Jung Jihye had always considered herself a practical person. Being the maknae in her family full of hotshot lawyers, she grew up surrounded by practicality.

When her older brother started dating his best friend who happened to be a guy, she thought it had been impractical. Obviously, he was supposed to be with a woman, get married, and have a soccer team of babies. So, she didn’t understand at first.

She knew Kim Jaejoong well though, had practically grown up with him and her brother babysitting her together. She loved Jaejoong like he was her own brother, even had a silly little childish crush on him when she was younger. She remembered her middle school self had been angry at her brother for stealing him from her.

But, over the years, the crush had dissipated and she practically boasted to everyone that she was going to have the best brother-in-law in the future.

So, even if her brother did a stupid thing and hurt her precious Jaejoong-oppa and she wanted nothing more than to pull her Yunho-oppa’s hair out, she still had a little hope in her heart that they would make up, get together again, and she could still be related to the Kims by marriage.

That was why she was absolutely NOT thrilled when she opened the door that morning to see a woman she did not know.

At first, she was cordial and polite, flashing a smile as she asked how she could help her.

“Um, is this Jung Yunho’s residence?” the woman asked.

Jihye nodded. “Yes. Are you a friend of my oppa’s?”

“Oh, you’re his sister! I didn’t know he had a sister.”

Jihye raised an eyebrow, irked at the fact that her brother didn’t even speak about her! What kind of brother was he?!

The woman bowed and smiled, kindly at her. “I’m Han Jisoo, your oppa’s… girlfriend.”

In an instant, Jihye felt herself go cold. “Girlfriend?” she said, in disbelief.

She nodded. “Yes. From Seoul.”

That was when Jihye’s eyes widened in realization. “You!”

The woman… Jisoo… tilted her head to the side in question. “Me?”

“You’re the one my oppa had an affair with!”

If you asked Jihye, this woman was okay-looking. She had no idea why her oppa would go for someone who couldn’t compare to Jaejoong’s own beauty. But, what did she know? She was biased towards Jaejoong.

Jisoo seemed startled at the teenage girl’s words. “A-Affair?” She laughed, nervously. “We weren’t having an affair.”

But, Jihye narrowed her eyes. “Oh, please! Don’t think that just because I’m still in high school, it means I was born yesterday. You knew he had a boyfriend! They were going to get married! You seduced my oppa!”

Jisoo looked scandalized. “Now, wait just a minute here little girl-.”

“Go away! And leave my oppa alone!”

“I am not leaving without talking to Yunho!”

“No way! You hurt my Jaejoong-oppa! He’s perfect for Yunho-oppa!”

Jisoo scoffed. “If he was so perfect, then why did your brother have a so-called affair with me?”

Jihye swallowed. She got him there. But, hell, she’d be damned if she just backed down and allow this witch to talk like she owned her brother. Her vote would always be on Jaejoong.

“Oppa made a mistake! You don’t know them like I do! They love each other! Oppa doesn’t love you!”

Jisoo looked like she had been slapped.

“Jihye? Who’s at the door?”

“Oppa!” Jihye turned around to see her brother approaching with his things. “Tell her to leave!”

She pointed at the woman with an accusatory finger.

Yunho’s eyes widened in shock. “J-Jisoo?”

The woman smiled. “Yunho,” she said in a sickeningly sweet voice as he stepped forward with her arms raised, with every intention to hug Yunho.

Jihye was about to jump in between them when her brother, himself, blocked the woman’s attempted hug with a hand and stepped back.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

He sounded calm but based on that vein popping dangerously on his forehead, he was quite irritated.

“Well, you didn’t come home for a week so I got a little worried,” Jisoo answered. “I thought I’d come and see you.”

Yunho’s eyes narrowed. “How do you know my address?”

“I found it in one of your notebooks.”

“You went through my things?!” Now, he didn’t even bother to hide his annoyance.

Jisoo looked a little sheepish at that. “I wanted to know. You never told me where you lived.”

“Because I had no reason to! Jisoo, that’s an invasion of privacy!”

“Well, what was I supposed to do?! You weren’t answering my calls!”

“Because I told you, whatever it was we were doing, it’s over! I already made the mistake of making you think that we had something, but we don’t! And that was my fault, I'll take the blame for it. But, my relationship with Jaejoong… it’s already ruined.”

His broken tone tugged at Jihye’s heart. And the hopeful spark in Jisoo’s eyes irritated her beyond belief.

“So, you two are over? Then, this is great! We don’t have to hide anymore! Yunho, we can be together!”

She stepped forward towards him again and this time, Jihye was faster and jumped in between her and her brother.

“Stay away from Yunho-oppa,” she growled, eyes flashing in anger.

She could practically feel the fire burning inside her. Her fingers twitched, itching to pull those obviously fake extensions out. Okay, Jihye wasn’t sure if they were fake, but nonetheless, she was thirsty for blood.

“This has nothing to do with you,” Jisoo hissed at her.

“It has everything to do with me! I’m his sister!” she shot back.

“Jihye, stop. She’s still an unnie, be more respectful,” Yunho said to her.

“I’ll be respectful if she actually gains that respect! What kind of woman hits on a man with a fiancé and doesn’t get it when she’s not wanted?!”

“How dare you, you little brat?!”

“Truth hurts, doesn’t it, old lady?!”

“Yunho!”

“Don’t get me started on you, oppa! How could you?!”

“Jihye…”

“Wow, if I knew I was seeing a drama, I would have brought popcorn.”

A new voice joined them and Jihye perked up to see the newcomer.

“Jaejoong-oppa!” she exclaimed, excitedly before flashing Jisoo a smirk.

The older woman had paled, considerably.

Jaejoong was standing in their driveway, his expression unreadable, though he did flash a brief smile at Jihye before morphing back to an uninterested face.

“So, it wasn’t enough that you brought her into your home in Seoul, you decided to bring her home to Gwangju too?” he spat, bitterness in his voice.

Yunho immediately ran up to him, shaking his head. “Jae, no, you got it all wrong. She came here by herself. I didn’t know she was coming. I… Jae, you have to believe me.”

“He’s telling the truth, oppa!” Jihye added, wanting to help her brother more than anything. “This lady just showed up this morning! I told her to leave but she wouldn’t! And she went through oppa’s things to find out where we live! She’s a stalker!”

“Shut up, kid!”

“Make me, ahjumma!”

Jaejoong smiled, kindly, at the teen. “Thank you, Jihye. Stop by the restaurant this afternoon with your friends. I’ll give you guys free dessert.”

And that was just one of the many reasons Jihye loved Jaejoong. He was always so nice to her and he didn’t stop being nice to her even after what her brother did to him.

Meanwhile, Jisoo had approached Jaejoong, head held high, though there was a slight falter in her steps when Jaejoong flashed those unreadable eyes at her.

In between them, Yunho looked nervously from one to the other. Jihye would feel bad, but a part of her was secretly enjoying the scene. It was like a drama… much better than a drama because it was right in front of her.

Lee Minho’s acting was nothing compared to the true terror on her brother’s face.

Jisoo bowed to Jaejoong and extended her hand for a handshake. “Hello. I’m Han Jisoo. It’s good to finally meet you.”

Jaejoong looked at the hand then back at her. “Kim Jaejoong.”

He didn’t take the hand nor return the sentiment, so Jisoo awkwardly lowered her arm.

Jihye wished she had popcorn.

“Jaejoong,” Yunho started, but Jaejoong flashed him a look too, so he quieted.

“I’m just here to see you off, like you requested,” he said in a monotone. “Even though we are no longer together, we were still friends. So, I’m here as a friend seeing you off. Please drive safely.”

He tilted his head before turning to Jisoo and doing the same. He waved at Jihye before turning on his heel and walking away.

Jihye thought it was over.

But no, the foolish woman decided to open .

“Thank you for leaving Yunho to me,” she called out to Jaejoong. He paused in his steps. “I’ll take good care of him. You don’t need to worry.”

And with her keen and sharp eyes, Jihye watched as Jaejoong’s hands curled into fists. Swiftly, he turned around and walked back to where Jisoo stood. He paused, looked at her for a moment, as if sizing her up… before lifting his hand and slapping her.

Jihye gasped out loud, the crispiness of that smack still echoing in her ears.

Yunho grabbed Jaejoong’s wrist. “Jaejoong!” he scolded but one fiery look from the latter had him backing down and releasing the slim wrist.

Jisoo lifted a hand to her cheek, eyes wide and mouth open in shock.

Now, Jihye knew that Jaejoong was one of the kindest and sweetest people she had ever meet. It took a lot to make him angry because he just believed so much in the good in everyone. But, Changmin once told her that when Jaejoong did get angry, it was the most frightening sight. And today, she got to witness it first-hand.

“Yunho and I may have broken up but that doesn’t mean that he belongs to you,” he said in a voice laced with so much frost that Jisoo visibly shivered. “As far as I know, he still loves me. He still chases after me. And I have no doubt that if I told him, right now, that I would take him back, he wouldn’t think twice about kicking you to the curb.”

Jisoo had no words, opening and closing, as if she couldn’t decide whether to speak or stay quiet.

Jaejoong wasn’t done. “Remember this, Jisoo-shii. If Yunho cheated on me, the person he claims to love the most in the world… what makes you think he wouldn’t do the same to you, the person he claims to not have feelings for? A person he called, while he was drunk and begging for me take him back… a mistake?”

Jisoo gasped, her face crumpling into hurt and devastation.

Yunho stared at Jaejoong, as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing and hearing.

The latter continued to look uncaring. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” he said to Jisoo who now had tears running down her cheeks. “That’s nothing compared to what you and Yunho did to me. So don’t act all high and mighty like you won something, Miss Han Jisoo. I’m still the one who holds Yunho’s heart. And if I have to give it away to anyone else, it most certainly would not be you.”

And with those last words, Kim Jaejoong held his head high and turned around, walking away with his dignity whereas Han Jisoo was hunched over, gasping in between her sobs.

Jihye watched as her brother took one look at the crying woman, looking a tad bit sorry before running after Jaejoong.

For the first time since she met the other woman, Jihye felt a little sorry for her. Just a little.

She looked over to where her brother and the love of his life disappeared. It didn’t look pretty so Jihye decided to just go back inside the house and wait for her brother there.

She didn’t invite Jisoo in.

“Jaejoong!”

A vein popped dangerously against his forehead. “What, Jung Yunho?!”

Yunho grabbed his arm, gently, and turned him around. “What was that?”

“What was that?”

“You slapped Jisoo!”

His irritation grew. “Are you concerned for her now? Go ahead and comfort her then!"

“It’s not that it’s just… you’ve never acted this way before.”

Jaejoong’s eyes flashed. “And who do you think made me like this? You and that woman forced me to act this way, Yunho. So stop acting like I was in the wrong. If you were gonna replace me with someone, at least let it be someone with some class and respect! She was rude to your sister!"”

“Jihye can handle her, she's tough as nails. And I never said you were wrong.I don’t blame you for acting this way. But... Jaejoongie…” Yunho smiled, dreamily. “Have I ever told you that you look y when you’re angry?”

Inadvertently, a blush rose up to Jaejoong’s cheeks. He scoffed with a slight chuckle. “What nonsense are you spouting? I’m always y.”

Yunho’s smile widened. “It’s nice to see that smile again. I missed it.”

Those words made him realize that he had unintentionally smiled when he retorted. He schooled his features into a frown again.

He just couldn’t stop himself. Yunho’s unexpected flirtatious words had caught him off-guard and affected him. It was practically instinct to flirt back.

His inner conflict had distracted him so much that Yunho took that opportunity to step closer to him.

“Thank you for coming to see me off,” he said. “I feel really happy, Jaejoong.”

Jaejoong glared at him despite the intense beating of his heart. “Don’t think that just because I came here to say goodbye, it means I forgive you, Jung.”

Yunho shook his head. “No, that’s too much to hope for. I know you need time. But, Jaejoong…”

He lifted a hand and bravely brushed some strands of Jaejoong’s bangs to the side. The other inwardly shivered at the touch.

“I meant it when I said I won’t stop loving you. I can’t stop loving you. I don’t want to stop loving you. So I’m not giving up on you.”

Jaejoong wanted to protest when Yunho took one of his hands in his and placed it on his cheek, but found that he couldn’t find his voice. Yunho’s skin was so warm to the touch and he could only watch as Yunho closed his eyes, as if savoring the moment.

“I’m sorry I hurt you,” he said, softly. “I know I said it a thousand times in the last few days. And I’ll keep saying it for the rest of my life… Jaejoong, no matter how many times I close my eyes and imagine a future without you, I just can’t… I need you…” He opened his eyes; they were full of sorrow. “So I’m not giving up.”

Jaejoong looked away. “I don’t want to believe in any more lies, Yunho,” he whispered.

“This isn’t a lie,” Yunho insisted. “Yes, I admit, I lied to you in the last two months about Jisoo. And I will pay for that lie for the rest of my life. But, Jaejoong, I could never lie when it comes to my feelings for you. Jae… I love you. But, I know it will take a lot more than just saying ‘sorry’ to make it up to you. So, I won’t give up. I promise you that I won’t give up, if only to prove it to you.”

Yunho pressed a kiss to his hand, lips lingering against Jaejoong’s skin. The latter felt a tingle and warmth spread all over his body. Nonetheless, it didn’t hinder his thoughts.

“I don’t know what to believe anymore,” he said, gently pulling his hand back. “All I know is that I just want the pain to stop. But, I can’t make it stop as long as I know that that girl is always hanging around you. I… I can’t take it, Yunho.”

“Then I’ll stay away from her. Far away, Jaejoong. I promise you.”

Jaejoong chuckled humorlessly. “It won’t be that simple, Yunho. That girl is in love with you. She won’t stop. And, besides… I need space. I need to be away from you for a while, Yunho. I need to… get myself together again.”

“I…” Yunho looked distressed but nonetheless nodded. “Okay… I… I understand…” He coughed. “Well… I… I don’t want to take away any more of your time. But, truly, seeing you today, it made me the happiest man in the world.” He smiled a content smile. “Bye, Jae. I’ll miss you a lot. I’ll come visit, okay? You can count on it.”

Without waiting for Jaejoong’s response, he turned and walked away.

Jaejoong watched him, head spinning from the sudden bout of emotions he was feeling.

He was happy, sad, angry, over the moon, touched, and annoyed all at the same time, and the conflicting feelings were making him more confused than he had ever felt in his entire life.

He thought he had been doing so well. He thought he was getting over his broken heart. He had been set on never ever forgiving Yunho for his transgressions. He wanted to move on and find happiness elsewhere.

But, those words… those words tugged at his heart. And Yunho’s eyes… they were nothing but sincere.

For a moment there, he had wanted to rush into Yunho's arms and claim him as his again. And that urge scared him. It scared him how much power Yunho still had over his heart.

And as Yunho disappeared from his sight, he found himself whispering, “Bye, Yunho.”

He was no longer surprised when he felt the wetness in his cheeks.

He was going to miss him too.

Yunho was tight-lipped the entire drive back to Seoul.

Since Jisoo had taken the train and bus to get to his house, he had no choice but to drive her back. Yoochun once told him that his weakness to women’s tears was going to be his downfall. And, of course, his old friend was right.

During the drive, Jisoo tried to strike up various conversations that went unheeded and unanswered by a still pissed-off Yunho.

Jaejoong had come to see him off and that could have been a step towards reconciliation for them. But, Jisoo’s appearance had only pushed Jaejoong further away from him and he was at a loss.

He wanted to lash out at her so badly, but he couldn’t. She was a victim of his stupidity too.

If only he hadn’t gotten drunk with her… if only he hadn’t let her into his home…

There were plenty of “if only’s” but none of them could change the course of time. He couldn’t go back and fix his mistakes, no matter how much he wanted to.

All he could do now was move forward. And he was going to do it right this time.

“Is it true what Jaejoong-shii said?” Jisoo suddenly asked him. “That you called me a mistake?”

He felt a little pang of guilt at that but knew that lying to her would be another mistake that would cost him much.

So without a word, he simply nodded, eyes still fixed on the road and not looking at her.

“Yunho… can’t you love me too?”

This time, he didn’t answer and thanked the gods when she didn’t prod him.

The rest of the drive was silent.

They arrived back in Seoul in the mid-afternoon. Taking the elevator up to their floor, Yunho was aware of Jisoo flashing him hopeful glances. He quickly exited and dragged his suitcase to his apartment, not bothering to wait for her. He had his keys ready and quickly unlocked the door.

Jisoo walked up to him. “Yunho-.”

“I’m really tired from the drive, Jisoo-shii,” he said as he darted into his apartment and turned around. “You should get some rest too. Have a good day.”

“Wait-.”

Yunho closed the door and locked it. Then, he leaned back against it, breathing in deeply to calm his agitated heart and to somehow get rid of the headache that had been bothering him throughout the drive.

He pricked his ears and after a few minutes, he finally heard Jisoo’s footsteps walking away. He checked the peephole – she was gone. He sighed in relief.

Jisoo was a strong and passionate woman who always went after what she wanted. It was a quality he had admired in her before. But, now, it was causing him so many problems. She didn’t believe Yunho when he told her that whatever they had was done. 

Jaejoong was right. She was in love with him and she wouldn't stop. Not unless he, himself, stopped it. He started this so he would end it.

He made a vow to himself that he won’t make those same mistakes again. This time, he was going to do it right.

Even if Jaejoong never forgave him, he would fix his mistakes and do what he should have done a long time ago.

A/N: May I just say that that was the most FUN chapter I have ever written?! Oh my gosh, it was so exhilarating writing that confrontation! I've imagined it so many times in my head, but what came out was so much better than I expected! I'm feeling pretty proud of myself. 

And I love how the character of Jihye came out. She's sweet, protective, fierce, and a total YunJae shipper. Her personality was inspired a little by some of the comments I received here. Like, she's super pissed off at Yunho for hurting Jaejoong, but she's still their number one cheerleader. And, of course, she had a lot to say when it came to Jisoo. Maybe I'll get the chance to write in her point of view again in later chapters. 

Anyway, aside from the totally heartstopping Jaejoong/Jisoo showdown, I also wanted to show a little bit of how conflicting this whole situation is for Jaejoong, the position that Yunho and Jisoo had put him in is no joke. He's angry at Yunho but his feelings for him are still strong. Love - real and strong love - doesn't disappear, just like that, no matter how much we want it too. That doesn't mean, however, that when the person we love disrespects our relationship, we turn a blind eye. No, we move far and far away from it and pick up the pieces of our broken heart, ourselves. 

I'm really glad to be showing Yunho finally growing a backbone, though. It will be refreshing to see him standing up to Jisoo, correcting his mistakes, and possibly doing a little soul-searching himself. But... the final decision still lies on Jaejoong. (And me, as the author!)

'Til the next one!