[Double Update. Go back one chapter.]

Yongguk turned to walk out the door but his father's voice made him stop.

"I understand. I was not a good father. I don't doubt it, but I want to still be a part of your lives. I will work for it."

"How did it feel?" Yongguk said softly.

"What do you mean?" His father asked in confusion.

"How did it feel to see your son get shot in the back of the head at Ryu's headquarters? You just left. You saved Eun Ah and walked away while I bled to death."

Soo Juk just looked away. "I have no excuse. It ate me up and I couldn't look away, but I knew I had to leave. I checked up on you and made sure you were okay, but I have no excuse."

"W-Why did you help him lie to me?" Eun Ah spoke up.

Yongguk paused and turned but only so that his eyes could fall on her. He wanted to do everything in his power to hold her and ask her to make it better, but ironically, he deserved this.

He did it to her and now it was happening to him.

"When I found out that you were their daughter and that you were in a relationship with my son, I was both happy and terrified. I wanted you to be safe. I knew about Ryu's vendetta with the two of you and I just wanted you to be safe. So Yongguk's idea made sense. Fate brought the two of you together and I couldn't help but be proud to see my cold son love you so much. You brought him the happiness that he never got for me, so I felt indebted."

Yongguk snorted, "Indebted? You made me fake my death on our wedding day."

"Would you rather leave her as a widow?"

Yongguk continued to stare at Eun Ah until she looked over. Her eyes raked over his face but he looked away before he could see the pity.

"So that's why you were so fixated on her and Himchan." Yongguk said evenly.

Soo Juk nodded, "They were my best friends' children. In a way they felt like my children. It was nostalgic, to see your faces because they looked so much like Hae Yong and Ah Min. It was like looking into the past."

He reached into his pocket and took out a handkerchief before placing it on the table. On the corner, in a familiar font, was black stitching.

"God issues challenges only to those who can face them."

 "I did whatever I could." He said quietly.

Himchan's eyes widened, "But Woon gave me mine."

"Who did you think gave it to Woon?"

Yongguk looked at the cloth. The same one that he owned and shook his head with a laugh. "I'm done here."

"At least take this."

Yongguk looked over his shoulder and saw Soo Juk hold something out. It was a white folded paper, well, it was once white, but time had yellowed it.

Yongguk made no move to reach for the paper, "What is it?"

Soo Juk glanced at Eun Ah and Himchan. "Hae Yong wrote a letter and gave it to me, telling me that if anything were ever to happen to either of them, that I should give this to the person that her daughter chose to marry. I have one for Himchan's future-wife as well. I just never thought that I'd be handing it to my own son."

Yongguk gulped and glanced at Eun Ah whose eyes were watering. He felt his heart squeeze to the point that he felt numb.

He took the letter and turned to the door. Eun Ah's eyes widened and she got up and ran after him.

"Where are you going?" She asked breathlessly when she caught him in the foyer, grabbing his keys.

Yongguk froze for a second before shoving his feet in his shoes. He needed to get out and he needed time to think.  

"Out."

Eun Ah tried not to look hurt at his short tone. "Don't you think you should stay for a little while longer?"

Yongguk squeezed his eyes shut. He wanted to be with her, he wanted to talk it out with her and tell her everything that he was feeling, but it would be a burden.

He was supposed to be the one making it up to her, making her trust him, but once again, he would be taking more than he was giving.

He didn't want her stressing over him when he hadn't even done his part for her yet. It wouldn't be fair for her.

"Eun Ah," he started, "don't…"

"Don't what? Don't try to do something to help? To just sit by and watch you deal with this by yourself? After 14 years do you think that I'd believe that you'd be alright? You're going to hurt, it's going to be painful, so stay here and let's figure it out. It's not going to help if you just run." She said in one breath.

It was true that she cared for him, but a part of her was scared about him leaving and when Yongguk turned around and locked eyes with her, he knew what she was thinking. He carefully grabbed her hand and squeezed it gently.  

"I hate it here now. I hate that I've been living with my father's money and that everything I used, everything I ate and everything I wore came mainly from him and that the money I earned barely covered that. I hate everything here and I want to run away and never come back."

Eun Ah started breathing heavily, a panic attack coming on, but he next words helped her regulate her gasps.

"But then there's you. You're the only reason that no matter what happens, no matter how hard it gets, I'll always come back. Nothing can stop me from coming back, no matter how far I run because I never want to leave you behind. So don't worry. I'm not leaving you. I'll be back. I just need…time."

"C-Can't I come with you?" She asked pleadingly.

Yongguk shook his head with a weak smile, "You won't be happy if you did. I'll be fine and I'll be safe. Ju-just give me some time. I'll come back tonight. I promise."

She squeezed his fingers tightly and he just smiled and cautiously, watching her eyes, moved close to her and bent down to kiss her quickly on the cheek.

"I'll be fine. Just stay with Himchan."

-----

"I'm sorry that you thought I was your father." Soo Juk said when he was left with Himchan.

Himchan nodded, "It's fine. I don't think neither me or Eun Ah actually thought that he was alive."

"I have to admit, I'm glad that the two of you found each other. It looked like a picture that was finally completed. I can't believe that my children have been so tightly bound to Ah Min and Hae Yong's children. It must be fate."

Himchan didn't smile and just eyed the man, "What kind of person was Yongguk's mom?"

Soo Juk smiled lovingly at the thought, "She was someone who I fell in love with at first sight. She was beautiful, smart, kind and driven. When we started out company, we were both so ambitious, but soon work consumed us and we were more like business partners than spouses but we still loved each other crazily. When we were in the plane and realized that we were going down, she held my hand, told me she loved me and asked me if she thinks our kids will be okay when we're gone. That was her."

Himchan handed him the handkerchief on the coffee table when he saw his eyes watering. "If you two loved your kids so much, why don't Yongguk and Yongmi think so?"

Soo Juk looked away, "I think it's because we knew how strongly we loved them that we forgot to show it. In our minds, our love was unconditional that we forgot that our kids didn't know that. We barely spent time with them because we were growing their trust fund but to them it was like their parents didn't want to spend time with them. We assumed that they knew how much we loved them, but we were wrong. We were wrong and they were too young."

"He's an incredible man and she's an amazing woman. They're made for each other." Himchan said thoughtfully.

Soo Juk didn't hesitate to nod along. "Seeing him take care all six of you and be a man to the woman he loved made me prouder than I could ever be. The way he looked after his sister and the rest of you, the way he was selfless for Eun Ah. I wondered if any of those traits came from his parents. It got to a point where I wished that I was half the man my son is now. He was happy with her. He was turning a new leaf but his parents ruined it all."

Himchan didn't say anything but Soo Juk snapped out of his gaze and reached for something in his pocket, "You are so much like your father. You had the same head on your shoulders, the same focus and strength. Woon told me all about you and I know your parents would be blessed to see the man you grew up to. So I thought you'd want these."

Himchan looked at the dog tags that Soo Juk was placing in his palm. "It was your father's. He