Today is the final day for them at the villa, before fly back to their home tomorrow morning. Ji-hyo somehow feels a little bit sad when thinking that she’ll be separated from her boyfriend once they arrived home.

“Hey girl….what’s on your mind? You are quiet today…” Jong Kook talks to his girlfriend who’s sitting on his lap in the pool.

“N-neh? Nothing serious…..I’m just, sad that today’s our last day together. Then we’ll get back to reality.”

“But this is also a reality, love. The reality is, I love you so much…I’m crazy about you…”

“Haha…cheesy boyfriend. That’s not what I mean. When we go back, we obviously can’t spend our time as freely as we are here. Although we have told public about us, but we still need to control ourselves, or else we’ll be in the news every day.”

“Hurmmm….but I can do anything with you in your house…or in my house…or on your bed…” Jong Kook whispers and kissing Ji-hyo’s ears at the same time, making Ji-hyo feel ticklish.

“Ahahaha…oppa, that’s not what I meant.”

“I know, darl. But we’ll find our time alone okay. You know I’m getting addicted with you around every day. I don’t even know how I would survive without being able to hold you all the time after this. I can’t even imagine waking up in the morning without you by my side….urghhh…”

“Ermm…I know how to cure it….you can ask Gap Jin oppa to sleep with you….”

“Euwwww……I’m not gay, pehleaseee….”

“Hahahaha…oppa you’re cute with your aegyo….” Ji-hyo laughs cutely and lean back to her boyfriend.

“Oppa, I wonder what happens in Korea, after our PC.”

“I don’t know..I don’t wanna think about it…and we’ve promised not to think about it until we come back right? So let’s drop it.”

“Okay…I’m just…I don’t know…I feel like the feedback is not good…”

“Is that why you’ve been having bad dream, and have been quiet alone?”

“………Sort of……..”

“Stop it! Don’t waste your time thinking about things that’s not worth it. We have limited times left to spend together, so don’t let all the negative thinking affect our holiday and our mood.”

“Okay….I’m sorry….”

“Don’t be! Just be happy for me…”

Later on Haha and Byul join them in the pool. They start discussing about Haha & Byul’s marriage preparation.

“Hyung, we’ve been discussing about our marriage……and…..I would like you to be my best men.”

“Mwuh?? Are you sure?? Aihh…that’s quite a heavy task.”

“It’s simple…you just need to always be beside me…”

“That’s the problem…I’m afraid there’ll be a huge comparison of height and looks…ehem…”

“Yahhh!! Am I really that ugly? Huh…but hyung, imagine if it’s Jae-suk hyung…without his glasses….perghhhh…that could be a disaster….hahahaha…”

“Oppa, you’re bad!! I’ll tell Jae-suk oppa once we arrived in Korea,” Byul threaten jokingly.

“It’s just a joke…why are you sensitive over him?” Haha dissatisfied.

“Jealous hah??”

“Of course. Who knows you’re having an affair with him behind my back…”

“What?? Yah pabo!! That’s a crazy accusation.”

“Ahahahha….you’re pretty when you’re mad, yeobo!”

Haha then hug Byul to coax his girlfriend.

“Owh, unnie….ermm….I also want you to be my bridesmaid.”

“Mwuh?? Ahh Byul ah….I don’t think I’m suitable for that…I’m sure you have much prettier friends or relatives.”

“Unnie, frankly I don’t have any best friends. Of course I have friends, but none were that close to me. And I’m really comfortable with you, unnie. You’re like my sister already, although we’ve just been close this few days.”

“Ji-hyo ah, please accepts her wish. I’m also much comfortable if you’re with her. It’s easier for the four of us to be together and discuss everything. And we also trust you both more than anybody else.”

“Aihh…..I’m just….”

“Yeobo ah, let’s do them the favor. Who knows when we’re getting married, we’re gonna need their favor as well.”

“Chih!! As if you’re marrying me….”

“Mwuh rah goo??”

“Ahahahah…I’m joking, okay. Don’t get mad!”

Ji-hyo kiss her boyfriend’s forehead to ease the tense.

“Erm…okay then, Byul. I agree. But let me warn you, I know nothing about being a bridesmaid.”

“It’s okay, unnie. I’ll tell you what you need to do.”

“Ahhh…now I’m so happy that we’ve sort this out…” Haha, added.

They spend their times around the island and enjoy themselves like there’s no tomorrow. They also bought some souvenirs for their friends and families back at home.   

Later that night, after they came back to their villa, Jong Kook requests a little gift from Ji-hyo.

“Babe, let’s exchange our video speech to each other. I will record my speech, and you will record yours. Then we’ll exchange and can only view it when we’re at our own house. At least when I missed you, missed these moments, I have some gifts to recall it.”

“Owhhh…so sad….but it's a wonderful idea…Okay….Let’s trust each other okay. Let me have your phone.”

“Okay!”

They exchange phones and record a video of themselves expressing their love, their feelings and everything that they wanna say to each other.

And now it’s the final night they’ll sleep together at the villa. Ji-hyo suddenly feels sad especially when Jong Kook hugs her from behind while on the bed. Without force, her tears running down her cheeks. Ji-hyo tries to hide her sadness but Jong Kook can sense it from her movement.

“Hey, love…..please don’t cry…..”

Ji-hyo brings Jong Kook’s hand from her waist to her lips and kiss it.

“Are you sad that we’re going back tomorrow?”

“I’m…..I don’t feel good inside…I don’t know why….but I feel like, something’s gonna happen when we go back…I’m scared, jagiya….”

“No…no…please…..hey, come here….”

Jong Kook turns Ji-hyo’s body to face him. But Ji-hyo quickly hugs Jong Kook and cry on his chest.

“Sssyhh…..it’s gonna be alright…stop thinking too much, babe….You’re worry out of nothing…”

“Oppa, the dreams that I’m having,……it feels real….and even my heart is beating really fast today….like something bad will happen…”

“Dear, what exactly did you dream about? You said I left you because of something…..”

Ji-hyo couldn’t speak a word since her sob becomes harder.

“Sssyyhhh….okay, just calm down…I don’t know why these days you’ve been thinking lots of negativity than positivity. The girl that I know used to be someone strong, and positive thinking, and doesn’t care what people think or said about her. But now…..”

“Maybe I’m just not that brave girl anymore….people change, remember??”

“Okay….let’s not talk about this anymore…Love, please…Do not think about anything. Let’s just face anything that happened together, okay?”

“…….O….ok……okay……I’m…….sor….sorry……”

“Ssyhh….try to sleep okay…I love you, Cheon Seong-im…”

“Ahaha….op….ppa……” Ji-hyo finally laughs in her sobs.

“Ahh…my girl is back….smiling, and laughing….I love you so much….”

Jong Kook connects his lips to Ji-hyo’s and they both mark each other for their last night.

The flight from Male to Colombo, Sri lanka and then to Incheon arrives just as schedule. After passing the immigration, all four of them switch on their mobiles. While they were in Maldives, they have made agreement to disconnect from everything in Korea and enjoy their holidays in peace. Therefore now only they activate their sim card. But most except Byul were surprised to receive many texts and miss calls.

When Jong Kook calls his manager Gap Jin, he was informed not to answer any calls, read or reply any texts until all four of them gets into the car. Gap Jin also informs that many reporters were waiting outside the arrival gate for them. Of course Jong Kook ask for explanation, but Gap Jin cut it short and said he will explain once they left the terminal.

After pickup their luggage, they wait for their cue before going out. Securities have been line up to them to get thru those reporters. While waiting for Gap Jin’s cue, Ji-hyo standing and looking face to face at her boyfriend in worry.

“Don’t worry. Maybe they just find out about our vacations and they wanna know more about it. You’ll be fine, okay. I love you.” Jong Kook tries to soothe his girlfriend.

“Oppa….but I don’t think this is common…because from Chang Joo oppa’s voice, it seems like something serious had happened. Oppaaaaa……” Ji-hyo pulls the end of Jong Kook’s shirt like a little girl.

“Love, if you don’t stop your panic attack now, I will kiss you in front of all the press. How would you like that?” Jong Kook threatens Ji-hyo when he doesn’t know what else can calm his girlfriend.

“Fine!! I’ll keep quiet.” Ji-hyo shows her sulky face.

“Ahahaha….please love…just stay calm until we pass thru them. Then we’ll talk about this okay? Besides there’s no point to be worried for things that you don’t even have a clue.”

Ji-hyo finally agrees to Jong Kook.

When they get the cue, they walk out of the arrival hall with escorts only to be welcome by camera flashes and reporters that have been waiting at the exit door. Everyone is trying to get close with them but the airport security help to lead them out of the airport together with their managers. Jong Kook, Ji-hyo, Haha and Byul are still clueless of what’s happening.

Once inside the car, Gap Jin and Chang Joo ask for all mobile phones.

“What the hell is going on, hyung? Gap Jin ah?” Jong Kook starts to lose his patient.

“We’ll talk about it once we’re at Chang Joo hyung’s house.”

“Talking about it is one thing, but confiscates our mobile phones?? Is this something really serious?” Haha added.

“Something suddenly came up while you guys were on holiday. Just take a rest first. We’ll tell you everything later,” Baek Chang Joo advices.

Everyone feels uncomfortable, not knowing what the news and situations are.

Once arrived, everyone waited patiently for either manager to open up the story. However, Baek Chang Joo request Ji-hyo to come with him into his room.

“Wae??” Jong Kook burst out. Of course he’s uncomfortable to let his girlfriend to be alone with her manager in a room.

“Hyung, calm down…”

Ji-hyo follows Chang Joo into his room.

With a very blank face, Ji-hyo asks her manager, “What happened, oppa? This is kind of scary.”

Chang Joo handed few pictures, then show the news on the internet. Once Ji-hyo saw the pictures, she’s agape. It was a picture of her in her first movie that she acted when she’s still young. Not just a plain picture, but it was a picture of her intimate scene with her co-actors, . And there were few intimate scenes in the movie, making it many pictures of their love-making being uploaded in the internet.

The movie Ssaranghwajeomio was the first movie that Ji-hyo acted when she started her acting career. It’s a historical movie but was banned from being published since it doesn’t portray the real historical facts of Gongmin of Goryeo. The intimate scene also had been highlighted too much and being rated over ual scene which makes it totally banned especially from entering Korea. All those related to the movies had been called to sign an agreement to not say or do a thing about the movie. Of course there have been serious fight about it but when the government gets involved, there’s nothing much you can do about it.

After the movie is banned, Ji-hyo is totally relieved since she feels like she had made a wrong decision to act in such movie. Nobody knows about it accept her manager and family. But now that it’s being all over the internet, she feels like a slap on her face. She feels like she’s drowning. The horrible mistake she made in life is finally hunting her now.

“Oppa……” Ji-hyo call for her manager while crying. “What is gonna happen now?”

“Ji-hyo ah…be strong…I promise I’ll do everything to sort this out…but you have to be strong…”

“Wae?? Wae?? Why are they doing this to me?”

Ji-hyo turns to read the title of the articles on the internet. “How can an ace turn out to be in a movie?” Ji-hyo quickly close her eyes as she couldn’t stand with all the humiliation on the internet. They saw her as someone who acts in a movie, whereas it is actually a real movie except with many intimacy scenes.

Chang Joo feels sorry for Ji-hyo to be facing such things, just after she found happiness.

While in the living room, Gap Jin tells the same story about Ji-hyo that had been spread out everywhere.

“Mwuh???” Jong Kook is about to explode.

“Hyung ah, just a day after you left, someone uploaded the pictures and then every minutes new stories pop out about her regarding the pictures. We asked you to turn off the phones and confiscate your phones coz we don’t want you to be shocked while browsing the internet and also everyone is trying to reach all of you right now.”

Jong Kook brushes his hair while doing his thinking.

“How can this thing happen?” Haha ask Gap Jin.

“We don’t know. We are still trying to investigate this case. No one was given the authority to speak about the movie since its being banned before this. So this could turn out to be a serious issue. It shouldn’t be published, but now that it’s all over internet, it’s hard to take it back.”

“I’m gonna check on Ji-hyo,” Jong Kook said, ready to get Ji-hyo.

“She’s fine….She wants to be alone….” Chang Joo suddenly interferes.

“What? I need to be with her…She’s totally down right now,” Jong Kook insist.

“Jong Kook, please…She’s too devastated right now, and wanted to be left alone..She doesn’t want to see anyone, especially you.”

“Nonsense! You should know pretty well she needs me in a time like this….”

Jong Kook tries to go to Ji-hyo but Chang Joo blocked him.

“Kim Jong Kook! Please…….”

Jong Kook feels like burning inside him. He already clenches his fist. But Haha and Gap Jin hold him and calm him down.

“Hyung, calm down…” Haha voice out.

“JK hyung, please…for the sake of Ji-hyo….I’m sure she’s totally ashamed with all this, and you’re the last person she wants to see,” Gap Jin added.

Jong Kook sits back on the couch. He didn’t see yet how bad the picture was but right now, all he wants to do is to hug Ji-hyo and let her be in his arms, cry all she wants.

“I think, it’s better if all of you go back first. Leave Ji-hyo alone. You guys must be tired from the trip,” Chang Joo suggested.

“I’m staying…….”

Everyone now looking at Jong Kook.

“What?? Do you expect me to leave Ji-hyo alone with Chang Joo hyung?”

“Hyung, you heard what he said. She doesn’t want to see you. At least let her calm down for a few days,” Haha try making Jong Kook understand.

“If you want, I can stay…..” Byul suddenly offered.

“Mwuh??” Haha’s surprised with Byul suggestion.

“Well, who knows maybe she wants to speak with me,…you know, girl talk. Beside, I’m younger than her…maybe she won’t be that ashamed.”

“That’s right. Jong Kook hyung, I’ll stay with Byul…we’ll try to talk to her, and updates you..”

After thinking a while, Jong Kook agreed, but only because Byul and Haha is staying.

Before leaving, Jong Kook went to the room where Ji-hyo keep herself locked. Jong Kook leans at the door, giving his last words before he left.

“Ji-hyo ah, I’m leaving…Be strong, love. I want you to know, no matter what, I’ll stand by you. Please don’t let anything destroy our love. Let’s get through this together okay. I’ll be waiting for you. I love you so much, babe. Take care. Goodbye…..” Jong Kook holds the door for the last time, imagining he was holding Ji-hyo. He tries his best to cover his sadness, his frustrations.

While behind the door, Ji-hyo is already leaning on it, hoping that she can hold and hug Kim Jong Kook. After hearing Jong Kook’s goodbye, she can only sit  behind the door and cry alone in the room. It’s too painful for her, knowing that she needs to make a decision especially for Jong Kook’s good. The past that she kept quietly within her, is now freely published to everyone. The dark sight that she tries to forget is now hunting her back.

On the way home, Jong Kook didn’t say a word to Gap Jin.

“Hyung, are you okay?”

Jong Kook just let out a sigh while looking away.

“Hyung, I know it’s hard for you, with Ji-hyo acting that way. But try to understand her situation right now. I can tell you she’s totally upset, depressed, and hurtful. Who wouldn’t be, when this kind of things suddenly came up?”

After few minutes of silence, Jong Kook starts talking.

“Gap Jin ah…..did you watch the video??? Did you see the pictures?” Jong Kook asks weakly.

“N-neh, hyung.”

“……Gap Jin ah…….was it really bad??”

“…………..N-neh…….Hyung, it’s better if you didn’t watch, or see it…That was her past, don’t let it get on your way…don’t let it be in your mind…coz you may not be able to erase it anymore…..”

“How can it suddenly appear now? Who would have done such things?”

“I don’t know if my predictions are right. But I feel like it has to do with your love confession last week. Hyung, now you can even find a ‘Ji-hyo haters club’, a ‘We love Jong Kook, but hate Ji-hyo’s’ page. Many of your fans also asked you to leave Ji-hyo, saying you deserve a much better person. It could turn worst, hyung. It’s really pity for her.”

Jong Kook just close his eyes, then instructed Gap Jin to send him to his family’s house. He needs to see the feedback from his family. He couldn’t let them thinking bad about Ji-hyo.

At Chang Joo’s, Byul slowly try to speak to Ji-hyo.

“Unnie,…….can I come in?”

“N-neh….”

As Byul enter the room, Ji-hyo is standing by the window, crying while looking outside. When Byul is already behind Ji-hyo, Ji-hyo turn around with her soggy eyes.

“Owh, unnie…..” Byul looking at her, with sympathy.

Ji-hyo hugs Byul and cry on her shoulder. Byul rub Ji-hyo’s back to ease her sadness.

“It’s okay, unnie. Cry all you want. But tomorrow, you have to stand strong. Don’t let those who tries to bring you down succeed. This is just a test for you,….also for Jong Kook oppa…”

To hear Jong Kook’s name being mentioned, making Ji-hyo feels sadder.

Byul bring her to sit on the sofa in the room.

“Unnie, I know you’re sad right now. But don’t let them get into you. I’ve been in your situation before, I know how bad the feeling was. Stay strong, unnie…”

“Byul ah….this is so embarrassing. Yes, I shouldn’t have got involve with the movie in the first place. But I was very young and rebellious at that time. All I’m thinking is to prove to my family that I am in a movie. I didn’t realize that there’ll be a lot of intimate scene. It was a terrible mistake.”

“Unnie, everyone make mistake, especially during our teenage years. But that’s what makes us stronger. Learning from the mistake. And it happened long time ago right? Just give it around two, three weeks, it’ll go away.”

“How can I face anyone after this, Byul ah? They will be looking at me, imagining me making love….I don’t think I can ever see Jong Kook oppa anymore…I can’t!!!” Ji-hyo cries all out.

“Unnie, please….don’t do that to Jong Kook oppa. He wants to be by your side no matter what. Please, unnie. You need him, as much as he needs you…”

“Byul, haven’t you seen the picture? Wait until you watch the video. You’ll see me like a in the movie. Can you imagine if Dong Hoon oppa saw you in bed with someone else? Can you imagine how they are going to feel? Jong Kook oppa may say he doesn’t mind, but God knows deep inside he’s torn apart, crashing into pieces.”

“But this is unfair for Jong Kook oppa. He’s willing to accept everything and stand by your side. He doesn’t even look at those pictures. He at least deserve some explaination from you. It’s unfair to punish him like this, unnie."

“No! It’s unfair for him since the beginning. I shouldn’t have been with him in the first place. I should have known that I don’t deserve such a good guy like him. I’m being selfish. I know I have a dark past, I know I have made a huge mistake, but I still wanna be with him. And now, I should pay the price.”

“What do you mean, unnie? What are you going to do with Jong Kook oppa?”

“I need to make a decision that’s best for him…..” And Ji-hyo start to cry again, leaving Byul speechless.