As IU leant on Taeyang's chest, she felt a sense of calmness overwhelmed her. As she rested her head against him, hearing the soft beating of his heart and feeling his strong steady arms wrapping around her, her tears unknowingly stopped flowing.

Slowly, as they broke away from their embrace, Taeyang steadied IU by holding both her shoulders firmly, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

'You've stopped crying,' he said softy as he brushed the hair out of IU's face, 'That's a relief.'

'Thank you for comforting me,' she whispered and managed a faint smile, 'I feel better now.'

Taeyang grabbed IU's hand gently and said, 'Come with me, I want to take you to somewhere special.' Before IU could respond, he had already pulled her along with him playfully.

'Where are we going?' IU asked curiously, trying to make out what was on Taeyang's mind.

He shushed her and continued to lead the way.

'We're here!' Taeyang exclaimed cheerfully, as they both reached the place. 'It's lovely isn't it?'

It was a little garden, with pastel benches and swings, having the beautiful flowers as the charming backdrop.

'It's absolutely lovely!' IU gushed as she sat on the bench, 'But where did you find this place?'

Taeyang joined her on the bench and started, 'A few years back, this garden was always cheerful and lively, with students coming here to study and relax during their lunch breaks or after school. However, after the new and bigger garden was introduced, the trail of people to this garden slowly dwindled until no one comes here anymore. No one except me that is.'

'That's why you're different, you always see beauty in things which people have abandoned or neglected.' IU smiled as she told him, 'And you restored faith in them when nobody would, making them feel treasured and valued. Because of that, I find you truly amazing.'

'Stop complimenting me, I know you don't really mean it,' Taeyang taunted her teasingly, 'If you really feel that I am amazing, why won't you tell me about your troubles?

IU's shoulders instantly dropped when Taeyang reminded her about the problems she was facing. Indeed, she didn't feel like talking about it any moment, and Taeyang's sudden reminder sent her mood plummeting down.

As soon as Taeyang saw IU's withdrawn face, he immediately regretted bringing up the topic. He cursed himself under his breath and said, 'What was I talking about? Don't bother me, I just speak before I think sometimes,' trying desperately to cover up his blunt mistake.

'It's okay, I wasn't being fair to you anyway,' IU said, waving off the topic quickly, 'But I do have a question to ask you. What is your relationship with Hara?' IU asked timidly, lowering her head as she spoke.

Taeyang winced as he heard Hara's name and sighed, 'It's a long story,' He said as he looked up and met IU's gaze, 'but I'll tell you if you're willing to listen.'

IU felt her stomach churned, she knew the truth wouldn't be good, but she really wanted to know. She nodded her head convincingly, bracing herself for the unpleasant truth.