"You know, I thought that Soeun looked kind of familiar." Chansung said walking towards where the gang parked their cars. 

  "What do you mean?" Nichkun asked. 

"I don't know, she just seems familiar. Like I've seen her somewhere before." he replied. 

"You guys are thinking across the line." Wooyoung interrupted denying the fact. "Now hurry up we have to be at the meeting in thirty minutes."

 "Remind me again why we agreed to have a meeting today?" Taecyeon sighed. 

"Stop complaining." Nichkun replied. 

 

As the rest of his friends talked amongst themselves, Chansung took out his phone and looked at the picture of Soeun that Wooyoung sent them. "Something about her definitely  seems familiar." He thought to himself.

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

Junho signed the contract with full strength as Soeun looked at him. 

"Why 12 months though?" he asked as he put the pen down and gave her back the sheet of paper.

  "Excuse me?" 

"Why out of all the time in our lives, 12 months?" 

Soeun froze in her seat. She knew this question was going to come sooner or later, yet she hadn't planned to answer it in such a short time. 

 "Because..." Soeun stuttered as she looked down and put the files back into her bag. "...it's enough time to save my parent's company." Soeun said as she felt her heart drop. 

 

Junho stood up without a word and went back to his desk and commenced his work to Soeun's surprise. She would have thought he would have a go at her for being so sly and self centered. 

Yet, he merely ignored her comment. 

 "Well, are we done?" Junho said, eyes still on his desk. 

Soeun sighed. "Yes we are." She stood up and walked back to the office doors. 

Without saying goodbye, Soeun stepped out of his office and left. 

 

Junho fell back on his chair and turned towards the window that was situated behind his desk. 

  "You're more demanding that I thought." he said to himself as he smiled. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

Soeun sat back down in her car and leaned her head on the steering wheel.

  "It's a win-win situation Soeun." she kept on repeating to herself. "Everyone will understand." 

 

She took out the files that were in her bag and found the contract that Junho had signed. 

 It was done. She got what she wanted.

But the question that made her frustrated was, why wasn't she happy about it? 

Whether it was because she was going against her parent's wishes, 

or whether it was because she felt selfish doing something that would only conclude in so many bad offsprings, Soeun didn't know. 

She decided to bury the thoughts in the back of her mind, it wasn't something she wanted to think about anyway, what's done is done. 

 

Soeun took out her phone to check the time when she found she had a new message. 

 

- Are you sure? Because I think I have the right number. This is Kim Soeun's mobile number right? 

 

Soeun looked confused as it was the same unknown number from last night. She looked back at the number and seemed even more confused. She wasn't the type of person that would give her number out to strangers, nor was she the type of person that wouldn't give someone her number without having theirs in return. After much deliberation, she decided to call the number. 

 

Soeun put the phone to her ear and waited for the mystery person to pick up. After several rings the person still didn't pick up. It was getting strange by now and not to mention she started to get the slightest bit scared. Soeun hung up as her patience was ticking away by the minute. If they weren't willing to pick up, then she wasn't willing to reply to the message.  

 

Fair and square. 

She stuffed her phone in her bag trying to drop the issue. 

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

"Junho." Mrs. Lee sang as she opened both doors and strutted into the office.

Junho looked up and saw his mother coming towards him.

    "Surprise, surprise. The queen is early." he whispered to himself looking down at his work again.

  "Your secretary told me that Soeun came over this morning?" she said happily after hearing the news, strolling down to the coffee table.

"I don't see why you had to know about it." Junho replied without looking at her, wheeling his chair to the other side of his desk to pick up some files. 

 "And what might I ask you did you two talk about?" she asked with a grin. 

Junho ignored her question and went on with his work.

This wasn't what he wanted to talk about, he just wanted to get right to the details of tonight and finish off there.

"I see how it is." Mrs. Lee said sensing that Junho wanted to stay quiet. "As long as you two were getting along, I'll be pleased." 

Mrs. Lee smirked at her son's behavior and put her bag down beside her, when she noticed at the corner of her eye a white box lying on the coffee table. She opened the lid and peaked inside the box only to find a birthday cake to her excitement. 

 

"Did Soeun bring this cake perhaps?" Mrs. Lee asked Junho excitedly. 

He looked up only to find the cake box wide open. 

  "No she didn't." he replied coldly. 

"Come now! Who else in the world would have bought you a cake this early in the morning. It's not like you have any close friends." she said as if she wanted to squeeze the truth out of his mouth. 

 "You know what." Junho replied finally looking at her. "If you're not going to believe me, just believe your own lie then." 

"Excuse me?" Mrs. Lee said with attitude. 

 "Why is it so hard for you just to believe that I might actually have friends that care for me?" 

 

Junho exploded. He couldn't take it anymore. It was wrong to shout at his mother, he knew. Yet the amount of stress in his mind reached the top and he just couldn't take it anymore. For so long, he was always ordered around to do things he didn't have any passion for. For so long, he's been trapped in his parent's grip, and he couldn't take it.

 

"Friends?" his mother said with a laugh. "You're not honestly speaking about those 2PM boys are you?" 

 "Yes, I am talking about them! If you think that they don't deserve to be my friends... no... if you think that they don't deserve to be part of my family, that's where you're wrong." 

  "Lee Junho! Don't you dare shout at me." 

"Let me ask you a question, where were you for the first sixteen years of my life?" 

 "Excuse me? If you think -" 

"Answer the question mother." Junho felt the anger rising, clenching his fists. 

   "While you weren't there, you know who was? Those "2PM boys". While you were gone for my childhood, something that I can never get back, my friends were there trying to fill in the gap that you left. You think it was easy to watch every birthday, Christmas, for goodness sake, every single hour of my life go past watching other kids my age spending their time with parents while I didn't even know mine?" 

 

Mrs. Lee looked at her son's face as she stood up and walked over to Junho's office table.       "Don't you ever shout at me again." 

Junho couldn't believe what he was hearing. After the truth about his feelings were clear, his mother didn't even care. He gripped the end of his table with anger. Junho turned away from his mother's face. 

It was one thing to let out one's emotions after a period of time, it was another thing to be strong while doing it. 

"I wouldn't dream of it." he replied coldly as he left his desk and walked over towards the doors of the office. 

"Walking away again are we?" His mother said turning around to face Junho as she crossed her arms.

  Before opening the door, he turned back to directly look at her. "Don't worry mother, it's not like I'm going to vanish and leave my only mother for sixteen years like you did."  

 

~ ~ ~ 

 

Jieun looked at Soeun in shock. 

"You're not seriously going to wear that dress tonight... are you?" Jieun couldn't grasp the fact that her friend was in a hideous 3/4 dress. 

Soeun looked down at what she was wearing and honestly didn't see what the matter was. 

 "What?" Soeun said as she twirled in the dress. "I already bought a dress the other day, I'm not going to buy a new one. And I just don't see what's wrong with this one." 

 "You've got to be joking me!" Jieun shouted falling back on the head of the couch pretending to faint. 

"But honestly though, what's wrong with this one?" Soeun held on to her question. 

Jieun didn't even have any words. "Let me explain to you my friend, what a person with as much money as you should do." 

Soeun sighed as she slumped down in her seat. "You're not going to take me shopping are you?" Soeun whined.

Jieun stared blankly at Soeun in utter disbelief. "Where are your car keys? I'll be waiting in the car." she replied at her useless whining. 

  "Jieun! I don't even have time for shopping! I have things to do and people to meet!" 

Jien stopped in her tracks before she turned back and look blankly at Soeun once more. "Then let me find you a dress." She said before turning around and continuing to walk. 

 "Lee Jieun! The dress better be suitable and modest!" she shouted hoping that she would hear.

"That dang girl." Soeun said to herself as she sighed taking the dress off. 

 

As she was changing she heard her phone ring. Soeun quickly tied her hair up and ran out the room to pick up her mobile.

"Hello?" 

  "Miss. Kim..."

"Oh, Mr. Jung. What makes you call at this time?"

  "About the meeting this afternoon with Mrs. Lee, she's just called me and told me that she's moved the time 2 hours earlier than what she had originally suggested." 

Soeun looked at the clock in the living room and let her jaw drop to the ground. 

 "That means she'll be here in fifteen minutes!" She screamed through the phone."

"Is there a problem?" 

Soeun couldn't even start off with the problems that she was to face.

 "Yes! There is a problem! A huge one at that!" 

"Oh and one more thing Miss. Kim." Mr. Jung continued ignoring her comment. "She'll be coming to your house." 

 

Soeun dropped her phone in utter shock. 

No way in hell was this happening. 

No way was she coming over to her house without any warning. 

Soeun wasn't going to let this happen. 

No way was she stepping foot in Soeun's hou -

 

"I'm so glad that you had the time to see me 2 hours earlier!" Mrs. Lee said as she stepped inside Soeun's house. 'So much for not letting her in.' Soeun thought to herself as she tried to smile leading her soon to be mother-in-law into her living room.

  "I'm glad that you could come." She replied as she motioned Mrs. Lee to sit down before she sat across from her. 

Mrs. Lee smiled as she crossed her legs. "You have a very cosy house here." she said letting her eyes roam around the room before landing on a particular painting. 

 "Do you like art?" Mrs. Lee questioned pointing to the canvas that was situated above the fire place. 

Soeun turned around to see the painting that she had finished the week before the accident. 

 "Oh that?" Soeun slightly laughed. "That was just something I did for entertainment." She turned back to Mrs. Lee who was smiling broadly. 

 "That's a coincidence, because Junho loves art. He would even create his own master pieces on hours without end." 

 "Really?" Soeun said surprised. Never had the thought of him liking art crossed her mind. He seemed like such a dull person. 

"Why do look so surprised?"'

 "Oh, it was just that..." 

Mrs. Lee chuckled. "Junho can seem like a very dull person at times, you just have to be patient with him." 

 "No kidding." Soeun whispered to herself. 

"Did you say something?" Mrs. Lee looked up as she finished sipping her cup of tea. 

  "Oh, no." Soeun smiled. 

 

After bits and pieces of sentences and words exchanged by the two women, they found themselves settling down in silence. 

 

Soeun looked down at Mrs. Lee's hands and watched, as her wedding ring gleamed as the sun came across the window, shining on it. 

  "Would it be okay if I asked you a personal question?" Soeun asked nervously looking up at her face.

Mrs. Lee nodded. "Go ahead." 

 "How did... you two meet? I mean, Mr. Lee and you." 

Mrs. Lee cleared . "As for this question, I think it's best if I tell you another time." 

Soeun nodded in response. 'Nice going, now it's even more awkward' she thought to herself. 

 

"Back to the reason why I actually came here." Mrs. Lee started off filling in the gap of silence. "I came to discuss with you the matters of where you'll be staying after the marriage." 

  Soeun suddenly raised her head as it seemed like this particular topic had been lingering on her mind for a while. "Actually, I've already given that some thought, and I would honestly, very much enjoy to find our own house." 

 Mrs. Lee entwined both her hands together as if she objected the thought. "But there's more than enough room for you to come live together in our estate." 

Soeun started to grow anxious. "I would very much like to live in your estate, but as of now, I think it's best if we can rely on ourselves." Soeun said with utter most care trying not to offend Mrs. Lee. "I mean, we could always find a house on your street." she added. 

 

Mrs. Lee silently thought about what Soeun had said. 

 "Well I guess there's no harm in what you're trying to point out... but are you certain you want this?" 

 "Very much so." Soeun smiled. 

Mrs. Lee took a breath and sighed. "Okay then. I'll tell Junho this." 

 "No!" Soeun shouted unintentionally surprising Mrs. Lee. "I mean... I think it's best if we just let him find out on his own." Soeun laughed awkwardly. 

 "If you say so..." Junho's mother replied. 

 

They carried on with their conversation as one topic led to the other. Soeun kept on looking a the clock above the sofa that Mrs. Lee was sitting on and it seemed like time was taking forever. 

 

"Well, it was a lovely time conversing with you." Mrs. Lee finally acknowledged standing up. 

Soeun stood up straight after, happily at the thought of finally having the house to herself again. "It was my pleasure." 

"I hope you're all set for tonight." Mrs. Lee went on as they both walked to the door. 

  Soeun smiled. "Thank you." she replied awkwardly bowing once more to her to-be in-law before closing the door. 

 

Soeun leaned the back of her body against the door and sighed a sigh of relief. "Thank god it's over." She couldn't help but say aloud. 

 She dragged her feet back to the living area and looked at the time again. Jieun had already been gone for over an hour and a half. How long does it take to find one dress? 

 

"Yah! Kim Soeun!" a voice called out.

  "Speak of the devil." Soeun replied turning around. 

Jieun rushed into the living room to see her friend with crossed arms and a stern face. 

 "What did I do?" Jieun replied innocently. 

"What did you do?!" Soeun retorted the question back at her. "What took you so long? I was stuck in the middle of what seemed to be the longest conversation with Junho's mother when you could've saved me from it!" Soeun shouted in speed at Jieun. 

 "Oh you mean that..." 

"What? You knew that she was here?!" Soeun gasped in anger. 

 "Well the thing is..." Jieun slightly laughed in guilt. "I came half an hour earlier actually and I saw Mrs. Lee's car... and I thought that if I disturbed you two ladies, it would have been rude. So I just went to the nearest restaurant and spent my time there... eating." Jieun said as she raised her arms in defense waiting for the anger in Soeun to rise. 

 

Instead, Soeun just sat down on the nearest sofa and exhaled tired.  "Just let me see the dress that you bought." 

 Jieun chirped up as she heard what Soeun had said. "Will do ma'am."  She replied with a salute. 

 

Jieun brought the bag into the room and revealed a long white dress that fell down to the ground elegantly. The neckline of the dress was modest and covered most of the chest area.  Soeun perked up as she saw the beautiful dress. She was surprised that Jieun had picked such a modest dress, it was what she had wanted. 

 

"Isn't it just awesome?" Jieun questioned happily. 

 "I can't believe I'm saying this, but yes. What you picked is pretty awesome." Soeun complimented Jieun.

"Wait! We haven't come to the best part!"  Jieun added as she turned the dress around. "Drum roll please!" Jieun started enthusiastically. "....It's backless!"

Soeun's eyes widened at the shocking revelation. 

  "Lee Jieun!" she shouted. "I told you I wanted a modest dress!" 

"What? It is modest! You can think of it as elegant at the front and party at the back!" 

 "I'm not wearing it!" 

"Oh come on! Just think about it, if you wear this he'll want to marry you even sooner." Jieun teased as she raised her eyebrows giving her a look.

 

"Yah! Lee Jieun!"