"What are you looking for?" Joonmyeon stood frozen by the door frame, looking at me frantically opening and closing all cabinets in Dad's office. I looked at him with the tip of my eye, and no smile, "…Isn't it obvious? I'm looking for the land grant of the school. I'm going to switch ownership with it. I can do that, can't I? You're a lawyer, you should know." I said. Traces of determination in my voice. Joonmyeon knows me too well to go against me, but somehow, he's trying to change my mind by talking me through it."…He gave away too much for this school…Can't you just find another director to be in his place? You're a psychologists, surely you know someone who's interested in this kind of job…" He bit his lip and hung his head low.

Ignoring him, and everything he said, I stubbornly carry on looking. I don't know where I should start so I just randomly open any cabinets and drawers I see closed. "I am not going to let this school tail on me. I have so many other important things to do, than this. You wouldn't understand. How could you… You're just an outsider, menacing in my dad's brain and sweet talking my mother, making your way into my family." I murmured.

Maybe it was a mistake. Joonmyeon thought. But it didn't feel like a mistake.

He stood outside the school, right beside his car and enjoyed the view ahead of him. View of hills and houses, the skies without skyscrapers. He thought it was wise to leave her on her own. The air is clearer out here. It was good idea to leave before she says anything harsher. Joonmyeon had fallen in love, so carelessly, most of peers would say. But no one else sees what he sees.

He has gotten used to her tantrums, and her punch lines darts through him like air rifles, though it hurts like hell at first, it disappears as quickly as it came. She can be really mean sometimes, but beneath all those shields and fortress, he believes that her true self is hiding well in her own clouds of security. Only the most fragile heart, would have the strongest cage. And only a true knight would have the keys to it. As absurd as it may sound, he'd like to believe that he's the one with the keys. Though the closest he could get to her is the area around the cage. Metaphorically speaking.

Then, he felt an item being thrown at him. When he turned around, rubbing his neck, he saw his fiancée tip toeing on her heels, hitting him on the chest. "What…! What! Why?! What happen!"

She roars, "…Where is it!"

#####

Joonmyeon rubs his back in pain as he was seated in the car, while I stared at my lap, playing with my fingers. "I'm sorry…" I murmured. He gave out short hisses, and started the car engine. "…Let's get you home." He replied, sourly. "Should we stop by the hospital to get it treated?" I made sure I sounded polite. He didn't deserve the beatings. Why would anyone want to marry me…

He replied urgently, "…No. No. I'll be fine."

The conversation died like so. I admired the city lights as it go dim. Driving through the city bridge, Seoul at night hasn't been as beautiful as you've seen it in daylight. Joonmyeon kept a serious blank face as he drove. A lot of things probably flooding his mind right now. Making me an ex-fiancée is probably one of them. I would totally understand it. I don't deserve him. At all. Joonmyeon is very good looking. He comes from a very good university, plays the piano, and devoted son of a wealthy family too. And I'm the daughter of a lawyer who retired and became a teacher, puts all his money to charity, and raised orphans more than he raised me. Who am I to being blessed with Joonmyeon as my fiancée. Dad must have thought he won a lottery when Joonmyeon came.

Joonmyeon could have any girl throwing themselves on him. That's why I was so jealous when he had other girls' picture on his phone. Because I know, how easy it would be for him.

I could sense envy from miles away when he sends me off to work. The researchers in my office goes crazy every time he comes around. Male and female, alike. But little do they know that in our three years of relationship, being engaged, and together, Joonmyeon and I never hugged, nor kissed. We rarely even hold hands. Gasping? So why has he stayed this long with me? I still ask myself the same question. To this day. And probably to the day of our wedding, if there's going to be one.

Or maybe, this was just a game to him. Who calls off the wedding, loses… If that's the case, then I've lost many times. His phone vibrated in my lap, it was his mum.

I put on his ear piece and hurriedly,fixed them on his ear. "Yes, mom…? Tonight's dinner? Yes, sure. Okay. Bye." He hung up. "Let's stop by the convenient store and get some ice cream pops, mum wanted the chocolate flavored one. That's okay, right…?" He said, and I clearly understood from his voice that he wasn't asking for an opinion, it was a command sounding like a question. Although I didn't like the idea of having dinner at his parent's place, I think I was in no position to decline. Not after what I did to him. He parks by the side of the road, and when his hands reaches to unbuckle his seat belt, I stopped him. This means 'I'm sorry', in my language.

Was it really with him? The will. The accusation was absurd, especially when it comes from her, the daughter of the owner. He could count his encounters with his future father in law, they aren't really father-son close, but aren't that far apart too. If he had handed a document to him, he would remember. Especially when it's this important. She said nothing else after the brawl, and he just realized that he's been thinking about her accusations ever since they left the orphanage. She must have thought I was pissed, he panicked himself. Look at that pouty lips. She enters the car, and placed the ice cream behind. "Are you sure you're going to the dinner at my parent's?" He glanced at her briefly, with an expression contemplating in between dire panic and forced-on calm. He knew she hated unsounded invites. In such a short notice too. She nodded, looking far out the distance. Further than her legs could ever take her.

"I was going to tell you, but I forgot…" Joonyeom said. His eyes stuck upon the road, and he grips tighter on the wheels. She didn't reply.

######

So far so good. "Come on in! Glad to see you again, after so long… I'm starting to feel that my spicy red snapper stew chased you away…our Joonmyeon-nie told us that the future Mrs could take in spicy food." Mom laughed. Joonmyeon happily chit-chatting with his dad. I just smiled in return. Couldn't find an appropriate thing to say.

Soon, four of us were seated on a pine-wooden dining table for six, two of its seat, unoccupied. "…The Sogang alumni isn't home for the next three months. He went soul-searching across Europe. Why did he need to travel that far and that long, he could have gotten any good girl locally, like Joonmyeon here, but chose fleeing away as an excuse to search for those skimpy skirts, yellow haired girls." His dad complaints. His golden canine tooth shines when he laughs. Damn, he's family is darn rich. So rich that they made a teeth out of one of those gold bricks that they own. "Who? Hyung?" Joonmyeon asked, as he slurps in hot soup, his mother made. "…Who else is in Sogang? You only got two siblings in total. That inconsiderate elder son." Dad shot, lowering his head to smell the soup before sipping in. He took the time to compliment his wife for cooking so well too.

Joonmyeon dugs into his rice. Even though he had fish on top of his grains, he didn't hesitate. But in the midst of it all, he halted. "Is your research still going on?" Dad asked me. It wasn't even started, now it's not ever going to be in process. "…My team is over viewing the whole objective. The budget was cut more than half, so it's going to be very difficult if we do continue. But we've come too far to stop now." I shakily say. "Why didn't you ask Joonmyeon, the firm is quite wealthy." Dad accuses. Joonmyeon nibbles the tip of his chopsticks on the flesh of the fish, while he answers with a peasant smile, "…I knew about it. I offered help. But she wanted to re-consider the options."

I nodded in agreement. The decision was clear as day. "…It was a load sum of money to begin with. If we're not careful, we will lose more than we gain. I didn't want Joonmyeon to suffer. He's unrelated to the study. People would start questioning." Dad pouted in return to what I've said. "What is so wrong in helping his wife. Future. Wife. Heck. Wife."He protested in silence. We all giggled awkwardly. "Enough with work…Talk about something lighter. Something that doesn't require thinking…Oh, my dear. Why are you still slurping on soups, you hadn't touched your rice." Mum scolded me with a smile. I screamed inwardly. If only I could place the fish away, I would be happily eating them. I peered my eyes to Joonmyeon's bowl, but before I could do that, Joonmyeon took away my bowl and switched them with his.

"Right, where in Europe was hyung travelling to?" Joonmyeon diverted the discussion to something lighter. When I looked into the bowl he handed me, the conversations around me died down, and all of a sudden, I could only see him. And amongst these strangers I call family, he's the only one who knows me. Swallowing in too fast, I gulped the drink beside me, and feel the clump of rice sliding down my throat. "Are you alright? Did I missed any bones?" He hurriedly, asked. I smiled and shook my head, almost laughing at myself. The ride home is going to be fun. To say the least.

Bidding farewells to the cute couples, Joonmyeon drives me home. "How did you know I hated fish bones?"

He just shrugged in return.

[Author's Note]

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