As someone just stole all the oxygen away from the air, he can’t even breathe. He is standing in the open space but he feels as if he is locked in a tiny little box where air can’t flow in or out and darkness is the only thing that he can see. The sky is falling in front of his eyes – “What … what … you mean by … mistake?” – He can’t even speak the whole sentence without breaking up a few times. His throat is locked by a huge plump that despite how much he tries, he just can’t swallow it down.

She is not at all better than him. Looking at his sorrowful and confused face, hearing his breaking voice, her heart is halted. Underneath the cold and emotionless expression that she puts on her face is the hurricane sweep through her entire body, tearing her soul apart. She has to try very hard to answer him without a shaking voice – “That night was too emotional to me since you saved my life. I thought that I liked you but when I had time for myself and rethought about it, I realized it was just an appreciation to my life savior. I’m sorry if I made you misunderstand.”

Those words must hurt him a lot. She knows that very well. It is her purpose, to hurt him, not because she hates him but because she loves him more than anything in this world. Because she knows that it is better for him to think of her as a bad woman now than resent her later when his sister is gotten hurt by her. At that time, even the strongest heart probably won’t be able to handle to pain.

Even though those words meant to hurt him but she is the one in most pain at the moment. Each word coming out of runs straight back to her heart and stabs it continuously. Her heart … probably is tearing to a thousand pieces now. The ache is unbearable. Her hand grips tightly on the door to help her stand up straight. Why is hurting someone this painful?

At least her purpose is successful. She hurt him, deep and wide. Thunder just flashes through his ear and everything falls to the deadly silence. His eyes are gluing at her face, soulless. He is looking at her but he feels as he is looking at someone else. The girl in front of him is so unfamiliar. She is probably just someone that borrows his beloved Ji Hyo’s body to speak out those cruel words to him. His Ji Hyo, his thoughtful angelic Ji Hyo, … no way she can speak out those painful and irresponsible words. No! It is not her, it Is not her, definitely not her, whoever that is speaking is not her. No, she wouldn’t hurt him, not after that night, not after the 3 beautiful days that she took more than good care of him.

 No, it isn’t her.

But …

But it is her. This is not some kind of ghost movie that someone possesses her body. In front of him is her, the cold version of her, the one that had tried more than one time to run away from him. Yes, that is her … He thought that he would be able to get used to the pain, the cold, and the rejection from her but it is totally not the case. This time … this time is much more painful. It is like adding up the pain of two first times she rejected him then multiply it to one thousand. Even that much wouldn’t be enough to scale the pain in his heart. It is too painful that he feels as he is getting crazy. His heart is blowing up inside his chest and his brain is also exploding. He is seriously frustrated – “Just what game are you playing with me?” – He screams, shaking her shoulders furiously. – “Why do you keep playing with my emotion? Is it so fun for you to give me so much hope then take them all away? Is it so fun for you to crush my heart from one time to another?” – He yells, furiously. His face is angry but tears rolling down on his cheeks.

She doesn’t see the anger in his face; she doesn’t hear the irritation in his voice. All she sees is the agony in those tears and all she can hear is the mourning in his voice. She must hurt him very bad this time. Those precious tears of him … they are falling because of her. She is the wicked devilish woman that stole those crystal tears from his eyes. Such a terrible, terrible person she is. How can she do that? How can she break a strong man as him like that? He is in pain because of her. He is crying because of her. How can she do that?

How can she do that to him?

HOW?

HOW?

She doesn’t even know how. She only knows that she is also in pain. Her eyes are also sting. She also wants to cry. She wishes she can cry in front of him, can let him know how painful it is to her to hurt him like that, can tell him that hurting him is the last thing she wants to do, and seeing him like this is the worst kind of pain that she has ever experienced in her life.

But … again … she can’t do that. Hurting him right now is the only thing she can do for him, to save him the greater pain later.  

Taking a deep breath, she coldly tells him – “Yeah, it is my hobby. If there is nothing else, I have to get back to my dinner.” – She is closing her door as she speaks but he of course doesn’t want to conversation ends like that, not until he can figure out what is going on.

Despite the cold attitude, despite the painful words, he doesn’t believe, doesn’t want to believe to be exact that she just played him. There is no way that it is true. It is definitely not her. She is not a player. Something must happen the last time she came to the hospital. Something terribly wrong must happen that day to change her this much. He has to get to bottom of it.

“Don’t lie to me. You love me, don’t you? What stop you? Tell me, did something wrong happen?” – He yells, desperate.

She almost attempts to tell him yes she love him, yes something wrong happened, but … lucky for her that person comes to rescue.

“Is everything okay?” – A male voice takes Jong Kook’s attention away from Ji Hyo.

As he looks up, a handsome man is standing behind Ji Hyo with his hands comfortably resting on Ji Hyo’s shoulders.

“Yeah, everything is okay.” – Ji Hyo turns around and tells him with a soft smile – “This is my CEO, Kim Jong Kook.” – She gestures then turn back to Jong Kook – “This is Jo In Sung, my boyfriend.”

Jong Kook stops breathing for a full minute. His heart thought that couldn’t be broken to any more pieces is now shattering to a million tiny crumbs. Did he just hear she told her that the handsome man with the face of God standing behind her is her boyfriend? Is he also the one that drove her home earlier in the Roll Royce Phantom? If it is so, then he understands why she rejected him. Even a strong, confident man as him can’t compare to that man.  The Jo In Sung that she just introduced to him, that man is definitely the standard of perfection, gorgeous from head to toe. They look amazingly well together and standing in front of him, Jong Kook feels as he is in a different world, a world that far away from them.

In Sung spreads a friendly smile toward Jong Kook, sliding Ji Hyo’s shoulders neatly on his left arm, he makes a space for himself to offer Jong Kook a handshake – “Nice to meet you.” – He says, pleasant and manly.

 Jong Kook lifts his hand half way up and about to reach In Sung’s but then he puts his hand down. He can’t do it. He can’t stand this, not even a minute longer seeing her with another man. No, he has to leave when he still has a little bit of dignity left. Yeah he has to leave so he does. Walking away fast and furious as if someone is chasing after him. The pain is chasing after him, the sorrow is chasing after him. He has to walk fast, run if he has to so she can’t see his pathetic silhouette and can’t laugh at how stupid he looks, being played by her but still trying to convince himself that she must have a reason.

 He is a fool, a big stupid fool. He was blinded by love to not realize that she is just like any other woman, only chase after handsome and wealthy man. He is probably just one of her prey. She only wanted to play with him to chase away her boredom and now when her man is back, she kicks him away as a bored toy. Right, that is probably what he means to her, just a toy, a refreshing toy that she can take for a thrill then throw away without any remorse. He should have seen that with the way she pulled and pushed him. He should see that. He thought he understand woman but he fail terribly this time. He has no idea about her. He is totally defeated by her.

She won.

She hurt him big time.

She won!

That is what he thought but no, she didn’t win. She is the biggest loser here. As soon as he left, she immediately regretted what she did. Her step is half way out the door and ready to chase after him but then … She stops herself. Turning around, she comes back inside her apartment, closing the door and lets her body freely drop on the floor, against the door despite In Sung’s effort of holding her up. She has no more energy to stand straight up. Her heart is shattered, her soul is burned, and her body … her body is giving up on her. She wants to give up on herself too. She can’t stand the wicked version of her anymore. She can’t stand hurting Jong Kook anymore. She hates it so much. She hates herself so much. Burying her face on top of her knees, she keeps on crying and sobbing.

Her tears are falling heavier summer rain …

It is too painful.

Too … excruciate …

Someone please call an ambulance, she is dying … her heart is dying …