After Jinri’s suicide attempt, her parents didn’t visit her again. They just left her instructions that she was bound to follow. When she finally got discharged, which was after two days, the doctor instructed for her to stay home for a week before returning to school. Of course her parents were furious and wanted her to return to school as soon as possible so they demanded the school send her any work that her classes had worked on. Even after the doctor advising them that Jinri should rest, they didn’t listen and had the girl bombarded with studies. Jinri hated how even though she hadn’t seen them in so long, they still control her life. Soojung offered to stay with Jinri at her home and of course Mr and Mrs. Jung agreed as they thought the lonely girl needed someone other than workers in that big empty home. 

“Jinri, I’m home, and I got a surprise visitor.” Soojung called out. She had just come back from school. Jinri waited in the living room for her cousin to come to her and to her surprise, Chanyeol was tagging alongside Soojung. Jinri was shocked and she didn’t expect him to come visit her. 

“Hey Jinri. How are you feeling?” Chanyeol asked as he sat down next to her on the sofa. He was still wearing his school uniform and Jinri was in a white long sleeve turtleneck shirt and some blue pajama pants. Her hair was tried up in a bun and she had her reading glasses on as before they came she was working on her schoolwork. Jinri wondered if he knew that she attempted to take her own life. Then she remembered her parents would never share such information with her suitor’s family. They’d simply say she was sick or something. Not to protect Jinri’s image but their own. 

“Why are you here?” Jinri asked him instead of answering his question. She didn’t want him to see her like this. It’s not that she was ugly, it’s just that she looked too comfortable. 

“I can’t visit my sick fiancée? Sometimes Jinri, you’re too cold and icy. But ice melts and I’ll be the one to melt yours.” Chanyeol said and Jinri felt bad for being that way towards him. She was just embarrassed. 

“Well I’ll leave you two love birds alone.” Soojung slipped out of the living room and made her way upstairs. 

“Are you feeling better? Is that stomach bug getting better?” Chanyeol asked the younger girl. He was told she had a stomach bug and Jinri couldn’t be more relieved. She didn’t know what she’d do if he knew the truth. 

“I’m getting better.” Jinri flashed a smile at him  that didn’t go unnoticed in his eyes. Chanyeol returned her a smile. Looking around the house, Chanyeol couldn’t help but notice how lonely it looked aside from the few workers. 

“Where are your parents?”

“I don’t know. I haven’t seen them in weeks.” Jinri informed him of her parent’s absence. They hadn’t talked to her ever since the incident happened. The closest she ever got to a conversation with them was through her dad’s assistant who would call the house from time to time. Chanyeol found it odd that none of her parents were there to comfort her while she was so sick. 

“Well, it’s okay I’m here. I’ll take care of you.” Chanyeol smiled before pinching Jinri’s cheeks. 

“Park Chaneyol, that hurts.” Jinri whined rubbing her cheeks. Chanyeol laughed before placing a peck on Jinri’s lips. The girl was shocked as nobody had ever touched her lips before. Her cheeks started to warm up and Jinri knew she was blushing and she held her cheeks. 

“Why are you so shy?” Chanyeol removed her hands from her cheeks and cupped her face. Jinri looked up at him with a pout. 

“How can you do that so casually?” She asked looking down. 

“You’re so cute Jinri. Was that your first kiss?” Jinri nodded and Chanyeol chuckled at her cuteness while her face was smushed between his big hands. He tilted his head and placed another kiss on her lips and then plastered kisses all over her face. 

“Chanyeol! There are people here.” Jinri protested but he didn’t stop. Jinri kicked him off and he fell off the couch making her laugh. The workers around the area couldn’t help but watch the young couple. Jinri’s laughter could be heard loudly and they knew only the boy could bring that much happiness to her. Watching her grow up, they knew how unhappy she was. Even if she didn’t voice it out, it was always in her eyes. All the girl ever wanted was to be loved. 

When Jinri got the news of her parent’s deaths, she didn’t know what to feel. Of course she was sad, they were her parents but she couldn’t get a drop of tears to go down her face. Not in front of everyone who was so concerned about the girl. Soojung was holding her right hand and her left hand was held by a weeping Mrs. Jung who lost her brother and her sister-in-law. Mr. Jung had his arms wrapped around his wife’s shoulders comforting her as he stayed strong. Her grandparents who lived overseas had flown back to Seoul for the sudden death. Her grandmother was crying and she saw tears escaping the eyes of her grandfather. Why was everyone but her crying? There were many people at the funeral paying their respects to the now dead couple. A lot of them going up to Jinri and sending her words of condolence. In their mind, she was an orphan now. To her, she had been an orphan for the longest. She wasn’t focusing on anyone talking to her and only stared at the caskets ready for their grave. Bodies of the people she was supposed to be so close to. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by the tall boy and his parents. 

“My little Jinri, I’m so sorry for your loss.” Mrs. Park hugged the girl. She found herself crying when seeing the little girl. 

“Jinri, you’re family and we’re always here for you. Isn’t that right Chanyeol?” Mr. Park said patting his son on the back. 

“Yes, of course. Jinri you’re family.” Chanyeol smiled at her. Jinri swore his smile could fix anything for her. Only his words made her feel good. Looking at her, Chanyeol couldn’t tell what she was feeling. There were no tears from her eyes. He knew she was only trying to be strong in front of so many people. 

A car accident. How could they have died such a death. Jinri couldn’t believe her parents let something like that even happen to them. Everything in their lives was so control. So why was their death so unexpected? The only thing they had planned out was their will. Everything went to Jinri. The company, the houses, the cars and all of their money. Jinri didn’t know what she was supposed to do with all of that stuff. A day after the funeral, Jinri was in their room sitting on their bed. It still smelled like them. A mix of her father’s masculine smell and her mother’s soft feminine smell. She stood up and walked towards the nightstand that had a family picture of them. She smiled at herself at five years old being held in her father’s arms and the great smile of her mother. They were so happy then. When they didn’t have any expectations of her. All she had to do was be sweet little Jinri. Turning around, she saw the bigger and more recent portrait of them hanging on the wall. There were no smiles in this picture and only serious faces. Jinri was in the middle of her parents and they stood behind her. Everything had changed. She looked away and walked into their closet. Their clothes set up just as they had left it. Her mother’s clothes on the right side and her father’s on the left. Oddly, even there alone in her parent’s room, surrounded by everything to remind her of them, she couldn’t get herself to cry. Maybe she just hated them that much. 

“You caused me too much pain.” Jinri said taking a final look at the room before closing the door and making her way downstairs where the rest of her family was. They were in the dining room eating their breakfast. Her aunt and uncle sat with Soojung next to them and across them sat her grandparents. No one wanted to wake up the girl and just wanted her to rest. Upon seeing Jinri, Soojung smiled causing the adults to look towards the young girl. Jinri could tell they were all worried about her. She wondered why when they knew her stance on her parents. 

“Good morning Jinri, have a seat.” Her grandmother greeted her then instructed a worker to bring her breakfast. Jinri sat down next to her grandfather. 

“Ho