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The white Bentley Coup rolled to a complete stop, the headlights flickering off, as the driver killed the ignition and rushed out of the vehicle. The man in the backseat staggered out, an attractive young woman wrapped in his arms. She was doing her best to support his weight, trying to keep him from falling flat onto his derrière but it was proving to be a rather difficult task. She was adorned in six inch pumps and a suffocating, skin-tight dress, so carrying a man who was twice her size was certainly not an easy thing to do. “Thanks for coming on such short notice, Ha Yun,” the girl said with a small smile as she curled the loose strands of hair around her ear. “Call me when you get home, okay?”

Her friend nodded, her own lips curling up as she shifted toward the man. “Thank you for being responsible and calling us, sir.” Ha Yun bowed slightly and handed the intoxicated customer his keys. He mumbled some incoherent words she couldn’t quite understand before he paid the money he owed for her services, including a hefty tip. She then watched as the pair disappeared inside the luxurious condo complex. Once they were out of sight, Ha Yun exhaled deeply. She gazed at the beautiful car and building in front of her before her eyes fell down to the fifty dollar bill sitting in her grasp. How good life must have been for people who didn’t have to worry about money.

After she stuffed the cash into her pocket, Ha Yun started walking back to the main road. If it wasn’t springtime, her light jacket wouldn’t have been able to keep her warm from the frigid wind that often accompanied nightfall. It was almost midnight when her phone started to ring. Ha Yun pulled the device out and immediately answered the call, freezing in her tracks. “Unnie, what’s wrong?” Panic and fear gripped her soul as she held her breath and waited anxiously for her sister to say something—anything. She could hear sniffling and the worst thought crawled into her mind. “Unnie! Why aren’t you answering? Did something happen to dad?”

“No,” her sister stammered helplessly over the line.

Ha Yun’s body relaxed, relief flooding her entire system. Iseul never called her while she was working, unless it was an emergency, so of course she was worried. The uneasiness quickly returned, however, when she recalled their troublemaker of a brother. Did something bad happen to him? He was always wreaking havoc wherever he ventured, leaving a path of destruction in his wake. In fact, he’s gotten into so many fights that he knows everyone working at the local precinct in their neighborhood! Something like this was bound to happen sooner or later; it was only a matter of time. “Is it Hyun Woo?”

“No,” Iseul whimpered again.

This time, Ha Yun’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion. If her father and brother were both okay, why did her older sister sound grief-stricken? As far as Ha Yun was aware, she had no reason to be. A yawn escaped her lips without warning and she suppressed it as best as she could. “Then what’s wrong?” She resumed walking, a gentle breeze sweeping by.  

“The man I was seeing,” Iseul began, hesitance laced in her tone. She didn’t know who else she could confide in at the moment. The only person who wouldn’t judge her was her little sister. “He broke up with me.”

“What?” Ha Yun scoffed in disbelief as she halted yet again. “Unnie, you were dating someone?” She couldn’t believe what she was hearing! Kim Iseul, her older sister who had less than five friends in total, had been secretly meeting someone and a man, nonetheless? This had to be a prank. There was no way Iseul would start dating and not tell her about it. Besides, where did she even find the time for such leisure? She was always swamped at the school she was employed at, busy grading work and preparing for lessons, or at the hospital, spending time with their old man.

“I didn’t want to say anything until we were serious,” she explained.

Speechless and dumbfounded, it took Ha Yun a moment to gather her thoughts. Once she realized that this was all very real, her surprise was soon replaced by anger. She didn’t have a clue to who the guy was but if he had the audacity to break her sister’s heart, he must be the world’s biggest idiot. Kim Iseul was one of kind. She was thoughtful, smart and pretty. Sure, her personality was more on the shy and timid end, but she was wife material. From the hitch in her voice and the quiet sniffles, it wasn’t hard for Ha Yun to figure out that she’d been bawling her eyes out. “Where are you now?” She had to hear the details in person.

* * *

♪♪♪ Once she entered the tent, Ha Yun scanned the tables and spotted her sister hiding in the corner. A bottle of soju was opened on the table, but it looked like it was barely touched. If Iseul’s cheeks weren’t tinted bright red, Ha Yun would have never known that she had actually allowed alcohol to enter her body. Iseul was a total lightweight, meaning her and alcoholic beverages did not mix well together whatsoever. He must have meant a lot to her. After telling the owner she wanted two bowls of udon noodles, Ha Yun headed to the back where her sister was. “Did you eat yet?” she asked as she pulled the chair out and took a seat.

Absentmindedly, Iseul shook her head and ran a finger over the rim of the shot glass. “I don’t have an appetite,” she confessed, her words a little slurred. Her heart was in too much pain. If she had prior knowledge that falling in love was going to hurt like hell, if someone had just warned her about the hazards that came along with giving your heart away, she would have never done such a foolish thing in the first place. However, because she had, she was now suffering the repercussions and she had nobody else to blame but herself. She should have just ignored him and his advances. She should have kept to herself. Yet, Iseul didn’t feel the least bit regretful. If she had a choice to go back in time, she wouldn’t change a thing. Why? Because the memories they shared were worth it. Was this normal?

Ha Yun sighed, noticing how swollen and puffy her sister’s eyes were. How long had she cried? “When did you start dating him?” She forced herself to inquire. Perhaps if they talked about the situation and Iseul vented her frustrations and heartache out loud, it would help alleviate some of the burden weighing down on her. And as she thought about it longer, it was brought to her attention that this was also the first real relationship Iseul had been in. Seeing how there’s no happily ever after, Ha Yun felt like, maybe, the people in her family simply were not meant to be involved in romantic relationships. Because, in the end, only misery ensued, following them wherever they went like a plague.

“A couple of months ago,” Iseul replied softly as she poured herself another cup, her hand trembling during the process. Ha Yun chewed on the inside of her cheek while her own heart throbbed in agony. Under the table, her hands clenched up into fists on her lap, causing her knuckles to lose their color. She couldn’t bear seeing her sister like this. She wanted to turn away, avert her eyes, but she knew she couldn’t. “It was right before Christmas. You know, when you were still working on Jeju Island.”

“I see.” Ha Yun watched as Iseul threw her head back and swallowed the shot down in one go. “Did he at least tell you why he wanted to break up?”

The woman slammed the tiny glass cup onto the table and released a bitter chuckle. “He said I was too shy for him,” she answered. “He said we were too different for each other. That we were worlds apart which was why we’d never last.” Her voice cracked and Ha Yun caught sight of the tears welling up in her eyes. It was obvious his words had a severe impact on Iseul and although Ha Yun wanted to curse the bastard and his entire family, she knew it would most likely do more harm than good. Her sister was the type of person who saw the good in everyone. She was too naïve, allowing others to take advantage of her. Even when they were young, Iseul never uttered a word