It was 10 o'clock, the night was so dark and cold. The road was soaked with rain and glittered under the street-lamps, like a lake reflecting strings of lights. A bitter wind, heavy with icy shivers, bruised at Minho's face. Even the rousing sound-producing by the swollen waves crashing into the piers of the bridges below couldn't disturb Minho's messed up mind.

Under the bare sky, Minho inhaled in the smell of tears and whiskey. Slowly his grip on the railing loosened, he took a step backward and started drinking whiskey.

After finishing the whole bottle in one sip, he threw the bottle on the street. He noticed how the glass broke like his heart.

He bowed his head to one side, closing lashes weighed down to keep out the salty sting.

"Woo... I'm her mother. She is my daughter."

Minho's knees got weak when he heard that. Though it was dark, he could saw Shinhye's eyes. Those were expressionless. It's not real. He must be having a nightmare. Please wake me up. I'll die if it continues.

Sowon glanced at her father who was looking shocked, hurt before turning her face to her mother. "Eomma!" She whispered as if telling her to stop hurting him and herself. She knew her eomma didn't want him to find out about her. But she is the one who was now informing him.

Minho felt like the whole world stopped spinning and the word "eomma" was just screeching loudly around him, stabbing him hardly. He slowly walked closer to them, trying to calm down.

"You're lying, aren't you?" He wanted to believe that she was lying. Then he gazed at Sowon who was looking frightened. "She is lying, isn't she? Is she really your eomma? She gave you birth?" Please say no.

Before Sowon could reply, Shinhye nodded. "I'm saying the truth. I'm her biological mother." Tears weren't coming from her eyes, but her heart! It was screaming to tell him that he is her father.

Minho's heart tightened against his chest. "Who is her father? Was it then? 7 years ago! Was I right? It was not a misunderstanding? Say anything. Just don't say it's Jongsuk." He pleaded.

Shinhye was waiting for this question, but she didn't know how to answer this. If she tells him the truth, he'll definitely try his best to stay with them. But his family will never let this happen. They will never accept her. Even if Minho leaves them, society will not accept them. And the article about him and Somin. Now another woman is involved. "It's..."

"Wae?"

Three of them searched for the place where the sound just came. He was standing there for a while, hearing their conversation. None of them noticed him.

Shinhye and Sowon were surprised to see Jongsuk. Sowon's mouth and eyes dropped open. He supposed to be at home now. Why was he here again?.

Minho lowered his head, preventing the tears which were threatening fall. He swallowed hard and avoided his heart bleeding before looking at them. "So it's you? You have a very nice daughter. She is smart, cute. She talks like Shinhye. She is the little version of her." He smiled, but it was not able to vanish the sadness, the pain inside him.

Shinhye's pains were coming out from her eyes already, she wished no one see it. He is smiling! Is he giving up? Again? On her and his daughter?

She glanced at Sowon when she shook her hand, calling her. "Eomma, can I talk with ajhussi for a minute?" Sowon asked softly, her heart ached seeing his tears. Shinhye can't say no, she nodded. "I and Jongsuk will go in first."

Shinhye looked at Jongsuk. "Let's go." Jongsuk didn't say anything, he went inside with Shinhye.

Sowon then walked to Minho and Minho kneeled in front of her with an abortive attempt of smiling.

Sowon felt sad. "Ajhussi, are you crying?" Minho just shook his head. "Ajhussi is a liar. You're crying. Don't cry." She wiped his tears out with her tiny thump.

As Minho let out a sad chuckle, Sowon smiled. "Do you love my eomma?"

Minho wasn't prepared to hear this question from her. "Am I allowed to?" Now she has a daughter, a family!

Sowon pressed her lips together into a thin line. "Think about it." Appa, think about eomma and me. I want you to find out about me on your own. Don't marry that Ajhumma. "Ajhussi. Go home. It's late."

Minho's lips parted when Sowon wrapped her tiny arms around his neck, giving him a hug. He couldn't describe how was the feeling. It was miraculous? Overwhelming? No, it's something that can't be described in words. It's heart to heart hug. His heart was still bleeding, but the pain lessened.

"Whenever I feel sad, eomma hugs me like this. And I don't feel sad. I think it's great medicine when we are sad." Sowon whispered before pulling away. "Bye Ajhussi. I should go in now."

-----

"Shinhye, the water tank will be empty soon. What are you doing inside the bathroom for an hour? Yea. Come out. Don't cry for that person who hurt you. He deserves it." Jongsuk shouted, standing in front of the bathroom of Shinhye's bedroom. She is inside the bathroom for an hour already. Jongsuk was sure that she was crying.

When there was no response, Jongsuk sighed and sat beside Sowon who was sitting on the bed, clueless. She was worried about her father and now her mother.

"Sowon, what's wrong? Are you feeling sick? Do you have a fever? Sowon!" Jongsuk called her name loudly, anxiously. As Shinhye heard that, she quickly opened the door and came out of the bathroom worriedly.

When she saw Sowon sitting on the bed beside Jongsuk, both were smirking, she narrowed her gaze. Sowon smiled at her mother and shrugged her shoulders.

"Ah." Jongsuk winced when Shinhye hit on his arm. "Yea. It's the only way to make you do the impossible." Jongsuk scowled. He sighed when he saw her puffy eyes. "Why were you crying? Paboya."

Sowon held her eomma's hand and made her sit on the bed. Then she glanced at Jongsuk. "Ajhussi, you left. Why do you come again?"

"I left my phone here." Jongsuk replied.

Shinhye bit her lower lip seeing Sowon's face. She must be so confused by what happened one hour ago. She can't hide it anymore from her. "Sowon. He is your.."

"Appa. I know." Sowon cut her words off. Shinhye raised her brows, then she turned to Jongsuk, glaring at him who was not daring to look at her. So he told her. All these while Sowon knew Minho was her father. "I forced Jongsuk ajhussi to show me his picture." Sowon protected Jongsuk.

Jongsuk let out a relieved sigh, and smiled at her, throwing a silent thank you to Sowon.

-----

Kimbum slapped his hand on his right hand, trying to smash the mosquito. "I think all my blood will be dry by mosquitoes." When he killed the mosquito, he turned to Illwoo. "I'll be a master mosquito killer before the night end."

Illwoo let out a soft laugh and took one sip of whiskey from the bottle. They were sitting on the car bonnet on the roadside, watching Minho. "It has been three hours we are sitting here." Illwoo sighed.

"Why must three people suffer when only one is heartbroken?" Illwoo yelled, indirectly at Minho. He was drinking like a fish for three hours.

His loud voice didn't effect on Minho even a little, he took another bottle of whiskey and looked back at them. "I'm afraid I will do something crazy if I stay alone here. I'm not done with my punishments. My father has more punishments for me. I can't die." Minho said with his hoarse voice.

Kimbum inhaled a deep breath before pursing his lips. "What happened? You aren't telling us anything. Tell us. We may help you."

------

A few days later at Seoul National Medical University Hospital....

"Doctor."

Shinhye turned to the patient when the patient called her. "Yes." She said softly.

"You're forgetting to take your phone." The patient showed her the phone on the bed.

Shinhye exhaled a deep breath and took the phone. "Thank you." She smiled at him weakly and continued checking on other patients. She was in her evening round.

The nurse gave her the x-ray report. Shinhye took it and scanned the report. Then she smiled at the patient. "Good news is the tumor has gone. But you will continue to see me for regular follow-up visits and tests every few months. Even though the tumor has disappeared, it is important to monitor your body for signs of recurrence. Tumors that come back may pose serious problems so it is important to detect them early."

She then wrote a prescription and gave it to the nurse. "Explain it to them." As the nurse nodded, Shinhye came out of the ward. It was an exhausting day. She was mindless for the whole day.

"Dr. Shinhye." Han Hyo Joo called Shinhye when she saw her coming out. She also finished the evening round just now.

Shinhye smiled at her. "Hi. Dr. Han."

"Coffee?" Dr. Han asked sweetly. Shinhye nodded and headed to the canteen with her.

Shinhye sat on the seat of the canteen. After a while, Hyojoo brought two cups of coffee and gave her a cup.

"Thank you." Shinhye said before taking a sip of coffee. It's refreshing.

Hyo Joo grinned. "What is that?" Hearing her question, Shinhye tilted her head slightly. "What is what?"

"What is distracting you? You were making mistakes in the OT today. This is something that is so rare. I'm your friend, right? It's okay to tell me." Shinhye made a mistake in the OT for the first time. She was mindless, thinking about something else.

Shinhye looked down at the cup. "He. A few days ago, he found out that Sowon is my daughter." She said softly.

Hyo Joo widened her eyes. "Really? He found out she is his daughter?"

Shinhye shook her head. "No. He thinks she is Jongsuk's..."

Hyo Joo sighed. "So it's the main problem. He! You're worried about him. Let me solve the problem. Tell me how was he?"

A soft smile appeared on Shinhye's face. "Insane. I remember the day when we started dating he was so happy. He treated everyone chocolates. We used to fight with each other more than hundreds of times in a week. The reason was me always. He used to be so jealous by Jongsuk. He would punch anyone who tries to flirt with me."

10 years ago...

"Minho, Someone is waiting for you in front of the canteen."

Kimbum came to Minho who was concentratedly staring at his girlfriend. It's been two months since they came back from their school trip, two months of their relationship.

"Yea. Are you playing any kind of staring game?" Illwoo crossed his arms and glared at Minho who was not bothering them. They were whispering because they were sitting in the library of the school. Minho and Shinhye came to the library often at lunchtime.

Shinhye stopped reading the book, put