XX

September 2015

“I’m on my way out.”

“No, it’s okay.”

“I promise.”

“Umm, bye.”

Chae Won took a deep breath after ending the call with Hyo Joo.

Hyo Joo insisted she’d come with her on the weekend as she still has a schedule but Chae Won politely refused saying she did not want to bother her friend who already has a tight schedule.

She checked on her appearance one more time before leaving her house. It was a thirty minutes drive to Joong Ki’s place, and she took her time gathering up courage to speak to him. She took out her hand bag from the passenger seat and pushed the car door open. With her newly gathered courage, she stepped one foot, and then another.

She could not count how much air she took deeply but that wasn’t her priority. She took another deep breath and closed the car door gently.

Chae Won started to march towards the basement’s elevator. When she was near enough, she saw a familiar figure. Three tall men went out from what was then an enclosed lift. “Joo In Sung, Lim Ju Hwan, Lee Kwang Soo,” she named them in her mind.

“I knew it would end up this way,” laughed In Sung.

They took a few steps away from the lift and in the opposite direction from where Chae Won is.

Chae Won started to drag her pace more.

“Well, it did not look impossible. It’s Song Ha Jin after all, no one beats her.” Ju Hwan smirked.

The mention of Ha Jin was like a cold breeze that instantly froze Chae Won.

In Sung swung his arm around Kwang Soo and intentionally put his weight on his friend’s shoulders. “What’s making your mood sour?” He inquired as if he didn't know already.

Kwang Soo withdrew from In Sung’s arm showing how not pleased he was with the situation. His reaction put them on a halt.

“Woah,” In Sung could only wow.

“Our Kwang Soo really is on Chae Won’s side.” Ju Hwan teased. “Was she good to you? I heard she was a snob.”

“Well, Chae Won is,” In Sung squinted his eyes and held up his hand in the air as if measuring something, “here, in terms of looks. No, she’s maybe a little higher.” He scratched the back of his head that did not itch. “Honestly she’s a different type of gorgeous,” he bobbed his head, agreeing to his own critics.

“She is,” Ju Hwan acknowledged. “But how about her personality?” In Sung shifted his weight to one side, eagerly listening. “Is it true that she has a bad personality?” Asked Ju Hwan. “We never really got to know her, Joong Ki enlisted not long after they dated.”

Kwang Soo sighed, “She looks cold and unapproachable, yes, but she’s nice. She’s a good person. She’s actually playful with people she gets comfortable with.” His listeners took note.

“Let’s go,” In Sung pushed Kwang Soo to get going. “It’s not like we forced Joong Ki to fall for someone else anyway,” he said in a low tone.

“I feel bad for Chae Won though,” Ju Hwan said and sighed before following his friends.

“Well, I do too. Why do I seem like the bad guy here?” In Sung whined.

When they left with their cars, Chae Won started to gain access to her own feet. She dragged them heavily and headed to the lift. She felt like all her strength was taken from her, she immediately leaned on the wall for support. Her mind was in chaos. She waited until she calmed herself, and when she did, she took out her phone from her bag and shakily dialed Joong Ki’s number.

Few rings before he picked up. “Chae Won,” his voice was low.

A memory from the past suddenly came to her.

December 2012

“What if Seo Eun Gi and Kang Ma Ru had a child?”

Joong Ki brushed his fingers through Chae Won’s soft hair. She was lying on his lap, comfortably. It has been a few weeks since “The Innocent Man” ended.

“Hmmm, but they have Myeong Ju?”

Chae Won stopped playing with the tips of her hair and looked dissatisfied with his response. “I mean, Maru and Eungi’s own child. Myeong Ju has her own parents, we can’t be her parents.”

“How do you know she’s not ours?” He traced Chae Won’s nose bridge with his finger, making Chae Won squint her eyes. “The drama jumped to seven years after, and you were carrying a young girl on your back. From the audiences’ point of view, they could easily interpret it as our child. The age was not given but she looked like she was about the age of Choco and Jae Gil’s daughter. Not to mention, she’s a Kang.”

Chae Won made a cute pout and softly agreed, “Makes sense, but clearly Eungi and Maru did not…” Chae Won pondered on how she should word it. “Do it.” Joong Ki beamed, understanding what she meant. “I mean, they did not have the chance to,” she added. “After I left riding that taxi, you walked faintly by yourself with that bleeding wound of yours. You were a fool for not telling me, then you dared fainting on that cold street. The