Sunday

[3:24 PM] 

Gyuri stared mindlessly at the blank TV screen across from her. With Eunjung out and about with Jangwoo, she was home alone in the apartment. She tried hard to not think about anything... but the issue of money and being able to keep the apartment continued to slowly creep back into her mind. She had saved a lot by rooming with Eunjung for so long that it wouldn't be impossible to keep the place, but on top of rent she'd also have to pay all utilities and groceries herself.

Finally giving into her thoughts, she sighed defeated. She knew she had options, just none that she wanted to currently consider. However, it was something she had to deal with sooner better than later. 

There was the obvious option of finding a new roommate, but the candidates were not exactly ideal. Option two was to find an entirely new place... however, that was an option that would require a lot more time and effort.

"What should I do?"

As the words left her lips she heard a knock at the door.

"Unnie!!! It's Leah! I've been calling!"

"Oh! I'll be right there."

Gyuri got up from the couch and walked over to open the door. Leah stood before her covered in layers of clothing. 

"Is it really that cold outside?" she asked.

"Haven't you been watching the news? It's expected to get even colder tomorrow!"

"Oh." Gyuri replied, still thinking of her situation. Leah was one of the candidates she had considered... but even though the younger woman used to be her sister, she still felt it would be strange to live with her again... definitely a 'no'. 

"Unnie! I've been calling you! Where's your phone?" 

"Ah, I think I left it in my room."

Leah looked at her former stepsister and became concerned. "Unnie, are you ok? Are you sick?"

"I'm not sick. I'm okay."

In her concern, Leah's eyes widened as a thought crossed her mind. "Did you find out!?"

"Uh?"

"He came clean to you didn't he? Did you two break up? It's really for the best. I can't believe he didn't tell you."

"What are you talking about?" Gyuri asked confused by the new direction the conversation took. 

"Eh?"

Gyuri's eyes naturally lowered as she tried to understand what Leah was referring to. "What are you talking about?"

"You mean, you still don't know? He didn't come clean?"

"He who?"

"Jaejoong-shii of course."

Hearing his name Gyuri remembered the short phone conversation she had shared with Leah. "Jaejoong..."

"I was going to come over yesterday but you didn't respond to my calls."

"What exactly have you been trying to tell me about Jaejoong?"

"Well, since I'm going to be the one to tell you maybe we should sit down..." Leah said looking down.

"Stop being elusive, Leah, just tell me. Is it that big of a deal?"

Leah met Gyuri's eyes. "I just think it's something you should know about him, before you continue to see him."

Hearing Leah's words, Gyuri felt a hollow feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

"Okay then, we'll sit."

The former sisters walked into the living room and sat down. Silence followed behind them

"So?" Gyuri asked.

Dropping her usual bright tone of voice, Leah began to speak seriously.  

"I remembered where I know Jaejoong from. I remembered after I got a call from an old friend of mine. I met him at a funeral for that friend's brother."

Gyuri watched Leah, quietly waiting for the information that met the expectations she now had.

"His name was Jaehoon. He died in a car accident, along with his wife. I know this probably isn't making sense but in a moment it will... You see, when I went to support my friend and show my respect, there was a lot of... 'chatter' and 'gossip' surrounding Jaejoong's presence at the funeral. I didn't really know Jaehoon well enough to understand what they were talking about at the time, so I asked my friend and she explained to me why so many people had an issue with his attendance."

Looking up to meet Gyuri's eyes Leah continued. "Jaehoon's wife dated Jaejoong for a long while before she got married... If that was it I wouldn't have told you this at all but... before the accident some members of Jaehoon's family started to suspect his wife of having an affair... with Jaejoong."

There was a pause as Gyuri looked down. After a moment she looked up smiled at Leah. "Is that all?"

Leah bit her lip as she saw the small relieved smile on Gyuri's face.  

"You had me worried for a while there. I'm always reminded about how much I don't know about him yet...  I appreciate you telling me this. I'm sure he'll tell me all this on his own one day... but I've decided not to hold onto things in the past. Especially when we didn't even know each other... the past is the past." 

Unable to bite her lip anymore, Leah stood up and earnestly spoke again. "It isn't a past issue Gyuri! That woman... She had a daughter... before she got married she was pregnant with that daughter. Before she got married, she was still very much seeing Jaejoong... and even during the marriage she was seeing him. The daughter is 4 now... My friend told me that she knows he regularly visits and calls that woman's daughter... their daughter... his daug--"

Silence filled the room as Leah stopped herself before finishing the sentence.  

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" Leah asked. "Jaejoong... he-" Unable to continued, Leah sighed.

A confused expression formed on Gyuri's face as she looked down to the floor again. Gyuri felt at a loss for words. Thinking about it, things started to make sense, but at the same time it made absolutely no sense at all. Gyuri felt a pain in her chest as she thought.

"Unnie... I'm sorry. I just needed to tell you." Looking down at Gyuri, Leah lowered her head and walked toward the door. "I'm sorry you had to hear it from me. I'm sorry."    

Alone again, Gyuri looked up to find the blank TV screen meeting her gaze once more. Catching her reflection in the screen she asked herself a now familiar question.

"What should I do?"

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HOLA~!

Oh goodness me! I've been planning this chapter for such a long time and now here it is!~ eeeeeee! Ahhh well, the mysterious Jaejoong shall become less of a mystery with time now~ n_n Can't believe I managed to write this so quickly! Remember the days where I'd update like this? Back to back!?! I miss those days! ;~;

All of you and your comments are so cute and squishy!!! ilu *-*