Throughout the whole party, which was more like a formal announcement that the Kims had a new daughter and a new future daughter-in-law, Jaejoong was distressed, as was the rest of his family. Tae Hee had not shown up. His unknown sister hadn’t shown up either, but Ye Sung had made sure she would appear. Of course he had to; his life was on the line.

And to top it off, Jang Ri In had also attended. He rolled his eyes. So nobody had told her. 

“JAEJOONG OPPA!” She kissed him on the cheek. He flinched at her touch.

“Ri In.” he nodded coldly.

“Oh I’m so excited! We’re going to get married soon! The announcement’s two days from now, isn’t it? What ring have you gotten me?”

“Oh don’t worry. Your piggy bank has got something very awesome in store for you, “he replied sarcastically.

She slapped him on the arm playfully. “Don’t joke with me! ^^”

“I’m not kidding. You’re such a ---”

“Son.”

Jaejoong turned to face his father. “Appa?”

“Treat her better. You may just have to marry her.”

Jang Ri In smirked and walked off to greet some guests, assuming the title “Jaejoong’s fiancée”.




“What do you mean, Appa?”

“Your girlfriend...she’s been kidnapped.”

“WHAT?” His inkling had been right.

“They just called us for a ransom.”

“We have to give it to them.”

“No.”

“What? Why? She’s my girlfriend, your future daughter-in-law! Don’t be so greedy! We’re filthy rich! We can give it to them, if it’s money.”

“Like you said, if it’s money---but it’s not. They want two-thirds of the shares.”

“We can give it to them!”

“They’re basically telling me to give them our whole company. If they get the shares they want, they’ll be in charge of our company!”

Silence. “But we have to...”

“She’s just a girl. Half the population in the world, 3.35 billion, are females. You don’t need her. You’ve got 3,499,999,999 other girls to choose from.”

“But she’s not just any girl, she’s the girl I like.”

“Well, people will change. Just give her up. It’s your future or her. The choice is yours.”

Jaejoong hesitated as he gazed at Jang Ri In conversing with the guests. Would he ever grow accustomed to her again?



*****


Tae Hee cried aloud as she was thrown into a darkened room. Had she done the right thing, telling Jaejoong not to come? Had he gotten the clue? Would he be angry at her, for not coming? But then again, she probably was nothing to him. 

Her masked kidnapper opened the door and artificial light streamed in. Despite the fact that they had bound her legs so she couldn’t escape, she felt thankful. She had always been scared of the dark.

“Hey,” he said. “You okay?”

She was surprised at the true concern in his voice.

“Um... yeah... I guess.” She hesitated and braced for the laughter that always followed. “But... do you happen to have a...night-light?”

No laughter. 
Not even a chuckle. 

What was wrong with him?


“So do you have a night-light?” Tae Hee repeated, this time slower.

“Um... I can go buy it if you want,” he offered. Why was he being so nice to her?

“Thanks...”

“But before I go, here.” He handed her a take-out box. “Eat up. Who knows how long you’ll be here.”

And with that, he left, leaving the door ajar so some light could reach her.




For a while, Tae Hee sat there, staring out into the walls. Thunder boomed and lightning flashed. She flinched and curled up into a ball. All those bad memories, the ones she tried so hard to forget, kept resurfacing. 

“Jaejoong...” she murmured. 

She regretted all those times she had rebelled against him and even the day she had attempted to beat him up. She laughed to herself when she remembered the day he bought her diamonds. She had been so happy. And now, she was stuck alone in a dark room in the middle of nowhere. Alone. Cold. Unprotected.

Thunder boomed again. And all happy memories were forgotten. She was reminded off her appa, the one who had scarred her for life. That fateful night when he had broken her trust. She was reminded of her umma, the one who had lied to her. And she missed them even though they had done awful things to her.

Oh how she wanted Jaejoong to come and save her. How she wanted him to pick her up and caress her like there was no tomorrow. She wanted him to kiss her tenderly and keep her in his arms forever. Oh how she wanted.

The door creaked open. All thoughts of Jaejoong and her family and friends dissipated. That awful door brought her back to reality, where she was all alone in a cold room in the middle of the night. And she still wanted Jaejoong to come, be her knight in shining armor, and save her from the depths of loneliness.


*****


“Isn’t there still some hope?”

“Time is ticking, son.”

He stepped forward towards the platform. He turned back. “I can’t.”

Mr. Kim pushed him back and glared sternly at him. “You have to.”

Jang Ri In smiled, satisfied, in the crowd.


She was about to marry the piggy-bank of her dreams.

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