it all out. Yebin is a photocopy of her second mother, Seo Joo Hyun. Her sparkly innocent eyes reminds him of her, the way she sobbed silently to stop him from worrying, but he still felt it as she shook vehemently. "Omma said she wuv you" she wiped the tears that stubbornly falls in her now swollen eyes "Omma towd me you're an Angel."

"Jinjja? Wae?" he wiped the lone tear that escaped his eyes with his sleeves, composing himself from not breaking down

"Because you saved us. I down't know what that means but she said ywou saved us Appa. Thank yuwu!" she pecked his cheek and hugged him tightly, making his wall crumble in an instant. He hugged Yebin tightly, caressing the girl's back for comfort, but his hand was shaking bad.

"Uljjima Appa! Ommwa will be hewe any moment" the little girl pat Yong's head lightly, kissing him where she patted him

It's been 5 hours of hell, Yebin was sleeping peacefully in his arms, although there was a time when she woke up crying screaming for her Omma to not leave her. He shushed the little girl's cry of agony but even him won't stop the tears from falling, his heart breaking for the nth time hearing Yebin's plea.

"I saw granmama and granpapa with Omma. They'we talking wif her and I was cawwing Omma but she won't heaw me." She sobbed harder, must be recalling about her dream. 

"Omma won't leave us, she loves us that's why she'll come back for us" he tightened his hold on her, the only warmth that's keeping him sane. 

"I love you Appa, and Omma too" Yebin whispered as her sleepy eyes closed. 

"Nado princess, I love you both more than my own life." 

                                                                                                           ======================================

72 hours of being unconscious and Yonghwa's about to lose his cool. He was seating beside her at the ICU, holding her hand and uttering a prayer repeatedly. He can't sleep straight, an hour and he'll wake up in no time. He was staring at her all throughout his stay beside her, with Yebin wanting to visit her Omma but kids are not allowed inside. He can't take hearing his daughter sobbing and crying while shouting her mother's name repeatedly. And so, he let her record something for her Omma everyday, urging her to open her eyes because Yebin is getting impatient and she misses her mother so much. 

"Omma, I miss you. nomu nomu nomu bogoshippo! *sobs* Appa takes good care of me very well but I miss you already, I'm well behave and I promise to follow everything you say. Please Omma, come back to us" 

He was stopping himself from breaking down once again, she's still in a critical condition with the gunshot she received that almost hit her heart. ALMOST! One wrong move and she could've died! Imagine the horror he felt when the doctor told him the all possibilities. 

"Ma belle iconnue" he whispered "I miss you" 

                                                                                                              ====================================

"You still have an unfinished business, you can't come with me" She looked up and felt her mother holding her hand

"But I'm tired already Omma"

"Yebin's waiting... Your own family are waiting"

She was playing with her shirt, thinking if she'll return or just follow her Omma, surely her family will understand how tired she is already right? 

"Go back" She looked up and noticed her mom wasn't there anymore. She felt something warm covered her both hands, then the warmth crept through her head, down to her cheeks, and settled unto her lips. 

Come back... 

That voice... Without thinking twice she followed what her heart trully wants. 

                                                                                                               ====================================

Slowly, her eyes opened. She was welcomed with an unfamiliar surrounding. White ceiling, an open window with the sound of the waves calming her tired soul. Waves?? She looked at the window and saw the vast sea, the setting sun and Yebin, playing with her Jungshin chingu. 

"You're awake" she looked at the other side of the bed and saw Yonghwa looking at her with misty eyes. "I thought I lost you forever" his pained eyes broke her heart, and the way he looks right now. The bags under his eyes worsened, he's more thinner than her, and his bloodshot eyes that's threatening to tear up. 

She moved her hand to remove the oxygen mask but something sparkling caught her eyes. She raised her hand and sobbed as she stares at the most beautiful Clara Diamond & Blue Sapphire Ring

"I can't wait to be with you forever legally" he softly uttered, his voice shaking due to nervousness and fatigue. 

"I won't answer you yet" he looked up and wasn't able to hide the distraught he's been feeling inside. "I need you to settle your stubborn arse in here beside me and sleep. Who knows? You're just sleep deprived that's why you p-"

"That's not even funny Seo Joo Hyun. How can you act like that when I can't even grasp the mixed emotions that I'm feeling right now. I'm still scared as , happy as hell, and I'm still shaken of what could've happened if everything went wrong. I almost lost you Seo Joo Hyun, almost."

"But you didn't. I'm still here. You don't need to feel anymore" she smiled at him that took a way almost all his pain that he suffered since the moment she was shot. "Now come here"

"I won't come unless you give me your answer" 

"Then let's spend the rest of the day just looking at each other stubbornly"

"No way. I've waited for you for an excruciating one whole hell week"

He moved closer until he settled beside her, relief shown in his face. His eyes were close, and his arms wrapped securely around her. 

"Yes" she faintly whispered that made his eyes almost popped out of his socket. It was expected yes, but hearing her say it personally made his heart leap in happiness. 

"Jinjja? There's no turning back"

"Aww! At least give me an escape plan man!" she jokingly said"

"Hell no. You won't be able to skip this even if you answered no"

"I don't have any choice. Do I?"

"You don't have any say on this to start with"

"Mwoya?"

"I love you. Seo Joo Hyun"

"I love you too. Jung Yong Hwa-ssi" she smiled mischievously at him, making his heart flutter. 

"I love you Seo Joo Hyun" she rolled her eyes at him that made him chuckle "I love you Seo Joo Hyun"

"ok ok Oppa. I love you too but you love me more right? But we need to sleep now so" she pecked his lips and touched his cheeks "Sleep"

He nodded and breathed in contentment. 

"Saranghae"

He grinned widely hearing her whispering words at him until he fell asleep. Not forgetting to thank the man in heaven for giving them another chance.