"Jiyong opp-..." 

Yoona opened the ward door and heard the cheery voice rang as fast as it had faded. 

"Yoona-sshi." 

"Long time no see, Kiko-sshi..." 

Despite the cold reply, Yoona walked towards the patient nonetheless, taking a seat beside the bed. 

"He sent you here?" 

"You know what this means," Yoona wasn't going to beat around the bush. "You're a smart girl, Kiko Mizuhara. I believe I don't have to spell things out that clearly."

Kiko let out a cold smirk, "is he that much of a coward? Doesn't even dare to talk it out with me." 

"I believe he did. It just that it didn't go down too well with you, didn’t it? If not I wouldn't have to be here," Yoona took a quick glance at her bandaged wrist. 

Kiko kept mum and the silence dragged on for a few moments before she held onto Yoona's hands tightly, tears b.

"Yoona-sshi, pl-please... P-Please... I-I just want to see him one last time..." 

Oh gosh, why do you girls always turn to him for help. If there's one who looks at me with that pair of puppy eyes, I might really help her...

She had once said it before and it was true. Staring into Kiko's tears-filled eyes, Yoona's heart went out to her. Honestly speaking, Im Yoona, as much as she appeared to be ruthless and fierce, she had a soft heart. That's why she's always at a losing end when it comes to the Kwon siblings because she couldn't withstand their begs and pleas. 

Just like now. 

"Wh-Why do you want to see him? He doesn't want to see you already..." Yoona evaded her gaze, afraid that her defence would be broken down.

"I want to see him! Please... Please Yoona-sshi... I know you're the only one that can help me..." Kiko could tell that Yoona was beginning to waver and pursued on, getting down from the bed and knelt in front of her. "Please!" 

"G-Get up!" 

"I won't get up until you agree!" 

Yoona was at her wits end. 

"A-Alright! Alright! I'll he-help you!" Yoona shouted in exasperation as she helped Kiko back onto the bed.

"T-Thank you!" 

"I only said I'd help, he may not come after all..." Yoona muttered. 

"He would. If you're the one asking him, he would..." Kiko sniffed as she held Yoona's hands, eyes gleaming with gratitude. "Thank you Yoona-sshi! Thank you!" 

"Don't thank me..."

Yoona cursed herself inwardly and sighed, trying to come out with a plan. 

That Kwon Jiyong is so going to kill me...

✦✦✦✦✦

"That went slower than expected. Did she give you a hard time too?"

The moment Yoona returned, Jiyong came forward, bombarding her with questions as she sat down. 

"Yah, something happened? Your expression doesn't look good," Jiyong furrowed his brows as he took a seat opposite her. "Did she hurt you?" 

"No, she slitted her wrist..." 

"I know. I was the one who sent her to the hospital. What else did she say?" 

"Yah, go take a look at her..." Yoona mustered all her courage up to utter that sentence. 

Of course, when she looked up, she was faced with a frowning Jiyong. 

"I know I know! But she really just wants to see you and make things clear!" Yoona tried to defend herself in vain attempt. 

The longer Jiyong kept silent, the more frantic Yoona became. 

"Yah! Kwon Jiyong! Say something!" Yoona cried. "You know I hate you being quiet!" 

"What else can I say when you already made the decision for me?" Jiyong finally spoke up, looking up and raising his brows at her as he smirked.

"I-I..." Yoona knew that this smirk spelt unhappiness and was struggling to make her point. "O-Oh! You still owe me a favour! I'll redeem it now!" 

That did the trick as Jiyong's expression darkened. "That race was unfair to begin with, so why would I owe you? I don't acknowledge that as a loss." 

"A win is still a win, be it glorious or not! And we did not set any rules about not using shortcuts!" Yoona argued on her point, getting braver. "So you have to do me a favour!" 

"Im Yoona, are you sure you want to waste your favour on a woman that you don't even know?" 

"Well, I know her rather well already, thanks to you," Yoona shrugged her shoulders. "So, just do me a favour and go visit her." 

Jiyong became quiet again as he sat there, not moving an inch. That silence was killing Yoona and she was taking that silence as him being upset. 

"Y-Yah... If you really don't want, then... then it's okay... I told her I can't help much already, but she insisted that I would be able to help her..." Yoona smiled sheepishly, trying to pretend that everything was fine. "Yah..."

"Did people ever tell you that you're very noisy when you're nervous?" Jiyong spoke up, ruffling her hair as he let out a cheeky smile. "Are you really that scared that I'd be angry?" 

"Y-Yah! Y-You... YOU FOOLED ME?!" Yoona's face turned red in embarrassment as she tried to hit Jiyong. "Get back here!" 

"I know I'm very important to you! Admit it!" Jiyong ran away, being so cocky of himself.

"Humph!" Yoona pouted and stop giving chase. "Forget it!"

That caused the playful Jiyong to stop as he walked towards her, slightly worried, "yah, I was just joking. You aren't that petty right... I even agreed to your ridiculous request of going to the hospital to visit Kiko!"  

"Guess I'm very important in your heart too," Yoona broke into a cheeky grin, pinching his cheeks hard before running away. "Let's go to the hospital~!" 

"Y-Yah! I-Im Yoona!" 

Jiyong's face was slightly tinged with red as he shouted after Yoona. 

Kiko Mizuhara was right - only Im Yoona would be able to convince Kwon Jiyong. 

It had always been this case. 

✦✦✦✦✦

"Oppa!" 

"Kiko..."

"I'll leave you guys to talk..." Yoona decided to make herself scarce as she feigned a cough.