The sky was crying as did Yujin in front of her grandfather’s casket. She leaned back and rested her head on her lover’s shoulders. Xiaoting pulled Yujin into a side hug and rubbed her forearm in return, trying to comfort her grieving girlfriend. They were in a funeral house, holding a private funeral for the late Choi Baek-Hyun. Family members, friends and several business partners were present for the ceremony. They offered their condolences for the Chois, especially to Dae-Jung, the chief mourner. Yujin glanced at her uncle and was surprised to see sadness in his eyes. She had thought he hated his father.

Her grandfather's death was a surprise. The doctor said the cause of death was a heart attack, a common killer among the elderly. Yujin could’ve sworn he was as healthy as an elderly 80-year-old man could be. He had no major health issues or anything. It was a couple of weeks ago that she saw her grandfather. He did look slightly pale. But she knew her grandfather prioritises his own well-being greatly. He regularly exercised and took supplements. Yujin didn’t want to indulge in the nagging suspicion she has. 

Yujin was brought out of her thoughts when the hand resting on her sides left its place. She glanced to the side and met her lover’s eyes. Xiaoting gave her a small smile and tilted her head to the front. Yujin looked a head and found a well-dressed man standing in front of her. She recognizes him as her grandfather’s attorney. It was probably about her grandfather's will. 

“My deepest condolences, Ms. Choi”, the attorney offered and bowed.

“Thank you. It seems there is much to talk about”, Yujin glanced down at the thick black binder in the man’s hands.

“I do not wish to rush in time of mourning but we both know how important it is to proceed the will as quickly as possible”, the man offered a bitter smile.

“Then let us head to my office nearby. Yujin, I believe you know the way. I will be going ahead with the attorney. Shall we, sir?”, Dae-Jung had involved himself in the conversation as quickly as he left.

The attorney bowed once more before following her uncle. The chief mourner should be the last one to leave the ceremony, not the first. Perhaps it wasn’t sadness that she saw in her uncle’s eyes. Yujin glanced around the hall. There weren’t that many guests left and the funeral staff were already on stand by, waiting for the ‘ok’ from the family of the deceased. 

“Do you want me to wrap things up here?” Xiaoting asked and reached for Yujin’s hand. She wanted to help her lover’s burden somehow. She didn’t like seeing her Yujin all sad like this. She rubbed the back of her lover’s hand.

Yujin turned to face her and shook her head, “Thanks for the offer, love but it’s alright. Just you being here is already more than enough” She answered as if reading Xiaoting’s mind.

“Okay, Let me drive you to your uncle’s then”, Xiaoting brought Yujin’s hand to her lips and kissed her knuckles. Xiaoting’s request was answered with a nod. She didn’t want to leave her girlfriend’s side yet but as always responsibilities pull them apart. Xiaoting closed the distance between them before continuing, “I’ll be waiting at the car”. She kissed her lover’s forehead and walked towards where they parked their car.

Settling everything needed to close off the funeral ceremony took Yujin around 20 minutes. She found Xiaoting right where she said she would be. The ride to Dae-Jung’s office was silent. They didn’t get to finish the conversation that night. In fact they hardly slept at all. With the call coming in at nightfall, Yujin had to rush to the hospital where her grandfather breathed his last moments and then she had to deal with the aftermath. She quickly arranged a funeral and asked Yeseo to send out invitations. Xiaoting was always by her side, reminding her to take a break every now and then and bringing her some food. 

Before she realised, the couple had arrived at the office. Xiaoting parked the car and glanced at the passenger seat. She put her hand on her lover’s thigh and asked softly, “Will you be okay? Do you want me to come with you?”

Yujin rested her hands on top of Xiaoting's and sighed, “As much as I’d like that, I have to go alone. You need to get some rest”

“I could say the same to you. You’ve been up all night too”. XIaoting reached out to caress Yujin’s cheek lovingly.

Yujin closed her eyes and leaned into the touch. “I’ll be fine. I’ve been up for longer before”

Xiaoting hummed in response, continuing to her lover’s soft cheeks. 

If circumstances would allow, Yujin would have liked to stay in the car with Xiaoting like this, just the two of them. But alas, she has a responsibility to attend to. She opened her eyes, staring into her lover’s. “Be careful on your way back”

“I will”, Both not wanting the other to go.The couple shared a final kiss. 

With that, Yujin exited the vehicle and headed into the building. She rubbed her temples in the elevator. She would be lying if she said she wasn’t tired. But she had to do this. The elevator doors opened with a ding and Yujin walked to a closed room at the end of the hallway. She took a deep breath before pushing the door open.

“Sorry for the wait”, Yujin said as she entered the room. The room was filled with the same people she met during her ‘scandal’ meeting. The seat at the end of the table where her grandfather used to occupy, now has a new occupant, her uncle. The seat to his left was the attorney she met earlier and the seat to his right was empty, probably reserved for her. 

“Welcome, Yujin. We weren’t waiting for long”, her uncle exclaimed. 

Yujin made her way to her seat.

 Across her, the attorney nodded in greeting, “Ms. Choi”

Before she could reply back, her uncle continued, “Now that everyone is here. Shall we begin?”

The will proceeding began. It started with listing all the wealth Baek-Hyeon had to his name, ranging from real estates, cars, gold, stocks and other personal belongings. Things were divided here and there between his close companions, Dae-Jung and Yujin. Yujin received most of her grandfather’s real estate, including his personal residence, and most importantly all of his personal belongings. To some extent, everyone knew the overall content of the will as it was discussed publicly between board members. After a few hours into the proceeding, they finally arrived at the final topic, the next Choi head. 

Every bored face in the room immediately turned to one of interest. This was the moment everyone was dying to know. Baek-Hyeon had refused to name an official heir for the longest time, claiming that he would not die so soon. It was anyone’s guess who the next head would be as there were two major candidates, Dae-Jung or Yujin. The position of the head is of absolute power. No one in the right mind would dare to go against the words of the head. Many, if not all, of the board members are just waiting to know which person they should up to next. As long as their pockets can be filled with gold, they wouldn’t care if they had to sing praises for the arrogant man her uncle is or even force their children into marriage with Yujin.

Everyone was silent when the attorney read out the last part of the will, “The last entry of Choi Baek-Hyeon’s will was made by his own person 2 months prior. He stated the name of the Choi heir who would succeed him should he pass. Here it is written that Choi Yujin is his successor”

Board members around her started smiling and gave their congratulations. Yujin expected this somewhat, given that her grandfather basically groomed her for this. She took a glance at her uncle. He was calm, smiling almost. Chills ran down her spine. She knew her uncle wanted to be the next head. Yujin’s mind went into overdrive. She was the one named, not him. Unless, he was up to something. He knew something she didn't. 

The attorney continued emphasising the first word to get the attention of the room, “However, Choi Yujin will be given a trial period of 6 months. Within the given time frame, if Choi Yujin relinquishes the position, it will be then given to Choi Dae-Jung. Choi Yujin would instead be in charge of the branch in London, United Kingdom. But if anything were to happen to Choi Yujin on the basis of foul play, all the assets under the Choi company would be liquidated and given to charity. That is all.”

The room fell silent. Yujin didn’t expect such a clause. Her grandfather kept his word saying that he would keep his offer even in his death. Everyone was glancing between Yujin and Dae-Jung, unsure what to do. 

It was then that Dae-Jung spoke up, “Well then, congratulations dear niece. Should you find the position too difficult or the pressure too heavy, I will be glad to help. Since everything is settled, you may all leave”

That might as well be as good as saying, ‘get the hell out, I want to talk to my niece alone’. The board members and attorney said their farewells and filed out of the room, leaving only the two Chois. 

Yujin turned to her uncle with eyebrows furrowed, “You knew didn’t you? You know what was written in the will”

Dae-Jung stared at her for a few seconds. His polite business smile grew wider and wider before erupting in laughter, “I don't know if I should be proud or threatened. You have always been smart for your age. No wonder father named you his heir”

“Well, as he has named me his heir, I plan on upholding his will. I will not hand it over”. Yujin stood up and turned to walk to the exit.

“Are you sure about that?”. Dae-Jung’s voice made her stop in her tracks. “I know you know about Dae-Hwa and about the past. Baek-Hyeon told you, didn't he?”

Yujin turned around with eyes wide open. How did he know that? It was only the two of them in the room and her grandfather wouldn’t tell a soul about his son’s real cause of death.

Dae-Jung smirked at Yujin’s reaction and stood up. He buttoned his suit jacket and walked towards his niece, inching his face into her personal space, “No need to be so surprised, my dear niece. You are safe, for now. After all, I need you to give me the position”. Dae-Jung straightened up and circled her. “Honestly, Leave it up to Baek-Hyeon to always get in my way. At this point, I’m not surprised. Father has grown soft while raising you. Always coddling the ‘apparent heir’. He wasn’t that kind of man as far as I remember.”

“What do you want?”. Yujin glared at the man he calls her uncle.

“Did you know that you’re similar to your parents? All of you care too much about others, especially ones that you love. I want to see the light disappear from your eyes. I will make you suffer as I did. I will make you wish for death.“

Dae-Jung threw Yujin back and walked out of the room without sparing her a glance. For the first time, Yujin saw anger and resentment in his eyes. She knew her uncle never liked her. But now it was clear. Her uncle, no, Dae-Jung, absolutely loathes her. She needed to call Yeseo. They had to do it soon. Yujin exited the room and went down the elevator to the lobby. It looked like it was going to rain again.

“Ms. Choi?”

Yujin turned around at the voice calling her. It was her grandfather’s attorney, “Did you leave something?”

“No, I’m here for you. Baek-Hyeon told me to give this to you personally.”. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope. He handed over the envelope to Yujin

“What is this?”

“I don’t know what is written inside. Baek-Hyeon suddenly arrived at my doorstep a few nights before he died and left this for you”. 

Before Yujin could say anything, he bowed and left. Yujin fiddled with the envelope in her hand. Why the cloak and dagger, grandfather? 

She left the building and called for a taxi. She gave the driver Xiaoting’s address. She decided to read the letter her grandfather left her. The letters looked rushed but this was certainly her grandfather’s handwriting. No doubt. She has studied under this handwriting for years. Yujin read the letter and her suspicion was indeed correct. Her uncle, if she can still call him that, had a hand in her grandfather’s death. 

In the letter, Baek-Hyeon wrote that Dae-Jung had found out who had been searching into the past. There was a maid who was cleaning the room next door on that fateful night 25 years ago. She had heard the struggle between the Choi brothers. For decades, she was too afraid to tell the truth until Baek-Hyeon himself approached her. Sadly, the very next day Baek-Hyeon tried to reach her again, the maid had disappeared. Baek-Hyeon had no doubt that his own son would attempt something to silence him.

Baek-Hyeon apologised again in the letter. He blames himself for turning his son like this. If only he had paid more attention. If only he hadn’t arranged that marriage, then maybe both his sons would be happy. He had confronted his son about it and pleaded with him to stop. But it was all too late. The wounds in his heart ran too deep. Dae-Jung will not stop until he gets what he wants. The only way he could think of was modifying the will to give Yujin time. At the end of the letter, Baek-Hyeon once again apologised for making her life a difficult life. He wished her well and that he loved her.

Yujin was interrupted when the taxi driver called her out. She glanced up and found that they had arrived in front of Xiaoting apartment building. She didn’t realise they had arrived, not even the heavy pouring rain reached her ears throughout the ride. She quickly paid and thanked the driver. She stepped out into the rain, drenching her in a matter of seconds but she wasn’t concerned. Her thoughts were everywhere. Dae-Jung had killed his own father. His own flesh and blood that raised him. His next goal would be to make her suffer. Only one name crossed Yujin’s mind, Xiaoting. Xiaoting is in danger. No, she had been in danger ever since they started dating. She put a target on Xiaoting’s back. This was all her fault.

Yujin’s feet brought her in front of Xiaoting’s door. How could she keep Xiaoting safe? Could she keep Xiaoting safe? If anything happened to her-

Suddenly, the door in front of her swung open. The red head was surprised to see someone waiting on her doorstep. She definitely didn't expect her girlfriend, her very drenched in rain girlfriend. “Oh my god, how long have you been standing there? Why didn’t you knock?” 

Xiaoting quickly pulled Yujin inside by the arm and disappeared into the bathroom. She came back seconds later holding towels. Yujin hadn’t moved an inch yet. Xiaoting draped one over Yujin’s shoulders and one over her head. She started drying her lover’s hair all the while nagging, “Why didn’t you call me? I can pick you up if it’s raining. You’re going to get sick like this”

What worried Xiaoting was that Yujin was quiet. She has known this girl for years. Something was bothering her if she was this quiet. She lifted the towel from her girlfriend’s head, resting on the shorter’s shoulders, letting Xiaoting get a good look at her face. She cupped her cheeks with both hands, making the latter face her. Xiaoting’s heart dropped. Yujin looked lost, desperate and sad, very sad.

“Hey”. Xiaoting kissed her girlfriend, “Please, say something. You’re starting to scare me”

Yujin stared back into her girlfriend’s eyes, flickering between one and the other. Those eyes always kept her steady, it grounded her when she was anxious about something. It always helped keep her strong in her resolutions. She lifted her arms to rest them on Xiaoting’s waist but stopped short. She closed her eyes and clenched her fist. She needed to do this. She needed to keep Xiaoting safe. Yujin put her hands on Xiaoting’s shoulders and gently stepped back a few paces out of the embrace. It was cold.

Yujin steadied herself and left out words that cut into her heart, “Let’s break up”

Trouble in paradise with Top Model Shen Xiaoting and New Head Choi Yujin

Xiaojin fought and broke up in public on Han River

Shen Xiaoting threw away her engagement ring with Choi Yujin?

Mysterious young man escorted Xiaoting home! New lover or manager?

Choi Yujin leaving South Korea because of broken heart

Yujin sighed at the headlines. The media really loves drama, especially between public figures like her and Xiaoting. It has been a few months since her grandfather’s funeral and also since she last saw Xiaoting too. She would be lying if she said she didn’t miss the redhead, although the model had dyed her hair back to black now if the recent pictures of her are correct. Even if their schedule was hectic, they had always made time for each other. Now she left the loneliness, the empty space, now much more than ever. 

“Unnie, it’s time to board. Let’s go?”. Yeseo started to gather her items and stood up.

Yujin hummed in response and did the same. She was currently at the airport with Yeseo. They were on their way to England. It was time to do a biannual visit to the UK branch as per her duties as the new head. Yujin sighed because she was tired. She had been working non-stop ever since her grandfather’s passing. She hoped the girl she still loved with all her heart was doing better than she was.

Xiaoting was busy as usual, or even busier now, ever since the news that she and Yujin fought was released to the public. She had been receiving a lot of offers left and right, both for work and personal reasons. She loved doing model work, running down the runway and pulling off all sorts of concepts. But the attention she is gathering right now is like wolves staring at a piece of meat. A lot of people have approached her in hopes to ride along her popularity to make a name of themselves, truly annoying.

She had instinctively dragged her fingers around her ring finger, looking for the familiar band only to find it empty. She glanced down in panic momentarily but then she remembered what had happened with Yujin. Right, she couldn’t wear it anymore. She sighed in her seat.

“Xioting, are you okay?”. Mashiro asked from the front passenger seat.

“I’m fine. Just worried that we’ll be late”

They were on their way to her next photoshoot. Hopefully they could arrive on time. They have been stuck in traffic for nearly an hour now. Just sitting in the car, left Xiaoting bored and alone with her thoughts. Thoughts that always lead back to a certain bunny looking girl. It made her heart ache every time she remembered her smile. She missed hearing that sweet laugh from the beautiful girl. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a plane fly by. If she wasn’t mistaken, today is the day Yujin would be leaving for England. As much as she wished she could call the girl occupying her mind, Xiaoting had to settle with saying in her own head.

Yujin was supposed to stay in England for a week or so, maybe even sneak-in a day off with Yeseo to stroll around England if she could finish her job early. But that plan got thrown out of the window the moment Yeseo burst through her office door. 

“Unnie, we need to go back to Seoul now. It’s Xiaoting-unnie”

Yujin didn’t need to hear more. She immediately got up and raced to the door. Yeseo not far behind her matching her speed. Yujin started firing questions at her assistant which the latter answered without missing a beat.

“Plane ticket?”

“Booked the private jet”

“Our ride to the airport?”

“A car should be waiting downstairs”

“Anything on Dae-Jung?”

“He’s still in Korea”

The pair rushed into the car as soon as they arrived at the lobby. Yujin contemplated whether to ask a question or not. She wasn’t sure if she could handle the answer. 

She steeled herself to ask, “And Xiaoting?”

“...”

“Yeseo, is Xiaoting okay?”

“She’s been kidnapped”

Yujin’s heart sank. She prayed that Xiaoting was okay. She wouldn’t be able to live with herself if something ever happened to her.

As soon as Yujin and Yeseo arrived at the airport, they were approached by men in suits.

“Ms. Choi Yujin, please come with us. Mr. Dae-Jung has been expecting you.”

The two walked with the men to a car parked at the entrance. Yeseo was about to enter first when one of the men stopped her.

“I’m sorry Ma’am. Our orders were to Ms. Choi Yujin exclusively”

Yeseo turned back to Yujin, eyes full of worry. Yujin smiled at the younger and patted her head, “I’ll be okay, Yeseo. Besides, I trust you. You know what to do. You can do it”

With tears welling in her eyes, Yeseo took a deep breath and nodded. She let Yujin board the vehicle alone and watched as it sped off. A few tears escaped her eyes. She had to be strong. She could do this. She wiped her tears away and dialled an unknown number. 

As soon as the line picked up, Yeseo said “Bunny is en route”. She repeated two more times and ended the call without waiting for a reply. She threw the phone into a nearby bin and began calling more numbers.

In the car, Yujin sat in the back seat with one of the men. When the car began speeding off, Yujin noticed that the car windows were heavily tinted. She could barely see outside. The partition window between the front seat and the back seat closed shut. 

“Where are we going?” Yujin asked. 

Her question was left unanswered. They definitely heard her and just chose to be silent. Rather than waste her energy trying to get answers from the men, she decided it would be best to look around her surroundings. Maybe she could get a hint on where they were going. She turned her head to the window and watched the scenery passing by. Suddenly, a handkerchief covered her nose and mouth. Yujin’s instincts kicked in. She held her breath and elbowed the man’s face as hard as she could. The man grunted but didn’t release his hold on her. Being confined in the tight space of the car didn’t help her predicament at all, she couldn’t twist her way out of the hold nor run away. She held her breath for as long as she could but she was starting to feel drowsy. Then, everything turned black.

The first thing Yujin felt when she woke up was grogginess and a splitting headache. She must have been knocked out. She tried to move but found herself bound to a chair with her hands and feet tied. She looked up and saw that someone was tied in front of her, someone awfully familiar. 

“Xiaoting! Xiaoting! Are you okay?” Yujin screamed in alarm. She looked over the figure in front of her. Xiaoting looked okay. Her suit was slightly dirty but no visible injuries on her person. Getting no response from the girl, Yujin then glanced around her surroundings. She found four guards standing by. They all had their faces covered with masks and goggles, clearly armed. It looked like they were in some sort of warehouse of some sorts. Judging by the smell of the air and the distant ship horns, they were at a pier or near the ocean. Yujin glanced down to her suit jacket, wiggled her hands to feel the pockets. Of course her phone was gone.

With four guards present, there was no way she could distract them all and get Xiaoting out. She was not planning on escaping alone. Either they escape together or die trying. She glanced around at the guards once again. Two were standing on either side of the door in front of her while the other two were on the walls to her left and right. One of the guards guarding the door started to whistle, it earned them a scolding from their partner. The voice sounded male while the one being scolded was female.

After a few minutes of silence, Xiaoting started groaning. The male guard by the door said something to his walkie talkie about them being awake. Yujin turned her attention to the younger, “Xiaoting? Can you hear me? Are you okay?”

Xiaoting lifted her head up, a little too fast. She winced at the sudden move and answered, “Unnie? Yeah, I think I’m fine. You okay?”

Yujin sighed in relief and nodded at the younger. She gave her a small smile, “We’re going to be okay”

Xiaoting smiled back and hummed.

Not long after, there was a knock at the door. It was Dae-Jung. He strutted in with a smile on his face. Xiaoting was facing Yujin but she could guess who just came in. She didn’t bother to hide her disdain. Yujin on the other hand schooled her expression to face her grandfather’s murderer.

“Our guests are finally awake”, He walked in front of Yujin and continued, “Yujin, how was England?”

Yujin gave him a polite smile and replied cheerfully, “Oh it was great! The food was amazing but the weather could have been better. I would have liked to-”

A loud slap rang across the room. Dae-Jung wasn’t smiling anymore

“Yujin!” Xiaoting tugged at her bindings. She was livid. How dare he slap Yujin. 

Yujin didn’t back down. The slap did sting, a lot in fact. The ring he was wearing had probably cut her cheek but she wasn’t going to give Dae-Jung the satisfaction. She knew her uncle was an arrogant man. He probably wanted to see her quiver and beg for mercy. Too bad he didn’t know Yujin that well. Yujin took a breath and faced him again, staring straight at him still smiling.

Dae-Jung scoffed at Yujin’s reaction. “You arrogant little ”, he slapped her again before continuing, “I guess you weren’t as soft as I thought you were. You are a Choi after all. Kidnapping drill were probably schooled into you”

Dae-Jung ran his hand through his hair and turned around to face Xiaoting, “But how about your little girlfriend here?”

“Didn’t you see the news? We’re through”, Xiaoting raised an eyebrow at him.

Dae-Jung grabbed Xiaoting’s chin, “You expect me to believe that?”

Xiaoting threw her face out of his hold, not wanting his touch in her skin. It felt disgusting. She made it show on her face.

“Feisty one aren’t you? I know my niece quite well. I know what love looks like. I can see it in her eyes”, Dae-Jung leaned down to Xiaoting’s eye level and continued, “I can also see it in yours”

Xiaoting took this chance to bash her head into his face. 

Dae-Jung stumbled back from the impact and clutched his nose. “How dare you!?”, he kicked Xiaoting in the chest, sending her toppling back on her chair.

“Xiaoting!” Yujin’s eyes were wide open. What was she thinking? Yujin wanted to go check on her but she was still bound to the the stupid chair. 

Dae-Jung pointed at the female guard by the door, “Get her up!”

The female guard walked towards the fallen girl and hoisted her chair back upright. Xiaoting was dazed. She shook her head once and glared at the man who kicked her.

Dae-Jung took off his own suit jacket and handed it over to the female guard. He started to roll up his sleeves and said, “I was going to go easy on you but you have lost my patience”. He kicked Xiaoting again, sending her toppling once more. “Get her up!” he said to the female guard.

“Leave her alone! It’s me you want!” Yujin shouted, desperate to make him stop hurting Xiaoting.

Dae-Jung turned to her and smirked, “So this was what it takes to crack that mask. I knew it. This is almost too easy”. 

Yujin glanced at the female guard behind him and the guard shook her head. Yujin gulped before answering back, “I’ll give you what you want. You can have the position. Just stop hurting her”

Dae-Jung grabbed Yujin’s face roughly and said, “A very interesting offer but what I want more is to see you suffer more. I love that look in your eyes. So desperate and hurt. We can talk about that deal later”. He turned back to Xiaoting and kept repeating his actions, alternating between punches and kicks.

“You think you’re brave huh?”. A kick to the sides.

“Acting all tough in front of the girl you wanna impress?”. A punch to the gut.

“You should be afraid. I’ve killed people”. A kick to the sides 

“I’ve even killed my own father and brother”. A kick to the shoulders

“Be afraid!”. A punch to the side of the head.

Xiaoting was hoisted back up groaning. Getting kicked and falling over and over again hurt and it made her dizzy, her ears were ringing too. Everything started looking fuzzy. But she had to stay strong. She had to do this for Yujin. She looked across and met her eyes. Yujin was staring back. Her cheeks were red from the slaps earlier and there was a cut, blood was trickling down. Her face was full of worry with her brows furrowed and lips frowning. Tears were threatening to spill from those beautiful eyes. Xiaoting wished she could go over and comfort her.

“STOP!” Yujin screamed at the top of her lungs. She couldn’t take it anymore. It hurt her to see Xiaoting getting hurt like that. “I’ll do anything. Please, stop”, she pleaded.

That made him stop. Dae-Jung started to laugh, almost maniacally. He crouched in front of Yujin and said, “Yes, that is the desperation I want. You’ll do anything you said?”

Before Yujin could answer, they started to hear police sirens. As if on cue, the female guard tackled Dae-Jung away from Yujin and immediately knocked him out with her gun. She quickly scrambled to Yujin, trying to free her.

“Get Xiaoting first!” Yujin interrupted.

The guard nodded and did as told. She quickly went behind Xiaoting and cut her bindings off.

Xiaoting, still trying to balance herself, fell off the chair as soon as it was undone. She groaned as her whole body ached.

“Unnie! Are you okay?” the female guard asked.

“I’ll manage, Youngeun. Just get Yujin”, Xiaoting replied from the floor.

“Aish, both of you are the same”, Youngeun complained but still did what she was told.

As Youngeun was working on her bindings, Yujin glanced around the warehouse. The two guards on the side of the room had moved. One of them had the male guard pinned to the ground while the other took his weapons away. As soon as she was freed, Yujin quickly knelt down beside Xiaoting who was sitting on the floor. She grabbed her shoulders gently and asked, “Hey, how are you feeling?”

Xiaoting looked at Yujin strangely, “I’m seeing stars. It’s probably from your beauty”

Yujin let out a little laugh, ”Idiot, you probably have a concussion. We should get you to a hospital. Youngeun help me with her”

As Youngeun walked towards the pair she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye and heard a click. Out of instinct she pulled out her gun and aimed. She didn’t expect him to regain consciousness that fast.

Yujin was helping Xiaoting to stand. When she slung Xiaoting's arm over her shoulders, she heard a click. She turned around and saw Dae-Jung pointing a gun at her and Youngeun was pointing one at Dae-Jung. Xiaoting also turned around and saw the predicament they were in.

Yujin braved herself and said, “It’s over uncle. The police are right outside. You heard the siren. Whatever you say in this building was being recorded and watched live. Just give up”

Dae-Jung was furious. “How? My plan was perfect! How did you ruin it! Tell me how did they find you?! I took away your phones. I hired the best guards? Why do they work for you? You were in my trap!”

“That’s where you were wrong. We were never in your trap. You were in mine this whole time and you did exactly as I thought you would”, Yujin explained

FLASHBACK 

“Let’s break up”

Xiaoting could not believe her ears. Had she done something wrong? No, Yujin loved her. She wouldn’t do this without a good reason. Xiaoting took a step closer.

Yujin took a step back, “You deserve someone better”

“What are you saying?” Xiaoting pressed further.

“I’m serious Xiaoting”

“I don’t believe you”

Each step forward Xiaoting took, Yujin took a step back until her back hit the wall. Yujin can’t escape now. 

“Who is making you do this?” Xiaoting put her hands on the wall beside the sides of Yujin’s head, trapping her.

Yujin shook her head, “No one. I just think we-”

Xiaoting cut her off mid sentence, “Then look me in the eyes and tell me you don’t love me”

Yujin finally looked up and stared into Xiaoting’s eyes. Yujin opened to say the words the girl in front of her challenged to say, “I-I. I don’t…”. The next words couldn’t leave .

Xiaoting creased her eyebrows and shook her head. She moved her hands from the wall to cup Yujin’s face again. “Yujin, if you really don’t love me, then why are you making that face?”

Saying she wanted to break up cut her deeper than she thought. But saying she didn’t love Xiaoting? It was like denying her own being. She loved her. She loved Xiaoting so much. Yujin was already on the verge of crying. Her voice was faltering as she asked, “Why? Why would you stay? I’ll put you in danger”

Xiaoting gave her a small smile, “Because I love you. I chose you, Yujin. I will keep choosing you every single day for the rest of our lives. I’m serious. If you ever try to leave me, I’m coming with you”

At this point, Yujin was sobbing. Xiaoting wiped away her lover’s tears as best as she could before pulling her in for a hug, letting her cry in her shoulders. Xiaoting didn’t care if she got wet. She didn’t care if dating Yujin meant her life would be in danger. She loved her too much to leave her be. Whatever problem Yujin has, Xiaoting would always be there for her.

After Yujin calmed down, Xiaoting pulled them both to the bathroom. She started filling the bathtub with warm water. She took a quick shower and washed Yujin’s hair while giving her a nice head massage. While Yujin was rinsing, Xiaoting patiently waited in the bathtub for her girlfriend. Yujin joined shortly after, resting her back to Xiaoting’s front. Leaning into her girlfriend’s embrace, Yujin began telling her everything that happened.

“And now here we are. The man I thought was family is out for some twisted revenge on me and by extension you too. I’m sorry I dragged you into this mess”, Yujin apologised while fiddling with Xiaoting’s fingers. They were starting to wrinkle, they better get out soon.

Xiaoting shook her head and kissed her girlfriend’s shoulders, “It’s not your fault. Never was. This is all because of his own twisted ideals”

Yujin pulled her knees to her chest and rested her head on them. She contemplated on how to keep Xiaoting safe. Maybe she could ask her to lay low? No, Xiaoting had a job to do. Perhaps give her a long vacation somewhere far away where Dae-Jung couldn’t touch her. 

“I can hear you think you know” Xiaoting playfully bit Yujin’s ear causing the girl to yelp in surprise.

Xiaoting giggled at the reaction and pulled them out of the bathtub. They dried themselves and sat on Xiaoting’s bed. Xiaoting didn’t have a doubt that Yujin already had a plan, if not a few, carefully calculated and was waiting to be executed. Her Yujin was just brilliant like that. Xiaoting just hoped she wasn’t pushing herself too hard.

“Xiaoting, we don’t need to break up but I think you’ll be safer- Ow! What was that for!?” Yujin rubbed her forehead where Xiaoting had flicked her.

“That’s for asking me to stay away from you. I am not leaving you. I won’t let you do this alone. I know that smart brain of yours probably already played a hundred different scenarios. Whatever plan you have, I want in”, Xiaoting crossed her arms.

“But-”

Xiaoting shutted Yujin up with a finger on her lips, “No buts! I’m not about to let my girlfriend dive into the hands of a mad man. If you’re going to risk yourself, I will too. I won’t let you do this alone, okay?”

Yujin was getting interrupted a lot today. Usually she would mind but how could she get mad when Xiaoting kept saying things that melted her heart over and over again. She was truly lucky to love and be loved by Xiaoting. Yujin finally gave in and began discussing her plans. After a few hours of talking, take-outs and calls with Yeseo and Youngeun, they finally formulated a plan to catch Dae-Jung.

First, they needed a bait to draw Dae-Jung out. Xiaoting suggested that she and Yujin pretend to break up. That way Dae-Jung would doubt the rumour and try his best to seize the chance to get to Xiaoting while Yujin was away. Despite Yujin being the one who asked for a break up first, she was very against it. She did not like the idea of handing Xiaoting to him on a silver platter. After some debate, they all agreed that it was the most effective plan. Whatever they did he was going to come for Xiaoting anyway, might as well set it up for him and catch him in the act. Yujin hired people to spread rumours, write articles and make fake photos of them fighting. That also meant that they needed to look like they were broken up. The media of course ate it all up. 

Next, they had to infiltrate his ranks somehow. Being the arrogant man he is, he would probably try to find the best people for the job. Luckily Youngeun knew some people of such a profession. She contacted Cai Bing and Dayeon to be on the lookout for a kidnapping job from a certain Choi. Once they were in, getting information about Dae-Jung’s plan was easy. They found out that he had rented out a warehouse recently. Youngeun had snuck in and planted recording devices around the room. Just to be safe they also made custom jewellery for Xiaoting and Yujin with tracking and voice recording capabilities. 

With the preparations done, they only had to wait for the D-day. As they predicted, Dae-Jung did make a move when Yujin was away. They got a few days heads up from Dayeon. They were planning to kidnap Xiaoting by exchanging her driver with one of Dae-Jung’s men. The plan was thwarted by Youngeun. She handed the man over to the authorities and disguised herself as one of Dae-Jung’s men. She brought Xiaoting to the designated location which was indeed the warehouse. All that was left was Yujin. Soon after Youngeun received a call on her burner phone, “Bunny is en route” is all she needed to hear. 

As soon as Yujin was taken, Yeseo immediately came forward to the police and presented every single evidence she had on Dae-Jung and demanded an arrest. Knowing that the life of the Choi heir  was in danger, it didn’t take much persuasion to move the authorities. As per protocol they had to proceed discreetly to avoid a hostage situation. Yeseo reassured them that she had Choi personal within the building to neutralise the targets and would send a signal to the outside police to arrest them officially. But should a gunfire happen, she would leave the rest to the police protocol. 

When Yujin arrived at the warehouse, she wasn't sure which guard was who. She kept eyeing each one until Youngeun whistled. That was the signal. Yeseo was half-way to the warehouse with the police. Soon it was time for Xiaoting and Yujin to start acting. Yujin noted that since the other guards did not respond to Youngeun’s whistle they must have been Dayeon and Cai Bing.

Not everything went as planned though, Xiaoting had provoked Dae-Jung’s aggressiveness and the police arrived later than expected which made Xiaoting get a few more beatings than intended. Fortunately the police did arrive before anyone was seriously injured. With the police siren audible, that meant everything was ready and it was time to catch Dae-Jung once and for all.

After hearing Yujin’s explanation on his failure, Dae-Jung was astonished. He thought he knew Yujin but it turns out she knew him better. He thought he was thorough with his planning but Yujin’s was perfect. He started to laugh at his mistake. When he calmed down, he lowered his gun and said, “I was wrong. You aren’t soft like your father. You’re a snake just like me. You’ll do whatever it takes to bring anyone down, even using your own lover. Father was right in making you heir. You are the better Choi”.

Dae-Jung’s grip on the gun tightened. “But if I’m going down, you’re coming with me!”. He aimed at Yujin and pulled the trigger. He then crumpled to the ground as Youngeun had shot his leg.

Youngeun approached him and kicked his weapon away, gun still aimed at the bleeding man on the ground. She cursed herself for not pulling the trigger the moment she saw him regain consciousness. Killing your employer’s family member wasn’t on her mind today. She glanced at the couple on the ground worriedly. Hopefully Yujin wasn’t the one shot.

As soon as gunshots were heard, the police stormed the warehouse. They arrested the men and the medics were called in. Time moved slowly for Yujin. She heard Dae-Jung’s gun fire then she felt movement from her side. Suddenly Xiaoting was in front of her, hugging her tightly. The two lost their balance and fell over on the floor. She gleaned down at the girl on top of her. Xiaoting looked like she was sleeping. She was okay right? She wasn’t shot right? Tears started to flow down. She started to scream Xiaoting’s name, telling her to wake up. The medics separated them and the last thing Yujin remembered was being dragged away from the love of her life.

Yujin woke up with a start. She was surrounded by white walls, white curtains and medical equipment. She looked to her bedside to find her two best friends on each side of her bed. Both resting their heads on the bed. She patted the two of them and was surprised as they both quickly looked up. She smiled at them when she saw relief flood their faces.

“UNNIE!” The two whined together.

Yujin shushed them, “Quiet now, we’re in a hospital”

“I’m so glad you’re okay. I’ll go get the doctor” Yeseo got up and ran out the door.

Yujin turned to Youngeun and asked the question she had been dreading, “Did Xiaoting make it?”

Youngeun turned her face away and started slowly, “Unnie… Xiaoting is-”. Youngeun was interrupted by the sound of the curtain to her side opening, revealing Xiaoting in a hospital gown.

“YA! How dare you not call me unnie! Also, don’t make it look like I died”, Xiaoting glared at the youngest.

Youngeun made a peace sign and replied, “Unnie, you ruined the surprise! Also when did you wake up?”

Xiaoting glared at her longer before turning to Yujin with a smile, “I woke up when I heard my girlfriend’s beautiful voice”, she ended with a wink.

Youngeun made gagging noises but Yujin couldn’t believe it. Xiaoting was here. She was okay. Yujin jumped down from her bed and hugged Xiaoting, “I’m so glad you’re okay”

“Ow! Ow! Be gentle!”

Hearing pained noises from her love, Yujin broke the hug and apologised. “What are you doing out of bed then? Sit down!” She made Xiaoting sit on her bed. She inspected her briefly. Xiaoting was holding her ribs as she sat down. There wasn’t much bruising where she could see, but she knew she was struck by a grown man multiple times. 

“Xiaoting, strip”, Yujin’s words brought the room to silence.

“Okay, I’m leaving”, Not waiting for a reply, Youngeun fled the room and proceeded to bump into Yeseo and the doctor. She asked them to give the two patients some privacy for a while. The doctor agreed since Yujin’s condition wasn’t anything major and he had checked on Xiaoting earlier. He could always come back during the next rounds. Youngeun thanked him and took Yeseo somewhere away from the room, just in case.

Xiaoting was shocked by Yujin’s boldness. She did not expect those bold words from her, especially not in front of Youngeun. She blinked a few times before replying with a smile, “I missed you too but I didn’t know you were so eager”

Yujin flushed at the comment, “That was not what I meant! You know it!”

“Not sure if I do though”, Xiaoting raised her eyebrows teasingly.

“Just show me your wounds”

Xiaoting undid the top of her hospital gown revealing her top half. 

Yujin clasped her hands over at the sight. It was covered in bruises and her ribs were covered in bandages. She did this. She caused this. She hurt Xiaoting. The lack of a bullet wound confused her. Trying to hold back her feelings, she asked, “I thought you got shot?”

“I did. It hit my back”, Xiaoting turned around revealing a heavy bruise on the side of her back. She turned back around and put her hospital gown back on before continuing, “Your bulletproof suit jacket saved me. Youngeun went through my wardrobe one day and told me one of your suit jackets that I had was bulletproof. When she kidnapped me, she switched my jackets just in case”

“Why would you jump in front of me like that? What if he missed the jacket? What if the jacket wasn’t thick enough? What if you didn’t have it on you?”

Xiaoting smiled at Yujin despite her angry yelling, “I’d still do it”. She reached for her lover’s hands and pulled them so that the latter was also sitting on the bed with her. 

Yujin couldn’t believe it. Xiaoting was willing to sacrifice herself for her. She couldn’t hold back her tears anymore, “I’m sorry. This is all my fault. You got hurt because of me”

“Hey, hey don’t cry. It’s not your fault Yujin. It never was. Remember that. You didn’t cause these bruises on me. He did. None of this is your fault”. Xiaoting reached up to cup Yujin’s cheeks and wiped her tears away with her thumb. 

Yujin looked into Xiaoting’s eyes. It was so sincere. There was no ounce of hate in them, only love and adoration.

“I’ll keep saying this until it gets through that stubborn skull of yours. I love you Choi Yujin. I choose you and will always choose you. Whatever you’re going through, I’ll be there with you every step of the way. Don’t ever doubt that”, Xiaoting leaned in for a kiss. She tried to pour every ounce of love she had for the girl in front of her.

When the pair finally parted, they rested their foreheads on each other and Yujin too made her confession, “I love you too Shen Xiaoting. You don’t know how grateful I am to have you in my life. You are my rock in life. You always keep me grounded whenever I’m anxious or scared. I will always support you and do my best to make you happy”

Xiaoting was getting teary from the confession. “It feels like we’re exchanging wedding vows”

Yujin laughed through her tears at that. “Ah, that reminds me. You can have this back now” 

Yujin pulled back and reached for the back of her neck. She unclasped her necklace revealing two matching rings. Yujin slid Xiaoting’s back into her ring finger and Xiaoting did the same for Yujin’s. 

“So does this mean I get to call you my girlfriend or my fiance?” Xiaoting asked.

“You can call me whatever you want, love. But, I will not let your proposal be in a hospital with us in hospital gowns. We can hold something grand later”, Yujin moved to sit next to Xiaoting and rested her head on her shoulders.

Xiaoting reached for Yujin’s hand and intertwined their fingers. “At least we match”, she brought them up to her lips and said, “Then, I’ll just call you mine”. Xiaoting kissed the lovely fingers in her hand.

The pair kissed again. Their lives were far from perfect. There are troubles lying ahead of them but it doesn’t matter. They had each other and that is all they ever need. Xiaoting’s Yujin and Yujin’s Xiaoting. Xiaojin.