"Did you see her?" By the tone of his lady's voice, Mr. Jung could already tell that she wouldn't like what he was about to tell her. It was her first day back at the country after more than a week of business agendas overseas yet it was still mostly spent at the spacious conference room at their company.

"I was only greeted by her mother, Miss Kim." He answered as he try to match Minjeong's steps towards the company elevator too eager to get out of the building.

"Did she say anything about her? How she's doing or why she isn't attending her classes?" It was the first time that he was ordered by his lady to stay behind for a trip. He usually accompanies her everywhere she was needed but her recent flight to Europe was the exception. At first he thought that the young lady was already getting tired of him but he was rather proven wrong when a detailed list of reminders were given to him right before Minjeong boarded the plane. 

"Nothing of that kind I'm afraid. But she wanted me to tell you that she's grateful for the food that you have been sending for her daughter."

The elevator halts to the parking space. Minjeong walked ahead of the elderly man who was following just close behind her. "I see. Let's go then." She said heading towards the vehicle.

"Where to M—"

"Jimin." Minjeong answered.

"It's been a while. How are you doing?" It was the same old warm face that greeted Minjeong. Aside from the apparent tiredness in her eyes and a couple of new lines on her forehead that might have appeared recently, nothing changed with the beauty before her. Jimin might have her father's height and distinct voice but she definitely got her face from her mother.

"I've been quite busy last week with university and company work." Minjeong said after finding her way towards the couch of the small living room.

"You are too diligent for your age."

Minjeong could only nod in agreement. "Is Jimin home?"

"Yeah she is. Aeri's actually upstairs with her right now. You know Aeri right?" Minjeong took her time to answer. In fact she was trying her best to be very calm at the situation. 

She knows Aeri and she very well damn know that older girl was inside the house even before Jia met her at the gate since a very familiar silver car was already parked on their usual spot. 

"We used to be in the same office when she was still a student." 

Jia's eyes widen once it hit her. "Oh so you were part of the student council too?"

Minjeong nods. "Yes and I still am."

"I'm sorry it's just that Jimin barely talked about you. You're her girlfriend right?" Jia asked just to clear everything up although she already knew the answer herself. 

Minjeong smiles. "I guess I am." 

"She never told us anything. That kid wanted you all to herself." She explained.

"Tha—" Minjeong never got to finish her sentence when a loud shattering sound followed by a scream was heard from above. The next thing she knew she was a second behind Jia as they sprint upstairs towards Jimin's room.

The door burst wide open just a minute after the glass hit the wall. Aeri was trying her best to keep Jimin's arms to her side to prevent her from hitting her own head with her fist by hugging her but the latter proved to be too strong even for her as she was also getting hurt in the process.

Once she saw the situation, Jia quickly went down to her knees to help Aeri contain her daughter's outburst while Minjeong stood by the door in utter shock at the sight before her.

"Mom I'm sorry, I'm so sorry please make them stop!" Jimin cried out trying to break free from her mother's embrace. Her hands desperately reaching to cover her ears.

"It isn't your fault, honey." Was all the words that came out of Jia's mouth repeatedly as she tried to calm her daughter down. Her hands soothing Jimin's back over and over in hopes to keep her at bay.

After Aeri cleaned up the shards of glass that scattered on the floor she gently tugs Minjeong by the arm who stood frozen by the door to walk downstairs to give Jia and Jimin their privacy.

Aeri has been pacing back and forth in the little living room ever since she and Minjeong left Jimin's room. 

What did I miss? She asked herself repeatedly. Surely she knew almost everything about Jimin but what transpired moments ago was something very foreign to her. Years of knowing her yet she have never seen her so vulnerable and beat up.

Why? How?

The sound of footsteps coming down the stairs halted her thoughts. The moment Jia was at arms reach, Aeri was quick to ask questions.

"How is she?"

Jia leads Aeri to sit down on the couch before she answers her. She knew that she was still baffled as to what happened.

"I managed to convince her to change her clothes. She's already sleeping."

"Did she at least eat?" Minjeong, who has been sitting quietly on the other end of the couch finally speaks up. Jia nods a little towards her to answer her question.

With food and rest out of the way, Aeri found the opening that she has been waiting for. "Auntie what happened? What? What was she sorry about? Why? I mean...was it the competition? Because she didn't get the gold?"

Jia was quick turn down Aeri's assumption. "It's actually more than that. But I'm guessing that the outcome of the competition was her last straw." Her voice have gone hoarse. She was trying to restrain the tears that wanted to come up. "I've seen it, months before. I'm certain that losing the gold wasn't the initial trigger." But it was rather the first day of class. The day that Jimin went home just after lunch if she wasn't mistaken. 

Maybe it was time, Jia told herself. After all, Jimin trusted Aeri and Minjeong enough to invite them over so who better know about Jinro than her sister's best friend amd girlfriend right? 

"You have never heard her speak about her brother right?" As expected from their reaction she knew that Jimin kept everything in the box.

"Wasn't she an only child?" Aeri asked in shock not believing how she missed something as profound as this.

"No, she had an older brother. They were two years apart."

Minjeong's ears perked up. "Had? He passed away?"

Jia's eyes landed on the small picture frame on top of the table beside Minjeong that was placed at the back of the bigger ones to purposely hide it in view.

"Yes. When Jimin was young we used to live in a village near a river. That's where she learned how to swim together with her brother. She was a jolly kid. She was friends with almost all of the neighbors children. We really didn't know what happened that morning. We were both at work. It was a school break so there weren't any classes. Jinro, her brother who was ten back then already knew his way around the house, can do chores and take care of her sister. It was around lunch break when I got a call from one of our neighbors." was starting to close up as she was in the verge of crying. More than a decade had pass yet it still hurt her to openly speak about it. "My husband got there sooner than I did since his workplace was n