Song inserted in this chap: Whenever You Call by Mariah Carey and Brian McKnight (credit to owner)

3 months later…

“Shin Hye, you are here already. I’m sorry to make you wait.”

Park Shin Hye lifted her head up when she heard Park Yoo Chun’s voice. She let out a soft smile before she stood up with Kang Ha Neul standing beside her.

“Oppa, it’s okay. I just reached here about 10 minutes ago.” Shin Hye replied.

Yoo Chun said something to his secretary before he quickly walked towards Shin Hye. “I’m very sorry. There are some issues came up in a sudden for the project we are collaborating with the Taiwanese. The meeting will drag slightly longer.” He said with his brows frowned. He took a glance at his watch before looking back at Shin Hye again. “I know I suppose to have lunch with you now but can you give me another hour? I will try to finish the meeting as soon as possible. Meanwhile you can wait in my room.” Yoo Chun said as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, looking at her with a loving gaze.

Shin Hye squirmed uncomfortably as she let out an awkward smile. It just felt uneasy whenever he has this kind of intimate gesture towards her. “It’s okay. Just do your work. I have plenty of time. I’ll go to the cafeteria to have a drink while waiting for you. Just give me a call when you are done.”

Yoo Chun smiled. “Okay.” He then turned to Ha Neul. “Take care of her and make sure nobody gets near to her.”

Ha Neul nodded politely. “Yes.”

Shin Hye let out a deep sigh after Yoo Chun has gone. If not because he insisted her to accompany him for lunch today, she really doesn’t want to come here. First, she doesn’t like to come out. Even though she couldn’t see but she can still feel the people around were looking at her. She wasn’t sure people looking at her was because she was blind and holding a white cane or because they know that her father is Park Min Sik, the owner of this company that was now in the prison due to money laundering.

Second, she really doesn’t have the mood to come out at all. She has spent most of her time staying in her room these days doing nothing and spaced out.

It has been 3 months since that night he called her before he went to England. He said he will be there for 3 months and she wonder was he back to Seoul now. She hates to accept the fact that her mind was all about him in the past months but that was the truth that she couldn’t deny. She missed him.

“Shin Hye-sshi, are you going to the cafeteria now?” Ha Neul asked carefully when he saw her not moving.

Shin Hye’s deep thoughts were shaken off by him and she quickly nodded her head with an embarrass smile. “Yes. We can go now.”

But just before they could reach the elevator, Ha Neul saw Kim Woo Bin.

“Woo Bin hyung.” He called.

Shin Hye tilted her head when she heard the familiar name. Her heart skipped a beat and the first thing that crossed her mind was his best friend. She was sure Woo Bin will keep in touch with him.

Woo Bin turned around and he smiled when he saw them. He smiled to the younger man before he bowed politely at Shin Hye. “Hi, Park Shin Hye-sshi. It has been a long time since the last time we met.”

Shin Hye smiled at him. “Yes. It has been few months I think. How are you doing? I heard from Yoo Chun oppa that you were no longer working with Dragon Corporation now.”

“Yes. I was now working with a security company as a Security Operations Manager. The HR department called me to get my last pay cheque and that was why I’m here today.” Woo Bin replied.

“I see.” She nodded as she bit her lip.

Woo Bin looked at her as something crossed his mind. “Hmmm… why are you here? Looking for Park Yoo Chun-sshi?” He asked.

Shin Hye smiled. “Yes. I’m here to have lunch with him but his meeting will need to take another hour. So I was thinking to wait for him in the cafeteria.”

“I see. Hmmm… do you mind if I join? I mean I’m quite free today and maybe I can keep you accompany while you wait for Park Yoo Chun-sshi.” Woo Bin said as he rubbed his nape, looking embarrassed.

Shin Hye raised her brows before she smiled and nodded her head. “Sure.”

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“How are you lately?” Woo Bin asked, breaking the silence.

Shin Hye was quiet for a few seconds before she let out a small smile. “I’m fine. Everything was still the same.”

Woo Bin hesitated for a while before he ask again. “How is Park sajang-nim doing? Did you visit him?” He asked very carefully trying not to trigger her emotion.

Shin Hye bowed her head down. “He is fine. I think he is doing quite well. I did visit him for once but I couldn’t see so I wasn’t sure how he looks like now.” She said very softly.

Woo Bin got a bit nervous when he saw her reaction. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… I mean I worked for him for a long time and I was kind of worried whether he is okay or not. I thought of visiting him but it just feels awkward since I’m… Min Ho’s friend.”

Shin Hye immediately bit her lower lip when she heard the familiar name that she dares not to even say it out through .

“Hmmm… did… did you… keep in touch with Min Ho?” Woo Bin asked with a nervous tone.

She didn’t reply him but just shook her head.

“Do you know he went to England for training?” Woo Bin asked again.

Shin Hye sighed deeply before she held her head up, facing him. “Yes. He called me the night before he went off.” She took a deep breath before she found the courage to ask. “He said he will be there for 3 months. I guess he is back to Seoul by now.”

“Not yet. He will only come back next week Tuesday.” Woo Bin replied.

“I see.” Shin Hye uttered. Her lips parted, wanted to ask further but don’t know how to start.

“He is doing fine. Don’t worry.” He said, knowing what Shin Hye wanted to ask but just don’t know how.

She nodded with an awkward smile. “I’m glad he is fine.”

Woo Bin pursed his lips. “What I mean of he is doing fine was physically. I’m sure he wasn’t doing too well mentally.”

Shin Hye’s brows creased, waiting for him to continue. “W-What is that supposed to mean?”

“He missed you. He missed you like crazy and I’m sure he wanted to call you so badly but he know he can’t so he channelled all those longing feeling into his work and try hard to numb himself with all sorts of work outs in the gym. He felt guilty with everything that happened to your father and to you. He was torn in between you and his responsibility.” Woo Bin said, looking straight at her. She was obviously still in love with Min Ho very much and he really couldn’t understand why both of them were torturing each other. He concluded that they need some help. And here he was to give a little help to them.

Shin Hye sighed. “I know it doesn’t make sense that I was angry with him because he was doing something right. I mean he is a police and my father did something illegal. He should be responsible with everything he has done. But no matter how bad he was and how bad he treated me, he is still my father. It doesn’t change the fact that he lied to me and he was using me to get close to my father.” She bit her lip, trying hard to hold her tears. “I know he love me and I also know it was his responsibility to catch him. But why must it have to be him to do all these? Why must it be him to get all the evidence and send my father to prison himself? I know I’m selfish or maybe naïve but if he really love me, why can’t he let other people to do it instead of him?”

“Because other than a responsibility as a police, he done it as a son’s responsibility too.” Woo Bin said.

Shin Hye’s eyes widened as her expression was confused. “What do you mean of a son’s responsibility?”

“I guess you still remember how his parents passed away, right?” Woo Bin asked.

Shin Hye nodded her head nervously. Her heart was beating very fast now. She felt uneasy and scared of what Woo Bin was about to say.

Woo Bin inhaled deeply before looking back at Shin Hye. “I’m not sure you are aware about it or not. Dragon Corporation’s first project 20 years ago was building an apartment in Dohwa-dong. It was your father first money laundering activity using that project after he quit as a triad leader. In order to make the apartment to sell off in a short period of time, that apartment was sold at a cheap price to attract the buyers. Dragon Corporation used very low cost, out of safety standard and cheap materials to build the apartment. Most of it doesn’t meet the standard requirement and because all the government authorities was corrupted by your father, everything was approved even the materials was not safe to be used.”

Shin Hye’s face turned pale as she swallowed hard. Her hand was clenching tightly on her skirt, looking nervous. “W-What… what does this have to do with Min Ho oppa’s parents?”

Woo Bin pursed his lips. “That was the apartment that collapsed 17 years ago and killed Min Ho’s parents.”

Shin Hye’s eyes immediately reddened as her whole body started to tremble. She bit her lower lip hard trying not to let the tears that were already welling in her eyes to escape. “He… he didn’t… tell me about this…” Her voice was shaking.

Woo Bin sighed deeply. “He said he don’t want to add anymore more pain to you that he already have. He knows you will feel even more hurt if you know about it. He don’t want you to forgive him just because you feel guilty over what your father have done that indirectly killed his parents.” He leaned closer to the table as he continued. “He doesn’t use you to complete the mission. Even though he lied to you but as what I understand and know about him, he won’t do that. He was trying his very best to minimize the pain that he caused to you. There was a split second that I was angry with him too because he used me to bring him in to Dragon Corporation so he could get close to your father. But then I understand that it was his job and duty to arrest whoever that didn’t follow the law.” He paused again and took in another deep breath. “You were the one who woke him up from his nightmare and make him realize what is love all about. The pain he is enduring now will not be any less than you. I’m not asking you to forgive him and be back with him just because of this reason but at least don’t push him away. Finding someone you love and love you back is not easy. I know sajang-nim is your father but don’t let his mistake to take your happiness away. Min Ho was just doing what he needs to do. His only fault was complicated the whole thing by falling in love with you.”

Shin Hye held her head low as she couldn’t control herself anymore. Tears started to roll down her cheeks.

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Shin Hye opened the drawer of her dressing table as she slowly took a box out from it. She opened the box and took the whistle necklace out. She trailed her fingers down to the whistle pendant and gently caressed the alphabet that engraved on it. She took a deep breath. He lied to her again. But this time was different. He lied because he doesn’t want to hurt her even deeper. Even when she broke up with him, he still keeps it inside of him and didn’t say a word. She wasn’t sure she will forgive him or not if he told her but she was sure that she will understand straightaway why he need to do that himself. It was not only because his job but it was also because his parents.

She slowly brought the whistle to her lips and blew it softly.

“Pheet… pheeeeeet… pheeeeeeeeettt…”

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“Can I ask something from you?”

“I need a promise from you. If one day I did something that hurt you or I lie to you, can you forgive me and don’t leave me?”

“There are a lot of things which is out of my control…”

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“You have to remember tonight. Remember this song, remember each and every word of the lyrics, remember every step we took to dance and bring us closer with each step.”

“You might be blind and couldn’t see anything but your nose, your ears and your heart, it were all extra sensitive compared to other people. You can smell my scent when I was close, you can hear my heartbeat when I was close and your heart. You can sense how I feel for you. You can see how much I love you. And most importantly, I can hear what your heart was talking every time I felt it beating. It was like a whistle in your heart. It blew a sound when you need me.”

 “I love you.”

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Shin Hye closed her eyes as tears escaped her eyes. She tightened her grip on the whistle necklace as she pressed it hard against her chest, trying to put it as near as possible to her heart. She needs to feel him there, right inside her heart, the place she have already given it to him long time ago.

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“Welcome back, bro. Why didn’t you tell me earlier that you were back today? I can fetch you from the airport. I thought you will only be back on next week Tuesday.” Woo Bin said as he punched Min Ho’s chest playfully.

“The training ended earlier than expected. So I’m back 4 days earlier. Why? Doesn’t like to see me back so soon?” Min Ho asked with a grin on his face.

He scanned his best friend from top to toe. “You looked better than I imagined. Your life must be great over there. Should I call you Inspector Lee now?” He .

“Not until I get the official letter.” Min Ho smiled at him before he threw himself to the couch. “It was a great experience over there. How about you? How’s your new job?”

Woo Bin took a seat in front of him and sneered at him. “Thanks to you I lost my job as a personal bodyguard and become a security guard now.”

Min Ho chuckled. “As what I heard you are a Security Operations Manager now. The paid is even better than a bodyguard last time.”

Woo Bin laughed too. “Just joking. I’m fine.” He said before he looked at Min Ho and his gaze turned serious. “Honestly, how are you? Still hurting or healing?”

Min Ho averted his gaze as he sighed deeply. “I’m okay.”

“It doesn’t look like it.” Woo Bin said. “I saw her last week.” He said again.

Min Ho turned to him instantly, waiting impatiently for him to continue. 

“She doesn’t look good as well. At least she is not healing but still hurting.” Woo Bin looked into his eyes. “She missed you and she definitely still loves you.”

There were pains in Min Ho’s eyes when he heard what his best friend said. He thought he will feel better after 3 months apart from her but it seems everything just gone worse. The pain was still fresh in his heart and it felt even worse when he know Shin Hye wasn’t doing any better than him too.

“You are a man. You should do something. The wall she builds between both of you is cracking already. You can break it through very easily. Don’t waste any more time and don’t be a chicken.” Woo Bin glared at him.

Min Ho inhaled deeply before looking at him. “If I break through it forcefully, the pieces of the broken wall will hurt her from the other side. I already hurt her enough. I don’t want to disturb her peaceful life now.”

“How do you know if you don’t try? Ma