“Sori-ah? Is that you?” Sori looked up from her book. “Just my luck”  Sori thought as she put down the book in her hands.

“Hi, Hyungsoo” She said with a still face. Sori hadn’t seen Hyungsoo for a long time, and wanted to keep it that way. Having him show up out of nowhere made her feel uncomfortable. She had erased him from her memories a long time ago and didn't ever want to see him again.

“I’m happy I ran into you” Hyungsoo said, taking a seat in front of her. They were in the coffee shop across from Sori’s apartment.

“Isn’t this coffee shop a bit far from where you live?” Sori said, becoming suspicious. “Maybe he is another stalker…but would he really stoop as low as Haejin?”

“Seoul University is close from here” Hyungsoo explained. “Look at him show off that he goes to Seoul University.” “You’re still studying?” Sori asked. “Well yeah, Studying medicine takes awhile”

"This guy just keeps flaunting things that I couldn't care less about". Sori purposely yawned showing her disinterest.

“How have you been doing Sori-ah?” Sori sat straight and had a serious expression on her face “What do you want, Hyungsoo?” Sori became direct.

“You haven’t changed much, have you?” Hyungsoo laughed, smiling at her. “I’m waiting for an answer” Sori said, growing impatient. “Can’t I catch up with you? We use to date…” he reminded.

Sori couldn’t stand it anymore. “Look Hyungsoo, I think I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s never going to happen. Suddenly taking interest in me? Do you think I’m stupid?” Sori laughed dryly.

“That guy the other day... he's your boyfriend, right?” Hyungsoo asked out of nowhere. “Why are you bringing him up?” Sori was beginning to get angry. “Why don’t you break up with him for a while and do everyone a favor by settling with me. I’m planning on telling your mom that I’m interested in marrying you. It would benefit us both. I’ll be able to take over your fathers company and you’ll be able to make your mother happy. She has high blood pressure, did you know that? She’s really unhealthy and it’s all because of you. I won’t bother you, all I want is your family name, and you can live in peace. You can even see your boyfriend, I don’t care” Hyungsoo offered.

“Are you seriously trying to guilt me into marrying you?” Sori gritted.

“What do you say, Sori-ah? Think about your mother and how much she’s been suffering because of you” Sori got up out of her chair and left. She couldn’t stand being in the same room as him. “It’s not all my fault that my mom is like that…it’s not my fault.” Sori repeated in her head.

“Ok, Deal. Now spill, don’t leave out a single detail. You know the consequences if I find out you’re lying “ Sori let out a deep sigh. She gave into Haejin’s offer and gave him a call. She just couldn’t stand not knowing what her parents were planning to do. Before, she could deal with being unaware, but after her change of relationship with Jinyoung, she felt like she couldn’t just turn a blind eye on everything anymore. She also knew that there was no way she could force Haejin to actually go behind bars for what he did to her, the police would shoo her away and tell her to stop wasting their time. 

“Good choice, Sori-ah. I’ll tell you everything you want to know” Haejin said, relieved.

Image was everything to the rich, once your fake image was tarnished; you weren’t treated like a human being anymore. Everyone would look down on you. You had to live like a robot to be treated like a human being among the rich. Sori knew this all too well, she could see it clearly, and that’s why she wanted no part of it. She didn't want to trade in her happiness for material things, for a material image, based off of lies. She didn't want to live her life in a show. After all, at the end of the day, it was just that, a mere show. When the lights go out, what's left of your life?

"Don't call me Sori-ah anymore, call me Sori-ssi. I puke a little when you call me Sori-ah." 

"Alright, Princess Sori, what do you want to know? Let's meet at the Coffee shop near your house" Haejin suggested. "No, there's no need for that. You really think I want to see your face?" Sori rejected. "Yesterday.... Hyungsoo came over. Is that my mothers doing?” Sori got straight to the point. 

"You're a smart girl Sori-ssi, he was ordered by your mother. She found out about your feelings towards Hyungsoo so I guess she's giving him a shot. She's promising a lot of money if he succeeds" Haejin explained. "Were you taken by his visit? Do you still have feelings for him?" Haejin curiously asked.

"Don't make me laugh, Haejin. You know what him and his mom were up to in the past, you think even a piece of me would still have feelings for that jerk?" Sori said, letting out a dry laugh. "Just checking." Haejin replied. 

"By the way, how do you know all of this? Didn't my mom cut you off?" Sori asked. "I happened to meet up with Hyungsoo the other day. I was really angry, so I ranted about you and your dreadful mother. He then let everything out, telling me how he'll be able to put you in your place" Haejin explained. "He said what? Ha, I guess he has forgotten who I am and what I stand for. Anyways, I'm hanging up now. This will be the last time i ever speak to you. Bye" Sori hung up and threw her phone on the couch. 

It still made Sori angry when people looked down on her. Sori always made sure to stand up for herself and show them that she wasn't easy to play around with. What made her even angrier was that the people who looked down on her the most were the people who created her; her parents. They didn't respect her, nor did they treat her like a human being with feelings. She would trade everything she had for just a little love in her life. A love that wouldn't leave, isn’t that what family was?

“I knew I’d find you here” Sori said, walking into the studio room at Jinyoung’s company. “Sori-ah!” Jinyoung got out of his chair to greet Sori with a warm hug. “Have you eaten yet?” Jinyoung asked this question every time he spoke to Sori. “Yeah, I ate, don’t worry” Sori sat down on the couch and took a few apples out of a bag. “Can you cut it for me? I’m really not good at it” Sori asked, handing Jinyoung a knife. Sori could peel apples just fine; she just was testing to see if Jinyoung would actually do it for her.

 “Watch where you point that knife” Jinyoung joked as he sat down next to her. “You’re not eating cupped noodles anymore, right?” Jinyoung asked as he began to peel an apple. “I quit doing that. It made me feel like I had no energy. I also don’t want to go back to the hospital for high blood pressure” Sori joked. Jinyoung stuffed the apple in . “Don’t joke like that!”

“What did you do today?” Sori asked. “I’m trying to finish up a song. The due date is near” Jinyoung stressed. “ when you have a due date, I think it messes up the process and the quality” Sori said picking up a slice and signaling Jinyoung to eat it.

“Did anything interesting happen today? Did anyone bother you” Jinyoung asked as he chewed.

Sori’s mind immediately went to Hyungsoo, making her feel uneasy. “One sec, I need to use the bathroom” Sori excused herself.

Jinyoung sat there silently slicing the last apple when Sori’s phone began to ring. “Should I answer it…what if it’s important?” Jinyoung mumbled as he picked up the phone.

He decided to answer it.

“Hello?”

“This doesn’t sound like Sori, unless her voice magically got deeper..” a man said.

“No, this isn’t her. Who is this?” Jinyoung asked.

“Tell her that Hyungsoo called and for her to call me back” He replied. Jinyoung paused and remembered that name “her ex boyfriend…why the hell is he calling her?”

“I don’t think she’ll be doing that” Jinyoung stated.

“This must be her boyfriend. You’re a musician right? I’m glad it’s you who picked up actually. I have something to say to you.”

“What the hell do you want?” Jinyoung was beginning to lose his patience.

“Well, today I offered Sori something: For her to leave you temporarily and get married to me. I said she could meet you even after our marriage” Hyungsoo explained.

“Sori would never do that” Jinyoung said, letting out a laugh,

“That’s funny cause, she didn’t say no” Hyungsoo alerted. Jinyoung’s face crunched up in confusion “what does he mean she didn’t say no...?”

“Must be shocking, right? Well, let her know that I’m waiting for her answer. Bye Jinyoung-ssi.”

Jinyoung slowly put down his arm on his lap, his hand still clenching the phone. “He must be lying, why would Sori even meet him”  Jinyoung opened up the recent calls on her phone and was taken back by what he saw

“Lee Haejin: 3:05PM”

“Haejin? Why would she call-"

“Jinyoung? What are you doing with my phone? Did someone call me?” Sori asked.

“Yeah…someone called you” Jinyoung stood up and gave Sori her phone. “who was it?” Sori asked as she unlocked her phone. “Hyungsoo” Sori looked up at Jinyoung.

“Hyungsoo called?” Sori went through her passed calls and saw Hyungsoos number. “What did he say?” Sori asked. She was a little frustrated that Jinyoung answered her phone. “He told me about the offer he made to you, and how you didn’t say no to him. Is that true, Sori-ah? Does that mean you’re thinking about his offer?” Sori was taken back by Jinyoung's question.

“What, you think I accepted his offer?” Sori asked in frustration. “You really don’t know me well enough, it seems” Sori sighed.

“I didn’t say you accepted it, but is it true that you didn’t reject it?” Jinyoung asked again.

“Do you really not trust me? You know I would never accept something like that so why does it matter whether I told him no or not? Do I really have to say something so obvious? You don’t even know what happened, and now you’re acting like I did something wrong” Sori looked at Jinyoung disappointingly, she didn’t think a misunderstanding like this would happen between them.

“It’s just, I saw that you called Haejin recently and I’m confused as to why you would call him... “

“You even went through my phone? ...I can’t believe you would do something like that! I was going to tell you everything that’s been going on today but clearly your patience is low and you had to go through my phone. I’m-I’m really… disappointed in you Jinyoung” Sori stuttered in disbelief.

“Sori-ah, I’m sorry that-"

“It’s fine. I must of misjudged how well you knew me, and apparently, how much you trusted me” the final words Sori shot out stung Jinyoung deeply. His thoughts were scattered and he didn’t know what to say.  

Sori picked up her things and left without another word. She felt suffocated by the mix of emotions that flushed through her. She could understand why Hyungsoos words would bother Jinyoung, but she couldn’t understand how Jinyoung could doubt her. “If his feelings can be manipulated this easily, then maybe this won’t work.”

“Sori-ah, Wait, let’s talk this out” Jinyoung yelled as Sori was about to get into her car.

“Jinyoung, I..I don’t want to talk to you right now. I just want to be alone” Sori said as she got into her car. “Sori-" Before Jinyoung could say anything else, Sori backed up her car and drove away.