Jiho followed me outside, but didn't follow my motions when I sat down on a bench. I peered at him.

"Sit." I said blandly. He looked around warily.

"Are..your friends nearby?" He murmured nervously. I shook my head.

"No, it's just me." I watched him look around again.

"Are you sure you want to talk to me? Minki.." His voice trailed off at my expression. He sat down. 

"I could care less about Minki right now." I said, my tone clipped. He turned his head to me.

"Alright, what's up?" He leaned back. I fiddled with the hem of my skirt. I contemplated whether I should be doing this. But the thought of him visiting Jin Gook wiped all anger that I had against Jiho away. 

"Komawo." I said softly. I felt him staring at me, and looked up.

"Thank you, Jiho, for everything you're doing for Jin Gook, and for me." I said meaningfully. I noticed from his face that he looked shocked, and embarrassed.

"You figured out?" He asked, appalled. I nodded. 

"The doctor said you were checking up on Jin Gook, and..trying to find a doner.." I said slowly. He looked away. I thought I had humiliated him, and anger flared slowly in me. I got up abruptly.

"Look, all I wanted to say was-" Jiho got up, and crushed me against his chest. I was so shocked, I didn't stop him.

"No, Hye Mi, it's not that..I just..didn't want you to know I was helping..I thought maybe you'd think I was trying to do something against you..that you wouldn't understand." He babbled on and on. I managed to make my body move, and my arms wound around his back. 

"Thank you...Jiho..."  I whispered. He hugged me tighter.

"No problem, Kittycat" I whispered, and I thought I felt him smirking. He let go.

"I have something to tell you." He said, and pulled me back down onto the bench. I looked at him as he ran a hand through his chopped blonde hair, and his shoulders looked heavy.

"If you don't want to say it, you don't have to." I said, carefully. He shook his head.

"No, I want to. I have to." He finally said. His eyes met mine, and I was surprised to see such sorrow in his eyes.

"I don't have a family." He whispered. I felt myself react against those words, immediately wanting to comfort him. But I fought it. He probably didn't want pity.

"My parents..if I can even call them that. I was a mistake. They were careless, and I was their punishment." He chuckled darkly. I reached over, and laid my hand ontop of his. He took a deep breath, and everything tumbled out. 

"My dad, he's a rich business man. My mom had already left, and he was left with me. He couldn't just leave me, I was his blood. But he never loved me. He looked past me. I brought nothing but shame to him, and I didn't want anything to do with him either. I was determined to be everything he hated. I had never been loved. And I don't care either. But once every so often, I see happy families, and my heart aches. I can't control it." His hand was gripped onto his sweater, over his heart. 

"So..when I saw you. I felt something stir. Something that I've hidden for so long, and I was afraid. That you would turn me into something I vowed I would never be." He confessed. I couldn't form words.

"I teased you. I brought you to hell, with Minki trailing me. I never meant to hurt you that way. But I felt that..maybe after all of this, you'd hate me, and that I'd live in peace. But I was wrong. You baked that cookie, and it tasted like, no amount of money could buy that kind of taste. Like you cared about me." He met my eyes.

"I do care about you.." I whispered. He squeezed his eyes shut.

"I realized too late, that I was being selfish. Hurting you just to hide myself. So I went to the hospital. Talked to the doctors, went to see Jin Gook. I'll do everything possible to help you, Hye Mi." He said sincerely. I cocked my head to the side, touched. He was so different than the sharp eyed, unapproachable jerk I thought he was. My hand was still ontop of his, and I gave it a meaningful squeeze.

"I trust you." I smiled. His pained face slowly turned back, revealing the smirk I knew all too well.

"Thanks, kittycat." He leaned in, and kissed my forehead.