Min Ho’s POV:

I was slipping out of Lotte World and stopped long enough to text Manager Han that I would find my own way back to my apartment.  I needed to get away from everything.  I was torn.  Eomma was talking marriage again and I keep telling her not yet.  I have said it so many times you would think she would remember it by now.  Parents  -  and I have explained to her I have military duty coming up  -  this year  -  it will be this year.  I actually feel that military duty will give me a break away from all the turmoil in my mind and my heart.  And there is the whole issue of Shin Hye.  Why can’t I just forget her?  No matter what I am doing or who I am with  -  she just pops up in my brain.  Damn woman has been nothing but heartache and trouble for me. 

I saw the elevator stopping and the doors opening.  I made a dash for it.  Well crap I have to share it with a woman and baby.  I will just face away from them and maybe it won’t be a fan.  I catch a scent of fragrance that is forever etched on my mind - in my heart.

What the hell?  Shin Hye?  I know that voice even in my sleep.  Why God would you put me in an elevator with the woman I can’t have and her baby by the fricking idiot that stole her? Why?  So what to do? What to say?  Do I ignore her completely or do I get a dig in?  Hell let’s go for the dig  -  but what?

I cringe as I hear myself say, “Well who do we have here?  Ah yes, my ex-girlfriend.  And I suppose this is your husband’s son?”  I’m thinking how smooth can I be….not.  It doesn’t matter but I want her to at least feel guilty.  She is not reacting like I thought she would.  She practically jerked that baby away from me.  What the hell does she think I will hurt him?  A sweet voice is using my name semi-formally.  So Shin Hye sweetheart are we that distant?  I can still see that body of yours wrapped around mine so what’s with this attitude?  But what I am seeing is the soft smile and her beautiful cooing voice as I pushed the elevator button B.  I am hearing and seeing that.  I know you must be happy with your Min Ho look-a-like, right? 

I look at her and see the panic in her eyes.  That’s real fear I see.  What the hell?  So I say what I think is going to help the situation.  If she is this afraid of me – if she thinks and acts like I would harm her or her child then it is definitely time to step back and say something, anything to let her know I am done with her.  I hear myself say, “Shin Hye, let’s just forget the past shall we?  We don’t have to be around each other but let’s just say we are old friends and say hello when we meet.”

 OK Ms. Li, I just gave you an excuse to say something clever like you always do and let us both off the hook.  Come on say it and break my heart again.  I’m tough I can take anything you throw at me  -  but what is with this look?  I swear if we weren’t inside this elevator moving like a bullet she would bolt away from me….probably run so fast I would see a blur  -  haha - now I can joke, right? 

God, Shin Hye please?  Why? Why? I just can’t get my brain around this and all I want to do is grab you and kiss you and I can’t because someone else has that right now  -  I want to sit down and cry but I am a man and men don’t let women who have torn their souls out  -  ah hell  -  Min Ho stop it.  Turn away and ignore her.  You can sort it out later.  I am turning slowly but turning and then there is this god awful grinding noise.  It sounds like the gates of hell grinding open  -  and the elevator stops.  It is like I am watching one of those scenes in my drama where I am doing some dramatic movement and it shows as slow motion on the screen.  I see Shin Hye falling forward with her hair flowing around her  -  so beautiful and I see the baby flying out of her arms.  I don’t know why but my heart jumped into my throat when he was tumbling out of her arms.  I hear Shin Hye’s panic as she says, “Luo Min”  -  pure panic  -  and I reach out and catch him.  Hefty little bugger  - 

So I turn him around so I can put him back in her arms and what the f  -  I am looking in a mirror  -  I open my mouth to say something, anything but I can’t   -  I am staring at my eyes  -  my mouth  -  my chin  -  hell my dimples  -  I think someone just hit me in the gut and hard.  My mind is whirling with bits and pieces of a puzzle and I can’t find the missing piece  -  things are pushing into the front of my numb brain  -  Yun Kyung asking me about Shin Hye’s son  -  what did she say? Yeah I remember it exactly because it has been playing hell with my mind lately, “Did you know he had the same genetic abnormality you do?  How small is the world that someone we know or sort of know has such a rare condition?  Wow, can you imagine?  Hey do you think you are related to her husband since you both look alike and apparently have the same rare genetic birth defect?” 

Now I know all about this genetic abnormality.  I know that out of the entire billions of people in the world there is only 1% that carries this genetic abnormality.  I remember the specialist telling me that there was not another family in Korea with this genetic marker  -  so since her husband is Chinese does that mean he wasn’t counted?  Nah, something isn’t right.  This is all making me sick to my stomach and giving me a splitting headache  -  too many thoughts swirling around right now and I don’t know what to do  -  were they related? No because the media would have already picked it up and ran with it – besides - well besides what?  There is something else that I can’t put my finger on – and I need that piece of the puzzle. 

Shin Hye got married September 26 – yeah I know – I should not even remember but I do – she laid the bombshell on me exactly 7 days and 6 hours before that – auugghhh something something – what is it?  I know something but what?  I am trying to ask Shin Hye a question but I can’t speak.  I am clearing my throat.  And the thoughts are sort of connecting now.

I was just going to say your husband must be like my first cousin or something but what came out was nothing like that – what I heard myself say was “Shin Hye, what is going on? I know your husband resembles me but not like this.  Shin Hye?”  I made sure I caught her eyes because she can’t lie when I look her in the eye.  “Shin Hye, first I find out your son has a rare genetic condition that is so rare only 1 or 2 % of the population has it.  I thought it odd that your husband and I both had it.  Now I see a baby who looks exactly like me.  Shin Hye who is this baby’s father?” 

My God – could it be?  My brain is trying to connect everything and – I am looking into her beautiful expressive eyes and what I see there just tore my heart out.  I knew.  I know the truth Shin Hye – but why?  My heart can’t take this.  I feel the tears come and then the anger.  And then 2 little arms reach toward me and I hear cooing sounds and I look down and I feel a feeling I have never felt before – God help me – what do I do now?