Leaving Taekwoon behind left its impact on your face. Worry and concern were all over your features as you walked into the house. You were oblivious to Nana staring in concern at the frown on your face. She called your name but you didn't respond. She got from her seat and walked in your direction. Placing her hand on your shoulder, she called your name again. You turned around when you felt her gentle pat to find her staring at you in concern. She was triggered by the distress she saw on your face after supposedly coming back from a meeting with your friends.

"Are you okay?"

She asked and you faked a smile and gave her a tiny nod. She looked at you suspiciously and then asked:

"Did something happen? Are your friends okay?"

My friends? You thought to yourself.

You hesitated for a second. You remembered very clearly how you had to fake yet another excuse to leave the house and see Taekwoon. You could never tell her the truth. She would never understand, you thought. You've been sneaking out of the house for the past couple of days without getting caught, but you were running out of excuses. You thought for a couple of seconds before saying:

"Don't worry, everything is fine."

"Why do you look so upset then?"

She won't leave me until I give her a convincing answer.

"They... they asked me about what happened... and I... I still get nervous when I remember what I've been through."

You averted your eyes away from her, fearing that she might see the lies in your eyes. She looked at you sympathetically before taking you into her arms as she said:

"You're safe now, we won't let anything happen to you."

You thanked her and went upstairs to your room, praying that she leaves you alone. You entered your room and flopped onto your bed in exhaustion. You were staring at the ceiling aimlessly. What you had told her wasn't completely a lie. Things haven't been the same since that awful incident. Neither for you, nor for Taekwoon. You've been having all kinds of nightmares over the past week. You'd wake up in the middle of the night, terrified, looking for Taekwoon, or looking around your room for intruders. Taekwoon was going through the same. He spent sleepless nights texting you or calling you to make sure you were in your room, safe and sound.

You considered sleeping at Nana's room, even at your father's room, if only they weren't still mad at you for dating Taekwoon behind their back. You conversations with them were limited to asking about your health, and sometimes asking where you were going. But they'd constantly ask Hakyeon about your, checking on your health. At times, sleeping at Hakyeon's room sounded like a good idea, but you'd change your mind before leaving your room. I've caused him enough trouble already. You would then decide to just sleep in your room after calling Taekwoon. Closing the window and burying your body under the blanket was the only thing you could do.

This made you wonder if Taekwoon was also feeling unsafe in his apartment. You wanted to spend the night with him but you couldn't think of a way to spend the night outside the house without getting caught. So far you used all the excuses you could think of to leave the house and see him. You'd spend two hours at his apartment, feeding him or looking after his injuries before going home with a broke spirit. You did your best trying to hide the tears in your eyes but you couldn't stop the pain piercing through your heart for having to leave him alone again. Even thought the nurse was there with him, you really wanted to look after him yourself, wanting to ease the pain you caused him.

A while later, the time you spent with Taekwoon was starting to feel less comfortable as he was starting to show signs of distress and anxiety. You asked him several times if he needed to see a specialist, knowing that his nervousness was caused by the shooting incident. He was a very calm, quite person and having gone through this traumatic experience must have had its affect on him. You tried comforting him but the time you spent with him wasn't enough and your guilt intensified by the day.

Hakyeon pulled over in front of Taekwoon's apartment building. Today's excuse was taking you shopping. You and Hakyeon were getting better at coming up with excuses.

"Thank you, for everything."

You said as you opened the door to get off the car. He smiled and said:

"Don't mention it. I'll come back in an hour."

"Okay. See you."

You got off the car and climbed the stairs toward Taekwoon's apartment. You opened the door using the spare key he gave you. Sometimes he was too exhausted to get off his bed and open the door. You found the nurse with him and it gave you a sense of relief. Having someone there with him lessened your worries even though you wished it was you.

You greeted them as Taekwoon patted the empty spot next to him and motioned you to sit down. You sat down next to him and held his hand as the nurse was done changing the dressings of the wound on his side. He flinched in pain when the nurse patted the wound slightly and you gave his hand a pat.

"I'll be back in three hours. Call me if you need anything."

The nurse said as he collected his belongings. You stood up and sent him out, locked the door before returning to sit next to Taekwoon. He held his hand up and you took it in yours and tangled your fingers with his. He gave you a faint smile as he squeezed your hand lightly. You touched his face with your other hand and he leaned in to your touch before saying:

"I missed you."

"I missed you too."

"I am sorry I've been acting distant lately."

You touched his earlobe gently you said:

"You don't have to apologize. I just want you to feel better."

"I will, as long as you're here with me."

He let go of your hand and wrapped his arm around your back pulling you closer to him before printing a kiss on your lips. Your forehead was touching his as he stopped kissing and stared at you lovingly. Being this close to him always made your heart flutter, especially that you haven't been this intimate in a while. You printed a kiss on his lips before getting interrupted by a knock on his door. You pulled out and looked at the direction of the door before asking:

"Are you expecting someone?"

"No. It's probably the landlady."

"What does she want?"

You asked as you looked at him in confusion. He smiled and said:

"She cooks for me, every day."

You stood up and opened the door for her when you saw the tray in her hands.

"Oh! You're here! I'm sorry I thought Taekwoon was alone. I'll go get you another plate."

"No no. I have to leave anyways. Thank you so much for looking after him."

She handed you the tray and then said:

"It's my pleasure. But... I'll be away this weekend. Do you think you can be here with him?"

"Yes sure. Thank you very much."

You sat down next to him with the tray on your lap. He reached for the spoon but you placed your hand on his as you said:

"Wait. I'll feed you."

He smiled before letting you place a napkin under his chin. You fed him while thinking of what to do when the landlady is away. You had to come up with excuses to leave the house. Cooking was another issue you had to consider. It wasn't meant for you and you had no time to learn any more dishes from Mrs. Han.

When you were done feeding Taekwoon, you wiped his mouth clean and brought him a glass of water. You left the tray in the kitchen when he told you that the landlady will come take it later. Going back to sit next to him, you told him that she'll be away for the weekend.

"But don't worry; I'll be here every day."

You added.

"I don't want to cause you any problems at home."

"Don't worry about me. I'll figure out something."

You assured him before glancing at your watch. A pout crept into your lips as you let out a sigh.

"Hakyeon will be here soon. I have to go."

You said as you got off his bed. He grabbed your hand and pulled you down before printing a kiss on your lips.

"I love you."

He said in a whisper and a blush crept into your cheeks. The word still made your heart flutter as if it was the first time.

"I love you too. Call me if you need anything."

"I will. Call me when you get home."

You nodded and waved at him as you left the apartment and closed the door behind you. Your phone started ringing and you saw Hakyeon's name on the screen so you ran down the stairs, knowing he was waiting in the car.

"Is he better now?"

Hakyeon asked as you got in the car.

"I think so. He still can't walk on his own but he's recovering."

"That's good to hear."

He paused for a second before saying:

"Hongbin asked about you today."

You looked at him, puzzled.

"What does he want?"

"I don't know. I met him today at work and he said he heard the news of what happened and asked if you were okay."

"I'll call him when I get home."

He was silent for a couple of seconds before asking:

"Are you still contacting each other?"

"Yeah. Why?"

"Nothing. Just asking."

You stared at him for a second and then said:

"We're good friends. That's all."

"Just friends?"

He asked without looking at you and you raised an eyebrow before saying:

"Yes. Just friends. I'm not leaving Taekwoon."

He chuckled.

"I didn't mean anything."

You stuck your tongue out at him and he laughed again. The rest of the drive was silent as you thought of Hongbin's perfect timing. He will be your way out of the house. Going out with him would be Nana's best dreams and your best chance to go out without being questioned. Nana loved him and you were sure she'd be delighted to see you going out with him. You'll have to explain the situation to him and hope he'd be on your side.

You called Hongbin once you were in your room. He answered your call almost immediately. He sounded very concerned so you had to assure him that you were fine.

"And your boyfriend? Is he okay too?"

"Yes. He's still recovering but he's fine."

"Oh my god, why would anybody do that to you?"

You let out a sigh and then said:

"I am just glad it's over. It was a nightmare."

"I tried calling you several time since Wonsik wanted us to go out together but I guess we'll have to wait until your boy is doing better."

You hesitated for a second and then said:

"I... I actually wanted to ask you for a favor."

"Sure! Anything."

"It's a bit complicated but the person looking after Taekwoon is leaving for the weekend and I have to be there with him. My... my father is a bit strict about me going out alone after what happened so..."

You let out another sigh. You hated having to lie to him and even ask him to lie to your family. You had already thought about telling him who Taekwoon is to your family but you were afraid he'd share their prejudice. You chose to simply tell him that your father would be worried about you going out alone. It was the safer option.

"You want me to take you out?"

Your eyes widened in surprise as you said:

"H... how did you know?"

He chuckled and then said:

"Don't worry about it. I understand that your father is worried but you need to see your boyfriend so I'll be your savior. We'll come up with something so you can go out without causing him to worry."

You sighed in relief before remembering going out wasn't the only problem.

"There is another problem."

"Tell me."

He said almost immediately.

"That lady usually cooks for him and I... I'm not very good at cooking."

He chuckled and then said:

"Actually, Wonsik is a chef. A very good chef."

Your jaw dropped in surprise. He's indeed my savior.

"You're kidding, right?"

"Not at all. He works at the restaurant where we met last time. We can pay your boyfriend a visit and Wonsik can help you cook for him."

You were beyond surprised. You never thought your problems would be solved so easily.

"I... I don't know what to say. That would be great! Seriously, you're really a savior."

He giggled again as he said:

"I'll call Wonsik and wait for you to tell me when we can visit him."

"I'll talk to him tonight and let you know. Thank you very much!"

"You're most welcome."

You relaxed in your chair after you hung up with Hongbin. You never thought your problems will be solved with one phone call. You were glad you had a good relationship with Hongbin and you were happy he offered to help. You picked up your phone, excited to tell Taekwoon of the weekend's plan. Before you could dial his number you changed your mind and put your phone down again. You were worried that he might be sleeping or taking a rest so you decided to call him later. You were sure he'd be glad to meet Hongbin and Wonsik and you couldn't wait to have them pay him a visit. You were sure it would make him feel good to have such people around him.

It seemed that he wasn't as excited after all. He raised an eyebrow when you told him about Hongbin wanting to pay him a visit as you washed the dishes after having lunch with him at his apartment. You dried your hands and went back to sit next to him before saying:

"He called to check on me and I told him about what happened to you so he wants to pay you a visit."

"I don't understand. Why would you tell him about me? Why are you even still contacting him?"

You regretted not having told him about it over the phone. You remembered how you fell asleep last night with your phone in your hand after an hour of hesitation. You ended up dozing off and waking up the next morning without calling him. You sighed internally before answering his question:

"We're just friends."

"Just friends?"

He asked as he looked at you suspiciously.

"Yes. Just friends."

He remained silent as he continued to stare at you. You blinked a couple of times and then asked:

"Why are you looking at me like that? Are you... seriously! Are you questioning me?"

Before he could answer your question, you heard a knock on his door.

"Are you expecting someone?"

You asked and he shook his head "no." You got of your seat and walked toward the door as you looked at your watch. It was too early for the nurse to be here. You opened the door to find a girl staring at you in surprise, as if she didn't expect to see you, or anybody, here. She was around your age, maybe a bit older, with long brown hair, brown eyes and a faint smile on her face.

"Yes?"

You asked while trying to recall whether you've seen her before or not. She somehow looked familiar but you couldn't remember where or when you've seen her.

"I'm Solji, Taekwoon's friend. Is he here?"

Taekwoon's friend? You studied her face carefully as you tried to remember if he had ever told you about her. I don't think so, you thought to yourself as you nodded before letting her in. As soon as she walked past you and spotted Taekwoon, she started crying. She sat down on the edge of his bed and he was patting her shoulder as she continued to sob while asking him of what had happened to him. You stood there watching them as he told her of what happened briefly while she continued crying, saying she missed him when he didn't show up for class for more than a week, and asking if he felt better now, all without either of them looking at you or addressing you. You didn't know what to do as you walked into the kitchen, trying to figure out how to act in such a situation. You've never seen him this close to a girl before. They were acting like they knew each other for a long time but you couldn't remember if he'd ever told you about her. A few minutes later, Taekwoon called you and you turned around to look at him.

"What are you doing? Why are you standing there?"

The girl was finally looking at you as you walked back into the room, grabbed your purse and walked toward the door.

"I was leaving. I'll call you later."

"Wait."

You ignored him as you stormed out of the apartment and closed the door behind you. You stood there for a couple of seconds before going downstairs to where Hakyeon was waiting you. As soon as you got into the car, you realized what you have done. You left him alone with a girl you've never seen before, a girl who seemed very close to him. You looked for your phone inside your purse as you thought of calling him to ask who the girl is. You let out a grunt in annoyance when you realized you forgot your phone at his apartment. Hakyeon looked at you, baffled.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"Nothing. I'll be right back."

You got off the car and ran upstairs again. You cursed yourself for forgetting your phone and having to go back after leaving so awkwardly. You had no idea what made you decide to leave in the first place. Before you could knock on the door, it was opened and you saw Solji leaving.

"Hi"

She said when she saw you coming up and you said:

"I think I forgot my phone."

She let out an 'Ah' before waving at you and going downstairs. You entered the apartment and Taekwoon looked at you, in both anger and surprise.

"Why are you back?"

"I... I forgot my phone."

You found it on the night stand near Taekwoon's bed. You grabbed it and hesitated for a second before turning to look at him as you asked:

"Who is she?"

He frowned as he said:

"Did you come back to ask me this question?"

"I... I told you I forgot my phone..."

He let out a sigh and then said:

"She told you she's my friend."

"But I've never seen her before."

"Yes you did."

You paused for a few seconds, trying to remember. He rolled his eyes before saying:

"She was with me at the coffee shop the first time you saw me there."

You suddenly remembered where you've seen her before. This is why she looked familiar, you thought to yourself.

"Am I not allowed to have female friends?"

His tone suddenly became sharp as he posed his question. His loud voice sent a shiver down your spine.

"Why are you saying this?"

"Because you suddenly left when she was here and you were even hiding in the kitchen. And then you decided to come back again and started asking me questions about her. Did you leave and come back to see if we were doing something? Is that why you returned immediately after leaving?"

He almost yelled.

"Taekwoon I... "

"And then you'd get mad when I ask about Hongbin. So am I not allowed to have female friends while you can have male friends and whine if I complained about it?"

You were speechless. You came back to get your phone, but you also came back when you realized you left them alone. Were you jealous? Yes. But you never thought he'd cheat on you. You just had an urge to go back and be with him instead of leaving him with her. You didn't want to any other woman looking after him while you were in your room, resting or sleeping comfortably.

What he said hurt you. Did he think you didn't trust him? Does he not trust you? You're not even close to Hongbin and you thought he had no reason to dislike the boy when he was simply trying to help. When did I whine? You asked yourself. You stood there, speechless, looking at him with tears welling up in your eyes. He let out another sigh when he realized how bad he made it sound.

"I'm sorry. I... I didn't mean what I said."

You were avoiding eye contact with him, your lips shaking as you held back your tears. He called your name softly and you looked at him as you said:

"I have to go."

"No, wait."

You ignored his calls again as you went downstairs with tears rolling down your cheeks.

The drive home was silent. Hakyeon asked you several times if everything was okay, but he stopped asking when you refused to give him an answer. He glanced at you to see if you've stopped crying as he pulled over in front of the house, but you hadn't. You thanked him before getting out of the car and going to your room, still not answering his questions, or Taekwoon's calls. You knew Taekwoon was jealous of Hongbin ever since he came to your house and he got even more jealous when you danced with him at Eunji's wedding, but he didn't give you the chance to tell him that Hongbin was seeing someone else already.

You took a shower and then lay on your bed as you ignored Taekwoon's continuous calls. After almost an hour, you decided to answer. You reached for your phone and picked up.

"Baby, are you okay?"

Your heart skipped a beat at the concern in his voice. You felt guilty for making him worry. You hummed in response and he almost yelled:

"Don't you ever do that to me again! Do you know how worried I was?"

You remained silent for a couple of seconds not knowing what to say. He asked:

"Are you there? Answer me."

"I'm sorry."

He sighed in relief before saying:

"Don't apologize. I'm so sorry I yelled at you. I... I should have let you explain but... I... these days I just..."

"I know. It's okay."

He was silent for a few seconds before saying:

"You know I love you, right?"

You remained silent so he asked again:

"You know I love you... Right?"

"I know."

You said faintly and he said:

"I love you, and I trust you. I was just... She's my friend. I only love you. If you're ever bothered with me, talk to me, don't just leave. Okay?"

"Okay."

"So when is Hongbin coming?"

He asked and you were silent for a couple of seconds, wondering why he was suddenly asking about Hongbin.

"You don't have to do this."

"I do. I want to meet my rival."

You smiled as then said:

"He's not your rival. He has someone else already."

"What? Why didn't you tell me?"

He asked in shock.

"I... I forgot."

"You forgot to tell me the guy I'm awfully jealous of is already seeing someone else?"

"I'm sorry. And... Why are you even jealous of him?"

He hesitated for a second before saying:

"Because he has everything I don't have. He's handsome, he comes from a wealthy family, your family likes him."

"You're handsome too and I love you. That's all that matters."

"You think I'm handsome?"

You giggled.

"Are you seriously asking me this?"

"Yes, and I need an answer."

You knew he was eager to hear your answer so you decided to .

"Well... you're fine."

"Fine?"

You giggled again so he said:

"Fine works for me."

You smiled to yourself before saying:

"He'll come with his friend. Is that okay with you?"

"Sure."

"What day suits you?"

"They can come any time you want."

"When is the landlady leaving?"

"I think she leaves in 2 days."

"Okay then. I'll tell them to come when she leaves. Is that okay with you?"

"Yes. The nurse is coming in 15 minutes so I have to go."

"Is he good? I mean... Does he help you around?"

"Yes, a lot actually. He helped me take a shower yesterday. It was very embarrassing but he was very careful. I'm really grateful to you and Hakyeon."

"Don't say that. I can never get over the fact that I was the reason you almost got killed."

Your breathing hitched as you recalled the memories of seeing him on the hospital bed. He said:

"I'm here now. I'm okay."

You knew he was trying to reassure you so you said:

"Yes. You're here."

"I'll call you when the nurse leaves, okay?"

"Okay."

He remained silent for a couple of seconds and then said almost in a whisper:

"Please remember that I only love you."

Your heart skipped a beat and a blush crept into your face as you answered:

"And I only love you."