Chapter VI: The Sacrifice

An hour after CL left, Dara called Jiyong back.

He groaned as he answered the phone.

"Dara, you didn't just call to wake me up did you?"

Dara gathered her pillows and leaned against them as she pulled her blanket at her chin.

"No, but there's an idea."

"Not a very good one."

"Because pregnant women need their rest?"

"Because hardworking executives do."

She heard him sigh and some rustling as he moved in his bed.

"What is it?"

Dara bit down on her lip and twirled the curly phone cord around her hand.

"Where do you live?"

"Why? Are you planning some sort of revenge on me?"

"Maybe."

"Then I want my refrigerator stocked with sake and jajangmyun."

"You didn't put any of that in my fridge."

"I'm not the one as thin as a willow reed and ready to blow away in the next wind."

Dara winced. "Do I really look that bad?"

There was a pause and Jiyong's voice was a bit gruffer than before.

"No. You are a beautiful young woman that you are. Surly you must know that."

His words soothed the small sting his last words had created.

"You didn't answer my question."

"Which was what?"

"Where do you live? I had to tell my uncle how nice of an office you have because I haven't seen your house. I don't even know what part of town you live in."

"I live on Jongno District."

Jongno District was filled with a lot of nice older homes. Not as nice as those in other places, but it was a tad expensive for such older homes...from what Dara had heard anyways.

Dara had only driven past the area; she had never gone up to that district. She couldn't help feel a little excitement. Perhaps she would get a chance now that she knew Jiyong lived there.

"So you live in a house, not an apartment or a condo." Dara hadn't pictured Jiyong to be the type.

"Right. But, can we talk about my house tomorrow, when I'm awake?"

"You're going to call me anyways?"

Even after she told him not to.

"No, we'll talk when I pick you up to come with me to pick a ring for you."

"I thought I told you no to that."

"’No’ isn't one of my favorite words, that it is not. Just bring your school books with you and I can quiz you in the car."

Dara hesitated.

"I don't know...I don't want to leave Sanghyun. I usually study there at the hospital."

"I'll take you to my house afterwards, so you can describe it to your uncle in detail."

Dr. Lee could call any day. Dara felt that she had better be prepared to the old man's battering questions. Plus she really wanted to see his house on that district.

."Okay." She relented.

"Pick me up from the hospital at four; since we're getting married maybe it would be a good idea if Sanghyun saw you hanging around me a time or two."

"Have you told him yet?"

"No."

"Would you like some help?"

Her worry about how Sanghyun would accept the sudden appearance of a man in their lives had stopped Dara from saying anything so far. But now time was growing short and there wasn't much left until the wedding. Perhaps the lie of their marriage would be more convincing if Jiyong was there to help break the news. After he had brought Sanghyun that stuffed creature, he might even be glad that they were getting married.

"Maybe we should tell him together."

"Sounds like tomorrow is going to be a quite a day, that it does."

"It's not every day you get to reconstruct your fiancé's past in the span of a few hours."

"I'm a simple man." Jiyong promised.

"Good night Dara, and stop worrying okay? Everything will be alright."

Dara had no idea how he could say that. With Sanghyun in the hospital losing his fight with cancer. But Jiyong seemed so confident; it was hard not to believe him.

"Do you really think so? Do you think Sanghyun will make it?"

There was a long pause.

"I hope so, that I do." He said.

"Hello."

Dara looked up to see Jiyong standing in the doorway of Sanghyun's hospital room. He was in a shirt and tie and expensive looking pants. He also had a shopping bag in one hand.

Dara raised an eyebrow.

“You're just coming in from work?" She asked, closing her pharmacology textbook.

"No, I stopped by the mall first."

His gaze swept over her for a moment before focusing on Sanghyun, whose small face was bright with surprise.

"Look Dara-noona, its Jiyong-hyung!"

"Yes it is Sanghyun." She agreed.

"Noona told me you were going to come today."

Jiyong approached the bed, wary of the many tubes connected to the boy.

"I wanted to see how you were getting along with Kuma.

"Good." Sanghyun announced, putting one frail arm around the stuffed creature that still shared his bed.

"He sleeps with me at night, sometimes in the day too." He confessed.

"I'm sure he likes that. I brought you something else.” Jiyong pulled a gift-wrapped box from the bag and set it next to him.

"Another present!" Sanghyun all but bounced in place.

"What is it?"

"Open it and see."

Smiling from ear to ear, Sanghyun tore into the blue and black stripped paper, his pain and discomfort temporarily forgotten. The boy gave a whoop of delight.

"Look Dara-noona."

The boy held up a male action figure.

"It's Tonaki from the same anime as Kuma!" He wrapped one arm around the fluffy creature as he held the toy in the other arm.

"Thanks hyung!"

Dara couldn't help but smile at the sight of Sanghyun's excitement and Jiyong's obvious pleasure at being the cause of it. The boy jabbed at the hidden button on the back of the action figure and the toy started to ramble off in various sayings from the anime, most of which Sanghyun recited with the doll from memory.

As the boy was playing, Jiyong turned to Dara.

"Ready for this?" He murmured softly.

Dara rubbed her hands on her jeans as she stood up. She wasn't ready for any of this. But Sanghyun's cancer wasn't going to wait for a better idea. Taking a deep breath, Dara nodded.

"Sanghyun?" She said, stepping closer to the bed and drawing her brother's attention away from his toys.

"Do you think your new toy and Kuma can keep you company for a bit while Jiyong and I go out?"

Sanghyun's brows knitted together.

"Where are you going? Can I come too?"

"You know you can't, Sanghyun." Dara said, gently shaking her head.

"The doctors won't let you leave the hospital just yet, not until you're better. But we won't be gone long and CL said she'd come be with you. She should be here any minute."

"But where are you going?" The boy asked again.

"We're going to a jewelry store to pick out a nice ring for me."

"A ring?" The boy's brows lifted and he glanced from Dara to Jiyong and back again.

Jiyong reached out and took Dara's left hand.

"This is a special ring