“Jihyo yah! Chang Joo is leaving. Send him out, will you? Aish. What a girl. Doesn’t even know what to do.” Her mum was nagging. Jihyo slowly stood up and walked towards Chang Joo.

Jihyo was radiating anger, disappointment. Chang Joo meanwhile was radiating joy. Lots and lots of joy. You would think Christmas actually came early for him. Sadly, his happiness clouded his eyesight. He couldn’t see what was in front of him. His love, his reason for joy was hurting.

There was even a skip in his steps and Jihyo just burned in anger. She could have just told him off, God, she really wanted too. But she held it in. Her dad would be disappointed. Maybe she could talk to him another day. Chang Joo would understand and Jihyo believed that.

“Hey, are you all right? It’s quite a surprise isn’t it? I wanted to tell you before your parents did. Just to prepare you but it kept getting held off.”

“Owh… I didn’t know. Yea… It was quite a surprise.” A small smile played on her face, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Oppa… Will we be all right?”

“Hurm??? Of course, Jihyo ah! I would give you the world! It’s a bit late for you to go back home and you had a tiring day today. Hmm. Why don’t I pick you up here for tomorrow’s shoot!”

Cheerful. Way too Cheerful.

Jihyo nodded but remained quiet. She did not know what to tell him anyway. That she approved of whatever this is? That she was just playing along so as to not break her parents’ heart? Chang Joo dipped his head and leaned in for a kiss but Jihyo sensing him closing in, shifted slightly. The kiss aimed for the mouth landed softly on the cheek. Jihyo kept looking down.

Chang Joo chuckled. “Hey, it’s ok. We’ll take it slow. I know you’re not used to this.”

“Bye then! I’ll pick you up tomorrow!”

A sudden coldness seemed to surround Jihyo as the car left. Maybe it was there before but she was too shocked and angry to notice it. Now that she was alone, all the emotions rushed into her. She wanted to curl up in a ball right there. If she could just cry it out. Her knees felt weak and she felt it. She was about to collapse when a strong arm wrapped around her body.

“Unnie…  Kwenchana?”

“Yes.” Jihyo whispered.

Lying helps. As long as she did not mention the truth, it would not seem real, as least to her.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” No.

“Did you say yes just to please Umma and Appa?”

Silence. Tears swelled up in her eyes.

“Yes” A sob escaped through and she held her hand against to prevent from crying. Her parents can never know how upset she is. Never. She had worked hard enough to make her happy. Not now.

“Bring me in, Jihye yah. And make sure Umma and Appa doesn’t find out.”

“Oh, Unnie!” Jihye hugged her tight before letting her go and determiningly walked in with her sister, ready to come out with a distraction plan so that her sister could rest and hide or bawl.

It wasn’t necessary though. Her parents were having an animated chat in the kitchen, cleaning the dishes and talking about the upcoming wedding plans. Jihye followed her sister into her room and locked the door. She stood, leaning by it and watching her sister finally gave up and bawled on the floor, clutching her heart and biting her lips so that her cries could not be heard outside of that room.  

“No! No! Unnie! Don’t” Jihye approached her sister, and pulled her into a tight hug. It’s so unfair. “I’m sorry, Unnie. I’ll help you out of this. I promise! I will!”

Jihyo’s phone vibrated and she took it out of her back pants pocket. Jihye saw who it came from. Her mouthed clearly forming an O. Jihyo rejected the call and put her phone aside. Her sadness turned into fear. What if Jong Kook Oppa finds out? What will he do?  The phone vibrated once more. Jihyo held on to Jihye tighter.

“I can’t…” She whispered. “I can’t break his heart. Not the second time…”

“Second time? Unnie, Exactly how long have the both of you been together?”

Jihyo shook her head, as if denying everything is the obvious answer to everything. They stayed like that for 5 minutes, maybe ten. Nobody knows. Jong Kook stopped calling after the 5^th time. A few texts came in afterwards, Jihyo and Jihye assumed that it was from him. Jihyo had stopped crying, her eyes dried out and a feeling of emptiness filled her. Jihye just sat there holding on to her sister, feeling lost and not knowing what to do. In the end, Jihyo stood up.

“I’m going to sleep. I have work tomorrow.”

“Skip it. Take an MC. You can’t go to work like this. Your eyes are swollen! It’s really very late and you have to wake up early. You’ll be tired.”

“I can’t skip work just like that. It’ll hold everyone else’s job. Thanks for staying with me Jihye ah.”

“Unnie, I told you. I’m going to help you out of this! You have my word!”

Jihyo just smiled, but again, the smile was just to acknowledge her sister’s feeling. Jihyo had practiced those smiles. It was easy to give them out.

“I’m serious Unnie! I can’t see you like this! Talk to Jong Kook Oppa tomorrow please. He must be so worried about you.”

Hearing Jong kook’s name made her look at Jihye. All Jihyo could see was her sincerity. Who would have thought, the girl whom she always fight with was the first person to stand by her side, giving all her courage and warmth and strength. This time, Jihyo smiled. A real smile. And both of them knew. This was not going to be easy, but at least they were in this together.

As the lights went off and Jihye snuggled in beside Jihyo, with reason that she wanted to keep Jihyo company the whole night, Jihyo slowly and quietly tried to check her phone.

Hey sweetheart, why did you reject my call and not pick up after that? Is everything ok?

Are you ok? Call me once you are free. You know how I worry.

Baby, I trust you. I trust that you know what’s best. Whenever you want to call me, I’ll try to be awake to pick it up ok! Love you. X

She had to reply. It was only right. Besides, her heart was yearning to hear his voice.

“Yoboseyo?” He sounded so groggy, so deep so unawake.

A small smile formed on Jihyo’s face. If it was her, she would have slept with the phone still ringing on and on.

“Jagiya…”

“Owh! Jihyo yah!” Gone was the post asleep Kim Jong Kook. Surprising how one word could make him feel so, so, so much energized.

“Hi… Are you ok?”

“Yes. Why Wouldn’t I be?” Jihyo spoke softly and quietly to avoid waking her sister up and also to disguise the soreness of from crying in silence.

“You just didn’t call me back. I got worried.”

“You don’t have to worry about me. I’m fine.” Jihyo’s voice started to rasp clearer on the phone. Jong kook could almost catch it. He paused before he continued.

“You know, just before you called… I had a dream. I dreamt that one day we would live by the coast, or the beach. Hehehe. Sounds like we have to move to Jejudo!  Anyway, we’ll have kids. 2 of them. 2 beautiful kids….”

Jihyo could not listen to him anymore. Out of all days, he chose today to share his family dream to her. Should she tell him?

“Jihyo yah…. What are you thinking?”

“Mwuh? Na? Oppa, I’m thinking about how much I love you. And 2 kids sounds perfect!”

Maybe not today. Not now.

“If you love me so much, would you tell me what’s wrong?”

“huh? What’s wrong?”

“I mean… What happened? You’re not teasing me. And don’t tell me you’re tired. Cause if you are you would tell me. That’s the Jihyo I know.”

“I can’t tell Oppa, not now.”

Please. Not now.

“Tell me please.”

Let me gather my strength before I tell you, Oppa.

“Love. I won’t laugh or tease you or… or… fight with you about it. I promise.”

“You promise?” she breathe.

“Promise…”

How can one word hold so much meaning? Jihyo closed her eyes.

“Promise me one more thing.”

“What? Jihyo… Baby, you’re scaring me.”

Jong kook could hear his love taking a long deep breath before she spoke once more.

“Whatever it is, promise me that you won’t me leave me.”

“I promise…” Jong kook gasped. Anxiety ran through all over his body. Gone was his sleepiness. What was the secret that Jihyo is holding? He was holding his breath, he realised.

“Oppa, my Appa and Umma wants me to get married to Chang Joo Oppa. They fixed everything up already.”

Jong kook out of shock more than anything else ended the call. He ran his hands through his hair, ruffling it, making it messier than it was when he awake.

Tears slid down Jihyo’s cheeks. It just came. She heard him putting the phone down. He had promised not to leave her though. Maybe she had to give him some time. Jihye’s arm slid around her again.

“Unnie. Kwenchana. He loves you, I’ll bet. He’ll call. I’m sure of it. Now let’s sleep. You have work tomorrow. “

It then became a real quiet as the night passed by.  

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WOW! SOOOO Finally~ Chapter 10!!! hehehe. I see new readers! HI!!! WELCOME! Hope you enjoy reading this fic! 

Writting seems like the best way to run away from reality, yes? 

kekeke. Well. Happy New Year all! 

#Kim Jong kook won excellence award!!! YEAYYY! Wished Jihyo won something tho. :( I'm a huge fan of her!!! 

Anyway, best of luck to all of you this 2015! May life shower you with joy and happiness! 

XDXD