She knew she never should have agreed.  If time could turn back, she knew she would do whatever it took to forget.  Forget all the hurt and pain.  She knew.  She knew, she never should have fallen in love.

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Rain pelted down hard on the windows, enclosing Seoul in a misty presence.  She looked out the window of the airplane and was greeted by the heart of Korea, the beautiful Seoul that touched the hearts of millions.  Not her, though.  She had learned that everything, all her achievements she painstakingly established to date was owing to that steel heart.  There was no room to feel.  No room to live human emotions that could make or break her future.  Yes, she had come to realize the hard way that nothing in this world was true.  Everything was plain deception.  As such, she always abided to her cold, emotionless façade she had built up these past few years.  No one was to see her inner self, no one else but her.  ‘Never fall in love,’ she reminded herself for the umpteenth time as she made her way towards the arrival hall.

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She strutted in like a model, clad in a simple white dress with black heels that complemented each other perfectly.  Dragging behind a huge pink suitcase behind her, she took down her shades and examined her surroundings.  Standing outside the arrival hall, she closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.  ‘Breathe and get used to this air.  Seoul will be your home for the next six months.’ 

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The reason she was here in Korea was part of a probation period for her.  Growing up in a broken family, she was orphaned at the young age of 2.  What initially seemed like a bleak future changed for the better when she met her stepfather by chance.  To be more precise, he was the one who stumbled upon her in the park.  He was led by the high-pitched wails of a baby to reveal the most beautiful sight he had ever seen.  She had dark big brown puppy dog eyes that stared back innocently, adding on to the fact that her smile was contagious.  Ever since then, he took her in and raised her like her own.  Providing her with the best education and accommodation, she was viewed as a threat by her stepsiblings to inherit all of their father’s largely renowned construction company.  The first golden rule of survival was indeed evident and fully applicable to her – everything started with me, myself and I.  No matter how hard she tried to please the rest of her family, they always saw her as an outsider.  The gravity of her father’s sudden illness finally showed the true colours of her siblings, who were all only concerned about the money and nothing else.  She had to prove herself.  She was capable.  If she came back with a brand new idea to expand her father’s company to Korea, she would be at the top.  Most importantly, her family members would not.  She could not afford any blunders.  ‘Steel your heart’ was her one and only rule in life.

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“Annyeonghasaeyo, Lee Min Ho-ssi imnida!”  He tried to be amiable by flashing her his sweetest smile and greeting her with a perky tone.  After all, it was their first meeting!  He had to set a good first impression on this beautiful girl, right?  Much to his dismay, all the response he received was, ‘Melody.’  That was utterly disappointing, no doubt.  He just could not decipher what was going on in her mind, behind that indifferent face that bore not even the slightest twitch of a smile staring right back at him.  He found himself momentarily taken aback by her mesmerizing eyes that tugged at his heartstrings.  ‘What are you doing?  Look away, look away!’  Lee Min Ho casually gave himself a reminder and mentally slapped himself when he saw her looking back at him.  His instantaneous moment of happiness was shortlived when she snapped in annoyance.  ‘Are we going or what?’  ‘Oh er… right!  Yeah sure, I’ll help you with your luggage.  Nice name, by the way.’  Lee Min Ho hurriedly carried Melody’s suitcase to the back of the trunk and attempted to be as gentlemanly as possible by opening the door for her.  She climbed into the back of the van with a soft mutter of thanks, without even meeting his eye as she spoke.  ‘Aigoo, what is wrong with you?’  Lee Min Ho very much wanted to give himself a knock on the head but decided against it as he thought of the negative impressions he would have on Melody.  ‘Just drive and make conversation.  Lee Min Ho, hwaiting!’  He gave himself a prep talk and reassured himself he would be able to let this girl warm up to him but deep down, he was not so sure. 

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‘So er Melody, you’re twenty right?  That makes you my dongsaeng then!’  Lee Min Ho squeaked excitedly, literally.  Throughout the entire ride, he kept blabbering about life in Korea in hopes of having Melody open up to him slightly.  His futile attempts at trying to start a conversation were received by the same bittersweet stare he had grown used to by then.  There was not a single word passed between the two, with the exception of Lee Min Ho’s incessant chirping that rendered useless against the unfeeling Melody.  ‘What are your plans in coming to Korea?’  Once again, Lee Min Ho managed his best to get a dialogue going.  No response.  ‘Melody?’  Lee Min Ho had to keep his eyes fixated while driving but he took a quick peek at the back when Melody was still silent – not even her usual emotionless stare was present.  There, rolled up in a ball at a corner of the back of the van, she slept.  Huddled between her knees, her immaculate face seemed even more captivating under the glistening sunlight that filtered in through the window.  Lee Min Ho found himself gazing at her yet again.  He found it hard to repress an uncontrollable surge of affection as he suddenly craved to be able to watch over this girl who seemed to be hiding dark secrets behind that steel heart.  All Lee Min Ho saw was the adorable and graceful way she slept, unaware of the torrential tears that choked her time and time again.

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‘Annyeonghashimnikka!  Je ireumeun Melody-imnida, chal jinaeshossoyo ahjussi?’  Lee Min Ho was surprised by Melody’s sudden change in attitude.  She spoke in fluent Korean, which was natural for her since she had always been an overachiever.  What appeared to him as the indifferent insentient being he had classified her as had transformed into a cheerful and radiant youthful girl in front of his ahbeoji.  Still stunned by the split in personality, it took Lee Min Ho a while before finally managing out an introduction.  ‘Appa, Melody here is the girl I’ve been telling you about – my friend’s junior who is coming to stay with us for the next six months for business matters.’  Melody flashed a bright smile in the direction of Lee Min Ho’s father and bowed courteously.  It was as if she was enchanted by a spell, to be able to cause such a distinct difference in her ways and words.  Or perhaps, as Lee Min Ho soon came to realise, it was because his father reminded her too much of her own father who showered her with love, the same father who was currently lying in the hospital bed with his life on a thread. 

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Dinner was unexpectedly pleasant as the trio bonded like a real family over kimchi stew and soju.  For once, Melody let her hair down and thoroughly enjoyed her meal with substantial conversations that lasted more than five seconds.  For once, Melody completely let her guard down and treated the two strangers akin to what she perceived a perfect family would have been like.  For once, Melody tore down the metal walls that surrounded her heart and felt genuine human emotions.  It was also through dinner that Lee Min Ho came to realize she was not who she appeared to be.  The tough shell on the outside was just a cover-up for the true, deeper, natural side of Melody – one filled with endless sorrow and misery, one that had lost truth in the world, one that was hurt badly. 

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‘Yah, I’m not being friendly to you.  I merely treat your ahbeoji like my own, that’s all.’  Melody spoke with her old insensitive tone again but this time, she said these while staring straight into Lee Min Ho’s eyes.  It was only then did she so closely observe this stranger from head to toe inspecting him like he was an alien from Mars only to find out he was not bad looking at all, suave even.  ‘Melody, what are you thinking?  The only reason you came to Korea is for work, purely for work.  Never fall in love, steel your heart.  Steel your heart.’  She shook her head when she snapped out of the trance she was in.  ‘Wow, sixteen words in total.  Good improvement, Melody.’  This, Lee Min Ho said with a smile and a casual wave before proceeding to his own bedroom.  Melody, left dumbfounded alone in the living room, could not help but blush.  Maybe, just maybe, he was the only key to unlock that steel heart of hers. 

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Over the course of the next few months, Melody still constantly kept to her own promise by keeping a certain distance away from Lee Min Ho but this gradually became harder as she was hit with the realization that he had changed her.  Sure, she still could not bring herself to share with him her deepest darkest secrets but she wore a smile to work daily, never forgetting the much needed words of encouragement she gave both herself and her employees.  He had indeed, changed her.  Gone were the unfeeling glares she once gave, gone were the emotionless nods she once shown, gone were the cold short replies she once spoke.  In their places were innocent brown eyes, warm encouraging smiles and sentences of appropriate lengths.  She realized she had just broken the one and only golden rule in her life, the one that moulded her character in the first place.  She had fallen in love.  With Lee Min Ho.

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Melody’s last month spent in Korea was perhaps the most meaningful of all.  She knew.  She knew she was in love but she could not help it.  She knew she was defying her own rule in life but there was nothing she could do.  Some say love makes people blind.  Maybe that was true, after all.  Lee Min Ho did his part by giving back twice of his love to this one girl who touched his heart.  He never failed to surprise her and he made this entire business trip for Melody a special one, one that put a genuine smile on her face that even she herself had not seen in years.  Lee Min Ho folded hearts for Melody every day since the day they started dating, which was about three months after her arrival in Korea.  Every heart contained a heartfelt message to her, every heart sincere akin to his own.  Melody was instructed by Lee Min Ho not to open the hearts and read the dedications yet but she read them secretly on a daily basis.  She never told him but his daily heartwarming notes of encouragement was what pushed her on all this time.  Melody had not come to realize it yet but it was evident Lee Min Ho had become an important part of her life she could not live without.    

***************************************************************************************************************************************************************************   The dreaded day had to come sooner or later.  Six months’ time flew by and Melody had to return to America to present her proposal that would hopefully secure her a position in her father’s construction company.  It was a heartbreaking moment when the two boarded the taxi without any exchange of words, clinging on to each other’s hands tightly.  The heart wrenching part was when they continued to walk in silence at Incheon Airport, hands still closely knitted together like their hearts that beat as one.  The duo tried to delay as much time as possible where they sat in a café, both not ordering anything but just sitting there as they cherished every lasting second with each other.  ‘All passengers due on the flight back to America A380, please proceed to the departure hall now.’  The voice that projected over the intercom system was no better than the cry of a crow, the cry that symbolized their final time shared.

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Melody tried to regain her old indifferent self, one immune to all emotions.  Obviously, her efforts were in vain.  The single tear seemed to obey gravity, free falling and staining her white blouse.  She wiped the tear away almost immediately, for fear of letting Lee Min Ho see it and worry for her.  Melody turned her head to bid her final goodbye to him, only to be greeted by an already tear-stained face that Lee Min Ho was trying to cover up with his usual perky grin.  Her heart broke when she saw that sight for she knew she never should have fallen in love.  She knew never should have caused him so much pain for she knew she had to leave anyway.  ‘I gave you ninety-nine paper hearts, here’s the final one,’ Lee Min Ho somehow managed amidst that torn feeling.  Melody could not bear to see him cry, let alone make him see her cry too.  Heartlessly, she dragged her luggage and walked towards the customs officer, not wanting to hear another word.  Melody had been soaked in their warm embraces before and she was sure that would definitely trigger the works if she showed any signs of regret.  As if on cue, Lee Min Ho took out a paper heart from his pocket.  It was pink, her favourite.  Ignoring the saltwater stains that have already formed, Lee Min Ho read aloud.

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“I’ll be a home to your homeless heart.”    

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She stopped in her tracks.  Melody was sure she had heard it right.  Lee Min Ho had, indeed, professed his love to her.  Though she was unable to stay right here, right now to be with him, she knew.  She knew, deep in her heart, that she will be back to Korea for sure.  ‘Wait for me.  I’ll be back because you’re my everything,’ Melody whispered to herself with a smile.

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HELLO ONCE AGAIN :D  This is yet another oneshot :X  Which I detest writing!  It's for a best friend of mine, Melody(:  We may have had disputes and stuff these past few weeks but know that I'll always love you <3  Hehe I hope you like this which I'm DEDICATING TO YOU! :D  Although it's y, but hope you like it!(:  Dream LMH~