"Taehyung-ah, what are you doing here?" Jisoo asked, plesantly surprised by Taehyung's appearance at her front gate. 

Taehyung's eyes widened, not knowing how to explain his reason for being there. How could he tell Jisoo that her father was an after all? "I was here to see you, of course!" He tried to smile.

Jisoo took out her handphone and frowned when she found that she hadn't received any missed calls from him. "Why didn't you call me first?"

"I...wanted to surprise you."

"Gurae?" Jisoo shook her head, amused. "Let's go inside then. I want Appa to officially meet you. I'm telling you, he had really changed sin--"

"Jisoo-ah." Taehyung stood on his ground when Jisoo tried to pull him towards her house. "Hajima."

"Wae?" She furrowed her eyebrows. "What's wrong?" When Taehyung remained silent, Jisoo broke into a grin. "Don't tell me you're nervous to meet my Appa? After the talk I had with him, I realised that I've misunderstood him all along. He loves me and i'm sure he will love you too." She squeezed his hand, trying to reassure him.

Taehyung didn't know how to tell Jisoo that she was wrong. Especially with that big smile on her face as she talked about her father. 

She was happy.

But the question now was, is Taehyung willing to burst her bubble of happiness?

"Jisoo-ah." Taehyung muttered softly. "Are you willing to give up what makes you happy for me?"

The smile on Jisoo's face was replaced with the look of confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Taehyung motioned at Jisoo's big mansion behind them. "Let's leave this place." He wanted to get away from there, away from Jisoo's father. He wanted to be selfish for once and keep Jisoo for himself. And perhaps save her from anymore lies her father would tell her.

"And go where?"

"Come run away with me." It was the perfect timing. He had planned to get his mother and sister away from his father as well anyway.

Jisoo laughed, thinking it was some romantic gesture that Taehyung was trying to do. "Pabo yah! We have school tomorrow!"

"We can change schools. Move to a different town maybe."

Jisoo had expected Taehyung to atleast crack a smile but the look on his face was dead serious. That's when Jisoo realised it.

He wasn't joking.

This wasn't some romantic gesture. He really was trying to get away from here. 

But why?

"Taehyung-ah." Jisoo cupped his face. "You're scaring me. Is someone chasing you?" Her thoughts strayed to the gangsters. She had payed off Taehyung's family's debts. Why else would the gangsters be disturbing Taehyung anymore?

"No, no." Taehyung closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. "I just...I just want to be with you."

"I'm right here." Jisoo brushed his cheeks with her thumbs. "I'm not going anywhere. I don't understand why we have to leave everything behind. If this is because of your father, you could bring your mother and sister here. There are plenty of empty rooms in my house."

"Jisoo-ah, it's not that simple. It's not just because of my father. It's about..." Taehyung reopened his eyes and looked directly at her. "...yours."

Jisoo instantly removed her hands from him. "What does this have to do with my Appa?" 

"Your Appa would never accept me." 

"How do you know that?" She narrowed her eyes. "Have you ever talked to him? My father is not the same man as before. If you would just meet him, you'll se--"

"No one can change that fast." Taehyung spoke, frustration evident in his voice. Every inch of his body wanted to tell her what her father had proposed to him just minutes ago but he couldn't bring himself to do that. "Your father is still manipulating your life. He's trying to control you."

"No, you're wrong!" Jisoo shook her head. "He loves me!"

Taehyung doesn't doubt that. He knows Jisoo's father loves her daughter very much. But that doesn't mean her father has her best interest in mind. "But he doesn't care about your happiness. You're still a bussiness asset in his eyes. He's still going to marry you off some rich guy in the future."

"Stop it!" Jisoo stumbled backwards. The accusations from Taehyung made her legs feel weak. She had just closed the chapter with her selfish mother and now her boyfriend was telling her that her only parent was a manipulative man through and through. What was she supposed to do?

Should she side with the person who she was starting to believe she was really falling in love with or stay with the only family member who she was starting to believe loves her?

"You don't trust me?" Taehyung asked.

"I didn't say that. But I just can't do this with you right now."

Sensing Jisoo's emotional turmoil, Taehyung took a step forward. "Jisoo-ah, I--"

"Leave."

Taehyung heart ached hearing her hard voice. He tried to reach out to her but Jisoo took a step back. "Don't do this, Jisoo-ah."

"I said leave." Jisoo repeated, her face expressionless but on the inside, she was hurting more than ever before. It was the hardest decision she had to make in her life. But she had lost her mother today, she wasn't ready to lose her father just yet. Her inner ten year old self who craved for a parent's affection refused to accept it. 

Taehyung opened his mouth to say something but decided against it. He knew it was too much to ask Jisoo to choose between him or her father.

But she had made her decision.

And it wasn't him.

"Gurae."  Taehyung let out