“Seonsaengnim, you see. Can you guess what Hae Won is drawing?” A 5-years old girl asked as she was holding a drawing paper, running towards her teacher.

Park Shin Hye turned around and smiled widely when she saw the cute little girl standing in front of her. She kneeled down beside the little girl and looked at her drawing paper. “Wah! It’s a beautiful butterfly. Hae Won is a smart little girl.” She said softly.

Little Hae Won smiled happily. Shin Hye her hair gently as she held her hand and pulled her back to the table. “Hae Won-ah, your eomma will be here in another half an hour. You sit here and draw another picture while waiting for her, okay? I’ll just be over there to pack some stuff. Call me if you need anything.”

Hae Won nodded as she took the pencil and started to draw again. Shin Hye caressed her head before she walked towards the bigger table and started to pack all art supplies into the storage shelves. She was too concentrate on what she was doing and didn’t notice that someone was walking to her and her waist was suddenly wrapped by a pair of strong arm from behind.

Shin Hye gasped in shock. She turned to the side and sighed softly when she saw the familiar face. “You almost gave me a heart attack.”

Lee Jong Suk chuckled as he rested his chin on his girlfriend’s shoulder. “If I don’t know you are a teacher in this children’s art school, I really thought you are that little girl’s mother.”

Shin Hye hit his hand softly and smiled. “Do I look that old? I’m just 24 this year.”

Jong Suk laughed as he tightened his arms around her. “Of course not. My girlfriend always looks young and pretty. Besides, you can only be the mother of my children.” He whispered into her ears.

Shin Hye smiled again. “Sweet talker.” She pulled away from him and turned around, her arms locked around his neck. “Why are you here so early? I thought you need to go back to your father’s office to see your brother?” She asked.

Jong Suk pursed his lips. “He was having a meeting and has no time to see me.”

Shin Hye nodded her head. “What is so important that he can’t talk to you at home but need you to go back to the office?”

Jong Suk sighed deeply. “My father wants me to work in his company and assist my brother.”

“Your brother doesn’t like it?” She asked cautiously.

Jong Suk shrugged his shoulders. “I don’t know. He always come home very late at night and went to the office very early the next morning. I don’t even have a chance to see him. My father said he was very busy and he hope that I could help him and lessen his workload.”

Shin Hye moved her hand to his face and caressed it softly. “You don’t like to work in your father’s company?”

He sighed again. “I’m not interested in business. I’m not a businessman material and I don’t want eomeoni and my brother to think that I want to fight with them. I just want a peaceful life and hope my mother can live happily in that house.”

Shin Hye sighed silently and felt very sorry for him whenever he talked about his family. She has been with him for more than a year now but she didn’t ask him much about his family. She only listened to him quietly whenever he wants to talk to her about it.

Jong Suk saw the sympathy gaze in Shin Hye’s eyes. He then smiled at her. “I really missed the time when we were still in New York.”

Shin Hye laughed softly. “We just came back for about three months and you already miss New York?” To be honest, she missed it too. It has been 3 years since she came back to Seoul. A lot of things have changed in this place but there is always something that will follow her and never change. There were too many painful memories in this place. She doesn’t want to recall and pray hard that she will not see that person again.

He nodded before he asked her. “Are you scared about the dinner at my house tonight?”

Shin Hye looked up at him and smiled weakly. “A bit.”

Jong Guk traced feather-light along her jawline. “Don’t worry. My eomma will like whoever I like. She can’t wait to meet you already. My abeoji and eomeoni don’t really care what I do outside. As long as I don’t bring any trouble back, I think they don’t really bother who I’m dating. And I don’t think you will get to see my brother since he won’t be back so early.”

She let out a long sigh before nodding her head.

Jong Suk smiled and embraced her securely in his arms. “Don’t worry. I’ll be there and everything will be alright.”

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“Abeoji, eomeoni, eomma. Please meet my girlfriend.” Jong Suk introduced Shin Hye to his parents right away after they entered the Lee mansion.

Shin Hye bowed politely at them. “Annyeonghaseyo, Mr Lee, Mrs Lee and… eomeonim.” She was relieved when she saw Jong Suk’s mother, Kim Sung Ryung smiled warmly at her. Jong Suk told her that his mother was not his father’s legal wife. She tried hard not to feel awkward when she address her.

“Park Shin Hye imnida.” She then passed the paper bad she was holding to Kim Sung Ryung and smiled shyly. “It’s just a small gift. I hope you will like it.”

“It’s a crystal vase. Shin Hye know you like crystal and she went to a lot of places to look for this.” Jong Suk said to his mother.

Kim Sung Ryung smiled at Shin Hye. “This is so sweet of you. I love it. Thank you very much.”

“Don’t just stand there. Park Shin Hye-sshi, please take a seat.” Lee Dong Hwan cut them off as he seated down on the couch with Kim Mi Kyung.

Kim Mi Kyung was very quiet since Shin Hye entered the house and she just looked at her without saying anything.

Shin Hye noticed her gaze and shifted uncomfortably on the couch.

Lee Dong Hwan turned to his wife. “What’s wrong?” He asked softly.

“Don’t you think she looked like So…”

Lee Dong Hwan immediately cleared his throat, stopping Kim Mi Kyung to continue. “Don’t talk nonsense.”

Kim Mi Kyung inhaled a soft breath and smiled slightly at Shin Hye. “I heard that Jong Suk met you in US. Are you studying in the same university with Jong Suk?”

Jong Suk grasped Shin Hye’s hand when he felt her body stiffened beside him. He looked at Kim Mi Kyung and smiled. “No, we are not in the same university. She studied visual arts in a small art school in New York.” He paused and squeezed her hand softly. “She is an orphan. She has to work part time job at night to pay for her school fees. She is a very hardworking and independent girl. She doesn’t like to rely on other people. That’s what I love about her.”

Shin Hye smiled slightly at him, appreciated his help in an awkward situation like this. Of course she wasn’t shame of herself but no matter what, she knows their background doesn’t compatible.

Lee Dong Hwan laughed softly as he nodded his head. “What is wrong of being an orphan? I’m an orphan too. When I was young, I had gone through a lot of storms and hardships to reach where I’m standing now. As long as you are confident and proud with what you are doing, background and status is not that important.”

Shin Hye looked up at Lee Dong Hwan and was relieved when she saw his warm smile. She never thought he was so open-minded and will accept her being with his son so easily. She smiled back at him politely. “Thank you.”

“I told you everything will be fine.” Jong Suk leaned over and whispered into her ear.

Shin Hye squeezed his hand softly and smiled at him. “Thank you.” She whispered back.

“Juinnim, doryeonnim is back. His car just entered the porch.” The maid told Lee Dong Hwan.

Jong Suk turned to his father. “Hyung is back? He doesn’t usually come back so early.”

“Your abeoji and eomeoni asked him to come home earlier today. Since you came back three months ago, all of us have not even sit down together for once. We should take this opportunity to have a simple gathering and have a dinner together. It has been a long time since all of us sit down and have a dinner together.” Kim Sung Ryung said to her son. She then looked at Shin Hye and smiled at her.

“Jong Suk’s brother is a workaholic. He put almost all his attention and time in his work.  We seldom see him at home.” She said.

Shin Hye smiled back.

“You should help your brother out and lessen his burden. Did you go to see your brother today?” Lee Dong Hwan asked.

Jong Suk sighed silently. “I did but he was in a meeting.”

“If you really have the heart to work there, you should wait until his meeting is over.” Lee Dong Hwan said in a stern tone.

Kim Mi Kyung held her husband’s arm and looked at him. “Don’t talk about office stuff at home. You will scare Shin Hye.”

Shin Hye looked up at her and shook her head awkwardly. “It’s okay. I’m fine.”

Lee Dong Hwan sighed deeply before looking at Shin Hye. “You should help me to knock some sense into his head. He was wasting time doing nothing in these three months.”

Shin Hye glanced at Jong Suk before looking back at Lee Dong Hwan. “I’ll try to talk to him.”

“You are taking their side now?” Jong Suk protest.

Shin Hye laughed softly.

“Abeoji, I’m back.”

Everyone except Shin Hye turned to the door when a tall and handsome man walked into the house. She suddenly felt that her heart stopped beating for a second when she heard the familiar deep voice behind her. She doesn’t dare to turn around to look at him. She clenched her hands into tight fists and she could feel her body started to tremble. It couldn’t be him. There are so many people in South Korea and it couldn’t be so coincident that he is Jong Suk’s brother. How can it be the man that she hated so much and tried to run away from him all these while?

“The dinner is almost ready. We are having a guest with us today. She is Jong Suk’s girlfriend.” Kim Mi Kyung stood up and walked to her son.

Lee Min Ho nodded as he turned to where Jong Suk and his girlfriend were sitting. His eyes were slightly widened when he saw the girl sitting beside his brother. Although her head were bowed down but he can still see her face. How could he possibly forget that face? She was the girl who ran away from him without a word three years ago.  

Jong Suk stood up of the couch and looked at Min Ho. “Hyung, please meet my girlfriend, Park Shin Hye.”

Min Ho exhaled sharply when he heard the familiar name. He swallowed hard with his eyes still locked at Shin Hye. He slowly walked closer to her and stretched his hand out. “Hi, I’m Jong Suk’s brother, Lee Min Ho.” He stressed on his name slightly louder.

Shin Hye bit her lip and took a deep breath. She stood up and slowly looked at Min Ho, holding his gaze firmly. Her palms were balled so tightly that her fingernails were now biting into her soft flesh. It was really him. The man that changed her life, the man that hurt her so badly was now standing right in front of her and was actually the brother of her boyfriend. How pathetic.

It has been three years since that night and she still looked the same. So beautiful, so pure but so painful to look at. There was confusion in Min Ho’s mind when he saw the hatred in her eyes. Until now, he still doesn’t understand what happened to her, to them. She ran away when their three months agreement have not even over yet. She shouldn’t be angry with what he did to her on that night because he has never been gentle to her and she never complain about it. They had a clear understanding before they start the deal. She knows it very clearly that everything was just a deal, a secret transaction between them.

Still looking at him, she held his hand softly and smiled coldly. “Nice meeting you.”

When their hands joined, when their skin touched, all the memories that happened three years ago rushed back into their mind as if it just happened yesterday.

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3 years ago…

Shin Hye gently laid her grandmother onto the hospital bed after cleaning her back. She then rubbed her arms with the towel as she smiled at her grandmother.

“Halmeoni, are you feeling better today? Have the doctor come to see you?” Shin Hye asked.

Na Moon Hae shook her head slowly. “Not yet but I feel much better.” She held Shin Hye’s hand and pulled her to sit beside her on the bed. “Shin Hye-ah, can you talk to the doctor that I want to discharge today?”

Shin Hye looked at her grandmother worriedly. “Of course not. There is a build-up fluid in your lungs. You can’t even breathe. How can you go home now? You have to stay here and let doctor and nurses take care of you.”

Na Moon Hae sighed weakly. “Even if I stay here, the doctor couldn’t do anything. I have lungs cancer final stage. They can only help me to breathe and give