“You what?!” Jan Di screamed as she had her eyes blinking quite hysterically by the way she looked at her daughter. It was just by some minutes time when she got home with Jun Pyo from United States when the news hit her like a knife stuck on . She remembered how she suffered from Jun Pyo’s wrath before having this so-called luxurious life of hers, which she didn’t want from the start. It was then, that Jun Pyo’s constant nagging for her to be with him together and everything made her where she was right now.

“Mom, I—“ Rei tried to explain but was cut off again by her panic-stricken mother.

“I suffered from that pain when I was in high school, Gu Rei Ah and I wouldn’t want anyone to suffer from it again! You have to s—“ she stopped, holding her head before turning to her husband who was childishly grinning at her daughter for doing such a good job, more than he could ever do when he was at her position. No doubt that the blood which was running through her veins was from a Gu, a sadistic, cold-blooded, bipolar person.

“Gu Jun Pyo! What are you laughing at?!” Jan Di yelled again, hitting her husband’s arm before he straddled back to reality where he realized that he was supposed to say what a father would say. He gulped and faked a cough before looking to his wife then looking back at Rei with a look which she find funny.

“You know, Rei, uhm, well…” he tried to muster, walking closely to his daughter, leaving his angry wife behind to have a little talk with his little princess. “Look, I don’t really know what to say, since I’ve done this before and I like it that you took an effort and get that trait of making everyone suffer, but I have to take one gadget from you to make your mother happy or else, you won’t have another sibling.” Jun Pyo said as his eyebrows were wriggling, his smile turned into grin and Rei’s was still as stubborn as ever.

"But...dad!" Rei said as she tried to compose everything inside her head. She looked at her mother who has her arms crossed to her chest while looking at her intently. "Look, mom, he pissed me off! He almost scratched my car! Even ask Luna! Sulli! Or Krystal!" she added, sighing heavily after. This was the thing she hated the most about her mother, not that she was a nag but she was trying too hard to make her the perfect daughter a family could ever have. 

Couldn't she be someone else?
 

Couldn't she just be herself, even for once?
 

"Yeah, Jan Di, come on. I did that too, remember? I tortured more than our daughter had." Jun Pyo said as he laid his arms protectively around his daughter's shoulders. 
 

This was supposed to be an interrogation for Rei, about what she was doing inside the school, about her grades, how she did well, but everything was turning upside down. It was Jan Di, who's losing right that moment when she saw her husband and daughter's famous puppy eyes. She hated that, she hated the fact that she could be easily manipulated by it, she hated the fact that she could easily be tormented by it, adding their pout too. 
 

"Ugh! What a bratty family I have!" Jan Di sighed as she chuckled after, opening her arms as the two Gus' went over to her and hugged her tight. "I love you, omma!" Rei said as she kissed her mother's cheek. Jun Pyo followed the pursuit, kissing Jan Di's other cheek to calm her down.
 

"Just promise me one thing, Rei." Jan Di trailed, her daughter's hair. Rei looked at her intently, waiting for her to continue what she was saying. "Promise me that he wouldn't get hurt that much, okay? This is just an amusement for you and the others, but trust me, I've been there before and I can tell you, that it's one hell of a ride." she chuckled kissing her daughter's head before hugging her again.
 

Jun Pyo smiled, pulling the both of them closer. His queen and his own little princess, this was the moment he was waiting for, even before they arrived there. Their bond, the love and the care that they share together. Too bad it'll only be for a while, since his daughter will be taken away from him soon. By his own mother.
 

"So, how about this...how about, we go to Shin Hwa again and look at what was happening? To make sure than no one's getting hurt." He said as Jan Di and looked at him as if he was one hell of a crazy person. 
 

Rei pulled out first, eyes not leaving his father's. "Are you kidding me right now?" she asked, baffled upon what was happening. Jun Pyo shook his head and Jan Di knew better that this was his plan of pulling the stress away from his body, to bond with them, with his own precious gems.
 

"You know, there was a point of time that I actually was enjoying your mother's torturing, but when I saw her got hurt, and couldn't fight back anymore even if she wanted to, that's when I know that she got my heart." Jun Pyo said. They were sitting in the large red couch inside the master's bedroom, after Rei agreed that they could with her to school the day after that, they agreed on spending the evening together while watching a nice movie, Peterpan.
 

"I like his guts, though, dad. The way he look at me as if I'm just an ordinary person, it was different. But I doubt that I'll like him. He seems to be liking Krystal, though." Rei shrugged, pulling one of the soft pillows behind her to hug. 
 

Jan Di was preparing something behind, trying to get a nice dish done for them while listening to the conversation. She too was torn between two lovers before, with Jun Pyo and with his first love, Ji Hoo. But that didn't stopped her from choosing the right one. She wishes the same for her daughter, to find out what true love is; because she knew that all Rei could think of is how to get out from the cage she is in. Having the pressure of marrying someone in such young age of eighteen, she couldn't handle it that well, Jun Pyo told her that. Jan Di was afraid of what might happened, she doesn’t want her daughter to suffer like she did before, she doesn’t want her to feel the pain that she did when they she and Jun Pyo were trying to survive his mother’s wrath. Now, she’s back and will be taking on their daughter’s life as if it was hers from the start.

“Is Rei asleep?” Jun Pyo asked as he tried to peek in on his daughter’s room before hugging Jan Di who was in the verge of tears already. He knew what was happening, and he was still trying to ask his very own mother to cancel the wedding because it won’t happen, but of course, being the stubborn she was, she only smirked and roll her eyes as her reply.

“I don’t want Rei to be caged in that arranged marriage, Jun Pyo. I want her to be free, find that one guy who could help her in everything, her true love.” She sobbed, hugging her husband’s waist and snuggled closer to his neck.

“Everything will fall on its place, okay?” Jun Pyo said as he pulled out, wiping his wife’s tears before kissing her forehead, down to her nose and to her lips. “I love you.” He added, whispering.

Jun Pyo pulled Jan Di to their own room, telling her not to cry anymore. He wishes that sooner or later his mom would realize everything that she was doing so she wouldn’t try and mingle with her granddaughter’s business anymore. Rei deserves happiness too, like what her parents’ has.

They didn’t know that Rei was leaning on the wall while listening to them. It didn’t shocked her anymore, though. She knew that everything was planned on her life already, her future, her present, even her past went following the plan her grandmother prepared for her, it was just unfair for her to live in that life she didn’t want, all she wants is to be free and to love someone who could love her naturally, in her good times and bad, in her wild and craziest moments, someone who could accept every single thing she is.

Someone who could make her believe that everything is worth living for.

Next day came to a blur, students all lined up in front of the gate like always, waiting for the F4 to arrive. Krystal, Sulli and Luna went on without Rei, thinking that she might over slept again and will be coming to school late. It was theirs anyways, the school was theirs so she can do whatever she wants as long as her grades wouldn’t flunk down. They didn’t know that there will be a surprise coming along their way, as their favorite Aunt and Uncle will be coming along with her.

Jan Di was excited to see the girls again, it was over a year ago when she visited the school, alongside with the whole gang and she misses them as much as she missed her own little princess. Jun Pyo couldn’t hide the excitement either as he tried to drive faster with his red Mitsubishi Eclipse while Rei was not saying anything, permanently attached to the seat behind them.

“Rei, are you alright?” Jan Di asked as she peeked through the center and flashed her daughter a big smile. Rei only nodded to comply, putting her earphones on her set of ears before looking outside to think. Think of all those possibilities of getting away, of running away from the hell of a cage she was in, but she knew that whatever it is, she will still be caught.

“You’re not alright, Princess, what happened?” Jun Pyo said, still has his eyes on the road. Rei still didn’t budge, pretending that she was listening to music yet her iPod isn’t .

They came to the school with an awkward silence surrounding them, they weren’t sure where it come from but it surrounded them like a water trapping them on place. Jun Pyo didn’t tried to hold her daughter into his arms as Rei kept on walking behind them. Jan Di was wrapped around Jun Pyo’s arms and she couldn’t help but to feel worried to her daughter. The Gu’s walked along the hallway, making every student and teacher shocked upon seeing them. They made their way to the cafeteria where they knew the other girls were at. Jun Pyo smiled and waved around while Jan Di just chuckled and waved along with him as the massive cheering went along while Rei was just behind them all the time.

Rei spotted Chanyeol in front of her, eating happily. He raised his head up and his eyes met hers, locking them together for a moment before he realized that there were some trail of tears on her cheek before she looked away. Chanyeol couldn’t help but to turn back and look at her from behind, thinking about what happened.

“Girls!” Jan Di said as she run to the staircase and hugged the three who was stunned, tightly as she can.

“Aunt Jan Di! Uncle Jun Pyo!” the three said as Jun Pyo went to hug them too before pulling out to look around and see where her daughter was. “Have you seen Rei?” he asked, the three shook their heads.

“She was supposed to be here, behind us.” He said again as Krystal looked around and spotted Rei leaving the cafeteria on the door where only the both of them knew, she immediately turned her gaze to her uncle before smiling softly. “I haven’t seen her yet, maybe she went to the bathroom or something. You know, girl needs.” She shrugged while thinking about Rei, knowing that she needed that spare time to be with herself.

Rei went to a familiar place where she and only Jun Pyo knows about. The terrace where he once told her that this was the place where he realized that he was in love, all along with the girl he tortured way back then. She ruffled her hair irritably and rested her body on the terrace itself, looking down where she saw four people getting out from the cafeteria.

“Hey! Where’s my assignment?!” a guy asked, pushing someone who was in fact Chanyeol, on the ground.

Chanyeol just looked at him back, smirking. “Why should I make your assignment what’s in it for me?” he asked, pulling himself back to stand.

The guy who asked plunged his arm over him and punched him really hard, the other two came rushing to Chanyeol’s side and held him to place while the guy who kept on asking where his assignment was kept on punching him everywhere.

Blood, bruises, moans of pain escaped from Chanyeol’s lips. Rei’s heart was fluttering and she wasn’t sure why but she kept on looking at them, only to realize that the torture of the orange card was causing him this. Other students came out from the cafeteria themselves and threw some food on Chanyeol’s face, spit on him, wash him with water and it kept on going and going until he dropped down to the ground, unable to stand anymore. Her heart fell along with him, she felt like she could punch everyone in the way while she tries to be with him.

Was this what they call love?

Jun Pyo with the others were looking at the window near them and saw everything, Jan Di looked at Jun Pyo as if telling him to stop what they were doing but the minute he tried to pull himself out of Jan Di’s grasp, Krystal stopped him.

“Wait, uncle. Wait for Rei.” She smiled, looking outside again, like she knew what was going to happen and as if on cue, Rei came down from a high jump, from where she was before pushing the students who were still doing the same to Chanyeol.

“Stop!” she yelled, making everyone stunned and stop on their ministrations. All of them looked at her, trying to read her face but she was serious and everyone kept their hands down, even the guy who kept on punching Chanyeol. Rei went closer to him, to the guy and punched him right on the face. “Don’t ever touch him again.” She whispered.

“Don’t ever touch him again, or you’ll all receive an orange card. Got me?!” she asked, yelling while everything nodded and came running inside the school again, terrified of what she might do. Rei leaned to Chanyeol and held his cheek, she felt a sudden wave of electric from her hand to her heart to make it beat faster, more than her normal heart beat.

“What are you doing?” he asked weakly, bits of strawberries, mangoes, kiwis, and some other fruits were on his uniform while his head was full of things she couldn’t even describe. “Shouldn’t you be torturing me too?” he asked, coughing lightly before Rei held his hand to help him stand up.

“It’s over now.” She said plainly, pulling his arm over her shoulder to help him walk. “I’m here and everything is over now. As long as I’m beside you, no one can hurt you again.” She said, looking at his eyes. Her heart kept on skipping a beat, she realized that she was looking at the most handsome man she could ever see, his eyes were big and round, his lips were thick and pale, his curly hair tossed from his sides, and she couldn’t help but to smile from it. Rei pulled him to lay at the back seat of his car and kissed his forehead, she rested her palm on his cheek while he lifelessly lay there. He was tired of everything and all he wanted was a good night sleep, and that was what he was getting. “Sleep tight, I’ll take care of you. You did great.” Was the only thing he heard until he pass off to sleep.

Jun Pyo couldn’t help but to smile by his daughter’s ministrations, he felt like the history was repeating itself the minute she came rushing through the crowd of people to help Chanyeol. Jan Di did the same too, giggling to herself and rested her cheek on Jun Pyo’s shoulder while looking at Rei’s car driving away from everything else.

“Like father like daughter.”