Eunjung's POV

I am waving goodbye to Hyomin as she crosses the road to the company apartment where she shares with Jiyeon. Much to my dislike to acknowledge that she is staying with someone else, who proclaimed to be dating her, and although Hyomin has explained a whole story to me, I somehow feel uncomfortable about it. Now thinking about how Hyomin had to put up with me physically and publically dating James, how hard it must've been for her, I'm tasting a same bitterness she has been through, I'm desperate and would have asked her to end this whole situation if it wasn't for her dream. Hyomin is living her dream, so sure enough I'm not going to take it away from her.

I stand there, watching happy smile pasturing on Hyomin's face, the love of my life, my everything. I've come to realize how a bad lover I've been all these time that I couldn't even give her simple joy and happiness like I just did tonight, she never asked for much while having so much to give to me.

" Drive safe"

" I will"

I'm reluctant to leave, a bit more, that smile for me to cherish, I rest my back against my car and don't move

" Get going already, it's getting late" Hyomin spoke in high volume from the other side of the road

Back in those days, I didn't dare to even get out of my car when I dropped her off, but today I'm not sure if what I always thought I did right is still right anymore , and my emotion got the best of my conscious discipline and cautious awareness I've behaved, I just let myself act foolishly and carelessly , and here I go again , I walk across the road to where Hyomin is standing , she looks surprised that I walk up to her.

" Eh?" Hyomin looked confused

" I just want to give you a hug" I told Hyomin

" Eunjung ah, are you alright?" Hyomin asked worriedly

" Yeah, I'm fine " I lied

" You're lying" She caught me off guard

" Won't you tell me please?" She begged as her arms wrapped around my back

" What time do you have to be at work tomorrow?" I asked

" Around 7 A.M " She answered

I break a hug, looking at my watch, it says 12.48 am

" Can I drop you off at work?" I asked

" Will you?" She asked surprised

I've never realized how much I love surprise expression on her face that it brightens up with hope every time she seeks for a confirmation

" Let's go home with me " I take her hand as an answer, and walk back to the car, Hyomin follows obediently as always.

" Take a nap, I'll wake you up when we get there" I told her

" I'm fine, not really sleepy, I'll catch some sleep when we are home" Hyomin smiled at me

I hug Hyomin to sleep in my arms, when making sure that she sleeps tight, I tenderly pant a kiss on her forehead. I stare at a sleeping face with the same look from 20 years ago. A little girl who walked into my life and made me feel loved, and knew how to love for the very first time, we were too young to know we felt in love, scared and lost but I never needed anyone like her and it was truly confirmed that we had never mistaken our close bond as love. It never was. And even though everything around me is a lie, but I know she is not.

Flashback

Eunjung sat in her father's office and waited until he returned, he was back to his office and was greeted by Eunjung.

" Why are you here Eunjung?" He asked calmly, but his eyes were on his paper on the desk

" I was carrying a document to you, it was misplaced and sorted to my office " Eunjung said

" Oh, what was a careless mistake, thank you" He said then walked behind his desk, collected the paper laid on the desk

" And please forgive my rudeness, I didn't mean to read your document over there" Eunjung informed

" Did you read it?" He asked, his voice was cold

" Yes, I did" Eunjung confirmed

He sighed and sat back on his chair

" I know one day sooner or late, but I wished you hadn't have found out this way" He said

" So?" Eunjung bit her lower lip

" I'm sorry you found out this way" He said

" Is Hyomin your daughter, my little sister?" Eunjung found it hard to ask this question, her heart beat twice as fast as normal, she had to control her voice not to make it sound shaking .

Mr Hamh looked at Eunjung's eyes and for the first time she saw the quilt in them , not once in her life time to have witnessed a great man she always loved and respected more than anyone showing this side of him.

He lowered his head , pulled back the WILL draft and read the part where it stated that 50% of his inheritance will go to Park Hyomin , his daughter , in the event of his death. He looked up and stared at Eunjung with soft eyes .

" Yes, Hyomin is my daughter" He finally admitted, and the answer made Eunjung shiver

" But not your sister" He added afterward

" What .. what do you mean?" Eunjung stuttered

" We owed you an explanation" He said , and " Hyomin , too" then he started

Mistake and regret

Hahm Seung Won ( Mr.Hahm) , Choi Ji woo ( Hyomin's mother) , Lee Young-Ae (Eunjung's mother) and Park Yong Ha ( Known as Hyomin's father and close relative to Seung Won) were four best friends from high school that were inseparable, they were closed to the point that they couldn't tell between love and friendship , and no one dared to cross the line . As life unfolded, they had to go on separate ways when they got accepted to colleges, Jiwoo and Yong Ha went to the same university while Seung Won got accepted to another, and Young Ae failed to go to college and dropped out to work forced by her family financial circumstance. Still , all of them kept in touch because Seungwon and Yongha were relatives.

Knowing well that Seungwon fell in love with Jiwoo but he couldn't risk his friendship to ask if Jiwoo felt the same way too and what kept him from confessing was the fact that he knew his relative, Yongha , had a crush on Jiwoo too . He waited too long until he regretted it when he found out that Jiwoo was to marry to Yongha after they graduated, nothing to numb his pain, that he never knew about a broken heart, and it was the night that Seungwon tried to drown his sorrow in alcohol where he met Young-Ae in a pub and learned that she worked there, he offered to help her but with a pride got in her way , Young-Ae declined.

Suengwon cared for Young-Ae as a friend so he didn't give up, he kept checking on her and trying to help her out which distracted him from a painful time. The wedding day of Jiwoon and Yongha came, when Seungwon was ready to attend but got a call from Young-Ae to find out that she was beaten up by her boyfriend. Instead of attending the wedding, Seungwon went to help Young-Ae and sent her to a hospital.

" She was badly abused and suffered severe injuries" Doctor said, " Fortunately, she doesn't suffer from miscarriage" He added

" Miscarriage?" Seungwon asked

" She is four- month- pregnant" He informed

" She is pregnant?" He was surprised

Seungwon looked at a poor Young-Ae lying in hospital, he felt his blood boiled angered at a person who had a heart to harm this woman, he knew she had been through a lot since they were young, and he always admired her strong heart for not giving up. Unknowingly, his tear fell down, he saw her pain and at that moment she released him from his pain too.

" If this is destined to be, let me take care of you and your child, I promised to do my best" Seungwon found his reason to fight and live.

Seungwon took Young-Ae in to his house and even though they didn't get married, they lived together and soon after she gave a birth to a very beautiful child that he loved her so much. They didn't start with love at first but after Eunjung were born and time went by two best friends started to feel for one another, however Seungwon never forgot Jiwoo . Every time the couple visited them, he couldn't deny that he was jealous and wished it was his place next to Jiwoo , and he wished he was wrong when he caught Jiwoo looking at him with that longing eyes too.

And that when a mistake happened, Seungwon and Jiwoo couldn't be more ashamed for what they have done, they couldn't live in guilt so they both confessed to their partners.

Jungha who loved Jiwoo so much couldn't lose her, so he forgave her and begged her to stay with him , but in Seungwon and Young-Ae's case , Young-Ae chose to be the one walking away , because she knew he would never be able to love her , and she decided to walk away with her pride before it was too late, as she ddidn't want to hurt herself falling deeper in love with him . And as a mother, Young-Ae decided to give up on Eunjung knowing that he could give her a better life.

End of Flashback

Eunjung can't bring herself to sleep, it's too overwhelming, and she still trembles from the truth she found. All she has been proud of, turned to be nothing. Her great father, her hero who she has always followed his footstep, never got out of the way and did everything to make him proud, has nothing to relate to her by blood. A mother, she held her grudge and misunderstood all along was a person who devoted everything for her, even breaking her own heart to give her away and she still struggles so much in life. Her aunt, who she loved and respected, turned out to be a person who betrayed her mother as a friend. The more she thinks about it , the more it seems pathetic to her, the way things were revealed.

All she has worked hard for came futile, and nothing is worth it. The most regretful thing, was the way she treated Hyomin and kept their relationship at a bay for nothing , Eunjung felt bad that she even controlled over Hyomin and made her did thing that she thought appropriate . Hyomin deserved more than that as a lover.

" Tell me what I should do?" Eunjung whispers to the night.

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

Hyomin can't stop smiling today, she goes on and on with work without being tired, she is happy and energetic. And it's undoubtable that her source of energy came from someone who dropped her off this morning, and a kiss Eunjung gave her this morning still lingers on her lip and that keeps her going.

After finishing her individual activity, Hyomin continues her schedule to rehearse with Jiyeon for her upcoming concert, it will be couple session of the show where she will feature as her guest.

" I heard that the tickets were sold out" Hyomin sqeals in delight

" Yeah, unbelievable!" Jiyeon smiles from ear to ear

" Congratulation Jiyeon" Hyomin is so happy as if it's her own concert

" Thank to you" Jiyeon says

" Why do you thank me? Fans can't hold their excitement and can't wait for your concert" Hyomin says

" It couldn't have been different, if you didn't save me" Jiyeon honestly says

" Nah, your fans love you and they will always stay" Hyomin puts her hand on Jiyeon's shoulder

Jiyeon can't be more thankful to get an encouragement from Hyomin , and she notices that Hyomin is very happy today.

" Anything special today?" Jiyeon asks

" No, why?" Hyomin puts away her phone

" You look so happy " Jiyeon says

" Ah, I just had enough sleep I guess" Hyomin makes excuse

" I think I got it" Jiyeon nods

" What?" Hyomin doesn't understand

" You're like a baby, yesterday you must've had short of sleep, so you were like a crying baby, but today you had enough sleep so you look happy" Jiyeon teases

" Yah!" Hyomin hits Jiyeon playfully

Jiyeon just keeps laughing and let Hyomin hit her , she doesn't mind , this is way better than seeing her crying, Jiyeon is fine when Hyomin is happy, even though it's sad to know she is not the person behind her smile , Jiyeon saw everything last night

Jiyeon was waiting for Hyomin to come back to the apartment, she noticed a car stopping on the side of the road , Jiyeon peeked through her window and saw Hyomin got out of the car with someone and that was none other than her cousin that Jiyeon met at the dinner. She stared from her dark room and saw them waving goodbye, she watched until Hyomin's cousin crossed the road to her and gave her a hug. Jiyeon had a clue about it, her suspect was confirmed before but she never thought it would hurt this much until she witnessed it herself , they were hugging like they never wanted to part , and of course they didn't when they finally got back to the car together and her hope was gone.

I can't make you love me if you don't, you can't make your heart feel, something it won't

Jiyeon stops when her lips is just half inch away from Hyomin's , she pulls herself back to her sense , as music ends. Hyomin awkwardly smiles.

" Great!" A choreographer claps her hands and it saves them

" Thank you" Jiyeon says to Hyomin as she lets go off Hyomin

" More than welcome" Hyomin says

" By the way, do you have any plan tonight?" Jiyeon hopes she can spend sometimes with Hyomin

" I guess I have to be home , mom has a little to say" Hyomin remembers her mother's message asks her to be home tonight.

" Ah I see" Jiyeon understands

" Is there anything ?" Hyomin asks , she contemplates on ditching her mother , she has to be home for an unknown feeling .

" Nothing important, it's just we run low of food in the fridge, so I wonder if we should go for grocery shopping" Jiyeon says

" Well , food is important too , how about we do it tomorrow night ? I should be free then" Hyomin suggests

" Ok, great" Jiyeon smiles

" Alright , I gotta go now, fighting !" Hyomin encourages as she motions in fighting sign

" Thank you and thank you again for coming" Jiyeon is happy to see Hyomin.

Hyomin knows Jiyeon needs some support, she turns around and give Jiyeon a hug

" Fighting!" Hyomin cheers up and it's enough to make Jiyeon rehearse all night long without dropping.

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

After sending Hyomin off to her work , Eunjung doesn't bother to go to work , what's left there for her , tittle ? position, her pride was crumpled down .

Now Eunjung sits down again at the restaurant she visited some time go, but this time she doesn't come to eat but to meet a person behind counter. Eunjung waits with her anxious heart, she doesn't know how this woman sounds when she talks or how she would smile when she is happy, and honestly, she doesn't even know how to start or how to address her.

Shortly, a woman she requested to meet, appears in front of her, she removes her apron Eunjung saw she was wearing earlier , upon seeing Eunjung , the woman at her late 40s has a stunning expression on her face, she stands stoned . Eunjung gets up and bows to her .

" Hello ...." Eunjung can't find word to address her

" Do you want to meet me , miss?" The woman asks in calm gentle voice , the voice Eunjung never got to hear when she grew up

" Yes, I came all the way here to meet you ..." Eunjung feels the lump in

" If you don't mind , may I ask why you are here to meet me?" The woman's voice sounds shaking a bit

Eunjung lowers her head, she wants to hide the tear that starts to beam at the corner of her eyes , her lips tremble .

" Miss?" The woman calls Eunjung

" Can I talk with you , omma ?" Eunjung looks up and tears beam at the corner of her

" Eunjung" The woman calls her name in most gentle voice she has ever heard, and she has tear dropping from her wrinkles eyes.

....................................................

Hyomin gets restless , she can't get through Eunjung all day long , it's not like Eunjung at all , she can't help but worries , she has that weird feeling she can't define but it's not a good one. Hyomin keeps checking her phone until she walks to the door of this great mansion, she sighs as she senses some disturbing news from her mom. Hyomin is greeted by her mother and her uncle in the living room, they have an uncomfortable look on their faces but still they greet her with smiles and she sits down to chat with them a little.

" We were waiting for you" Jiwoo forces a smile

" Yes, do you have something to talk to me right?" Hyomin looks at her mother.

" Actually, we both want to talk to you" Jiwoo tells her daughter then looks at Eunjung's father

" Ah, okay" Hyomin nods , understood , though she doesn't like it

Hyomin can feel that her mother struggles to start , she exchanges the look with her uncle , who keeps calm , but then he signals her mother to start, Hyomin frowns.

" Hyomin ah" Jiwoo smiles at her daughter, " This is your father" she says like introducing her to some kind of friends , but different is , she carries a big word " Father" along , and the last time she remembers , her loving father has passed away and he laid down in peace .

Hyomin feels like a thunder spark on her ears, it's deafening , she looks from her mother who waits expectantly for her reaction, and a man who Hyomin has known all her life as her uncle is giving her a gentle smile as if waiting for her to call him " dad"

Hyomin scoffs unbelievably, she shakes her head.

" I know it's hard to accept, we are sorry" Mr. Hahm speaks

" This must be a be a joke" Hyomin tries to come up with words

" We are sorry , dear" Jiwoo finds it hard to carry the news

And then it hits Hyomin, if Eunjung's father is her father then .....

" You're saying that Eunjung is my sister?" Hyomin fears to ask, but her fear doesn't last long, like when Mr.Hahm told Eunjung

" Eunjung is not my daughter" He confirms sharply

And it's like sending both waves of relief and shocking to Hyomin at the same time, she can't handle it.

" Omma is sorry" Jiwoo feels bad that thing turns out this way " But please let us finish this" her mother begs

Hyomin can't think of anything worse that she can be exploded to than cruel truth she has already heard, she sits there listening to her mother and her uncle, at least who she believed to be , telling her what has happened in the past and what they couldn't take back .

As they were telling the story, Hyomin's mind travelled back to when she had a great time with her father in the meadow with dandelion flying everywhere and his board smile when he was calling her in his caring loving voice " My little princess " , tear runs down her cheek

" Did Eunjung know this?" Hyomin asks as soon as they finished , she cares more about Eunjung now

" She accidently found out yesterday" He tells and sighs

" And if she didn't happen to find out, you would keep this from us forever?" Hyomin asks

" We knew this mistake was so huge and too much to fix, that was why we tried to save you from the truth " Mr. Hahm reasons

" Save us from the truth? You don't understand what we went through" Hyomin can't hold it anymore "And you have no idea how Eunjung has worshipped you and how hard she tried to make you proud , and now she knew the truth , you're doing nothing but to crush her into pieces " Hyomin wipes away her own tear

" We were too afraid to tell you and waited so long" Jiwoo adds

" Yes, more than twenty years and now you're telling me a man who lied down underneath the graveyard I've been visiting him every year and mourning about the loss wasn't my father ?" Hyomin asks as tears run down her face.

" Appa is sorry" He apologizes

" No , I don't have a heartless father like you" Hyomin stands up

" Hyomin !" Her mother shouts

" Jiwoo" Her uncle interrupts her mother.

" This is too selfish" Hyomin blames them

" That's too much Hyomin , apologize now" Jiwoo commands

" No I won't and I don't even know you anymore mom" Hyomin is so hurt , but that is not as hurt as the next thing she is going to feel when her mother's hand lands on her face , a slap that breaks her through her soul.

Everyone is stunned , the

" Omma is sorry" Jiwoo can't believe what she just did. Hyomin can't stand there any longer as she takes her bag and walks away.

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

Everyone takes shocking news differently, while Eunjung is crushed when her world falls crumpled, all the things she thought she had, turned out they are not really hers , she had nothing , not even a single family member ... Eunjung is so lost and screwed up. On the other hand, Hyomin is more emotional and denial , happy childhood memories of her father were taken away from her when everything was revealed and bitter truth was how they suffered from hiding their relationship which was supposed to be easier if their parents were not keeping a greater secret from them...Hyomin is disappointed and hurt.

"Eunjung unnie , "

" Yes"

" Can we just stay kids like this forever?"

" No, we can't"

" What is with such a silly question?"

Eunjung lightly knocked on Hyomin's head. Hyomin sighed then she resumed to figure out her homework

"Don't you want to grow up and be a pretty woman?" Eunjung asked

" I heard an unnie at the kitchen complaining that life is hard when growing up" Hyomin told Eunjung

" You meant Yaeri unnie ?" Eunjung asked

" Yes , she also said that when you grow up, you will belong to someone else and you can't be my Eunjung unnie forever" Hyomin said sadly

" She is a pabo , don't listen to her " Eunjung instructed , " No matter how much I grow up, I'll always be your Eunjung unnie , who protect you and care for you" She promised

" Will you ?" Hyomin was delighted

" Yes I will, and you too, you will grow up beautiful, smart and still be my Hyomin" Eunjung assured

" That's cool then" Hyomin was excited

Eunjung wakes up to find herself inside the wooden cabin , their family vacation house that she stopped by after visiting her mother because her fatigue body wouldn't let her drive anymore. She adjusts her eyes to pitch black darkness for the light went out , the outside storm doesn't seem to stop soon , it's so rare to have monsoon this time and she doesn't think the local authority would bother to break it through the storm to fix the electric generator somewhere. Eunjung tries to reach for her phone in the dark , and when she grabs it , she can only sighs to remember that the battery was empty a while back

" Hyomin might have been worried " Eunjung sighs, she contemplates between waiting a bit more for light to come back and find a charger or have a quick run to her car and get it charged real quick. And upon thinking of Hyomin, the only person who would care for her no matter what , Eunjung can't stay still, she decides to run through the storm and get to her car , and as she is opening the door to it, a loud thunder is heard , followed by the light striking a tree before Eunjung's car , it happens so fast and the next thing Eunjung sees is the half of a tree hit by the lighting, falling above her.

..............................................

Hyomin jerks up from her sleep, she falls asleep while waiting for Eunjung at her place

"Eunjung?" Hyomin calls but only be responded by silence, no one is there, she checks on her phone and it's 4 am in the morning which it doesn't calm her down a bit. She quickly gets up, and frantically dials Eunjung's number

"Please answer" Hyomin prays but her prayer is not answered when the number cannot be reached and Hyomin can't feel any more hopeless, she walks to Eunjung's bedroom, and helplessly curves up into a ball in her bed , hoping when she wakes up again Eunjung will be there.

+++++++++++ TBC +++++++++++++

In some previous chapters, hints were dropped here and there about obscured relationship between their parents, it's quite obvious why Mr. Hahm cares so much about Hyomin and he is so proud of her from the very beginning chapters. Now a whole truth on parents' past stories are revealed and it effects EunMin in both bad and good way. Good way is that they don't have to care about the immorality anymore as they are not related by blood, and that is the way story was supposed to turn out , but it dramatically hits their mentality and emotion as they are only humans. I'm so sorry to hurt Jiyeon a bit here , but aren't they all going through pain in here ?  

PS : I planned to drag an update a little  bit but it seemed like someone here has already figured out what Eunjung has found which you're exactly right so let's continue , and enjoy a bonus update :) ....see you soon .