It had been two days since Dami sneakily sees us every time her classes ended for the day. Unbelievably though, Teddy helped us. I was hesitant at first, yes. He’s Teddy after all. The witch’s right-hand man. But I was surprised that he was more than willing to help us.

So, want to hear what he did?

Well… he just walked upfront, wearing a confident and smug look on his ugly face. When the guards saw him, they immediately bowed. He went on to talk to them and then that’s it, they went home immediately.

Teddy entered the school. When he returned, Dami was already walking with him. When she saw us, she immediately lit up, especially when her father ran up to hug her.

So, it turned out that Teddy told the guards that Dami called him to fetch her instead because apparently, she will be going to a classmate’s house for a project. As for Dami, she personally called her grandmother to tell the same lie.

Although I did not want the kid to be lying, we can’t really do anything anyway.

The witch seemed to buy it too. So, for the second day, we’re here strolling the mall as if we would really buy something, when in fact, we just wanted Dami and her father to spend time together.

“You haven’t thanked me yet,” Teddy said, walking beside me.

I stared at him. He was smiling at me. I immediately stared ahead as the father and daughter were laughing among themselves.

“Let’s save it for later,” I said.

I sneaked inside the apartment unit like I did last night. Last night, Jiyong was fortunately asleep when I arrived, though it was still early. He looked like he was really exhausted.

However, tonight, I wasn’t as lucky. Jiyong was standing at the middle of the room, arms crossed over his chest.

We were silent while we stared at each other. I was about to apologize already when he beat me to it.

“I’m sorry…” he said.

I furrowed my brows, confused at why he was sorry. For what?

“I thought you have forgiven me already?” he said, voice soft, shaking. “Why aren’t you talking to me? I have been calling you all day, but you didn’t answer. I already apologized, right? Am I not forgiven yet?”

He was on the verge of tears and I felt sorry for him. He thought that I was still mad at him.

I slowly paced my way towards him. I cupped his face and his skin lovingly. “I’m not mad anymore.”

“Then… why…?”

I breathed in as I related what actually happened.

“Jeju!” I gasped as we stepped off the car. I marveled on the beauty before me as I breathed in the fresh air that weren’t anywhere present in Seoul. The air wasn’t chilly or too hot either. Though it was winter, the weather was good and the sun was shining brightly in the sky.

“You seem excited,” Jiyong appeared behind me.

“Yes! No well-mannered lady will act like that,” the witch said, appearing beside Jiyong as well. I scoffed under my breath.

Someone giggled behind me and I glared at Teddy who was unloading our luggage.

“Kyaaaaa~ Jeju!” Dami ran beside me as she grabbed my hand.

“What are we doing here anyway?” the witch asked.

Right on cue, Jiyong’s Dad appeared before us. He smiled at me as I did to him.

“What are you doing here?” the witch said.

“I…uh…” Jiyong’s dad stuttered.

“Oh, umm… witc – oh, I mean, Madam Kwon, we’re here for a vacation. You might want to slack off from work don’t you? Jeju is the right place, so…”

“I wasn’t asking that,” she said. “I asked you why he’s here.”

I went to Mister Kwon’s side and nudged him to speak. “Well… I thought we could have a holiday together… you know… as a family. We haven’t done this since, you know…”

“Let’s go home now, Teddy,” the witch said, gaze still fixed at Jiyong’s dad.

Panicking, I ran to the witch’s side. “Oh, Madam Kwon… we… you can’t leave yet. Not yet,” I said, waving my hands in front of me.

“Why is that?” she raised a brow.

“Uhhh… because…” I panicked, thinking of something legit. “You… your lungs are filled with polluted air so we come here to freshen them up.”

I mentally smacked myself immediately after I blurted that.

“Excuse me?” she widened her eyes.

Jiyong stood by my side, draping his arms on my shoulders. “What she meant was, isn’t it a beautiful day in Jeju? It would be a waste to miss this kind of weather.”

The trip was meant to be a two-day vacation only since Jiyong and Dami were going to school. Since it was a weekend, it was perfect.

Jiyong and I had planned this ahead as we wanted the in-laws – the witch and Jiyong’s dad – to make up already from many years of not speaking to each other nicely, probably since Jiyong’s mom died when Dami was born.

Firstly, we went onto many activities, we hiked on Halla-san, viewed majestic waterfalls, rode horses, we even lied around lazily on sandy beaches.

Throughout those activities, we tried to make the two closer. And I must say, it was rather difficult. It was like getting two stubborn lovers on fight make up. But they were more stubborn than lovers were – well, at least the witch was.

Once, when she almost fell from the horse as it was being frantic when she rode it, because apparently, she wasn’t much into horses, animals, and sports, Jiyong’s dad appeared with his horse like a perfect knight in shining armor as he calmed down the witch’s horse.

And also, there was one time when, being the classy woman she was, she was left on the foot of the mountain while panting. I nearly laughed to death when I heard her calling for us helplessly. Imagine? The great wicked witch Madam Kwon calling for somebody’s help? Whoa!

Then, Jiyong’s Appa was the one who went to fetch her and helped her to climb up to catch up with us.

However, she refused all of the helps Jiyong’s dad offered. She would just twitch her lips, or scoff at him, telling him that she would never forgive him ever.

Shivers.

As for Jiyong and I, we thought that this would finally be a holiday for us, though of course, our intimate actions would be limited since the witch was watching. But every time we got the chance, like we left the witch, Dami, and Jiyong’s dad alone, we would sneak up some kisses or hugs.

Before we thought that it was already safe to do them though, someone would appear right between us, and that was no other than the monkey, Teddy. Even though Jiyong and I would just walk side by side, shoulders brushing, hands not even holding each other, he would drape his arms on both of our shoulders as he separated the both of us.

I could only twitch my lips in annoyance.

Once, when we were sure that Jiyong’s dad and the witch were sitting on the sand with Dami, just watching the sunset, we sneakily looked for a place to share some lone time together.

When we reached a big rock, we climbed on it and rested ourselves there while snuggling on each other’s arms. Suddenly, we heard some splashing nearby and some shouting. We looked below where Teddy was ‘drowning’. Instinctively, Jiyong jumped into the water, helping him.

Apparently, he was faking it. I noticed it as I caught him biting back a smirk on his face when Jiyong helped him to the shore.

“Hyung!” Jiyong’s panicked voice entered my ears and as if on cue, Teddy coughed out the water he ‘accidentally’ drank and looked up at Jiyong with dazzled eyes.

“You saved me, Young Master!” Teddy said as he hugged Jiyong. “Come! Let me treat you to dinner.”

As the first day ended, we all went to our respective rooms. Originally, Jiyong and I wanted to be on one room out of habit. We noticed that we couldn’t really sleep if we weren’t in each other’s arms.

But when Teddy found it out, before I could, he immediately entered the room that was supposedly to be our room.

“Omo, you want this room to yourself, Young Master?” Teddy gasped. “You’re too selfish. Let me accompany you then,” he said as he plopped himself on that one large bed. Jiyong could only stare in shock, no words coming out of his mouth.

I glared at the monkey.

“So, Miss Sandara, your room is across right? Go on, take a rest,” he said, shooing me away with his eyes closed.

I twitched my lips as I stomped my way towards the room that was supposed to be his. I slammed the door close behind me as I leaned my back on it.

Why are everyone against me and Jiyong? Why was fate punishing me? Was it something I had done before that fate needs to make me suffer like this?

Nevertheless, I won’t give up.

I paced back and forth in my room as I couldn’t sleep. I didn’t even know what to do. I tried tiring myself by watching TV, tried the jumping jacks until I reached one hundred, I even tried counting three hundred sheep, but still, I couldn’t sleep.

Frustrated, I dropped to the ground and sighed heavily.

There was a knock on my door. Standing up, I wondered who it was. When I opened it, I smiled as I saw Jiyong, looking y as he was, even though he looked like he also couldn’t sleep like me.

“Would you like to come in?” I joked.

“Boy would I?” he asked. “I couldn’t sleep,” he said as he hugged me. Sniffling my hair, he added. “I missed you.”

I could only smile as I whispered my response. “I missed you too.”