Grandfather Jung was eyeing his daughter-in-law who was chatting happily with a beautiful lady in the kitchen, a lady whom he noticed as someone special for his grandson, since she is the only one who he constantly bring back home during important occasion.

“I am sorry I didn’t tell you before coming, I thought the shooting wouldn’t end this early…”

“It is okay, Ji Hyun-ah… I feel so bored since Yunho’s appa is out of town, and I think you didn’t come for a quite a long time, isn’t?”

She flashed her beautiful smile, before turning her attention to Grandfather Jung.

Even though she politely asked about his health, continue asking about his daily life which was replied with the same amount of politeness, he actually wanted to sent this girl home; it is already time to stop giving a fake promises that she still has chances to be in this house.

For him, Ji Hyun is really beautiful, and physically she is a good pairing for his grandson. But he never grew fond of her as he feels there is something off about her personality that makes she looks fake in front of his eyes. And over these years he was secretly silencing Yunho’s attention to make a clear move towards her, reasoning that it is better for him to stay focus on his career, and let her to do the same.

And now, Grandfather Jung feels it is inappropriate for his daughter-in-law for treating Ji Hyun as if she is Yunho’s wife, and she did look like forgetting her real daughter-in-law.

Here he comes with a brilliant idea, he just hope her favorite granddaughter-in-law know how to play the game.

He waited for Ji Hyun and his daughter-in-law walked inside the living room, where he starts make a usual phone call to Ri In, and seconds later the game started.

He managed to faint in front of the females.

*****

Ri In knew she was speeding her scooter with Korea speed record; she feels like her eyes are burning with the excessive tears she produced that day.

‘Grandfather Jung is the only person nice to me… please don’t let anything bad happened to him…’

She arrived almost an hour later, with a fully drenched outfit, since she forgets to wear her raincoat even though it was raining. “Omma, where is-” luckily she managed to stop asking once looking at the figure seated at the center of the house, it was Jeon Ji Hyun.

It was a distance between them both, as Ji Hyun already turned her face to look at the new comer.

Jeon Ji Hyun is glowing even from the distance; Ri In knows she is nowhere to compare with her beauty. She keeps looking at the figure in front of her, as Ji Hyun starts to shift in her seat, feeling uneasy with the stare.

“Ji Hyun-ah…” Mrs. Jung who was walking with a tray in her hand abruptly stops once she saw at the standing figure. “R…Ri In-sshi…”

And the soft call woke her up from her trance, as the different honorific usage silently telling her that she is not the family, yet.

“Ah, Ri In-sshi…you already here?”

Three of them turned to look at Ji Hye, who was standing at the stairs, looking down at her as if she was pissed off with Ri In’s presence. “Grandfather is upstairs, if you are coming because of him. ..”

Ri In quickly walked upstairs, passing through Ji Hyun and the female Jungs, she could feel her present wasn’t needed in the house especially when she overheard the faint conversations between the women.

“Who is that, ahjumma?”

“She… she is a neighbor…”

*

 Yunho arrived almost half an hour later after Ri In’s arrival, as he didn’t need to wait long to run back home after he got the phone calls from the woman he love, saying his grandfather suddenly fainted in the living room of his family’s house.

But his worried was double when he saw his mother and younger sister standing at the front door, with  serious gaze plastered on their face especially Ji Hye.

“How is grandfather, omma?” He asked while giving her a light hug.

“Doctor said nothing is wrong with him, everything is fine… but we don’t know, old people tend to be weak sometimes…”

Yunho sighed in relieved listening to Mrs. Jung explanation. “But why did both of you waiting for me here? I thought something bad happen…”

“Ji Hyun unnie is inside…”

“I know…she called me, telling about grandfather’s condition…”

“Ri In-sshi is also inside.”

His breath hitched listening to the unexpected reply from his sister. “How did she know about grandfather?”

“He was talking to her when he suddenly fainted. Neither of us calls her to come…”

“Ji Hye…” Yunho warned.

“Oppa… Just admit that no one likes her… So were you…”

Yunho opened his mouth to reply when he heard a light footsteps coming from his back, followed by his mother soft voice. “Ji Hyun-ah…”

He turned around as he finally faced his lover whom he didn’t meet for few days because of their busy schedule. Mrs. Jung and Ji Hye immediately know they are not wanted there, as they quickly walked inside the house, leaving the couple for their private time.

*

“Ji Hye… It is not good, what we are doing right now…”

She took a glance at her mother, as her happy face she had just now from looking at Ji Hyun changed into a sour expression.

“Omma, no need to be so sad or guilty… oppa was forced to marry her, an absolute stranger. Yunho oppa didn’t love her, he loves Ji Hyun unnie… you see it by your own eyes, omma…”

“But, he is still married to her… and Ri In is such a nice girl…” Mrs. Jung brought her palm to cover her face; she feels shame for the silent support she gave to her son.

Ji Hye turned her gaze to the couple, who was now in each other’s arm.

*

Ri In opened her tired eyes immediately when her body suddenly jerked to the front; she didn’t know how she ended sleeping with her head resting on Grandfather Jung’s arm. She wiped her sticky face, for all the tears she had shed that day.

She straightens up her body, and she took his hand into her palm. Tears suddenly formed again in her eyes, she herself didn’t know why she couldn’t stop it.

“Grandfather… everything is so hard. My life, my husband… everybody is so cruel to me…” She paused when a lone tear freed from her eyes. “And you the only one considering me as a family… we barely know each other, yet you already know each of my liking…” She wipes away the tears with the back of her hand. “Who are you, grandfather Jung? Why I have the feeling like you already know me for years?”

Ri In bent down, placing her head on the man’s chest. “Please don’t get sick, grandfather… please stays healthy, for me…”

*

Yunho slowly climb up the staircase, a weird feeling suddenly enveloped his heart to think that his lover and his wife is under the same roof. Even a simple hug makes his heart flooded with a mix of guilt and shame, how could he kiss his lover as much he missed her?

His train of thoughts stops once he arrived at the front of his grandfather’s door, but his plan to walk inside halted by a sobbing voice.

He heard each of her words, as it really stops his second thought to look at his grandfather. And all his previous feeling turned into a greater one, he feels like a devil hurting a bleeding angel.

*****

The tense is everywhere, and Jonghyun could feel sweat forming between his palm and the microphone. He took a glance to the door, watching people walk inside and outside the room. But nobody is the exact person he missed so much.

It is not he don’t want to call her, but their manager choose to keep their phone away for their final practice, and her phone was off each time he have time to call her, making them lost contact for this one week.

“SHINee, get ready. Your stage is in five minutes.”

He feels a tap on his shoulder, and it was Key. The assurance smile usually managed to ease his heart each time they scolded by their trainers during training session, but this time it doesn’t make any effects to his heart.

“No need to worry, Jjong… we already practice for months, this debut is going to be success…” Jonghyun just give a weak smile as a response, he knew is also nervous; a normal Key usually will walks around bragging about their confidence, instead of giving him a half hug.

They reached the other three members who were standing close together with a huge friendly smile on their face. Onew, their leader put his hand in front and naturally they all placed their palm on the top of the back of his hand, and later a loud ‘FIGHTING’ could be heard from the new group.

They all walks out from the room, JongHyun whole heartedly anticipating Ri In to stand by the door holding camera, but it was the opposite when he saw Se Kyung waiting for him, and he was surprised to look how tired she was.

He turned to s who was grinning widely, with TaeMin cutely motioning him to look back; he unconsciously took a step back surprised with the close distance between him and Se Kyung.

And he didn’t know why he was freezing in front of her, as he feels like he was drowning in her shimmering eyes.

“Se Ky-”

“Save your voice for your performance, please let me do the talking, JongHyun-sshi…”

He shivered when she snakes her hand to the back of his neck, unclasping the necklace as she slid something else on it, before clasping it back.

“I know you won’t wear the one that I gave you, probably it is already into the dustbin the day I gave the pendant…”

He looks down to his chest and saw a small white pendant hanging on it. “This is another half of it; it was a couple pendants…”

JongHyun observed her face, as this is the first time they stand so close to each other.

She looked up into his eyes, the pooling tears on the brim of her eyes unconsciously wavering his heart.

“Don’t feel burden with my existence, because I can’t give up on you yet, JongHyun-sshi… call me crazy, pathetic, anything… but you’ll keep seeing me around…”

Se Kyung took a step back, making a gap between them. “Many people will cheer for you… so don’t worry…” She fished something out her pocket and later revealing a pearl aqua glow stick in her hand. She fisted her hand and look above his shoulder, “SHINee FIGHTING!” and she received a loud ‘FIGHTING’ as reply.

She returned her gaze to JongHyun who is still speechless, she wave the glow stick lightly before whisper “Kim JongHyun, fighting.”

*

Ri In soft sobs waking up the sleeping man and a small smile replaced the frown on his forehead. He was awake few minutes after the doctor went home, and he noticed Ri in’s arrival but he wasn’t intended to fall asleep again, actually.

“Ri In-ah…”

She quickly sit up from her previous position and look at the figure below her, she feels all relieved to see Grandfather Jung finally opens his eyes.

“Grandfather…”

“Is Yunho arrived yet?”

“Eh?”

Grandfather Jung slips out from his bed sheet, and stretching out his arm before patting his shoulder, he doesn’t look sick at all…

“Ri In-ah… I am hungry. Let’s eat.”

She followed him closely, “Grandfather, you are sick. Let me take the food from downstairs…”

Grandfather Jung quickly hushes her. “I am already okay once I saw you. Come.”

Mrs. Jung and Ji Hye were really surprised to see him walking down, looking fresh as if he is just waking up from a nap. “Father, I thought you were sick?”

“Where is Yunho? “ He asked, not bother to reply her early question. “He is supposed to be here right now. That young man seems like not care about this old man anymore, am I right?”

Mrs Jung and Ji Hye took a glance to each other. “Oppa is in his room.”

“Good. How dare him didn’t visit me.” He took his steps to Yunho’s room, but quickly stopped by Ji Hye.

“No…Grandfather… Let me call him for you. You just stay here.”

“Why? Who is in his room?”

“N…No body…”

The female Jungs look at each other, as they were quivering with fear. All this time Grandfather Jung was so strict about bringing friends inside their room, opposite gender friends to be exact.

And Grandfather Jung never allowed Yunho to let Ji Hyun inside of his room before, and it will be not so pleasant to let him know she is inside Yunho’s room right now.

Grandfather Jung looks directly to Ri In who was standing quite far from them. “Jung Ri In, go and call Jung Yunho. Now.”

*

Yunho throws his attention to the view outside of his room; trying to calm his heart when his mind continues replayed her words.

Grandfather… everything is so hard. My life, my husband… everybody is so cruel to me…

He heaved a long sigh; he knows he is a total jerk right now. He feels bad for almost forgetting his wife; he realized even if he doesn’t love her, he still holds responsibility towards her. And the idea of being responsibility towards someone he merely knows, plus the responsibility needs to deal with heart and love, it really makes him lost his mind.

He rubbed his face with both his palm, the future seems blurry.

His body tense when he feels a pair of arm wrapped around his waist, he knows it is no other than his lover. Yunho turned his body around to meet eye-an-eye with her, and suddenly all the worried he had just now vanished after receiving her warm touch.

“I missed you, Ji Hyun-ah… how come you never replied any of my calls?”

She snuggled deeper inside his chest, feeling comfortable with his strong arm around her. “Promotion after promotion, and endless photo shoot… you should know better, Yun…” She whispered.

 “I know… and I feel uneasy reading all the happy fan account writing their observations about your relationship with Bi hyung…”

“Are you jealous?”

 He looked down towards his lover who have a smile drew on her face. “Of course I am… you are my girlfriend, aren’t you?”

Ji Hyun traced her finger from her forehead down his nose before end at his lips. “But it is only for work, Yun…”

“For work is okay. I mean friendly lunch or dinner without other friends… please do me a favor by stop meeting Bi hyung outside work, ok? The filming has ended quite long, isn’t?” He slowly bent down and captures her soft lips.

They stay connected for a while, both have their eyes closed enjoying the sweet moment they rarely got. They broke off and stare into each other eyes, as Yunho put his finger under her chin, lifting it a little.

“I love you, Ji Hyun-ah…”

“I know…”

“You love me too, right?”

A frowned form on her forehead listening to his tone, she noticed his insecure tone was often since she accept the offer to act with Bi, but his tone now is not just insecure, there is also doubt in it.

She slowly leans forward into his hug, placing her head on his muscular chest while letting silence enveloping them.

“I really love you, Ji Hyun-ah…”

She circled his waist letting no gap between them; and took a deep breath before replying. “I love you too, Yun…”

*

Ri In took a silent step to Yunho’s room, as this is the first time she reached his room. She raised her hand to knock, but later stops when she noticed a crack on the door. She peeped through it, and her eyes wide open when she saw her husband has another woman in his arm.

“I missed you, Ji Hyun-ah… how come you never replied any of my calls?”

She clutched the front of her dress, her heart suddenly feel heavy listening his caring tone towards his lover, but it suddenly turns into a sharp pain remembering how he never cares to answer her phone calls.

Tears formed again in her eyes looking how intimate their position, she was sure even lights can’t pass through them.

She moved closer, and later she heard the faint conversation between the couple.

“I love you, Ji Hyun-ah…”

She covered from letting her sobs to be heard, but later it can’t be mute anymore when she heard a reply, “I love you too, Yun…”

*

‘They love each other, and what am I doing here?’

Ri In took a step back, as tears start finding their way down her cheek.  It is already hurt to live in assumption about her husband lover, and to witness it with her very own eyes, it kills her. She gasped when Yunho suddenly shifted his gaze towards her direction, as their eyes connected for a second.

She ran down the stairs, she knows she can’t stand any longer to stay here anymore. Grandfather Jung who catches the glimpse of her running figure strides to her, calling her in the same time.

And the old man finally managed to catch her when she was starting her scooter engine. “Ri In-ah… what happen? Where are you going? And why are you crying?”

She wipes the tears with the back of her hand, but she still don’t see him into the eyes as she busying herself with her helmet.

“Nothing, grandfather… I just want to get back home…”

“Suddenly, crying like this? Where is Yunho?”

Her body stiffens when he brought up that name. She finally looked up to the old man, who was startled to see her with quivering lips and blood shot eyes, her face was wet and messed up, and he didn’t need to be a genius to notify that she is hurting.

“Why are you insisting to arrange the marriage between me and Yunho if he already has someone in his heart, grandfather?”

Grandfather Jung was taken aback with her question. He tried to reach for her hand, but she pulled herself away. “I don’t know your attention grandfather… but whatever you are doing it is just hurting Yunho and his lover…”

She took a long sniff before harshly rubbing her already puffy eyes, and Grandfather Jung noticed her body was swaying.”Ri In, you are not well…”

“Grandfather… I know this is very rude of me… but could you consider to…”

“If you are talking about taking other woman as my granddaughter-in-law, I am never going to grant it…” He quickly replied as if he already read her mind.

And Ri In could feel something heavy thrown on top of her chest. She turned to her side to look Mrs. Jung and Ji Hye was walking closer to her direction, and she knows none of the woman like her presence. She quickly starts her engine before bowed to the old man, and he easily could easily traced her trembling figure. “I am sorry I can’t stay long… I am going first…”

Grandfather Jung knows stopping her won’t bring any good. He went in, passing through her daughter-in-law and granddaughter before catching his grandson figure strides down the stairs.

“Grandfather, where is Ri In?”

“Home, she suddenly wants to get back home.”

Grandfather Jung noticed the guilty expression on his grandson face, and he was determined to know the reason for her running away.

“When you are going to sent Ji Hyun back home, Yunho-ah?”

Yunho could feel his jaw tighten, didn’t know what needs to be answered. “Her manager is on the way…”

“So you really keep another woman in your room even though your wife is just in another room?” He asked between gritted teeth, doesn’t want his voice to reach the guest upstairs.

 “Yet the only thing she cared is not to hurt you and your lover, am I giving her into a wrong hand, Jung Yunho?” Yunho lowered his face, feeling shame to look into his grandfather’s eyes.

Ji Hye and Mrs. Jung come back seconds later, and both of them having their stomach churning looking at the cold conversation having by both Jungs.

 “And I never feel this shame with Ji Hye’s attitude, what is so lacking about Ri In until you can’t like her even a bit?” She hang her head lower than anybody in the house, she knows her rudeness is overboard.

Grandfather Jung heave a heavy sigh before turned his back. “If you not have at least love for her Yunho, show her some respect… please don’t make me feel guilty towards her parents…” 

*****

Jang Jin Young was leaning against her chair, as she slowly on her cigarette, allowing the smoke to flow smoothly into her lungs. She looked blankly at all the papers on her desk; suddenly she feels the urge to throw all the piling papers into the dustbin.

She irk an eyebrow when her secretary walk in, she knows he was about to inform her about her schedule.

“Cancel all the meetings, I want to go home.”

“But Ms. Jang, today is the final meeting with our client. The project can’t be proceeded if-” The young man suddenly squatted down when a file fly to his direction.

“Can’t you understand Korean? Should I hire someone who knows Korean language well?”

“Ms.Jang -”

“Get out!” She screamed, as her secretary didn’t need to be told twice. She quickly packed her belonging when her door was opened again. And this time, he knows the silent step wasn’t belonging to her secretary.

“You keep cancelling meetings.”

“I am not in mood for a meeting, appa…”

“Jang Jin Young. I am not raising you up to destroy this company!”

She looked straight into her father’s eyes, rage burning her gaze. “What am I actually, appa? Why can’t I have a normal living like others? Why I need to focus my life for this company 24/7, solely running it while the other can live a better life?”

Mr Jang walks closer to his daughter behind the desk, cupping her face between his palms. “This is our company, Jin Young. And you are the next heir of this empire…”

She pushed her father away, as she violently crushing the end of her cigarette into the ashtray. “The real owner is outside there, happily living her life doing something she likes, and married to Korea most wanted bachelor, my crush for years…”

“You can get any guy in the world once you get the company, Jin Young…”

“Is it? And where can I find another Yunho?” She asked sarcastically, throwing her father a challenging gaze before turning her back to her father, and clicking her heels to the door.

“If you are genius, you’ll stop thinking about other thing except this company. It takes only few steps more for you to snatch everything from her…”

She look over her shoulder, she always wonder why she is the only one who were forced to learn business, and as far as she could remember Ri In was never asked to do the same, even though their age difference not more than a year . And she never understand why her father always mentioned about snatching this company from her, wasn’t this a family business? It is just her father trusted her with the company more than her younger sister, supposedly.

“This is ours anyway…”

“It doesn’t include her…” His father turned her body to face him. “Our only means both of us, Jin Young-ah…”

*****

Ri In slowly climbed the steps, she can feel her vision getting blurry making she choose to not going home which is still a distance away. She struggled to open the door to her small studio, a private place she shared with JongHyun for their photography purpose.

She shut the door behind her, sliding down the wooden frame tiredly. She closed her eyes, trying to stop the lingering pain in her heart, but only makes her remember the scene she saw between Yunho and Ji Hyun.

Ri In pulled her knees to her chest, she feels too weak to open her eyes. But later she was forced to open it when she feels her phone vibrated in her pants pocket, signaling there is a message coming in.

‘Ri In, this is Mrs.Lee. Sorry for disturbing you late at night, but I need to ask whether you want to participate in the Vogue contest. I need to confirm your name to the Vogue Headquarters, and no worries I already have your details. Text me back, I need your answer before tomorrow noon.’

She quickly replied the message, even she knows her chance to win is almost zero, she really needs something to keep her busy, something to distract her from all the sad memories.

‘Okay, but I need Mrs.Lee help to assist me…’

And seconds later she got a message with numbers of smiley in it, she feels like texting a kid.

‘Ri In-ah, I prayed night and day for you to say yes. Don’t worry, I’ll help you as much as I can… by the way, JongHyun’s debut performance is Daebak! I don’t believe he is the funny guy on the set, I mean his eyes can kill all women! Okay, C u later, Ri In-ah…’

Ri In gasped once she saw the last message, “Oh god, I missed his debut performance…”

She tries to stands up, but the simple movement seems difficult when her legs failed to support her, she couldn’t even see anything clearly.

Ri In chooses to close her tired eyes, letting darkness inviting her into a cold dream of her lonely childhood days.

*****

This chapter is long and boring isn't?

I am sorry, this time I just don't know where to put cliffhanger.. gomenasai...

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