(Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UbRSMLioXv0 )

The wind rustles, moving against his clothes as he ran down the road. The last time he had ran like this was when he returned to the palace, finding out about Ji Hyo’s torture while he was away.

Reaching the Kim’s mansion, he rushes inside.

I’ll tell her. Ji Hyo. Wait for me.

Images of her flashed through his mind; her gestures, her words, her actions, everything.

Ji Hyo-ah the truth is… I…

He stops abruptly as he sees Ji Hyo kneeling on the ground.

“Ji Hyo-“ he mumbles. He stops as he sees Minister Song glaring down at his daughter.

The tension was high between the father and daughter.

Jong Kook bows to his father-in-law before going to Ji Hyo. He reached for her shoulders to help her stand up only to be pushed away.

“Son-in-law Kim,” her father broke the silence. “Leave us.”

Jong Kook didn’t know if it was a good idea but his steps slowly move backwards to leave.

“Stay,” Ji Hyo stated coldly. “You need to hear this too,” making Jong Kook stop.

“Leave,” her father repeated.

“Don’t leave,”

Jong Kook froze, not knowing what to do.

“Are you in your right mind?” her father slightly raised his voice to her.

“Father-in-law,” Jong Kook decides to step in. “I’m not sure what is going on but,” he looks at Ji Hyo, “Let’s go inside first.”

Her father shook his head, closing his eyes before speaking again. “Do not talk about this again,” he turns to leave.

Ji Hyo bows down to the ground, “Please validate the divorce.”

Jong Kook held his breath at the words that left her lips.

“You are crazy!” her father shouted angrily. “Are you aware of what you are mentioning, in your in-law’s home, in front of your husband?!”

He walks back and forth, his face red.

“You were the one who wanted to marry him, you willingly did. He saved your life, over and over again. Even when you were sick in bed, dying, miscarried, Son-in-Law Kim has always been there for you.”

“What about me?” Ji Hyo looks up at her father, her voice cracking. Tears filled her eyes as she fights back the tears.

She stands up to her father.

“Do you even know,” she gulps, “what I have done for him?”

Her father listens attentively and turns away.

Ji Hyo felt her the lump stuck in as she looks at her father. “Father, let me ask you, why don’t you remarry?”

“Stop changing the subject,” he sternly answered.

Yet she did not stops speaking. “You were afraid that I would not have a good mother, one who would love me as their own. As a busy official subject, you ran through the court all day and still managed to raise me. Though it was a struggle, you’d rather do that than take the risk of letting someone else raise your child.

You did all of that for me…

So why should I take away that happiness from someone else too?”

Her father thought for a moment and confusedly flinches.

“I know you wanted me to marry someone who could protect and care for me, someone who could love me. Jong Kook… he is everything that you wanted in a son-in-law.

But… can’t you be on my side just this once?” She pleaded with tears in her eyes.

Her father looks at his daughter silently.

“I’m tired. Worn-out, suffocating.” She closed her eyes as the tears roll down the side of her plump cheek. “As my father, no, as the minister of justice, can’t you do this for me?”

Lightning flash and the sky rumbles. The flash reflects on their faces.

Jong Kook stood dumbfounded as he looks at Ji Hyo. Ji Hyo’s father stands in front of him as he kept his gaze down.

“You are having an affair, right?” Her father glares at him.

Jong Kook could only hang his head low. “I’m… sorry,” he mutters silently.

Her father’s face twisted, immense anger and deception. He turns to his daughter and back to Jong Kook. Pointing his finger, “You two. How long were you planning to hide this from me?!”

“It’s my fault, father,” Jong Kook admitted. He knelt on his knees and bowed. “I can only beg for your forgiveness. Ji Hyo knew nothing at all. It was my own doing.”

Her father held his breath, furious. He could only storm out of the place in anger, entering the main hall of the Kim’s mansion.

Rain starts to pour down lightly, drenching them in rain.

The two of them stayed still until Ji Hyo turned to leave. She felt a hand grasped hers, making her stop.

Yet, she did not give him one glance. She pulled her hand free and continue walking away. A pair of hands hugged her from behind.

His wet body against her back, his head by hers.

“Don’t go, please.”

Fearing that she will pull away, he held tightly, as if she will vanish the moment he lets go. She stood still, not moving.

“Let go of me.”

Her voice was cold and distant. He didn’t want to believe, she wanted to leave him. He rested his head by her shoulder, closing his eyes tightly. No words came, none that he could think of.

Ji Hyo pulled herself out of his grasp and lightly bows her head. “We no longer each other anything. You saved my life and I saved yours.” She turns around.

“I love you.”

Jong Kook blurted out those words.

“Truly.”

Ji Hyo stops but continues walking, clenching her hand into a fist. She ignored as if she didn’t hear anything.

He reaches to hold her hand.

She wore a vexed expression and slapped his hand away. She disgusted, glared at him.

“Ji Hyo-ah,”

“Shut it.” Ji Hyo could barely hold back her fury. “We should have ended that night.”

Jong Kook looks up at her. He walks up towards her, “You can scold me, hate me, but… I made a mistake.”

He holds her shoulder, looking deeply into her eyes, trying to gather all his courage.

“I did come back to look for you, but you. You were with the 13^th prince. I had mistaken that you were both in a relationship and married. I severed all ties and didn’t hear about you, leaving on the same day. It was until the day I saved you from Yeoido did I find out it was you again, that you were not married to him.”

She unbelievably stares at him, her hands trembling into a fist.

He stepped closer, their bodies close in the wet rain. “Ji Hyo, if you would give me a moment-“

Ji Hyo tries to pull her hand from his grasp but he clutched her tightly and pulled her against his chest, one arm around her waist. She struggled roughly as he tried to withhold her.

Jong Kook held her head, swoops down and kisses her as they sprawl in the middle of the pavilion. Ji Hyo shut her lips and he tried to kiss her, forcing his tongue into .

Finally, she opened but he winced as he felt a salty trickle in his tongue. Ji Hyo pushes him away harshly, slapping his left cheek. Wiping repeatedly and breathing heavily as her chest heaved up and down.

“Ri-r-“ she stuttered, trying to find the words to say, “RIDICULOUS!”

He touched his lips as it bled. His cheek stung from her slap, with much force.

“You, you!” Ji Hyo ferociously wanted to point her finger at him as the anger in her heart grew ten times fold.

She turns around and storms to her chambers. Jong Kook could see the steam coming out of her ears, the disappointment, deception, grudge seething at her teeth.

The door is slammed open as Ji Hyo enters the room. She hurriedly runs to her baggage of clothes and items.

“My lady,” Jinri knelt by her side, “what are you-“ she turns around as another bang enters the room, Jong Kook stands behind Ji Hyo.

“What are you doing?”

She ignored him and continued stuffing her things into the boxes. He grabs her arm, stopping her.

“What do you think you are doing?!” he raised his voice.

Jinri steps back, leaving the two of them. She rushed out to the main hall.

Ji Hyo stands up, “Move.”

Clenching his teeth, Jong Kook tightly held her shoulders, “No, you can’t leave.”

Determine, Ji Hyo bit her lip, “Til’ the end, you are selfish.”

Her words made him gulped, his grip tightening.

“Telling me that you love me while another woman is pregnant with your child, you are really testing my patience.”

“-“

“Why? If I didn’t know, were you going to hide this from me until her stomach starts showing?”

“About that-“

“And you excuse is you came back and thought I was marrying the Prince. Without verifying, you left without a word. You decided to marry me later as an act of advantage towards your family. Not only that, you purposely toyed with me, knowing fully well how I felt about you!”

Her voice roared in the room, her face flushing.

“Song Ji Hyo-“

“How dare you speak my name with that filthy mouth of yours! You purposely married me for your own sake and revenge?!”

“Just what do you take me for?!” Jong Kook roars.

“You really don’t know what you did or are you playing dumb?!” Ji Hyo screamed at the top of her lungs. “You think I’m doing this because 8 years ago you chose to be a coward and ran away?”

Shaking her head,

“If that is what you think then you are terribly wrong.” Heated tears flush in her eyes. “You, Kim Jong Kook, deceived me! Fraud your identity for a political marriage, manipulated and used my feelings, and what? You lied about me miscarrying in order to send me to the palace while you ran off on your own! Not only that, your concubine is having your bastard of a child while I’m left in the dark. What do you take me for???!!!”

“In your eyes, am I that much of a bastard?!”

The rain pitter patters outside as the thunder grew louder. He closed his eyes, trying to compose himself, the reason he ran back to her or even went to see Yoo in the first place.

“If I told you that I didn’t mean for this to happen,” his voice softens, “will you believe me?”

He searched her eyes, even for the tiniest hint of hope.

She looks up at him again, her once starry eyes were lifeless.

“Don’t let me see your face again,” Ji Hyo coldly stated as her lifeless glared at him in disting hatred. “Or else, I’ll really kill you.”

His grasp loosens, jaw dropped as Ji Hyo takes her things, darting out of the room.

Ji Hyo holds tightly onto the bag and storms off to the main gates. As she walks out the door, she looks back at the gate, the sign, she gripped the bag tightly and left.

Jong Kook fell to his feet, the cringing pain in his chest increase. He felt his heart broken into hundreds of pieces. It hurted so much but he could not make a sound. His body turned cold, all hopes given up.

He had lost all the rights to hold her back.

***

“Where is my daughter?!” Ji Hyo’s father’s voice echoed in the room.

Jong Kook’s parents were by the door, seeing their son sitting on the ground hopelessly. Her father grabs his collar.

Glaring, “I trusted you. I entrusted my daughter to you, I treated you like my own son. But you- How could you blindside me.”

Jinri bursts into the room, “Lady Song is gone. I can’t find her.”

Her father lets go of Jong Kook and retreats out of the room. He turns to the Kim once more, “If anything happens of my daughter, don’t think of me as ruthless,” and storm out of the Kim’s mansion.

***

The sky has grown darker, colder, raining harder. It was as if it shared their wrath.

Yoo opened his door, buckling his clothes as he opens the back gate. He stops, seeing a figure leaning by the wall.

He walks towards Ji Hyo who was drenched in the rain. Her eyes were lifeless, no joy at all.

The wind brushed past between them as he stood in front of her.

Ji Hyo looks up at him. Her lips had become blue, shivering from the cold. The rain dripped from his head to his clothes as he said nothing.

“I…” she tried to speak but any words threaten to break her, “…I…” she swallows, trying to find the words to say. “I-“

Yoo stepped forward and held her head, pulling her into his chest. He lightly rubbed her head, leaving Ji Hyo silent.

She took in his scent, his comforting warmth. Though it was raining, she could no longer masked her frustration and let her rest in his embrace, sinking in the comfort he was willing to give her. No questions.

She closed her eyes as her world turns dark.

****

Ji Hyo lied in bed, her eyes weaken.

*flashback*

Ji Hyo had just returned to the Kim’s mansion when she bumps into a disheveled Ara.

Ara held Ji Hyo’s hands.

“I beg you,” Ara cried. “Please help me.”

Seeing the older maids in the courtyard, Ji Hyo pulls Ara aside to one of the rooms. Quickly closing the door, she turns to Ara.

“What’s wrong?” Ji Hyo was in utter confusion. Ara tried to control her crying but she hiccupped a lot and could only cry to Ji Hyo. Ji Hyo tried to pat her back and massage her hands.

“Unnie,” Ara cried as Ji Hyo cooed her.

“Tell me, what happened? Why are those people looking for you?”

Ara calmed down a bit and wiped her tears away. “I’m pregnant.”

Ji Hyo’s heart drop, speechless. “P-pregnant?”

“Mother found out about my pregnancy and ordered the maids to- *crying again*” Ara covered as she tried to suppress her cries. Ji Hyo, as if paralyzed, she could only watch Ara cry.

Ara turned back to Ji Hyo. “I beg of you. Please help me and my baby.” She caressed her stomach.

“How do you… want me to help you?” Ji Hyo stuttered.

“I know this is selfish of me but,” Ara looked down, “I have no other choice Ji Hyo. I can’t let any harm happen to my child, Jong Kook’s child.”

“So please. Leave Jong Kook oppa.” Ara finally said it. “As long as you are here, mother will never accept me, since she has tried to harm my unborn child.”

“Ara-ssi,” Ji Hyo tried to speak.

“Please,” Ara kneeled on the ground. “You can call me any names you want to but I really have no other choice. No home to return to, no family, no one. I only have Jong Kook oppa. This place is my home.”

Ji Hyo tried to get Ara to stand up.

“Get up first Ara,” but Ara stayed put and bowed to Ji Hyo.

“You still have your father, your status, your will. My only purpose in life now is to stay next to Jong Kook oppa. I apologize for not even being shameless to ask this of you.”

Ji Hyo stopped as Ara look up at her. Ji Hyo bit her lips nervously. But trying to understand Ara’s situation, Ji Hyo could only softly nod at her.

Ara cried in Ji Hyo’s chest. Ji Hyo worriedly held Ara, her heart beating slowly. Why does this world have to be so unfair?

***

It was the struck of early dawn, the sun had not risen when Yoo heard a loud banging in the front gates.

He steps out with his white robes.

Jong Kook stood there, drenched in the ongoing rain.

“Have you seen Ji Hyo?” his weakly asks, dejected. Yoo could see the dark circles under his eyes. He must have been up all night, running through the rainstorm.

***

The two men sat across from each other in the main hall, giving Jong Kook a new set of clothes as he sits, desolated.

“You’ll catch a cold,” Yoo stated as he brings hot tea to the table.

Yoo sits across him.

“Ji Hyo… knows,” Jong Kook spoke. “that…”

Yoo gave him no answer as he looks out at the rain.

“Ara… is pregnant.”

Yoo turns his head instantly, his eyes widening.

Jong Kook’s head hanged low. “2 months,”

Yoo silently held the cup of tea in his hand, swallow the hot drink before almost slamming the cup on the table.

“Divorce her,” Yoo glanced Jong Kook, “stop holding her back.”

Jong Kook looks up at him.

“This is my advice, as your cousin. It’s the best decision for the both of you.”

(Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l8zoqWa9RsE )

“Yoo,”

Their gazes lock.

“She’s here huh?” Jong Kook’s gaze darkens. He lightly chuckles to himself before standing up. Yoo stood up too, letting them face each other.

“She’s asleep.”

Jong Kook ticked off, repeated, “Asleep?”

“Leave her alone, she needs space.”

Jong Kook ignored him and stepped towards the guest rooms. Yoo pulled him back and comes meets Jong Kook’s fist.

Flailing back offguard, Yoo touches his stinging lip, a hint of blood.

“Asleep, alone, space?” Jong Kook stepped towards him. “You were waiting for this moment, weren’t you? The moment when everything starts to fall apart, you will swoop in and be the uncanny hero who saves a damsel in distress.”

Yoo looks up at him and grabs Jong Kook’s collar. “Don’t say what you will regret.”

“I won’t.” Jong Kook glares at him. “Playing the role of a nice guy while looking at her from the side. You thought I wouldn’t notice?”

“Hyung,”

“You had your eyes set on her from the beginning. Why, does she remind you of someone?”

Yoo clenched his teeth, his breath rapid and his eyes pink. Closing his eyes, he lets go of Jong Kook. “It’s late, you should change your clothes and return.”

He turns but Jong Kook yanks him back forcefully, not letting go of his collar.

“Although you act like you wanted our marriage to work out, secretly, you wanted us to divorce. The quicker, the better.”

Yoo stayed silent, keeping his eyes closed.

“And I,” Jong Kook’s voice raspy, “trusted you like a brother.”

“Are you done yet?” Yoo answers lowly. “Are you done making up a story that only you can understand?”

“I can see the way you look at her. She is more than a sister-in-law to you.” Jong Kook lightly chuckled, “Song Ji Hyo, she’s your style huh?”

“You are crossing the line.” Yoo raised his voice.

“You crossed it first!” Jong Kook yells back. “You knew how I felt towards her yet you pretend to not know. Why? Because you are aware of your feelings better than I am.”

“At least I know my feelings and don’t play with other’s feelings.”

Jong Kook, trembling in anger. “You admit, huh?”

“Let’s stop here before it gets nastier,” Yoo, composing himself, barely, as he tries to pry his hands off him.

“No wonder you couldn’t save Chul.” Jong Kook spitefully whispered.

Yoo paused, the anger that dissipated returns ten times fold. He looks at Jong Kook, his eyes intensely glaring at him. “Watch your mouth.”

“You kept waiting for the right time to make a decision. That’s why you couldn’t save either of them.”

“I said stop it!” Yoo roared.

“No, you need to hear it.” Jong Kook shook him. “I want you to stop whatever you are thinking towards Ji Hyo.”

Yoo’s eyes grew flushing pink, burning with hatred.

“As my cousin, no, as a man-“

Jong Kook felt a strong force on his jaw. He wipes his lips to see blood.

“And if I don’t?” Yoo boldly remarked, troubling Jong Kook. “As a man? You are not a man. You can’t keep the words you promised. What did you promise Ji Hyo, that she is still willing to stay by your side?”

He stepped forward, taunting Jong Kook.

“What is so good about you that such an intelligent woman like her would be willing to throw away her dignity as a noble lady? Money? Status? Reputation? Love?”

Yoo shook his head. “It’s because you are her happiness.” He points at Jong Kook, “Because you are her happiness. That’s why she was willing to forgive you.”

Jong Kook was shaken by his words.

“But every time you step on someone’s heart, it grows weaker, and dirtier until there is nothing left. And what? You are looking for your wife because she found out that your mistress turned concubine is pregnant?”

Yoo smiles sarcastically and challenges him, “Sure, I like Ji Hyo. I liked her since the day I met her. But I have never thought of tearing her apart from her marrigae by force. I’ve always respected you like a brother. I thought of her as a friend, someone that you once were to me.”

Yoo’s face twisted, “Since you thought of me in that way, maybe I should start pursuing her then. Who knows, maybe we’ll marry right after the two of you divorce.”

“Gong Yoo!”

“Isn’t this what you wanted to hear?!” Yoo retorted. “You are always doubting your feelings. You trust me? Never. You never fully trusted me. The only time we could trust each other was on the battlefield. When it comes to romance, I thought you would be as level-headed as you were on the field but no, you are a stick in the mud. Look at what you’ve come to.”

He steps forwards as the lightening flash in his face.

“The truth is you, are afraid of me,” Yoo quietly answered, loud enough for Jong Kook to hear. Recomposing himself. “Show me why you deserve her. You are an adult, not some stupid 16 year old crying out to your wants and needs. When you can prioritize, only then can she return to you.”

Yoo turns around, leaving Jong Kook alone. Stopping mid-step, he turns his head.

“Also, we don’t need to expose each other’s weakness to feel superior. What is so good about me? What is so good about you? We are only human, surviving from a lifetime of battles and guilt. There is nothing special about us.”

“I’m...” Jong Kook guiltily mutters. “I didn’t mean to-“

But Yoo had already left.

************************************************************************