From the elevated office, Jaejoong watched Tae Hee exit the school campus. He felt guilty; he wasn’t supposed to betray Tae Hee’s love. He shook his head. She betrayed you. She should be the one feeling guilty. She’s a liar. She deserves all of this. He shook the thought out of his mind. You still love her. Man, Kim Jaejoong, what have you gotten yourself into?

His eyes darted to another speck on the campus: Kim Sung Hee. Interesting.. she wasn’t behaving like her normal, stuck-up self. What was wrong with her? Was she...acting humble? Sung Hee held a cell phone to her ear, and she seemed very disturbed. In fact, she even shouted at the caller. Something wasn’t right. 


*****


The door creaked slowly open as Tae Hee peered inside her house. She looked outside and checked the address. It WAS the right address. But no. No, this couldn’t be her house.

But it was. But it wasn’t. It was missing something. Something she couldn’t place her finger on.

“Umma?”

Umma. That was what---or who---was missing. But why?

She ventured deeper into the unlit house. “Umma?”

Eyes closed, she flicked the light switch on. Light flooded her umma’s bedroom.

She opened her eyes. It was...empty; it was in a state she had never seen before. The perfume bottles that usually scattered the vanity mirror tabletop were placed neatly one beside another. The unkempt bed was made---in fact, even the pillows were fluffed. But mostly, her umma’s sweet aroma, which she loved so dearly, was hidden beneath the foul scent of Lysol.


This was too clean.

This was too...wrong.


**


They told her it was because she didn’t pay the bills, but Tae Hee knew her umma wasn’t that type of irresponsible person. So she didn’t understand why she would just leave.

Tae Hee sat on the curbside and stared at the neighborhood where she had grown up. She saw Younha and Seung Yeon happily jump rope as Sung Hee and she smiled while swinging the rope in a circular movement. She saw the four of them crinkle their noses at the sight of the cootie-infested boys. She saw them play on the park playground. She saw the four of them, best friends since young, chase the ice cream truck. She saw them their desserts as they giggled over guys. She saw them shouting at each other across the street, asking for help on a math problem. And then she saw Lee Teuk oppa. She saw him with that bowl cut of his, hugging his favorite stuffed brain. Yes, she had known he’d become a doctor since they were young. There he was grinning awkwardly with his new braces. Here he was... teaching her how to ride a bike and handing her a band aid because she had fallen off. She gazed a bit farther down the street. There all five of them were...walking together to school. 

She stopped reminiscing. She wanted to keep that image of her childhood friends always in her heart. She grew angry at herself. How could she have given up her childhood, her home just for a stupid little deceiving boy? She shook her head in irritation. She was so stupid. Now it was all gone...forever.

“Okay. Time to go now,” she told herself. She stood up, brushed the dirt off of her, and walked back to her real home. Time to continue her life. She had chosen that path, so she’d have to continue walking down it.



*****


Ji Eun opened the door. “Welcome home, miss! We were wondering where you went.”

She nodded and headed to her room, passing by Jaejoong’s room. She stopped and turned back. Knocking on the door, she asked, “Jaejoong?”

“Hm?” He was on the balcony of his bedroom. She took a seat on his bed, her back facing him.

“It’s been a while when we were together like this, huh? Just the two of us with nothing to worry about.”

“Hm.”

She took a deep breath. “Congrats on your engagement with Sung Hee. You guys are suitable for each other, I guess.”

“Hm.”

Was something wrong? “Haha. I guess I’ve finally accepted the fact, huh?”

“...”

“I don’t think I can handle denying it anymore, so I’ve given in. In a way, it’s a good thing, huh? I can go and marry Lee Teuk without feeling guilty, and you can marry Sung Hee without worrying.”

“...”

“But you know...”

“...?”

“I don’t think I’ll be attending your wedding.” Tae Hee’s voice cracked.

“Hm?”

“I don’t know.”

“...” Good, I don’t want you there either, he thought to himself. 


“Okay, I’m going to my room now.” She rose and stared at his back before heading towards the exit. I’m leaving tonight, aren’t I? 



*flashback*

“Teukie... when you said that you were leaving for the States tonight... does that mean I’m coming with you on this trip?”

“Hm... yeah. Why? Do you not want to leave Korea yet?”

“No. It’s not that...” she lied.

He smiled. “I already got you the ticket.”

She returned a fake grin.

*end flashback*



It wasn’t that she didn’t want to leave Korea. It was because she couldn’t leave the people in Korea behind. “And...I’m ditching the CEO position. You can have it back. I never wanted it anyway.” She sped out of the room and back to her own---to pack her bags. 


She gazed at the closet and sighed. It was this wardrobe and mansion that summed up her new life. However short, it was a lasting impression: being rich. Sure with her other umma, they had led a decent life, but not one that was like this. James Bond once said that a person only lived twice. They had one life with guidance... one without. Funny, she already had her two... and yet, she was starting yet another one. Would this be a perfect life? or would it be the worst thing of her three of her lives? Was living thrice even possible? I mean, who dared to question James Bond’s wisdom?



*****


She took a last breath as she soaked in her Korean surroundings. A quiet death. Nobody would know until tomorrow morning---when it was too late to stop her. She would be already halfway around the world.

The moment that plane took off, Kim Tae Hee would be gone maybe forever (as Kim Jeong Hee had gone before). [A/N: Kim Jeong Hee was the name the Kim’s gave her when she was born. And when she was adopted, her foster parents changed her name.] She would be Mrs. Lee Teuk Park, better known as Dr. Lena Park---famous neurologist. [Yes, she was even willing to change her name.] Even if she returned to Korea, would Tae Hee still exist? Maybe in the back of everybody’s minds, a faint memory. Her head lowered as she realized that she would be the next pawn---the next pawn beaten by this game of love.

“You okay?” Lee Teuk asked her as they stood in line, ready to go and meet the airplane they’d be riding. After this passageway, she wouldn’t be able to turn back.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered halfheartedly.

“Good, ‘cause I don’t want you dying on the flight there.” 

He grinned at her as he handed a staff member his boarding ticket. A machine ate the ticket and let Lee Teuk pass. He was on the other side now.

Silence. Despite the fact that roughly three hundred people were surrounding her, it was quiet... as if He was giving her one last chance to change her mind. She handed the staff member her ticket, the machine ate it, and... her cell phone rang. She still hadn’t crossed the line. Why was she dying so slowly? Screw the phone, she thought, and she hung up and went to the other side.

As Tae Hee settled herself into the seat, Lee Teuk placed his hand on hers. He grinned and she was emotionless. What was wrong with her? Didn’t she like Lee Teuk? He HAD been her crush for so many years, and now, she was sad? It just didn’t feel right, leaving Korea right away. She still had school, her senior year, in fact; she couldn’t graduate with her friends now. Her phone rang once again.

“Why don’t you pick it up?” he questioned.

Flipping it open, she greeted, “Hello?”

“Tae Hee...I’m...” the other side said.

“Hello?” That voice. She knew that voice. It was so familiar. But she couldn’t identify it. 


Just let me hear your voice again.


The line went dead.


The captain spoke. *LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. WE ARE GETTING READY FOR TAKE OFF. AT THIS TIME PLEASE TURN OFF ALL CELL PHONES AND OTHER ELECTRONICS AND BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS. THANK YOU AND ENJOY YOUR FLIGHT.*

Tae Hee ignored him and furiously punched the numbers into her phone. “Come on....pick up...pick up...” she muttered quickly.

A stewardess tapped Tae Hee on the shoulder. “Miss, may you please turn off that phone?” Tae Hee shifted her shoulder and shot the lady an annoyed glare.



One ring.

Two rings.

Three.

“Miss, PLEASE TURN IT OFF. If not, I am forced to take it away from you.”

The opposite line picked up. “Hello?”

was stuffed. “Can you say my name...once again?”

“Mianhae.”

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN SORRY? SAY MY NAME!” Tae Hee cried into the phone.

“Mianhae.”

The line went dead.



She punched the numbers in again.



One ring.

Two rings.

“We’re sorry. The caller you have been trying to reach---“


“This is your final chance,” the stewardess warned, obviously on her last straw.



Redial. 

The stewardess pried the phone from Tae Hee’s grasp. Tae Hee sat in her seat quietly and then suddenly shouted aloud, “LET ME OFF! I NEED TO GET OFF!” 

“Tae Hee, what happened? Calm down please.” Lee Teuk patted her on the back.

“I NEED TO GET OFF!” Tae Hee unbuckled herself and stood up, running up the aisle.

“TAE HEE!” he called after her.

“I CAN’T GO! UMMA NEEDS ME! EVERYBODY NEEDS ME! KOREA NEEDS ME!”

“You can’t, miss,” a stewardess stated as kindly as she could (which wasn’t very kind), blocking the passageway. “We’re already flying.”

The shock permeated throughout Tae Hee as she stumbled back a few steps. She glanced out the window, they were right. She staggered back to her seat and lay her head on Lee Teuk’s shoulder, tears streaming down her cheeks. 

Lee Teuk patted her on the head. “There, there, Tae Hee. It’ll be okay, you’ll see.”

And there was her childhood lover, trying to comfort her. Two years ago, she would’ve died for him. But now... there wasn’t even a speck of a spark. She felt lonely. All alone, just yearning for...

“Jaejoong...” she whispered before falling asleep. “Mianhae.”

And the plane continued soaring through the night sky.



*****


“...Tae Hee...” He watched the plane fly by, not knowing it was carrying his beloved sister. “Mianhae.” It was his fault, wasn’t it? All because of him. He laid on his bed, contemplating over his actions, and soon fell into a deep slumber.


“Young master! Jaejoong!” Ji Eun shouted as she continuously shook him.

“Hm... go away,” he groaned as he waved her away, ignoring the pain shooting throughout his joints. “I wanna sleep.”

“But... Miss Tae Hee’s gone!”

He turned his back towards her. Tae Hee’s gone. “Go away,” he groaned again.

“She left a message for you!” 

He turned towards the maid and growled, “What’d she say?”

“Go to the florist near her house?” she replied hesitantly. “It’s such an odd message...”



Ignoring her, he rushed out of his bedroom; he was headed for the florist.

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