He doesn’t know how many hours had passed while he waited patiently in the operation waiting room. Taecyeon still mumbling his prayers while his heart still refused the power of a mightier being above him. His eyes are blank and he just stared helplessly into the grey wall in front of him.

He really couldn’t imagine how bad her injuries are, especially after he received an email from his insurance agent regarding the condition of his car.

The Mini Cooper he lent to Seulri was deformed so badly that it doesn’t look like the original design anymore. The front and back windshields was shattered but not broken while the driver’s side crushed far into the mid part of the little car. He can imagine how her body was also crushed violently the way his car was and what really made him speechless was the picture of its surrounding.

He sees scattered little glasses and some car parts that thrown apart from the impact, but what really tear his heart was the pool of blood that still remained on the tarmac. To imagine that much blood had drown out from her little body has made him slightly pessimistic with her chance inside.

But he knew she’s a strong woman and she knew Seulri is now fighting her best to stay alive.

He makes up a plan while he waits. He would take her away from here, away from Seoul and away from the person that had torn her heart apart. He once promised Seulri to stand by her side if she made a bad choice in life or if her life turned upside down one more time. He promised to take cover for her and he promised to shield her from harm.

He can’t really do all those heroic speeches for her at the moment, because it’s a battle that Seulri has to fight for herself. But if she wins the fight, he will take her into his life and he will do his best to give a better second life for the only woman he ever loved.

*

Kang Seulri locked the front door of the restaurant she worked at once she finished mopped the floor and took the last dishes back to the right place. She should go home after she’s done but it’s been almost a week since she kept avoiding going home too early. She knew his schedule very well and the day was a day when he got his morning shift, which meant he’d be home around this hour—and it’s bad for Seulri.

Instead of going home, she climbed the stairs to the rooftop of the restaurant and decided to enjoyed the autumn night while trying to spot the stars. Maybe she could cool her mind over the matters that bothered her lately, maybe she’d find some peace that she needed or maybe it could help her to avoid him even longer. Judging from what happened last weekend, Seulri knew Kyuhyun has been trying to reach out for her, he called her, he texted her, and left some notes on her door telling her to come see him whenever she got the time. She bet herself that Kyuhyun was trying to explain his situation to her, she knew he’d apologized for what happened and one other thing she knew was that Kyuhyun would do the right thing for them—and she didn’t like the prospect of the right thing.

Not now.

Not when she just reminded how happy she could be around him, not when she finally remembered how to draw a genuine smile on her face, not when her life seemed to be aligned in a correct place. She needed more time.

She leaned onto the fence that surrounded the deck on the rooftop, stared blankly ahead to Seoul’s city light as she questioned herself whether she should stop being selfish or if she could bargain one more time with her fate. She didn’t ask for much, just a little bit more time before she ready to take a step back from his life.

“What are you still doing here? You should go home.” A man’s voice interrupted her deep thought.

Kang Seulri startled a little and quickly search for the source of the voice, a tall man came closer with two bottles of beer in his hand, offered one to her with a smile on his face.

“What are you doing here?” She recognized her new boss—Ok Taecyeon.

Right after she resigned from the Gentlemen’s Club, Lee Hyukjae kept his promised to find proper job for Seulri and she landed a waitressing job right away in the restaurant not too far from the club. She was puzzled at first on her job because the wage she received was above average for any waitressing job anywhere in Seoul, and only after two weeks she figured out that the place she worked at actually one of Taecyeon’s business branches.

“Regular monthly check, I noticed the roof light still on, took a look and turned out it was you.” He gave the bottle to her and Seulri took it from his hand with a simple thank you nod.

“Is something bothering you?” He took his place next to her and followed her to lean on the fence.

Seulri shook her head but she knew she didn’t fool him. He’s been the person where she told her hardship in the past six years. He started as her client but quietly became her best friend and her support system along the way, to the point where he fell in love with her in the end.

“Come on, it’s me.” He gulped his beer and nudge her with his elbow. “What’s the worst story you could tell me anyway.”

She inhaled deeply and gulped the beer on her hand, finished the whole bottle all at once and she clucked once she finished. “Aish. I hate it when you’re right.”

He chuckled, “About?” He offered the bottle in his hand.

“About me.” Seulri grabbed another bottle from him and drink the whole content.

He observed her, judging from her behavior Kang Seulri must be facing some difficulties and seeing how restless she was, Taecyeon knew it must have something to do with that man.

“You’re right Taec, I became greedy. I let my longing towards him controlled me, I followed my heart instead of my brain and before I knew it, I fell even deeper for the man and I don’t know if I can free myself from this selfish desire that I have.” She blurted out.

“How is it?” He turned his body to look at her.

Seulri then took her time to tell Taecyeon what happened between them last weekend, how they enjoyed their short gateway and how perfect it was for both of them. Seulri then told him about the little inconvenience waited at home once they arrived, how she was still lucky enough to be able to avoid a disaster of meeting his mom. She told him how she spent her day out on the bench of a bus stop, long enough until she believed his family wouldn’t be there anymore when she returned home.

“I thought it was bad enough already, but nooo..” She rolled her eyes and chuckled cynically, “Later that night, I was busy minding my own business when my door was knocked. Obviously I thought it was him that was on my door so I braced myself for his apologies—then turned out it’s actually his girlfriend that knocked.”

Taecyeon still paid close attention to her words, didn’t want to interrupt her until she finished with her story.

“She invited me downstairs, said that they’re having a party. I was dumbfounded but I was too tired to think of a reason to avoid it so I followed her.” She took her deep breath again as her way to calm herself, “Aish I really have no idea where to tell you this.” She tugged her own hair in frustration.

Taecyeon took the bottle from her hand and placed in on the floor, “Try to tell from the beginning.”

She placed her elbow on the fence and place her head on her crossed arms, looked into him and with a heavy heart she began her story.

“So she dragged me into his house, when I entered they already prepared some meats on the table with beers and soju—it’s obviously a barbeque party. I could tell by the look on his face that I was the last person he wanted to see that night, he kept on avoiding my eyes and he stayed silent throughout the night. I didn’t really understand what the party was for, so I asked.” Seulri stopped as she gathered her courage to continue.

“Shall I grab you another beer?” Taecyeon offered.

She shook her head and continued, “Th