Daehyun’s POV

            When I left the hotel, my car was already outside waiting for me. My personal secretary held the door open for me to climb in and then slammed it shut. Before I even got to put my seatbelt on we were already driving away. I had to take a moment to calm the anger boiling up inside of me. I’d been rejected by Jieun and then ridiculed by a peasant. I could tell that he felt more for Jieun than what he led on, and there was no way I’d lose her to the likes of him.

           “You saw that new worker, right?” I demanded, staring out my side of the window as Secretary Jang gulped. He always tensed up like that when I asked sudden questions, and sometimes it just got a little annoying.

            “N-ne…” He muttered, pretending to flip through a folder of paper.

            “I want you to find out everything about him. Dig up any dirt you find. People like him can’t possibly live with a clean slate.” My hand clenched into a fist. There just had to be something he did wrong in his life. He had to have slipped once, and if he did, I knew I’d find out. I’d do whatever it was in my power to bring down him and his inflated ego.

Yongguk’s POV

            I was left alone in Jieun’s office after Daehyun walked out on me. Despite his thick headedness, I knew better than to let him get to my head. It was probably what he wanted anyway, and I’d never give him even that much. I looked up at the door when I heard it creak open. Hyosung stepped in with her shoulders slumped and head down, as if she’d just received a heavy scolding.

            “Are you alright?” I took a few steps closer to her, though she paid no attention to me and walked straight to Jieun’s desk. Did she not hear me? It seemed almost as if Hyosung were possessed.

            “Hyosung-sshi…” I repeated with a steadier and much more projected voice. She shook her head quickly as if she’d been zoning out and then looked up at me with a forced smile.

            “Jieun’s just having a rough time right now. I didn’t know how to comfort her so she sent me away… Perhaps you’d like to see her?” She sounded hopeful in her request. Nodding, I gave Hyosung a small reassuring pat on her shoulder and then left Jieun’s office. Though Hyosung never actually told me where Jieun went, I had a hunch that she’d be outside on one of the benches. Though it was probably unnecessary, I began sprinting through the lobby ignoring the shocked stares some staff gave as I brushed past them, and stopped only outside the hotel when I had to decide whether to go left or right. It was insanely quiet outside today. There was no wind, nor were there birds, only the distant sound of tires creating traction on road surfaces from a distance. If I closed my eyes and really listened, I could hear a soft sniffling coming from the west side of the hotel. It was more than likely to be Jieun.

            I found her curled up in a ball, leaning against the buildings outer walls. Her jacket was dusty from sitting on the floor, and her face was wet with drying tears. They’d stopped falling, yet seeing her so motionless looked even more miserable. I quietly walked up to her and took a seat, far enough so that we didn’t touch.

            “I don’t understand how families can be like this.” Jieun breathed heavily, blinking slowly every now and then. Though she hadn’t made eye contact with me since I’d found her, she seemed to know it was me right away.

            “I…” I stuttered. I wanted to comfort her in any way I could but I just didn’t know how. She was sitting here, feeling ever so alone in a world full of people who just couldn’t understand. Trapped in a life she can’t choose to lead.

            “… Understand,” I sighed, knowing that hearing those two words would probably provoke her a little. She looked straight at me, eyes filled with spite as she retorted,

            “How could you possibly?” Her words seemed almost like an attack, but I didn’t regret what I’d said. She was right to a degree. How could I, someone who came to Vancouver for a new life starting with practically nothing, understand a girl who’s grown up her entire life swallowed by riches? From a third party, it’d be insane to even think for a second that a nobody like me would be able to even remotely relate to her. But she doesn’t know my story. She doesn’t know just how similar two unlikely lives could be.

            After asking, she quieted down and went into a kind of silent mode, her lips shut tight and her eyes locked on a small pebble sitting in front of us. Naturally, she was thinking. I thought I’d give her a little food for thought.

           “When I was growing up, I was abandoned by chaebols who lusted for money.” I began to tell my own story, feeling like I was in debt to her for her sharing with me. After all, this was the story I promised her. I felt like this was the best time if any to finally tell.

Jieun’s POV

            I felt almost offended at Yongguk’s comment. His simple two worded phrase was said in a way that seemed almost careless. It wasn’t like saying them meant everything would get better. I knew it wouldn’t change anything. Just how much could he understand, really? I know that being a chaebol put me above most other problems but that it didn’t mean that I was left out of the loop for my own disasters. Just how much did he think an ‘I understand’ would help?

            “How could you possibly?” I almost glared at him, and then retreat my anger knowing that it would only make things worse. I didn’t want to be the kind of person who projected my anger at someone else for things that shouldn’t involve them. Maybe I shouldn’t even speak.

            “When I was growing up, I was abandoned by chaebols who lusted for money.” He admitted, almost out of the blue. I didn’t expect him to answer my intentionally rhetorical question, but it served to pull me a little out of my sea of depression. Perhaps this was the story he shared with the homeless man that day?

            “I’m not born of chaebol blood, but rather, I was forced into upholding this status that I knew I didn’t want. It felt like I was trying to fit my life where I didn’t belong…” He attempted to elaborate, but his words seemed almost like a puzzle that I couldn’t piece together.

            “What do you mean?”

            “My mom had an affair early in her adulthood and had me. The affair turned out to be no more than a summer fling, but for some reason she didn’t want an abortion. I was born without a dad, and didn’t know just how strange it was until I got a little older. We were walking through a night market one day and it was really late. A chaebol, though we didn’t know at the time, was a little drunk and tried to pursue my mom. She fell for him almost immediately, or maybe it was just the money she fell in love with. Even when he was sober, he still sought after my mom… They married shortly after and my regular life as a regular kid changed drastically.” He paused in between certain words, as if just remembering was cutting a deeper wound in his heart. He didn’t dare to even glance at me. He just focused on telling his story.

            “They were trying to make you into a chaebol…” I mumbled, empathizing with his young self in his story.

            “When I couldn’t meet their expectations, they disciplined me. Suddenly I wasn’t allowed to be a kid anymore. I was only thirteen, and they wanted me to act as an adult.” He forced out a sad laugh, trying to mask the fact that some tears were now dripping down his cheek. I was expecting his story to continue, but after a long pause he turned to me and looked me straight in the eyes.

            “Empathy really is hard to come by, isn’t it?” Yongguk lamented subtly, and then stood up. Instinctively, I got up shortly after he did, but he was already walking away from me. Despite his broad shoulders and straight posture, I couldn’t help but see a pitiful child leaving with his back turned towards me. The past few minutes allowed me to build more respect towards Yongguk. I wanted to thank him for sharing, and thank him for being the only person in my life who could understand. But it just felt like right now, we were both too pitiful.

A/N: Sorry for not updating since I returned from camp! It's surprising that I didn't since I'd been locked in a writing mood for so long. I was just busy writing other things... like Countdown to Sunset and working on my first book. Even though life's not getting anymore relaxed for me, I'm not going to forget about this fanfic ^^ I'm still going to try my best to make it a worthwhile read.