"Are you here by yourself?" Hyukjae asked, wondering whether or not he'd be able to talk with her uninterrupted.

"I'm... not alone."

Hyukjae looked around, in the distance he could see Jaejoong. He looked back at Gyuri. 

"You came here with him?" his tone was upset.

"You mean Jaejoong?"

"You use his name casually? Are you really dating him?" Hyukjae asked.

"Well I..."

"That guy is arrogant, devious and shrewd."

"You don't know him well enough to say those things." Gyuri said, her attitude shifting.

"Do you?"

"Yes, better than you do." she was starting to get upset. "It's none of you business who I'm with anyway."

Hyukjae's tone became harsh. "That guy just gets under my skin so easily."

Gyuri nodded. "I know, he got under mine too."

"Why are you with him then?"

Without thinking she answered him, "He makes me crazy."

"Never mind, I don't want to know. "

"Right."

Hyukjae watched her, she hadn't contacted him once since the last time. He didn't want this to be the last time they talked. He tried to reach out to her.

"Gyuri, even if it's not how it used to be, I want you to depend on me again. My number hasn't changed."

She looked at him. "I don't think I can."

"Maybe not now, but maybe later."

Seeing Jaejoong walk towards them, Hyukjae walked away, leaving Gyuri alone. 

Gyuri turned to look at Jaejoong.

"Ready?" he asked her.

"Yeah." 

"Hand." Jaejoong commanded, placing his own in front of her.

Gyuri placed her bags, instead of her hand in his, "Thanks." 

He smiled at her and took the bags.

Gyuri turned around, she felt strange. She was less concerned with Hyukjae and more concerned with asking Jaejoong about the phone call. Walking beside him, it weighed down on her but she didn't want to ask just yet.

"Where are cooking this?"  Gyuri asked.

"We can go to your place." he smiled. 

"No."

"Your mom's?"

"Definitely not. We can use your kitchen. It's the right size."

"Okay."

As they got into the car Gyuri's phone rang.

---

"Jungmin?"

"Gyuri, where are you? Younha's been crying to me about Jaejoong, she keeps repeating your name. I can't understand her."

"Younha?" Gyuri replied silently, and felt a pinch of guilt. "Is she near you?" Jaejoong looked over to Gyuri.

"Yeah she's right here. I'll put her on."

"Manager Park, Manager Kim canceled on me." she was crying, "I really liked him, he canceled without letting me reply... You know him the best, what do I do?"

"I uh... Just have Jungmin take you home. I'll talk with you tonight okay?"

"Manager Park, thank you. I'll be waiting for you."

"Yeah, I'll be there tonight."

--- 

Gyuri closed her phone. She was on Younha's date and felt responsible for her tears.

Jaejoong who had been watching her saw the look on her face become worried.

"What did Jungmin want?"

"Ah, it's about a project. After our late lunch I'm going to go over to his place."

"You're gonna leave after lunch?"

"Yeah."

"Okay." Jaejoong stopped talking about it but knew she was keeping something from him. 

__________________

[4:11 PM] Jaejoong's Apartment.

"Are you going to help me?" Gyuri asked tying up her hair.

"I'm not really good at cooking." Jaejoong said sitting at the table in the kitchen. 

"You can cut can't you?"

"I want to watch you cook."

"Well you can watch and chop these vegetables at the same time." She placed a chopping board in front of him along with some vegetables and a knife. You should work for your food." 

"Alright." He picked up the knife and started chopping the washed vegetables. 

Gyuri began preparing the chicken. She had a lot in her mind, but she wanted to stay focused.

"Jaejoong, you're still answering my questions right?"

"Yeah."

"I wanted to know more about your sister." 

"My Nuna?"

"Yeah, is she like you?"

"She's a lot like my father." 

"Is that bad?"

"No, she's also like my mother."

"I still haven't seen a picture of them yet."

"Right. Well I have this." Jaejoong got up from the table and left the kitchen. He returned with a portrait and showed it to Gyuri.

"That's my family."

Gyuri looked at the portrait. It was taken when Jaejoong was in his teens. She looked from Jaejoong's youthful, fresh face to the younger female in the portrait. She was beautiful, if Jaejoong was born a woman that's what he would have looked like. Sharp eyes, soft face and long elegant black hair. She had a bright smile on her face. Gyuri's eyes then moved to the older woman. Jaejoong's mother, it was obvious that he took after her. She was gorgeous. These superior genes, it was ridiculous. Her eyes then moved to a handsome and stern older looking man. He looked confident, in control and slightly intimidating.

"President Kun Hee. He's really your dad." Gyuri said out loud.

"You know him?"

"Of course, I just didn't believe he was really your father."

"That's him though."

"Your mother and sister are beautiful. What are their names?"

"Jiyeon and Miyeon."

"Kim Jiyeon? Like the model and actress?" Gyuri asked surprised.

"Yeah."

Gyuri took a double look at the picture. It was her. Jaejoong's family was remarkable. She felt more and more ordinary as she found out more about him.

She finished cutting up the chicken and turned to Jaejoong to take his cut veggies and cook them. "So, is your sister married? Do you have any nephews or nieces?"

"She is and she's actually pregnant with her first now."

"Oh! How wonderful!"

Jaejoong smiled, "Yeah, it's supposed to be a boy. The family is really excited."

Miyeon was four years older than Gyuri and expecting her first child. If she was with Hyukjae now, would she have her own children already? It was a thought that hadn't occured to her before. She probably would have had his children, but here she was 26 and single. She was fine.

She sat down across the table from Jaejoong. "Things just need to cook and we'll have our late lunch."

"Gyuri, you want to meet my parents right?" Jaejoong asked looking serious at her.

"Yeah, you said it was only fair." 

"The only way for you to meet my parents is if I introduce you as my girlfriend." 

_________________________________________________

Lengthy because I felt bad about the last long delay!

Enjoy!