Joon Pyo leaned back confidently in his office chair. A smile crossed his lips. He'd won. He'd convinced Jan Di to fly out to visit him in New York for the holiday. He internally gloated over his victory. Still, his business savvy was telling him that something was amiss with these circumstances.

He'd found it hard to get a read on Jan Di lately. He'd been struggling with it for awhile now. Perhaps it was the distance, but he couldn't shake the paranoia that she was slipping through his fingers. This was something he could not nor would not tolerate. He assured himself that this could not possibly be the case, but he still felt a bit uneasy. So, he decided to grab on tighter. Seeing each other in person would certainly solidify his hold. He'd take her out and show her the best that New York City had to offer. How could she resist? He smiled smugly.

Alex entered his office, interrupting his plotting. She made her way to stand in front of him before he noticed her. "Ahem."

"Hey, I warned you about knocking!"

"Oh, right, sorry." She smirked.

"You don't just walk into Goo Joon Pyo's office!" He proclaimed as a king, leaning back in his chair.

Alex stared at him, unimpressed. "You're in a good mood."

"Why shouldn't I be? The merger is going as planned. It's the holidays…"

Alex's forehead wrinkled. "Right… I have some documents for you to sign."

"Why are you bringing them? Are you my new secretary?" He grinned, knowing this would set her off.

Alex scoffed. "Yea, in your dreams! It was on my way..."

He smirked and began to sign in the indicated spots. "Here." He held the documents out for Alex.

She snatched them and straightened them on his desk. "Oh, don't forget about the Christmas office party tomorrow night at 7."

"I can't make it." Joon Pyo planned to pick up Jan Di from the airport and take her out for dinner.

"Come on, you have to be there! I'll be bored out of my mind if you're not there." Alex shifted haughtily, unsure of what had possessed her to say that. "I mean, you should really be there. Everyone is going to be there, including the Gyoh Group."

"Sorry, I have plans."

"What plans?"

"My girlfriend is flying in for the holiday."

Alex clapped her hands together. "Oh, well bring her along!"

"Hmm, I don't know if she'd be interested."

"Come on, she might enjoy herself. And we'd all get to meet this supposed girlfriend of yours…"

Joon Pyo glared at Alex. "…I'll think about it. If she's interested, maybe we'll drop by."

"Good. I'll see you later." Alex turned and walked out.

Jan Di haphazardly packed her suitcase, the same pink suitcase she'd taken to Macau years ago. She recalled how it'd been stolen and how she'd been confronted by a gang in Macau. Fortunately, Ji Hoo and the rest of F3 had shown up to rescue her. She looked it over. It wasn't too worse for the wear.

So much had happened since then. And here she was once again going to visit Joon Pyo in a foreign country. She'd hoped for better circumstances than the last time, but now she had this guilt hanging over her head.

Ji Hoo had been surprisingly absent the last few days. She assumed he was busy taking care of Grandfather and his other duties. School was out for now, but he still had a number of responsibilities. She wondered how he and Grandfather were doing.

Jan Di sighed and continued packing. She noticed the box from Seo Hyun. It remained unopened. She decided to open it now. She slid off the bow and gently opened the lid. Inside, amidst a surplus of tissue paper, was the blue dress that Seo Hyun had pointed out to Jan Di. The one she thought Ji Hoo would like on her. Jan Di blinked, unsure of what possessed Seo Hyun to buy the dress for her. She picked up the card and read it.

Jan Di,

It was so wonderful seeing you again! You've grown into such a beautiful young woman! I wanted to thank you for fulfilling my request from years ago, to make Ji Hoo smile again. Because of you, Ji Hoo has grown into a wonderful, caring person. I don't know if you realize all you've done for him.

I have another request. Ironically, it's the same as before. I want you to make Ji Hoo smile again. You told me once before that I was the only one who could do that. But now it is you who is the only one who can make Ji Hoo smile. Please do this for me.

I wish you so much happiness! You're going to go great places, Jan Di! Just make sure to follow your heart, even when it's difficult. No regrets!

This dress is a thank you for being such a good friend. Wear it for the one in your heart…

Sincerely,

Seo Hyun

Jan Di smiled sadly and tucked the letter away. Unnie, I want to do this for you, but I don't know if I can… I keep messing things up…

Jan Di held the dress up. She sighed, folded the dress, and placed it gently into her suitcase, just in case. She wasn't really sure what occasion to wear it for just yet. She went to her room and opened her desk drawer. Joon Pyo's necklace lay there. Ji Hoo's bracelet rested patiently next to it. She sighed. She pulled out Joon Pyo's necklace. She held it and ran her fingers delicately along its grooves.

Ji Hoo paced up and down Grandfather's hospital room, his hands shoved deep into the pockets of his slacks and his arms stiff as boards. He'd walked every inch of the room. Grandfather watched him silently, tightening his mouth. Jan Di was scheduled to depart for New York City in 2 hours. She was probably waiting at the airport now.

He could picture her there now, seated at her gate, with her hands in her lap and slightly hunched over, waiting patiently. It bothered him that he hadn't taken her to the airport or said a proper goodbye to her. He'd simply shipped her off to the awaiting lion's den to be devoured. There was no bright side to this scenario for him. Either she'd confess and be eaten alive, or she'd spend the holiday in the arms of another man living a fairytale romance in a foreign country.

He shook his head at her naïveté. He valued her honesty, but he couldn't fathom what she'd been thinking. Ji Hoo could understand telling Joon Pyo if she reciprocated his feelings, but that clearly wasn't the case. Taking this path was only going to result in the suffering of everyone involved. He was suddenly furious with himself for the mishap.

He could picture her telling Joon Pyo. He could picture Joon Pyo screaming at her. He could picture him approaching her aggressively and getting in her face, possibly grabbing her or shoving her… He could picture her putting on a strong front, but he could see the tears beginning to form and slowly rolling down and staining her pretty face. It simultaneously infuriated him and made him want to cry. It was too much to bear, and it was taking every ounce of his self-restraint to refrain from rushing to the airport to stop her. If Grandfather had been well, he would've probably already been gone. He leaned heavily against the windowsill of the room. He pounded his fist down.

Grandfather released a heavy sigh and adjusted his glasses. He opened his mouth to speak but stopped. He continued to watch Ji Hoo silently, his heart slowly breaking. He could no longer tolerate his grandson's anguish.

Finally, Grandfather spoke. "Ji Hoo." Ji Hoo looked over at him. "Come here," he said.

Ji Hoo walked over slowly, questionably. Grandfather sat up in his hospital bed. He pulled Ji Hoo down into a comforting embrace. Ji Hoo bowed his head and allowed Grandfather to hug him tightly for a moment.

Grandfather released him and looked him straight in the eye. "This can't go on, my boy." Ji Hoo nodded slowly and tightened his mouth, a miserable expression on his face.

Jan Di settled into her seat on the plane. She buckled herself in and looked out the window. It was bad enough that she'd allowed Joon Pyo to pay to fly her out, considering the confession she had to share, but he'd also insisted on first class. It was entirely too comfortable. It was so comfortable that it was uncomfortable. She'd much rather be jammed in the back, stuffed between two other persons, which would be nowhere close to the punishment she deserved. She was already regretting her decision to go. She'd hoped that whenever she did visit him that it would be an exciting and happy experience, but it was already tainted by her guilt and confusion.

Rather than continuing to berate herself, she decided to be more productive. She pulled out her English dictionary and decided to study, so that she could get around. Joon Pyo would surely make things easy and comfortable for her, but she rather hoped that she would have to rough it a bit.

Despite her best attempts at distraction, Jan Di spent the majority of the flight attempting to make sense of the turmoil inside of her head. She had been over and over it, examining from every possible angle. What would she say? How would she bring it up? She'd even tried to write it out. She scribbled out version after version. Even if she came up with the perfect speech she just couldn't imagine saying the words to him. There was going to be no way to handle this neat and tidy. Maybe this was a big mistake… But she was determined to have courage and face up to it.

She thought of Joon Pyo and Ji Hoo, a lot. This incident had forced her to take a long, hard look at her feelings for both of them. A sea of memories washed over her, as she recalled her times with each of them. She turned to the window to hide her face, as tears streamed slowly down. Love for her wouldn't simply be a feeling, but a decision. She hadn't foreseen the decision being so hard, though.

She couldn't imagine how to possibly go about letting go of Joon Pyo. She'd tried once before. She thought about the many obstacles that had stood in their way. And they'd managed to overcome them. They hadn't done it alone, though. Ji Hoo had always been there in support of both of them. She would have never made it through intact without him. She and Joon Pyo probably wouldn't be together now if it wasn't for Ji Hoo. In fact, she wouldn't even be here if not for him. He'd saved her life, literally and figuratively, many times. He'd saved her from, not only bodily harm and death, but from loneliness and despair. How could she not save him?

But then again, so had Joon Pyo… She resolved to make things right with Joon Pyo. She'd made a commitment that she would honor. And perhaps the best way to save Ji Hoo would be to free him from her. She decided to be honest with Joon Pyo. She would apologize, even forego her pride and beg for forgiveness, if necessary. And she would promise to never allow it to happen again. She would even promise not to see Ji Hoo again if that's what it would take. The thought was breaking her heart, but she had decided.

Upon arrival, Jan Di checked her phone. Several messages flooded in. Clearly Ji Hoo had been torturing himself. His messages evolved from the basic wish that she have a good flight, to further apologizing, to helpful suggestions, and most recently, to asking that she let him talk to Joon Pyo first. He'd asked her to hold off, to trust him, and to just enjoy herself.

She sighed. How can I enjoy myself until I settle this? She didn't expect this trip to be a particularly pleasant one. She looked at the messages with a sadly tender expression. She could picture Ji Hoo blaming himself, taking the full weight of it on his shoulders, worrying about her… He was always doing that. Worrying about her, protecting her…. It was endearing, but she couldn't allow it anymore. She couldn't allow him to keep giving so much when she gave him nothing in return. She couldn't allow him to keep sacrificing his own happiness for hers. Perhaps it was better that she just let him go…

She couldn't imagine doing that either. The time they'd spent apart had been excruciating for her. She hadn't been prepared for just how painful it had been. She desperately wanted to avoid going through that again, but she had to.

She didn't want Ji Hoo to worry. She didn't know how or when she was going to tell him. She supposed she would when she returned. For now, she wanted him to focus on what he needed to, and she had her mission at hand. She put on a façade through her messages, agreeing to hold off and enjoy her trip, wishing him and Grandfather well, and promising to see him soon. She added a few cute smiley faces. I'll miss you…

Jan Di deplaned nervously. She went through customs and headed to the baggage claim area. She looked around for Joon Pyo. After some time, she noticed him through the crowd, towering over most of the people there. He was dressed in a suit and long wool coat. A broad smile spread across his face when he saw her. She smiled back. They closed the gap and stood before each other. Joon Pyo grinned at her for a moment before throwing his arms around her and pulling her into a tight hug. She sunk into the hug, her hands safely tucked into her pockets.

"What took you so long, Geum Jan Di?" He whispered against her hair. The corners of turned up slowly.

He pulled back, still holding her shoulders. She smiled and simply said his name. "Goo Joon Pyo…"

"Are you really here?" He asked tenderly.

She nodded, tearing up.

He grinned again, giddy as a child. His happiness further amplified her remorse. The long awaited meeting felt spoiled by her indiscretion. She put on her best happy face and attempted to enjoy the moment. Joon Pyo looked at her, chuckled, and put an arm around her. He pulled her along, leading her to their next destination.

Before she knew it, she was in the back of a fancy limo with Joon Pyo, being driven around the city. She looked out the window in awe. It was her first time in New York City, her first time in the United States actually. She took in the city: the tall buildings, the bright lights, the decorations everywhere. It looked magical.

Joon Pyo glanced over at her and smiled.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked.

"I have dinner reservations."

She nodded.

Joon Pyo took her to a fancy restaurant with a name she couldn't pronounce. She felt a bit out of place. The food looked amazing, but she continued to feel uneasy. She slowly picked at her food.

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" He asked, wondering why the food wasn't yet gone.

She chuckled awkwardly and shook her head. "Nothing."

He looked at her in disbelief and studied her. "Geum Jan Di?"

"Mm?" She continued to play with her food.

"How have you been doing?" He asked seriously.

"Oh…fine."

He studied her. "Is everything OK?"

She nodded.

"You don't seem…happy to be here."

Jan Di gaped. "Of course I am!" She wasn't sure how convincing she sounded, but she was happy to be there with him.

"I just still can't believe that I'm here." And she really couldn't.

He nodded. "Neither can I, but I'm glad that you are."

Their eyes met, and they gazed at each other tenderly for a moment. Jan Di turned back to the food. She took a bite. The bite was so good that she proceeded to devour what was on the plate. Joon Pyo watched her and smiled affectionately. That seems more like it…

She received a text. She hesitated, then decided to ignore it.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Joon Pyo asked.

"It's OK. I can get it later."

He nodded. "Geum Jan Di?"

"Hm?"

"Would you like to go to a party?"

"A party?"

"Yes. My office is having a Christmas party. They've been pestering me to stop by. But I told them we'd only stop by if you were OK with going."

"Oh." She thought for a moment. "Sure."

"Are you sure you want to? It's our first night together in a long time."

She nodded. "I'm sure. I think we should go."

"Ok, then." He continued eating.

After dinner Joon Pyo's driver dropped them off at the party. They walked in to view an expanse of people in suits and party dresses. Jan Di felt a little out of place, having had to quickly change into a somewhat informal dress. She'd considered the blue dress, but she didn't feel ready to wear it.

They walked in, Joon Pyo dragging her along proudly on his arm. There were more people there than Jan Di had expected. The ballroom of the hotel facility was decorated extravagantly in Christmas decorations, with a large banquet table. She wondered why Joon Pyo had taken her out to dinner prior to. She supposed he wanted the time with just her.

Joon Pyo steered her toward a group of men and a woman. The woman noticed him and her eyes lit up. "Joon Pyo!" She waved over. Jan Di found the woman to be intimidatingly beautiful.

Joon Pyo smiled and greeted the group. He bowed to each of them. "Everyone, this is my girlfriend, Geum Jan Di." Jan Di smiled and bowed.

He pointed to each of the men in turn and introduced them. The woman spoke out. "So, this is Jan Di!" She approached Jan Di and stuck out her hand. Jan Di shook it hesitantly. "I've heard so much about you! I'm Alex Lee, by the way, since I'm forced to introduce myself." She glared over playfully at Joon Pyo.

"Aish, I was just about to… This is Alex." He mumbled with a roll of his eyes.

Jan Di had recognized her from the magazine. The memory came back, causing her a bit of unease. He actually worked with this beautiful woman every day? Regardless, she completely trusted him and didn't feel she had any right to such feelings given recent events, so the twinge of jealousy was short-lived.

Alex grabbed Jan Di by the hand and snatched her away from Joon Pyo. "Let's go and have some of this amazing egg nog and talk."

Jan Di had never had egg nog. Alex handed her a cup, and she took a sip of it. It was good, and she was rather nervous, so she began to gulp it down. Alex dragged Jan Di to a table with Joon Pyo and a group of colleagues.

"So, how long have you two been seeing each other?" Alex asked, resting her chin on her hand and gazing intently between Jan Di and Joon Pyo.

"Um, well, it's been about 2 years, I suppose." She realized that she wasn't really sure. They'd been on and off so much that there wasn't a clear time span.

Alex nodded. "And how did you meet?"

"We met in school; I already told you the story," Joon Pyo stated simply.

"I want to hear Jan Di's account, if you don't mind! Did you like each other right away?" Alex asked starry-eyed.

Jan Di chuckled. "Actually, I hated him at first."

Joon Pyo smirked and looked down. Alex looked to Joon Pyo. "I could see that." Joon Pyo shot her an icy glance.

Alex encouraged Jan Di to further explain. "Well, I just eventually realized how sweet he was and that there was so much more to him than I thought." She smiled to herself in recollection. Joon Pyo looked at her affectionately as she mentally reminisced.

"Aww, that's so sweet." Alex commented, with a wide smile. Her level of sincerity was unclear.

"Are you going to be on this subject all night?" Joon Pyo cut in. He wasn't thrilled about having his personal life on display.

"Ohh, what's the matter Joon Pyo? Are you embarrassed?" Alex toyed. He threw her a cautionary glance. Jan Di honestly couldn't tell whether they disliked each other or were flirting with each other.

Alex prattled on, asking Jan Di a lot of personal questions about her life and about medical school. Jan Di become slightly more at ease while talking about medical school. It seemed to be a safe subject. However, it did remind her of Ji Hoo and the incident.

"That's wonderful that you're studying to become a doctor!" Alex exclaimed. Jan Di smiled and nodded.

The night went on and Jan Di was relieved when the focus eventually shifted away from her. The group participated in a few party games and a gift exchange, as well as drank. Jan Di stuck with the egg nog. She quickly realized how much the group admired and liked Joon Pyo. She could tell he'd developed a camaraderie with each of them, even Alex.

After having some champagne Alex became even more animated. The men had scattered to mingle, drink, and do some dancing. Before Jan Di knew it, it was just Joon Pyo, Alex, and herself at the table. Christmas music played softly in the background

"Jan Di, I'll tell you, I didn't think much of Joon Pyo at first either. I can completely understand how you could have hated him, but you're right, there is another side to him." She smiled at Jan Di. Jan Di looked at her curiously.

"Did you know that he actually took care of me when I got drunk in Paris?" Joon Pyo glared at her.

Jan Di smiled awkwardly. "I did hear a little bit about it."

"But don't worry, he was a gentleman." Jan Di nodded and gave her another awkward smile.

"Oh, I got some good shots of Paris." She pulled out her smartphone and began to swipe through pictures for Jan Di and Joon Pyo, including several selfies she'd convinced Joon Pyo to be in. In most of them, she was smiling and he wasn't. Except one, there was the faintest hint of a smile on his face.

Jan Di looked at the pictures, unclear of what she was feeling about it. She felt a bit sick, but it may have just been the three cups of egg nog.

"Of course, somehow the paparazzi got photos of us, too, and that got out in a magazine." Alex recalled, annoyed. Joon Pyo shot her a cautionary glance.

Jan Di nodded. "I did…see that."

"Oh!" Alex exclaimed, exasperated. "Well, I hope you didn't read anything into it. That's just how it is in our world unfortunately. So irritating…"

Jan Di smiled weakly. "Oh, no I didn't…"

"Good." Alex replied.

"Well, I think it's time we be going." Joon Pyo blurted after a glance to his watch. "Let's go, Jan Di," he demanded.

"Oh, really?" Alex replied, disappointed. Joon Pyo rose and Jan Di slowly rose next to him and bowed.

"It was nice to meet you," Jan Di said, bowing once more.

"So nice to meet you, too, Jan Di! You two make an adorable couple." She smiled and shook Jan Di's hand briskly once more.

"Both of you, enjoy your night!" Alex said, vivaciously.

Joon Pyo nodded to her. He pulled Jan Di along toward the exit, but he was stopped by a coworker soon after. He excused himself to make his rounds before leaving.

Jan Di took a moment to look at her phone. She recalled the message and pulled it up. It was from Ji Hoo. He was asking where she was now. She told him where she was and that she was heading back to the hotel.

Which hotel? Address? His response came through quickly.

She wondered why he was concerned about the specifics, but she gave him the name of the hotel and the address. Joon Pyo returned, and she put the phone away.