You Are Cordially Invited To...

Taeyeon wakes up at eleven a.m the next day. In a small bed of Santa Clara Hospital's staff room with Yuri's right heel on her forehead. Yuri drove for six hours last night to get them to Haepung, followed by chaperoning Taeyeon beach-walking her anger away until the break of dawn. It's completely understandable if the girl is still snoring at the moment. Gently easing Yuri's foot off her head, Taeyeon gets out of the bed and stretches her worn-out body up.

"Ah, you finally wake up." Manager Lee, her old colleague, whispers while peeking from the slightly open door. "I've been wanting to offer you guys some breakfast."

"Thank you so much for letting us crashing the staff room, Manager Lee." Taeyeon smiles a little. Her heart is still aching real bad but there's no reason to frown at the good manager. "We'll leave as soon as my friend wakes up."

"We don't mind at all." Grinning from ear to ear, Manager Lee opens the door wide. "We have two staff rooms now. We also have a new kitchen and dining area all thank to the generous donation your boyfriend made. Breakfast?"

At the mention of Jiyong, Taeyeon can feel annoyance rises within her. "I think I'll just wash up and take a walk first, Manager Lee. I'm sorry."

"Oh." The hospital manager looks disappointed for one millisecond before back into her grinning mode. "Alright then. How about lunch with Dr. Park and the director? There are so many things we can do to improve this hospital. I'm sure it will be fun to talk about them all over steaming hot seafood stew."

"Sure, Manager Lee," Taeyeon answers with fake enthusiasm. Socializing with fellow health practitioners is the last thing she has on her mind right now. Maybe Yuri will wake up by lunch and take her place instead. She wants nothing but to run along the shore until more of her pain fades away right now. "See you."

"See you."

Taking a bath then putting on some clean clothes Manager Lee has kindly prepared on the bedside table, Taeyeon writes a note about the lunch on a post-it. Sticking the pink square paper on Yuri's forehead, Taeyeon smiles a little. There's never a reason to be ungrateful for her best friend. This silly girl who stays by her side through thick and thin. Now that it clears that men are nothing but s and Jessica is on her way to being someone else's wife, Taeyeon wonders if she and Yuri are actually destined to grow up together as two single, miserable grannies.

Two workaholic surgeons, living with their cats.

Shaking her head at the absurd thought, Taeyeon puts her sneakers on.

"My mom always said that I'm mad for jogging on the beach in this weather." A man falls into step with Taeyeon. "Now I know I'm not the only one."

Taeyeon doesn't slow down, throwing a glance. The guy running beside her has a full running attire on. Nike from head to toe. His toned muscles pop under the well-fitted long-sleeve shirt. Sweat drips from under his black beanie to his forehead. Long legs. Nice smile. The glance runs longer than Taeyeon intended to do, and before she knows it, she trips over an innocent log.

"Careful." The man stops Taeyeon's fall with one arm against her chest.

"I'm fine." Taeyeon pushes the man away, gritting her teeth at the touch she thinks rather inappropriate.

"Sorry, Dr. Kim. Reflex." Taking a step back, the man lifts his hands up.

"You know me?"

"We passed each other on the hospital corridor last night." Offering a handshake, the man's smile. "I'm Ravi."

"Ravi?" Taeyeon tilts her head a little.

"I know. Too cool for my face, huh?" The man smiles. "Wonsik is my real name."

"Hmmm." Taeyeon resumes moving but slowing down into a light jog. "Do you work at the hospital?"

"God, no. There are enough healthcare providers in our family." The man follows. "I'm sure you know my father. Park Jinyoung."

"No way." Taeyeon stops again.

"Yes, way." Wonsik grins. "That silly old man is my loving father. I was about to pick him up from another grueling surgery when I saw you last night."

"And you asked him about me?"

"Of course not." The grin is getting mischief now. "Not him. You worked in Santa Clara before. You know that any valuable pieces of information can only be obtained from Manager Lee's mouth."

Taeyeon chuckles at the remark, thinking off all the Manager's antic she had a chance to witness some years ago. "He actually invited me to have lunch with your father and the I director, suggesting hospital improvement as a fun dining table topic."

"Nooo." Wonsik groans. "Please don't tell me you're planning to attend."

"My plan is to run until my bones can't take it anymore." Taeyeon starts jogging again. "See you, Wonsik."

"Hey, Dr. Kim," Wonsik calls out one full minute later. "Don't go there!"

"Why?" Taeyeon turns around and jogs backward.

"Galmaegi cave is not that friendly in winter. Too slippery."

"Who said I'm going to the cave?"

Putting his hands on his hips, Wonsik raises his eyebrows.

"Fine." Taeyeon halts her jog. She did want to spend some time alone in the cave. "Which way should I detour then?"

"My friends and I are meeting up at the harbor in half an hour." The guy comes over. "Wanna join me jog there?"

"What's so interesting in the harbor at this hour?"

"Our annual winter dipping competition."

"Winter what?"

"Dipping." Demonstrating by kneeling, Wonsik looks as serious as a toddler now. "The one stays in the water the longest wins a huge cake and gets two weeks' worth of free drinks at a local bar."

"Haven't you and your friends heard about death by hypothermia before?"

"Of course we have." Wonsik stands up with a naughty smile on his face. "My mother wrote an award-winning medical paper about our manly competition last year. She calls us superhumans."

Taeyeon can only groan at the confidence. Wonsik's lively eyes speak a volume of carefreeness. Something that has been missing from Taeyeon's life lately.

"Come on, it will be fun."

Taeyeon watches as Wonsik jogs to the left. The last few days have been wrecking her badly. She doesn't feel like coming close to any man at the moment but brooding alone suddenly doesn't feel right anymore. Maybe being around fun people like Woonsik will help her out of this gloomy feeling. Maybe she can even take a dip with them and has the freezing water erases her pain.

Maybe.

Ten hours later, Taeyeon blinks her eyes open and sees the dim lightbulb hanging from the bamboo webbing ceiling. She yawns and groans at once, feeling soreness rising from her feet to her hips. How she ends up on the floor of this small room slowly registers in her mind, making her groan once more.

Partying with strangers should have been the last thing in her unstable mind but here she is, heartbroken and hungover in a messy cottage room.

She stands up on wobbly feet, recognizing Wonsik sleeping shirtless on the bed. There's half of a huge chocolate cake on the table by the window. There are cans of beer everywhere too. Shaking her head, Taeyeon decides that the most logical thing to do right now is finding a bathroom

"Taeyeon!" Someone bursts through the door, heaving.

"Jiyong?" Taeyeon rubs her face. She feels a little dizzy at the moment, not sure if the man in front of her is real or nothing but a figment of her imagination.

"Taeyeon, please forgive me." Jiyong yanks her into his arms. His embrace as real as ever. "I can't live without you."

"Let go of me!" She pushes against his chest.

"Please, Taeyeon." He wraps his hands tightly around her. "I'll do anything. Take me back. Don't break us apart."

Pushing him away once more, Taeyeon manages to break free. "You hurt me real bad, Ji."

"I was an idiot. I'm so sorry." He stops trying to touch her, standing there with regret in his eyes. "If you could listen to me. If you could hear the whole story."

"You slept with someone else. What more do I need to know?" She doesn't need the whole picture. It will only break her heart even more.

"Please, Taeyeon. We all make mistakes." Jiyong passes a judging glance at the man who passed out cold on the bed. "Mine was agreeing to an outing with friends not knowing the drinks and the cookies were all spiked."

"Oh, come on. Not that lame excuse!" Taeyeon pushes past Jiyong and storms into the bathroom. "You and Yuri are one of a kind, you know? Cheaters who use alcohol for a cover-up!"

"Taeyeon... please..."

"You know what? I also had an outing with friends a few days ago We bonded over a dreadful train accident on a snowy mountain and I literally had to work hand in hand with my ex to save people's life.  All those horrible days. All those cold nights. Not once I ever thought of betraying you!" She screams from inside the bathroom. Sitting on the toilet and finally able to empty her bladder, Taeyeon seriously considering smashing Jiyong's face against the cake later. "And I had a gallon of beer last night, partying with this hot stranger and his even hotter friends. Yet not once I thought of getting in bed with any one of them. Not once, you !"

"You didn't sleep with him?" Jiyong asks once Taeyeon gets out of the bathroom.

"We didn't?" Wonsik, bleary eyes and all, sits on the bed.

"Sadly, no." Taeyeon stabs the cake with a spoon. She's hungry and angry, standing on the verge of her sanity because of the two fools in front of her. "You had an allergic reaction to the almond in this cake, remember?"

"Right. Right." Wonsik rubs his face. "Scumbag Peter. He must have ordered the cake on purpose."

"Your friends were all panicking to death seeing you choking." Taeyeon puts a spoonful of the creamy tart into . "I think Peter made an honest mistake."

"Where are they now?" Wonsik tries to wake up but stumbles onto the floor instead. "Were you the only one staying with me?"

Spooning another bite into , Taeyeon nods. "I think so. This room is too small for two dozen people anyway."

"Sorry for this mess, Dr. Kim. " Slowly climbing his way back onto the bed, Wonsik shakes her head. "I know I need to leave and let you guys talk but my legs feel like jelly right now."

"It's the double dose of Diphenhydramine.” Setting the spoon down, Taeyeon stands up and grabs her jacket from the chair “Stay on that bed until morning and you'll be fine.”

“Thank you for saving my life." Wonsik lies back on the bed. "Is this guy your boyfriend?"

"Fiancee but not anymore," Taeyeon speaks the words while throwing laser gaze at Jiyong.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Closing his eyes, Wonsik waves his hand weakly at Taeyeon. "It must have hurt you real bad."

“It's fine. I'm used to being hurt. ” Glaring at Jiyong, Taeyeon walks out of the door after grabbing Wonsik's beanie from the floor. “I'll get someone else to accompany you, Wonsik. I need some fresh air.”

“Taeyeon....” Following her into the open air, Jiyong calls out quietly.

“Don't you dare coming closer to me.” Putting on the jacket then the beanie,  Taeyeon waves at Wonsik's friends gathering around the bonfire under the banyan tree. “Hey! Wonsik is alone. Can you guys keep an eye on him?”

“Sure, Dr. Kim!” Peter yells the loudest. “Do we need to give him anything? I don't think any of us has the guts to stab him with the epi-pen like you did last night!"

“No. He's had enough medication streaming in his blood right now.” Laughing a little, Taeyeon bends down to tie her sneakers. “Just make sure he stays away from the cake!”

“Thank you, Dr. Kim! I'll get someone to clean the rest of the cake. We're not touching it."

Standing up, Taeyeon suddenly feels dizzy and loses her footing on the snowy ground. Jiyong's hands immediately shot out to catch her. The distance between them goes away for a few seconds.

“Let me go.” She pushes him away.

“You're still a little bit tipsy.” He says quietly. “Let me walk with you.”

“No.”

“It's dark. It's not safe.”

“I don't care.”

“I do.” He walks a few steps behind her.

“Go away, Kwon Jiyong!” She speeds up.

He says nothing, simply following her toward the harbor. After a few minutes, the tipsiness gets the better of Taeyeon and she has to slow down.

“Can you just leave me alone?” As her feet grow tired, her anger turns into sadness and her tears are threatening to fall. She hasn't cried a single tear since Jiyong's confession. Now it feels like a whole dam is threatening to explode behind her eyelids.

“Taeyeon, I'm so sorry.”

“You have no idea how much it hurts.” Particularly strong winds blow from the beach, making her shiver.

“I don't.” He comes closer, standing in front of her. “I just know that it kills me to see you this way.”

“I trust you.” Somehow, the weather is getting colder by the second. Taeyeon's shiver turns into a full brown tremble as she wishes she could disappear into the freezing air.

“I'm sorry.” He slowly wraps his hands around her. "You're freezing, baby. Let me at least shield you from the wind."

"No." She tries to push him away but he doesn't budge. The warmth of his body resolves every last bit of Taeyeon's defense. Her tears fall and she ends up sobbing on his chest.

“I hate you.” Those are empty words. Even as she cries this huge chunk of the pain out of her heavy chest, she knows her heart has nowhere else to go.

“You should.” Tightening his hug, he kisses her forehead. “Just don't leave me. I beg you.”

“I ing hate you.”

“I love you. I love you too much. Don't let me go."

Taeyeon has no idea how long she cried in Jiyong's arms or how she ended up in another room. A much comfier and tidier room. The ceiling above is made of plaster now, depicting little cherubs floating between clouds. She rubs her eyes, seeing Jiyong on the armchair across the bed.

“You okay?” He smiles hesitantly.

She sits on the king bed, peeling three different layers of blankets from her body. Someone has changed her into comfortable Pyjamas and she doesn't need to guess who.

“Sorry about those blankets. I didn't want you to get cold. We were out in the snow for three hours.”

She nods, rubbing her eyes again. “What time is it?”

“Seven a.m-ish, I think.”

“I'm hungry.” She falls back onto the bed. “So hungry.”

“I'll get you something.”

Jiyong comes back twenty minutes later followed by a waitress pushing a breakfast cart b with food. Taeyeon immediately sits back up, inwardly salivating at the smell of fresh toast and seasonal fruits.

“Good morning, ma'am. Welcome to Haepung International Hotel.” The waitress pulls out a folding table from under the cart and sets it on the bed. “Coffee?”

“Just tea, please. Thank you.” Taeyeon gets out of the bed and heads into the bathroom. When she gets back into the room, the waitress has gone and Jiyong is busy buttering a slice of toast. He works meticulously, making sure the butter goes deep into every corner of the crispy-looking bread. He even makes sure to put extra slices of strawberries on the side of the plate, just the way Taeyeon likes it. When she sits back on the bed, he pours the tea into the perfect porcelain cup and sets everything on the table in front of her.

Taeyeon eats quietly, sometimes throwing a glance at the ocean she can see from the four panels window. Jiyong is watching her even more quietly, a fact that she is absolutely aware of. Although most of her pain from his betrayal has somehow dissolved, she doesn't want to say anything about it.

“More?' He asks when Taeyeon finishes the two pieces he prepared.

Taeyeon nods.

“Wa