Jong Kook drives around aimlessly once he finally pulls himself together enough to start the car. What happened to going with the first thing that popped in his head? What happened to ripping the band aid off?

He grimaces. He knows exactly what happened. There was Hannah, confiding all her frustrations in him, telling him about how worn out she was with people trying to control her life. And he felt... small. And selfish. He thinks back to Haha and Go Eun's wedding, when Go Eun had encouraged him to go ahead and do it, to make the deal with Ji Min, because who cares what his soulmate's life was like before? That it was clearly best for everyone if he did it, because who wouldn't want to be with their soulmate?

But as he listened to Hannah's long list of issues with people doing exactly what he did - making choices for her, deciding how her life would go, influencing things she'd wanted a say her herself - a creeping feeling of fresh doubt was crawling over him. By the time she pulled away, it had firmly taken hold. He does not feel good about being another controlling hand in Hannah's life. Not good at all.

On top of that, he's brought back around to his original sticking point. Does he really want this or not? Now, he additionally wonders if Hannah would want it. Just because they're soulmates and would be happy together doesn't mean that the life Hannah wants is one with him. Or with anyone. He can't believe it hasn't occurred to him before that he really does have an option here. Just because he has a soulmate doesn't mean he has to be with her. He wouldn't have been, in fact, and would have been none the wiser had he never gone out to that house in the woods. Of course, Hannah's life would have been the same. To some extent, at least. She wouldn't have been with her soulmate, either, but it probably would have been fine for her. She seems fine. 

Now more than ever, he's uncomfortably aware he made this choice not only for himself, but for Hannah, too. When he'd done it, it had been on the assumption that anyone would want to be paired up with his or her soulmate, if the choice was there. What he's realizing now is that there's absolutely no way to know if someone would appreciate that option at all. Just because a soulmate exists doesn't mean that's the life you must lead. That's why he froze when Hannah started listing off all the ways people had interfered in her life. She clearly does not want to be interfered with. All the good intentions that Jong Kook had in doing what he did melted away to reveal the real motivation - selfishness, self-absorbtion, a narrow focus on himself and only his own happiness.

Without realizing it, Jong Kook has pulled in to the basement garage beneath Charity's apartment. He ambles upstairs slowly, still thinking. He knows that if he does still go through with it and tell Hannah, their feelings toward each other will change. And that's a good thing. It would be a nice thing to have in his life again, after being single for so long. Someone to care about, who cares about him, too. Someone to spend time with, to talk to, to just live life with. The idea still holds an enormous amount of appeal. But, he finally allows himself to realize, what he wants doesn't seem to be what Hannah wants. He wants to get married, she clearly doesn't. He was assuming that would change once the deal was finalized, but maybe it wouldn't. Maybe she would marry him to satisfy his need. Maybe he'd have to agree to never get married. He wants kids, like, now. She's focused on her career and certainly not in a place for children. So who has to bend in that situation? Does he pull her off her career track, the things she's been striving toward her whole life, so he can have what he wants? Or would just being with her be enough? No family, no children, no grandchildren, just Hannah? 

As he's punching in the code to Charity's door, he wonders if soulmates always stay together. If just being soulmates is enough, despite the vast differences in their goals and plans. Does telling her mean it all works out somehow and they're together forever, or does it mean that they're both tied to someone who forces concessions and unhappiness? Do their whole lives suddenly become perfect as they fall into each other, or does the deal just make it all the more painful to exist with someone who is both so perfect and so