Feelings or commitment?

Krystal laid her head on Minho’s shoulder, savoring the moment that she is in his arms again. She closed her eyes, burrowing her face on the crook of his neck, inhaling his scent.

The moment was broken by the ringing of her mobile phone. They both pulled away from each other and she fished the phone out of her bag, then stared at the screen. Kyoung Jae’s name flashed on the screen and Krystal frowned.

Minho saw who was calling, too, and immediately stood up and stepped away from Krystal, waiting for her to take the call.

She pushed the end button and the room grew silent again.

He looked at her phone, then his stare went down to the ring that was on her finger. “You’re still engaged to Kim Kyoung Jae,” he calmly pointed out.

Krystal stared at the ring and sighed. “I only agreed to marry him so that my father would allow me to come back to Seoul. I never loved him.”

“If you haven’t met me again, would you marry him?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess.”

His brows furrowed.

Krystal stood up from the couch and went to Minho. She put her arms around his waist and leaned her head on his chest. “But if I’m already married to him, I’d divorce him once I see you,” she giggled.

He didn’t laugh with her. He just put his hands on the sides of her face and made her look up at him.

She pouted at the expression on his face. “Aw, don’t be jealous,” she looked down on her ring and took it off from her ring finger. “I’m breaking our engagement.”

He sighed. “What about your father?”

She shrugged. “All he cares about is money. Your father is richer than Kim Kyoung Jae’s. I’m sure my father would not oppose to you now.”

“It’s not that simple, babe,” he murmured, pushing a strand of her hair from her forehead.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you really know why he was so opposed to us being together?” Minho asked.

“He doesn’t want me to marry someone who’s poor, that’s why,” she answered, but her eyes were questioning. Is there something she needs to know?

Minho shook his head. “Your father hates my father more than anyone else, Krystal. Even when I don’t know who my father was back then, your father knew. He knew that I was the son of his mortal enemy. Money is out of the question.”

She gaped at him. “W-why? How?”

He looked out the glass walls that overlook the bustling streets of the city below. “It was what my father told me. He grew up with your mother. They were the best of friends, my parents and your mother. My father was in love with your mother, and it seemed like she loves him back, too. But then one day she married the man her parents had chosen for her…your father. In desperation my father turned to my mother, who has secretly been in love with him the whole time. But in the end he left us. Because my mother always nag at him and they would always fight. She was so insecure about the fact that my father had always loved her other best friend…your mom,” he paused and looked at Krystal, assessing her reaction.

Her eyes were wide. “Wow. Why don’t I know any of this?”

“Ask your mother. Do you know that your father thought that Jessica and you are not his children but my father’s? He thought your mother has been unfaithful to him because she still communicated with my parents, especially my father until you were born.”

“S-so…my father thought that you…and I are brother and sister?!”

Minho nodded. “I was relieved when my father assured me that it was impossible. He didn’t have any intimate relationship with your mom, as much as he loves her. Your mother has always been faithful to your father.”

Krystal ran a hand on her hair and looked up at the ceiling, thinking. “That’s why Sica unnie and I never really felt that he loved us,” she murmured. Then she turned to Minho. “I’m relieved to know we’re not…siblings,” she cringed. “But how do we convince appa that?”

Minho shrugged. “There is a sure way. DNA testing. But I think in a way your father knows that you’re his daughters, he just can’t admit it to himself that he’s wrong,” he smiled bitterly. “But do you think he would allow his daughter to marry his mortal enemy’s son?”

She took a deep breath and stepped closer to him again. “What do we do? Run away? I’d go with you anywhere. And there’s no reason that you won’t run away with me anymore.”

He looked at her intensely and pulled her against him. “You know I’d run with you to the ends of the earth.”

She raised an eyebrow. “When?”

Minho chuckled. “Are you sure about this?”

She put her arms on his shoulders. “When did I become unsure of you?”

He touched his forehead to hers. “Oh, I don’t know, maybe when you said yes to Kyoung Jae’s marriage pro-”