“No relationship is ever a waste of time. If it didn’t bring you what you want, it taught you what you don’t want…”

Five years ago.

“Min Ho oppa.” Goo Hye Sun stopped her steps when she saw Lee Min Ho. He turned back when he heard someone called him. He tilted his head as he tried to recall the girl standing in front of her. “Goo… Hye Sun.” He remembered now. The girl who was in the same class with him during high school.  She was the one who always got first in the class. He smiled. “It has been quite a long time we last met since our graduation. How are you?”

“Erm… I’m fine. You? I heard you went to US for your studies. But how come you are back to Korea now?” She asked with a sweet smile. She could feel her heart was pounding very fast. Lee Min Ho, the prince in their school and also her first crush.

“I’m back for summer holiday. I’ll be going back after the summer break over. So, you are working now?” Min Ho asked carefully. He saw her wearing a uniform and guessed she was working now. He heard from his friends that she was from a very complicated family and that’s why she didn’t further her studies despite her good results.

Hye Sun looked at her own shirt and smiled awkwardly. “Yes. But I’m taking night classes for business course now.”

Min Ho nodded as he looked down. The violin case she was holding caught his eyes. He looked back at Hye Sun and asked, “Is that a violin? You played violin?” He asked expectantly.

“Meo?” Hye Sun asked as she looked down at the case she was holding. “Eo. No. I’m working in a musical instruments store now. I’m just sending this violin to the customer.”

“I see.” Min Ho smiled. A slight disappointment flashed in his gaze. “Erm… I have an appointment with a friend. I think I should go now. You have my number, right. Keep in touch.” He said with a smile.

“Okay. Take care.” Hye Sun looked at Min Ho who was now walking away to another direction. She took a deep sigh.

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“Oppa! Oppa! Give it back to me. You can’t take the money. It’s for my exam fees.” Hye Sun cried and plead her brother. She was shocked when she found her money was missing when she went home this afternoon. She knew it straightaway it’s either her father took it for gambling or her brother. And she was right. It was her brother this time. She found him standing outside a night club with a bunch of junk friends.

Her brother pushed her away roughly and Hye Sun fell on the floor. “Shut up! The money is in my pocket, so it’s mine now. Go back home and don’t disturb me.”

When her brother was about to go into the night club, Hye Sun quickly stood up and pulled his arm. “Give it back to me please. I worked very hard for that money. I really need to take the exam. I need to get the cert to get a better job. Please!”

Before her brother could push her away again, they were interrupted by a man who was in his thirties. “What are you doing?” He asked as his eyes scanned Hye Sun from up and down, with a smirk.

Her brother quickly bowed at him when he saw that man. “Hyung. Erm… it’s nothing. This is my sister. I’ll ask her to go away now.”

That man smirked at him and whispered something in her brother’s ear. Hye Sun immediately let go of her brother’s arm. She can sense something wasn’t right. As she was about to turned and walks away, her arm was grabbed by her brother and was now dragging her into the night club.

“What are you doing? Let go of me! Ahhh…” Hye Sun screamed as loud as she can.

“Don’t blame me. You are the one who come here yourself.” Her brother smirked.

“Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!”

“Guys, I really got to go back now. My car is over there. Keep in touch.” Min Ho said to his friends. They were having a gathering in a pub today after a long time. As he was walking towards his car that he parked at the roadside nearby, a sobbing sound caught his attention. He slowly walked to the back alley and his eyes widened when he saw a girl was sitting on the floor crying. Her clothes were all torn, revealing her bare shoulder and thighs.

His heartbeat raced as he walked nearer to the girl. She was sitting with her arms crossed, buried her face in between her knees. Her body was trembling and her body was covered with bruises. He squatted down in front of her and took a deep breath before touching the girl’s arm very softly. “Are you okay?”

The girl immediately looked up and yanked his hand away. “Don’t touch me. Don’t touch me!” She screamed.

Min Ho’s eyes were now widened in shocked when he saw the familiar face that was covered with tears. Goo Hye Sun. There were bruises on her cheeks; her lips were bleeding and swollen. His heart doesn’t feel good. He knew something really bad happened to her.

“Hye Sun. What happened to you? Tell me.” Min Ho was now holding her arms and scanned through every part of her.

She was still crying, trembling very badly. She kept shaking her heads and struggled from his grip. “Don’t touch me. Please don’t touch me. I’m dirty. I’m very dirty.” She cried.

By this time, Min Ho knew exactly what had happened to her. “Come, I bring you to the hospital. We need to call the police.”

“No! I don’t want to go to the hospital. I can’t let anybody know about this. I don’t want. I don’t want! Go away!” She cried even harder now. “Please go away. I don’t want anyone to see me like this. Go away…”

Min Ho’s breathed heavily. He understands why she refused to go to the hospital but looking at her like this, he felt helpless. He took his jacket off and covered Hye Sun’s body. He gently cupped her cheeks in between his hands. “Okay, okay. Even though you don’t want to go to the hospital but we still need to take care of your injury. Y-Your lips… is bleeding and the bruises…” He sighed, couldn’t continue. “My car is just nearby. Kaja.”

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“What are you doing? You want to kill yourself?” Min Ho raised his voice as he snatched the knife away from Hye Sun. His brows furrowed when he saw her bleeding wrist. He took his handkerchief out and stopped the bleeding for her. He looked at her as he sighed. “I know you are hurting but you have to be strong. The Goo Hye Sun I knew are a very strong and brave person. You wouldn’t give up that easily, but why you want to give up your life now? This is just an obstacle in your life. It will pass and you will go through it.”

“Please let me die. Why? Why must it be you who saw me that night? I don’t want you to see me like this. I always want to look the best in front of you. But why? Why must it be you?” Hye Sun’s tears were rolling uncontrollably, crying very hard.

Min Ho’s heart ached looking at her like that. Although she didn’t confess her feeling to him before but he wasn’t stupid. He can sense that she have feeling for him. He let out a long sigh. He slowly pulled her into his arms and her back gently. “Go to US with me.” He said softly.

Hye Sun pulled away from him and looked at him in shocked. “What?”

Min Ho held her hands and looked at her. “Follow me to US. You can start a new life there. Your results were so good and you can apply for scholarship. You can further your studies there and you don’t have to be afraid. I’ll support you. If this place are making your breathless, just go away with me.” He said sincerely. His feeling was complicated but he just wants to help her and take care of her. He can’t let her to become like his mother.

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United States.

“Yah! Why are you drinking so much?” Min Ho snatched the wine bottle away from Hye Sun.

“None of your business. Do you really care? We have been together for 3 years already. But do you really love me?” Hye Sun said as tears started to roll down her cheeks.

Min Ho sighed. “What are you talking about? If I don’t love you then why am I still be with you?”

“You love me? I think you love that violin painting more. You always looked at that painting and smiled. What is so special about that picture? Because of that little girl?” Hye Sun asked painfully. His sister Min Jung told her about the little violin girl he met when he was only 13 years old. After so many years he was still thinking about her.

“I don’t want to argue with you about this matter over and over again. You are drunk.” Min Ho said in frustration.

Hye Sun couldn’t stand it anymore. She walked to Min Ho and hold onto his arms. “Look at me. You said you love me right. Then why didn’t you ever kiss me? Because I’m dirty right? Because my body was dirty right?”

Min Ho’s eyes widened in shocked. “What are you talking about? It has nothing to do with that. Please don’t bring that incident out. You know it will hurt you.”

“Then tell me why? If you really love me and don’t mind I was before, th