Joon Pyo was at the office signing documents for the merger. Lately he'd been practically living at the office. He thought about the upcoming holiday. Though Christmas was not a pleasant memory for him, it was for Jan Di. And now that she was in his life, he was excited to share that with her. He was highly frustrated that his work was preventing him from visiting for the holiday. He'd suggested that she come to New York, but she assured him that she would not be able to. Money wasn't an issue for him, but she didn't want to accept it. She would be on break from school, but she had to work. In the past he would've just called a group of his lackeys to kidnap her and bring her to him, but now, he was more mature than that. He would simply discuss it with her and convince her. She could be as prideful and stubborn as him, which he found both endearing and annoying to no end. He couldn't deny that it bothered him that she didn't seem more open to visiting him over the holiday.

Right now he was feeling distracted because he'd tried to call Jan Di multiple times that day and hadn't gotten a response. He was beginning to worry that something was wrong or that she was simply ignoring him. He noticed a missed message and checked his phone. It was Woo Bin. He listened to the message. Woo Bin was calling to inform him that Ji Hoo's grandfather had been admitted to the hospital for emergency surgery. Joon Pyo picked up his phone to call his best friend.

Ji Hoo stirred, realizing he'd fallen asleep. He was immediately aware that Jan Di was still nestled comfortably against him. It felt warm and nice… She was sleeping peacefully. Her breathing was so quiet that he could only tell she was breathing by the way her chest was slowly rising and falling. He smiled lovingly at her. He pulled off his suit jacket and covered her with it. He checked his watch. 5 AM. He'd only fallen asleep for about 20 minutes. The doctors hadn't been able to tell him how long the surgery would take, but it was close to their estimate. He was becoming increasingly anxious to hear the results. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at it. Joon Pyo. He picked it up.

"Joon Pyo." He walked 5 or 10 feet away from Jan Di so as not to disturb her.

"Ah, Ji Hoo. I heard about your Grandfather. I'm sorry. How is he doing?" He was sincere but straight to the point.

Ji Hoo exhaled. "Ah, he's still in surgery. We're at the hospital."

"We?"

"Yes. Jan Di is here with me. Woo Bin was here earlier, but he left."

"Oh." Joon Pyo grew silent for a moment. "…Well, I'm glad she's there with you. I was trying to get a hold of her for a while and couldn't."

Ji Hoo frowned, suspicious of Joon Pyo's motive for calling. Perhaps he'd been trying to locate Jan Di rather than express his concern.

"Oh, well she's fine. I think I remember her saying she left her phone at home."

"I see. So, you'll let me know how the surgery goes?" Joon Pyo asked.

"Yes. Thank you."

"Good…." Joon Pyo paused. "Could I speak with Jan Di?"

Ji Hoo frowned again. He glanced over at Jan Di. "Oh, well…she's asleep right now. She's been up all night, so I probably shouldn't wake her..."

Joon Pyo grew silent again. "Why don't you try waking her? I'll take responsibility." He replied assertively.

Ji Hoo's jaw tightened slightly. "Ok." He walked back over to Jan Di and sat next to her. He touched her arm lightly and whispered her name. She stirred but did not wake. He nudged her again gently. Her eyes fluttered open. "It's Joon Pyo." He handed the phone to her begrudgingly. She fumbled for the phone drowsily. Ji Hoo walked away again, with a sigh. He began to pace. It wasn't really the time or place to allow his petty jealousy to take over.

"Joon Pyo," Jan Di mumbled sleepily. "How are you?"

"Good. And you?"

"I'm alright, but Ji Hoo Sunbae's grandfather is in the hospital having surgery right now."

"Yes, I just found out. I called when I heard." Joon Pyo mumbled somberly. "It's nice of you to be there for him."

"Well, Grandfather has done a lot for me, so it's only right that I'm here."

"Mm." Joon Pyo nodded. "I was worried about you, too."

"Me?" She asked incredulously.

"Yes, I've been trying to call you for hours."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I forgot my phone when I left for the hospital."

He nodded to himself. "Well, it's good to hear your voice. It's been a while…" He actually knew exactly how many days, 10.

"It's good to hear your voice, too." She walked around attempting to wake up. She swung her free arm. She glanced over at Ji Hoo, who was leaning against a pillar staring out.

Joon Pyo smiled. "I know you're preoccupied right now, but I'd like to talk to you more about Christmas sometime. I'd like for you to reconsider allowing me to fly you out."

"That's really nice of you. I'll think about it."

"Ok."

She could sense the disappointment in his tone. "It would be really nice to see you for Christmas…" She added.

He smiled on the other end. "Yes."

She glanced over and noticed that the doctor had come through the double doors and had walked up to Ji Hoo. "Oh! I have to go, I'm sorry, Joon Pyo!" Jan Di ended the call and shoved the phone into her pocket as she walked over to Ji Hoo and the doctor.

Jan Di made her way to Ji Hoo's side. He was asking how the operation went. Though it was mere seconds, the wait for the doctor's response seemed interminable. They both held their breath. Jan Di unconsciously grabbed Ji Hoo's arm in preparation for the news. She clutched tightly at the soft fabric of his white shirt, twisting and wrinkling it beneath her fingers. In response, Ji Hoo crossed his other hand over his chest and held hers there, still against his arm. He took a deep breath and waited.

"The operation went well." The doctor finally said. Ji Hoo and Jan Di in turn gave very visible sighs of relief. "He's out of imminent danger, but we still have to be cautious. We're going to keep him here awhile longer."

Ji Hoo bowed and thanked the doctor. "May we see him?"

"Yes. He's being transferred to a regular room. He's still sleeping, but he should be up soon. I'll show you and your girlfriend to the room."

"Oh, umm…" Ji Hoo stammered. Jan Di looked down and swallowed. She realized she was still attached to Ji Hoo's arm. She immediately released her grip. He looked at her shyly. They seemed to wordlessly agree that it was easier to forego explaining their actual relationship status.

Clearly the whole awkward transgression had escaped the doctor's notice, or perhaps he didn't care. He beckoned them to come with him, and they followed him to Grandfather's room. Jan Di remained a few feet behind, as if the physical distance would clarify matters.

The doctor showed them to Grandfather's room. They walked in and saw Grandfather resting there. Jan Di held back and allowed Ji Hoo to approach. He stood there and studied Grandfather. He was no longer able to contain the tears that had begun to form. Several tears escaped and ran down each cheek. Jan Di watched as his body shuddered lightly, silently. She slowly approached, still uncertain of whether she should give him space or comfort him. She hesitated a moment more before putting a hand securely against his back. She stood there with him. Though it didn't happen often, he allowed himself to be vulnerable in front of her.

They took a seat in the chairs next to the bed and waited for Grandfather to wake up. They sat there quietly for some time, until they heard Grandfather groan and stir in the bed. Ji Hoo shifted in his chair and turned toward Grandfather. Grandfather blinked a few times and opened his eyes drowsily. Ji Hoo stood immediately and went to his side. "Grandfather!"

Grandfather looked at Ji Hoo and then took in his surroundings to orient himself.

"Grandfather, you collapsed and you had to have emergency surgery." Ji Hoo said.

Grandfather cleared his dry throat. "Hmm, I see." He focused upon Ji Hoo, whose eyes were slightly red. "What's the matter, my boy?" Grandfather weakly asked.

Ji Hoo sniffed. "Nothing, Grandfather. I'm just so relieved that you're OK."

"Ehhh, you shouldn't have worried…I wasn't planning to go just yet." He chuckled weakly, and Ji Hoo smiled. Grandfather patted Ji Hoo's arm and gave it a feeble squeeze. "Buck up…" Ji Hoo smiled again.

Grandfather cocked his head and noticed Jan Di standing behind Ji Hoo smiling brightly, remnants of tears in her eyes. "Jan Di, what are you doing back there? Come over here…" He mumbled.

Jan Di smiled and went to Grandfather's side. Ji Hoo gave her a sidelong glance and moved aside for her.

"I'm so happy that you're OK, Grandfather!" She exclaimed, fighting back happy tears.

"Ohhh, don't be silly; of course I'm OK!" He chuckled and coughed. Jan Di immediately helped him with a drink of water. Grandfather nodded to her in appreciation.

Grandfather looked between the two and smiled. "It's good to see you two together again."

Ji Hoo and Jan Di exchanged glances.

"I hope that grandson of mine is being nice to you!"

Jan Di smiled. "Yes, Grandfather. Don't worry."

Grandfather shifted in the bed. "Are you OK?" Jan Di asked, concerned.

"Ahhh, yes I'm fine." He shifted again and attempted to adjust his pillow. Jan Di assisted. She brought a second pillow from nearby, fluffed it, and put it behind his head. Ji Hoo watched her and smiled. He couldn't deny how incredibly touching it was to watch her care for his grandfather.

"Thank you, Child. But no need for such fussing…" Jan Di smiled.

Grandfather looked at the clock. The sun had just risen and was blanketing the room in light. "What on earth are you doing here at this time? The both of you?"

Ji Hoo spoke. "We were waiting for you to get out of surgery, Grandfather. Jan Di was concerned for you, too. She's been here all night."

Grandfather smiled tenderly. "Well, now you can see that I'm fine, so you should go home and get some rest!"

Jan Di smiled. "Well, I…"

"No excuses, young lady, you do as your elder says!" He chuckled. "And you should take her home, my boy." He winked at Ji Hoo. Ji Hi smiled to himself.

"Ok, Grandfather. I'll take her home and bring some things for you."

As they prepared to leave, Sun-Young walked into Grandfather's room carrying a bouquet of flowers. "Oh!" Sun-Young exclaimed, upon nearly colliding with Ji Hoo.

"Oh, Sun-Young? What are you doing here?" Ji Hoo muttered, startled.

Jan Di remained a step behind Ji Hoo. She and Grandfather looked on curiously.

"Well, I was concerned about you. Since our date was cut short last night I thought I would visit to see how you and your Grandfather were doing?"

Jan Di flinched. Date? She felt her stomach plummet slightly.

"Oh, well that was very considerate of you." He rubbed his neck awkwardly. "The surgery went well." He looked at Jan Di, who was putting great effort into avoiding any kind of eye contact with either of them.

Sun-Young handed the flowers to Ji Hoo. "Thank you." He bowed and took the flowers to Grandfather's bedside table. Grandfather looked at him, questioningly. He squinted his eyes in disapproval. Ji Hoo sighed and looked back to the girls.

Jan Di was now facing Sun-Young. Sun-Young turned to Ji Hoo. "Your…sister?" Her tone was slightly patronizing.

Ji Hoo shook his head. "No, she's a friend. Hesitantly, Ji Hoo introduced them. "Jan Di, this is Gok Sun-Young. Sun-Young, Geum Jan Di."

Jan Di bowed to Sun-Young. Sun-Young returned the bow. "Oh, nice to meet you."

Ji Hoo shoved his hands into his pockets and remained very near to Grandfather's bed. He looked helplessly at Grandfather. Grandfather bowed his head somberly, as if to say he was staying out of it.

"And this is my grandfather." Ji Hoo introduced Grandfather. Sun-Young came over and bowed and expressed her wishes that he get well soon. Jan Di thought that she appeared much too bright and energetic for so early in the morning. Grandfather looked at Sun-Young and gave her a nod.

"I'm sorry for the hour, but I'm sort of an early riser, so I thought I would stop by before my morning class." Sun-Young explained, as if reading Jan Di's thoughts.

Ji Hoo nodded. "Thank you. Um, Sun-Young, I'm sorry, but I was actually about to go. I need to take Jan Di home and get some things…"

"It's OK," Jan Di interrupted. "You don't have to take me. It's fine, really." Despite her best attempt at sounding cheerful, her voice came across bitter.

Ji Hoo, Sun-Young, and Jan Di exchanged glances.

"Grandfather, I'll visit you later, OK?" Jan Di put on a smile. She looked to Grandfather and then to Ji Hoo. "Nice to meet you," she said to Sun-Young before bowing to the room and taking her leave.

Jan Di made her way down the long hall of the hospital, more quickly than she'd planned. She felt the strange need to escape. She could feel herself shaking lightly. She had an unpleasant, even slightly sick feeling. Was she jealous? This was crazy! She and Ji Hoo were just friends, and she was dating Joon Pyo. She didn't know what was between the girl and Ji Hoo or how long he'd been seeing her. It didn't seem like they knew each other very well. She recalled that Ji Hoo had appeared very uncomfortable. Did he feel awkward introducing his new girlfriend? The need for escape was growing stronger as a sea of conflicting emotions cascaded within her. She mentally berated herself for her unjustified feelings and the impression she must have left, as she moved more quickly through the hospital.

She heard her name and felt someone grab her firmly by the wrist. The force of the grab turned her 180 degrees. It was Ji Hoo. "Jan Di, wait!" He urged as he held her wrist, his breathing slightly elevated. She looked at him, surprised and ashamed, and attempted to hide her malcontent.

"Let me take you home. You've been up all night; you're tired…" He said calmly.

"It's OK. You have company. And you should get some rest and get back to Grandfather as soon as possible." She put on a smile and did her best to maintain her composure.

He released her wrist and exhaled sharply. "I didn't ask her to come." He wasn't sure why he felt the need to defend himself.

"It's OK. It was nice that she came. She seems nice." Jan Di continued looking away, in a feeble attempt to hide her inexplicable hurt.

Ji Hoo sighed. "Jan Di, let me explain."

"Why? Why should you need to explain, Sunbae?" She asked, sincerely. "You're dating someone. It's really not any of my business." She was quickly realizing the ridiculousness of the whole conversation. She felt horrible.

He sighed again. "One date. And not even a full one."

"You really don't have to explain, Sunbae. …She's really pretty." Jan Di commented, smiling weakly.

He looked at her with a mixture of sympathy and desperation. They were suddenly aware that their dramatic encounter was on display for the entire hospital admissions. Ji Hoo grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her outside the hospital to a more secluded area. He beckoned her to take a seat on a nearby bench. They sat next to each other, silent for a time.

"This is really silly, Sunbae… I'm sorry. She's probably waiting, and I should get home… There's no reason to explain anything."

"Jan Di, you're clearly bothered by this." He said, looking down at his hands.

"No, I'm not." She argued weakly, hanging her head.

"I want you to understand, whether you want to or not." He stated firmly. He sighed heavily. She looked over briefly and down once more.

"Woo Bin asked me to go on a double date with him. I didn't want to, and I refused at first. But I…decided to go. But even before that, I think I should explain why I told you that we shouldn't see each other. Maybe you know, but I want to be clear…" She looked over at him timidly. He was wringing his hands.

"…I decided I needed to try to let you go….you're in a relationship with Joon Pyo, my best friend, and we were getting too close… I felt guilty constantly, and it was unbearable for me."

Jan Di looked at him with a sad empathy. She'd felt the guilt, as well.

Perhaps it was sleep deprivation. Perhaps it was his fragile emotional state after the events of last night. Or, perhaps it was seeing how much Jan Di cared for Grandfather, which had only made him love her more. Whatever the reason, he decided to confess. "I was depressed all the time… Every time we got close, it was killing me…that I couldn't do anything about it, and I was constantly afraid that I'd do something stupid…" She looked at him and her lips parted. He was staring at the ground while he spoke. She looked down again.

"…I didn't want to cause any problems between Joon Pyo and me, or between you and me… I didn't think I could remain strong any longer, so I pushed you away. I thought it was for everyone's good. But when you showed up last night…." He paused. He closed his eyes and buried his face in his hands, suddenly regretting how freely he'd spoken.

All she could muster was a tender, "Sunbae…"

He turned decisively toward her, determined to go for broke. "I still love you… I know this is a stupid question, but how do you feel about me?"

Jan Di met his gaze briefly. She blinked and looked away. She squeezed her hands anxiously, unsure of how to respond. He watched her wringing her hands nervously. He took her hands in his and turned her toward him. "Will you tell me? No matter if it hurts me… If you tell me that you feel nothing more than friendship for me, I'll never bring it up again."

She sighed, still unable to meet his gaze. "It's OK, no matter what. I'll still care for you. I'd do anything for you…" He said.

The urge to escape was building again within her. She felt him slowly rubbing his hands across hers. She appeared paralyzed, still not speaking.

A string of frustrated thoughts were rampaging within his head, things like: Why can't you just say you were jealous? Why can't you say that you like me? If you did, I would never see her again! Do you know how much you frustrate me sometimes? Can't you understand that I don't want anyone but you?

He sighed. "I'm sorry to confront you like this. Forgive me. And thank you, for being here for Grandfather and for me…"

She nodded. He was still holding her hands. His emotions continued to run rampant. He thoughtlessly ran his hands up and down her arms, putting the slightest bit of pressure here and there. She quivered. Common sense was telling her to stop this and go but she felt immobilized. Why hadn't he let her simply leave and clear her head? She couldn't give him a response in such a state. She wasn't thinking clearly now, and neither was he… She looked up at him doe-eyed as he slowly moved in closer to her.

"Jan Di…" He whispered tenderly.

"Sunbae, I….can't…" She pleaded with her eyes, tears beginning to form.

"I don't want you to cry anymore." He held her shoulders. Knowing he was taking a huge gamble, he leaned in slowly. He tested the waters and ever so softly brushed her lips with his own.