After the incident with Hyun-Woo, things had been a bit tense… Hyun-Woo had incurred F4's wrath, and it seemed that he realized this because he'd disappeared. Each of them was practically obsessed with finding and punishing him. Even Yi Jeong had gotten involved. So, Jan Di knew it wouldn't be long before he was brought to justice.

Jan Di, herself, hadn't been immune to F4's dissatisfaction, and they'd each expressed this to her in their own special ways. Her four brothers and Grandfather had chosen to punish her for misbehaving, and they'd been doing so for weeks now. She knew she'd caused them trouble and worry, and she knew they had good intentions, but it was getting ridiculous. When would they cut her some slack? But then again, they were F4! Soft spot for her in their hearts or not, they were stubborn and relentless. She didn't know who was more pitiable, Kim Hyun-Woo or herself.

Joon Pyo had come to Korea immediately upon hearing of the incident. Alex had insisted upon coming, so she was in town, too. Joon Pyo had initially yelled at Jan Di and called her stupid, of course, and then he'd held her tightly. He was still giving her a bit of attitude about it.

Woo Bin and Yi Jeong had affectionately given subtle, joking warnings about her behavior, but they had a way of being scary about it and she knew they were serious. She recalled Woo Bin and Yi Jeong inviting her to F4's clubhouse for a chat. F4's Don Juan and Casanova had smoothly expressed that she should be more careful and that she should've consulted with them first before doing anything so rash. When she tried to explain herself, Woo Bin had cut her off, warned her not to do it again or else, and snapped a pool cue over his knee. She'd shut up immediately.

Grandfather had given Jan Di a "talking to," as he called it… That lecture had lasted awhile… And Ji Hoo practically had her on house arrest. He'd been extra protective since it happened. He'd kept close tabs on her and barely let her go anywhere alone. She felt like she'd been grounded. He'd been brooding more than usual, too, ever since the night of her kidnapping and their near kiss.

Jan Di had been afraid for Ji Hoo, too. She'd feared for him as much as he had for her, she was sure. When she'd thought about losing him, she could have just died. As a result, she'd been giving him a lot of extra attention lately, too. She kept trying to care for him, even though he insisted upon being fine. She had to admit that she did blame herself for the whole incident.

Ji Hoo's wound was nearly healed and had fortunately not required stitches. The bump on the back of his head was long gone, and the cut he'd received from the strike from Hyun-Woo was not far behind. She supposed he didn't really need her medical care. Still, she found herself wanting to be near him and wanting more and more to care for him…

She noticed herself doing other uncharacteristic things lately, too, such as paying more attention to her looks and finding subtle ways to innocently touch him. So irritating! She felt so stupid, girly, and what was worse, completely emotionally unfaithful to Joon Pyo…

When she thought of that night, she realized that it had taken every ounce of her self-restraint to refrain from kissing him when he leaned toward her… She needed to do something about this! She'd passed the point of no return, and there would be no escape from it now. There was going to be pain, a lot of it. She only wished she could be the one to endure all of the pain.

It was early evening. Joon Pyo was occupied with business, which she knew was largely centered around tracking down Hyun-Woo as of late. Jan Di and Ji Hoo sat in the living room together, studying. She haphazardly pet Fluffy, as they were still calling him, who was lying next to her. She found herself daydreaming about Ji Hoo again, as she had been doing quite a bit since the night of the incident.

Ji Hoo looked over at her and noticed that she was spacing out again. She's been doing that a lot lately… He cocked his head and watched her for a moment. She was completely oblivious that his eyes were on her. She had the hint of a smile on her face.

"Hey, what are you thinking about?" he asked with a grin.

"Hm? Oh, well…," she looked down. "…None of your business!"

She hadn't meant to snap at him. Perhaps she was more on edge lately than she thought. He was taken aback, but he simply shrugged and kept his mouth shut. She went back to her book, but her mind continued to wander. She found herself glancing over at him when she thought he wasn't looking, but she was't sneaky at all. He noticed. He squinted over and studied her. "You're being strange, otter… Is something on your mind?"

"Ya! No, I'm not! Nothing, nothing's on my mind!"

"Ok, my mistake…" He shook his head and smiled. He went back to reading. She stared hard at her book, but she was completely distracted. She kept re-reading the same sentence over and over, and she still had no idea what it said. She bit at her fingernails. "I'm just going to go to my room," she finally said, her frustration at its peak. She rose and rushed off carrying her books. Fluffy barked.

Ji Hoo shrugged and looked to Fluffy, who had his head cocked to the side and was staring after Jan Di. "What's with her? Was it something I said?" Ji Hoo shook his head and sighed. "Women, huh?"

But he'd become distracted, too. And now, he couldn't concentrate at all. He went to her room and stood outside the door. He raised his hand to knock and then changed his mind. He began to walk away and then turned back. He did this several times. Ahhh! He growled to himself and finally gave in and knocked.

She slid open the door and stared up at him. "Yes?"

"I can't concentrate. I need a study break. It's such a nice night… Want to take a ride?"

She pretended to ponder this, but she'd already decided. "Hmm, OK," she said casually.

He smirked. "OK, let's go." She grabbed a sweater and followed him.

Ji Hoo handed Jan Di her helmet with a grin. She smiled and put it on. He got on his bike, and she slid on behind him. Her arms encircled his waist and locked, as she relaxed against his back and rested her cheek there. He smiled and inadvertently released a pleasurable sigh at the feel of her arms around him. He took off with her body flush against his. She relaxed into the smooth leather of his jacket, as the warm air kissed her cheek, and she felt her stress melting away, at least for now...

They drove, and she smiled more than she had in awhile. She was reminded of how much she loved these moments with him. Lately she'd been thinking a lot about these little moments, especially after he was injured… They didn't speak. They didn't need to. It was enough to just be there with each other.

It had been a lovely night for a ride. It was warm with a kiss of chill in the air, and it felt nice. The sun was going down, and the horizon was a captivating mixture of pink and orange. Everything was silent and still. After about a half hour, she noticed that he was heading toward the house. She realized she didn't want it to end. "Can we ride for a little while longer?" she asked. This surprised him, but he would have been crazy to deny her. "Sure," he whispered, knowing full well that he'd drive any distance and for any amount of time that she willed. She smiled and squeezed him a bit tighter, and he smiled, as he glanced back at her over his shoulder. And it was blissful.

He took her the long, scenic route home, though they couldn't see much as dark had begun to blanket the landscape. That wasn't the point, though. It was merely an excuse to be close, to be against one another, at least for him. He wondered if this had been her purpose, too. Surely not. She'd mentioned before that riding with him on the bike calmed her nerves, and they would often do so after a long evening of studying or when they just needed a break. Tonight felt more…intimate, though. He wondered if something was bothering her and he'd surely ask her about it later, but for now he simply wanted to enjoy this. It was pleasant and relaxing for Jan Di, in a way, but she also felt nervous. Her tumultuous feelings as of late had been wreaking havoc upon her insides. She too decided to let them go for now and simply be in the moment.

Inevitably, they had to go home. Ji Hoo parked outside the house, and Jan Di hesitantly got off. She put her helmet on the back of the bike. He got off and put his helmet away in turn. She glanced at him, rather shyly. She wasn't sure what to do or say next. She considered telling him the ride was nice, but that sounded so stupid… They stood there for a moment, stalling. Neither of them wanted to go inside yet. He opened his mouth and then closed it and sighed. Apparently, he didn't know what to say either. So, he opted for physical touch. He reached out and touched her arm and began to rub it lightly. He noticed that she was looking at him kind of funny, almost dreamily.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked, revealing his perfect smile.

She smiled affectionately and cast her eyes downward, eyelashes fluttering. "No reason," she gave a short laugh.

He shook his head and smiled. You're so amazingly cute…

He recalled the danger she'd been in, how afraid he'd been, and how she'd cared for him after his injury. He hadn't thought it possible, but he'd been overtaken by an even more powerful manifestation of love for her.

She glanced up at him, and their eyes met. He continued to lightly graze her arm with his fingertips and moved closer. He took both of her arms now. "You must be freezing," he used as an excuse to run his hands up and down her arms, creating friction and squeezing them lightly here and there. She glanced downward again. "Yea, it is a little chilly…" she said, rather breathy.

He continued to rub her arms. "Better?" he asked in a low whisper. She nodded.

"You must be cold, too, Sunbae…" It was a silly excuse, they both knew. If they were cold, they could simply go in the house. What are you doing to me? His inner voice was screaming now.

He smiled and gazed into her eyes. "Yea, I am actually…," he replied, curious about what she'd do. She inched closer to him shyly, as he held her arms, and she wrapped her arms around his waist. He put his arms around her in turn. She rested her head on his chest, and he rested his head on hers. "Better?" she asked self-consciously.

"Much better," he whispered, convinced that it couldn't get much better than this. She smiled into him, and they held each other, neither wanting to let go. She grasped at the leather of this jacket, and he kissed the top of her head gently, not once, but twice… She stayed buried in his chest, afraid to look up at him. She wasn't sure what would happen if she did. He could feel her heart beating against him. It was clear that they both wanted more, but they weren't yet free to explore any other options…

"Jan Di?"

"Hm?" she asked, as a sigh.

"I really need to say something." He swallowed hard and looked off into the distance. "About what I said before…about us only ever being able to be friends… I didn't exactly mean it…"

"Oh," was all she said.

He squeezed her tighter. He continued to look over her and hesitated. She was silent. He felt her grip his jacket tighter, as if bracing herself. She didn't attempt to look at him and remained buried in his chest.

"When you were kidnapped, I realized something…," he continued. "…Well, I guess I realized it before, but after that, I knew it more than ever." She felt him swallow hard against her. "When I thought about something happening to you, I almost lost my mind… I only said what I did because of Joon Pyo… I made a promise to him that I wasn't going to pursue you anymore, but…" he paused, "…I don't know how much longer I can keep that promise..."

He felt her shiver against him, and she began to shake lightly. He held her tighter, afraid to hear her response… But, sick of holding back, sick of being in limbo, he went for broke. "You'll always be more than a friend to me…"

"Sunbae…"

He brought her to arm's length to look at her face. She stared back at him, petrified. He wanted to tell her more. He wanted to tell her that she was everything to him, but he held back. And he waited. She knew he was seeking validation that she felt the same, but if she gave him that she wasn't sure where it would lead. They would go to a place they could never come back from, and that terrified her.

I love you was playing on her lips, screaming to be set free, but she couldn't bring herself to say it aloud just yet.

"We should…go in," she finally said, trembling and unable to look at him. He tightened his jaw and nodded, as if expecting as much. To say he was frustrated was the understatement of the century and didn't begin to describe what he was feeling right now…

But, he simply nodded, and they went inside.

She wondered why they continued to play these games with each other. It was all her fault, really. If only she could be open and honest about her feelings…

Once inside, they immediately parted ways. She went directly to her room and collapsed onto her bed. Though she hadn't been able to say it, it had become painfully obvious. She had fallen for Ji Hoo, hard and completely. I love you, Ji Hoo Sunbae… She whispered the words she'd desperately wanted to say to him. Then, she sighed and buried her head in her pillow. I'm the worst person in the world…

Ji Hoo checked in with Woo Bin, who had been hot on the trail of Hyun-Woo.

"How's the search going?" Ji Hoo asked, as he sat down next to Woo Bin on his couch.

"OK, he's been all over the place, but he can't hide from us. We're closing in. He wanted trouble, and we're giving it to him."

"Good," Ji Hoo said. "What about his gang?"

"My guys have had words with them, and we've come to an agreement, you could say."

Ji Hoo wasn't sure what that meant, but he'd leave Woo Bin to his specialty.

"How's Jan Di?" Woo Bin asked after a moment.

"She's fine," Ji Hoo said plainly.

Woo Bin nodded. "And you? How are you, man?"

Ji Hoo sighed. "I'm fine."

Woo Bin looked to Ji Hoo and decided to get to the point. "So, what's going on with you and Geum Jan Di?"

Ji Hoo looked at him and gave a long exhale. "Nothing. There's absolutely nothing going on."

"Nothing, really?"

"Really."

Woo Bin sighed. "Well, it's just that you two seemed pretty cozy at the safe house…"

"Oh, that?" Ji Hoo shook his head, recalling the night. It was vague, but he remembered her taking care of him and waking to find her in his arms…

"I just ask because I've been concerned. I don't want to see this thing come between two of my brothers. I don't want to see F4 broken up again."

"I know, Woo Bin. I'm not going to let that happen," Ji Hoo assured. He took a long pause and continued. "…It was really on Jan Di. And she's made her choice, so there's really nothing more to say about it. You don't need to be concerned…I'm going to try to forget about her, for real this time." He recalled his latest confession. He'd offered his heart to her once more and received nothing.

"Really?"

"Yea."

"Can you do that?"

"I have to. I waited for her for a long time…I can't wait anymore. It's for the best anyway…" Ji Hoo hunched forward, and Woo Bin put a hand on his back.

Jan Di was being devoured alive by her feelings. How did this come to pass that she was in love with Ji Hoo? The last few days she'd been wracking her brain about what to do. And there was only one conclusion she could come to that would cause the least amount of suffering. She decided that she couldn't be with either of them right now. It wasn't fair to remain with Joon Pyo while she loved Ji Hoo. And she didn't want to risk Ji Hoo and Joon Pyo's friendship by being with Ji Hoo. She'd caused enough problems for him and for all of F4. They were better off without her. At best, she'd been a nuisance. At worst, she'd been a disaster. She vowed to go back to being on her own. She vowed to go back to the days before F4. Perhaps she was running away? But she'd convinced herself it was for the best. After all, she truly didn't deserve the pure, unconditional love of her Ji Hoo Sunbae, nor did she deserve the passionate, unyielding love of Joon Pyo.

Jan Di resolved to make some changes in her life. For one, she needed to reassert her independence. She vowed, no more getting into trouble and being saved by F4. No more being taken care of. She needed to have her own place again. She'd have to quickly find an apartment that would allow Fluffy. And though it would be one of the most difficult things she'd ever had to do, she needed to be honest with Joon Pyo.

F4 had mercilessly pursued Hyun-Woo. They were waging war on him and not letting up. Not only were they pursuing him but attempting to ruin him. And they were well on their way to succeeding. It seemed that he'd underestimated them. He sat in a dark room, drinking and plotting his next move. He vowed to derail them with something they could not so easily recover from. No, not only derail, but destroy them. They would pay dearly for crossing him! Suddenly, he had it. He whispered to one of his men to set his plan in motion.

A few days later, Jan Di had finally worked up the nerve and informed Joon Pyo that she needed to talk to him. She'd been going over and over in her mind what she would say, and her anxiety was through the roof. Sensing that something was wrong, Joon Pyo had been avoidant and had put off talking to her. He claimed he was very busy right now. Perhaps he was. But when she insisted, he'd made the time. She went to meet him for dinner at his office.

Jan Di arrived at Joon Pyo's office and rode the elevator up. She got off and headed toward Joon Pyo's office and nearly bumped into Ji Hoo exiting the office. They exchanged an awkward sorry. They'd been rather avoidant of each other lately, as well. She hadn't told him yet about her decision.

Joon Pyo came out of his office and saw her. "Geum Jan Di…" Jan Di bid him hello.

"I'm sorry…I have to go to a meeting. I'll need to cancel dinner with you." Jan Di looked down. She had to admit she wasn't looking forward to the conversation, but she had hoped to get it over with.

"Ji Hoo-yah, since you came here with me, you can take my car home. I'll just call for a driver," Joon Pyo replied, pulling out his phone.

"That's OK. I don't need a driver," Ji Hoo replied. Joon Pyo nodded and tossed him the keys. "It's out front. Take care of it. It was just detailed." Ji Hoo smirked.

"Take Jan Di home, will you?" Joon Pyo asked. Ji Hoo nodded.

Joon Pyo turned to Jan Di. "I'm sorry. I know you wanted to talk. I'll talk to you later."

Jan Di nodded and bid goodnight to Joon Pyo. Ji Hoo did the same and beckoned for Jan Di. She followed like a herded sheep.

Jan Di and Ji Hoo drove together in Joon Pyo's car. They were both silent.

"I'm sorry your dinner plans were cancelled," Ji Hoo finally said.

Jan Di gave an awkward smile. "That's OK."

Ji Hoo was curious about what Jan Di intended to talk with Joon Pyo about, but he decided not to pry.

"Sunbae?"

"Hm?"

"I wanted to let you know that I found a new apartment, and I'm going to be moving out."

Ji Hoo was silent for a moment. "If this is about what I said…"

"It's not. It's just something I need to do right now. I've loved living with you and Grandfather, but I just need to be on my own right now."

Ji Hoo nodded.

"Sunbae?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"For…"

"Hang on," he said suddenly. She watched him glance back and forth between the mirrors and the road. She looked back to notice a car recklessly tailing them.

Ji Hoo attempted to allow the car to pass, but it remained on their tail. Then he attempted to switch lanes and noticed that the car switched lanes, as well. He subtly attempted to find a way to lose the car, but wherever he went, the other car went. Jan Di looked behind them and then turned back to Ji Hoo. He was in deep concentration. "What is with this guy?" Ji Hoo mumbled to himself. Ji Hoo began to speed up and maneuver to put distance between himself and the car. He didn't like this, at all. He continued to attempt to lose the car that was clearly following them. They came upon an intersection and a red light. Jan Di heard Ji Hoo say 'something's wrong' and watched him press repeatedly on the brakes. Then, she noticed another car sideswiping them. She felt Ji Hoo swerve, and everything slowed down. She felt an impact, as Ji Hoo reached for her and put his arms around her. And then everything went dark.

Jan Di's eyes flitted open, and she noticed a bright fluorescent light as she came into consciousness. Her vision was blurry, her head slightly aching, and her neck stiff.

"Jan Di, are you awake?" She slowly turned her head as best she could to the side to see Joon Pyo sitting beside her, with a look of pure concern on his face. He was holding her hand, and she was lying in a hospital bed.

"Jan Di-yah!" Ga Eul rushed to Jan Di's side and took her other hand. She had tears in her eyes.

"What…happened?" Jan Di asked groggily, looking between the two. She felt strange but not in much pain.

Joon Pyo squeezed her hand. "You were in a car accident. You sustained a few minor injuries, and you have whiplash."

That's right. Ji Hoo Sunbae and I were in Joon Pyo's car…

Her mind immediately went to Ji Hoo. She looked around the room. "Where's Ji Hoo Sunbae? Is he OK…?" she mumbled weakly. She watched Joon Pyo's head drop, and he took a deep breath. She turned to Ga Eul, who was silently staring down at the floor.

"What is it?" she insisted, beginning to panic. "…Is he…hurt?" she stumbled over the words, suddenly feeling sickened.

Joon Pyo put a hand to his neck and rubbed. He looked away for a moment and then turned back to her. "Ji Hoo is here in the hospital, too. He sustained some pretty bad injuries, and he's…unresponsive…he's in a coma."

Jan Di felt as though the wind had been knocked out of her, and her chest began to ache. She looked down and tried to will herself to breathe. She began gasping to receive only short bursts of air. This can't be real… It has to be a nightmare! Her body began to shake wildly. Ga Eul sat beside her and put an arm around her. Joon Pyo tightened his jaw and hung his head for a moment before looking back to Jan Di.

"C-Can I…Can I…see him?" she asked in a trembling voice. She immediately began to get out of the bed. She pulled out the IV that must have been pumping pain medication into her. Joon Pyo put his hand on her shoulder. She stared at him with freshly moistened eyes.

"Jan Di, you should really rest…," Joon Pyo said.

"No, I don't want to rest… I'm fine. I want to see him," she mumbled shakily. She pushed Joon Pyo's hand lightly aside and moved to get out of the bed again.

He sighed and helped her. Joon Pyo took Jan Di's arm and guided her down the hall, as Ga Eul walked alongside. Jan Di shuffled along in a daze. They escorted her a few doors down to Ji Hoo's room.

Woo Bin and Yi Jeong leaned against the wall with crossed arms, and Grandfather sat beside Ji Hoo's bed. They all turned to look at her when she entered.

"Jan Di…" they said simultaneously upon seeing her. Yi Jeong touched her arm as she entered, and Woo Bin asked if she was alright. Jan Di moved past them without really registering their presence. Joon Pyo hesitantly released her arm, as she walked slowly toward Ji Hoo's bedside in a haze. Grandfather looked up at Jan Di from the chair beside Ji Hoo's bed, with reddened eyes. "Jan Di, child, are you OK?" She didn't respond or even look at him.

Jan Di stood beside Ji Hoo's bedside. He lay there, unconscious and completely still. He was hooked up to a ventilator. Jan Di stood there motionless for a moment. It looked like him, but at the same time not. It didn't seem real. She couldn't believe this was happening. She sniffed and clutched , as she stared down at him. She began to lightly shake and then more violently, and then the tears she'd been holding back came. Hot tears began to run down her cheeks, and her body became wracked by sobs.

Joon Pyo grimaced and moved resolutely toward her. He pulled her into his embrace and wrapped his arms tightly around her. She stood there limply against him, still shuddering. She put both hands to her face and continued to cry, as Joon Pyo held her there. Ga Eul was crying now, too. She stood beside Yi Jeong. He reached for her and pulled her into his own strong arms.

Joon Pyo led a still in shock Jan Di back to her room and put her in bed. He demanded that she rest and told her he would return. Ga Eul offered to bring her something to drink and left the room, as well. But Jan Di couldn't relax, and she ended up making her way back down the hallway. She approached Ji Hoo's room once more and heard F3 talking. She leaned against the wall and listened in a fog.

"They said the car appeared to have been tampered with… It must have been when you left it for detailing. Hyun-Woo was undoubtedly behind this... It was your car, Joon Pyo. He was after you," Woo Bin said, clenching his fists tightly. Joon Pyo clutched his forehead and grimaced, as he sat in the chair next to Ji Hoo's bed, the guilt eating away at him. He stood and began to pace around the room, with a hand to his head.

"I shouldn't have had them take the car…"

"It's not your fault, Joon Pyo," Woo Bin said. "It's that bastard, Hyun-Woo, and he will pay for his," Woo Bin snarled icily. Woo Bin wanted to tear Kim Hyun-Woo apart with his bare hands, and if left in a room together, Hyun-Woo probably wouldn't come out in one piece.

Yi Jeong looked down and shoved his hands into his pockets. He sighed. "They said the other car impacted yours on the passenger side, Jan Di's side. It seems from the way they found them that Ji Hoo must have put his arms around her and took the brunt of the force, or she likely would have been injured more severely. She could have even been killed."

Joon Pyo gripped his forehead tighter. "Don't mention that to Jan Di; she'd only feel worse…" Joon Pyo wanted to put his fist through a wall. He would take swift action… He kicked the chair. "Aish!"

Jan Di gasped upon hearing this development and recalled the last moment before everything went dark. She had felt Ji Hoo put his arms protectively around her, shielding her from impact. It's all my fault! It should've been me… She slumped against the wall and practically fell to a seated position with a light thump.

F3 heard this. Joon Pyo walked out to see her sitting there, hugging her legs and staring out into space. She buried her head in her arms. Joon Pyo exhaled heavily and reached down to pull her up. She was a rag doll in his arms. He led her back to her room and put her in bed once more. Joon Pyo insisted she stay there this time and sat on her bed. He held her limp hand and asked the nurse to give her something to help her sleep.

A/N: So sorry to resort to the coma, guys! I had my reasons. Please forgive me and hang in there with me!