3 years ago…

“Hi.”

Park Shin Hye stopped cleaning the table as she looked up when she heard someone greeted her.

“H-Hi. Do I know you?” She asked in English.

Lee Jong Suk smiled softly. “You are from Korea, right? I’m from Korea too. We can just speak in Korean. You don’t remember me? I was the one who sent you to the hospital when you fainted last week.”

Shin Hye parted her lips slightly before she smiled awkwardly at him. “I see. I’m sorry. I didn’t know and…”

“It’s okay.” Jong Suk cut her off. “You passed out before you can even see my face clearly. And I didn’t wait until you wake up before I go off from the hospital that day.”

Shin Hye smiled again. “Thank you so much for sending me to the hospital.”

“You are welcome.” He replied as his eyes scanned her from top to toe. “Are you okay now? You still looked very pale if you ask me.”

Shin Hye didn’t reply him and just held her head low as she continued to wipe the table.

Jong Suk pursed his lips and took another step closer. “I’m a student of New York University. It’s just nearby this restaurant. Are you a student too?” He asked cautiously.

Shin Hye let out a deep sigh before looking up at him. Although she appreciate him for helping her the other day but she really don’t have the mood to make new friend now. “I’m sorry. My boss won’t be happy if he sees me chatting during working hours. I… I need to clean the kitchen now. Please excuse me.” Without waiting for him to reply, she quickly made her way to the kitchen.

Jong Suk just stood there and looked at her from the back. He curled his lips up slightly. “Interesting. I never thought my brother would have interest in someone like her.” He put his hand into his pocket and took something out from it. It was a necklace with ‘H’ pendant hanging on it. He found it in Shin Hye’s bag when he saw her passport in her bag. He recognized the necklace. She was wearing it in the photo he found in Min Ho’s phone. He guessed the necklace was given by his brother since she already taken it off now.

He looked at the necklace as he clenched his jaw. “We will meet again, Park Shin Hye.”

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Shin Hye glanced at her watch and it was already 1am when she finished her work in the restaurant. This was the time she hates the most every day. She could still stop herself from thinking when she was drowned in work but when every night after she went home, the pain will just come back and continued to torture her again. Although her body was totally drained with the long hour work but her mind just couldn’t rest for even a second. Whenever she tried to close her eyes and sleep, the image of Min Ho leaving her and how she lost her baby will replay in her mind. It just wouldn’t stop no matter how hard she tried.

As she walked at the dark and quiet alley on the way back to her apartment, she heard soft footsteps following behind her. She was sure it was more than one person and the sound of the footsteps was getting nearer and nearer. Her heart started to race as she quickened her pace. Just when she was about to reach the main road, someone grasped her arm hard and the next thing she knows, she was already pinned against the wall. She gasped heavily when she saw two American men caging her with their huge bodies.

“L-Let… let go…” She said in a shaky voice.

One of the men smirked and leaned closer to her. “Wow… look at her. What a cute Asian .” He said to his friend followed by an evil laugh.

The other man laughed too and Shin Hye’s face. “Hey pretty girl, want to play with us tonight?”

Shin Hye’s body was trembling very badly as she tried to break free from them. “Let go of me.” She said as tears started to pool in her eyes.

Both of them laughed again and looked at each other. “What language is she talking? Is she a Japanese?”

“Whatever. I’m just interested in her body.” The other man said as his hand trying to reach for her shirt. But before he could touch her, he felt a strong pressure hit behind his head and he immediately fell down on the floor. His friend was frightened by the sudden attack and before he could even react, someone pulled his hair and pushed him away from Shin Hye.

With his hand still holding the steel rod, Jong Suk moved towards Shin Hye and scanned her from top to toe. “Are you okay? Did they hurt you anywhere?”

Shin Hye looked at Jong Suk and shook her head in extreme fear. Her body was still shaking and no words could form in now. Just when she wants to shake her head, her eyes widened when she saw one of the men grabbed Jong Suk’s arm and turned him around.

“Ahhh!!!” She screamed when a hard punch landed on Jong Suk’s face. The man raised his fist and wanted to punch him again but before he could do so, Jong Suk used the steel rod and hit his stomach. The man groaned in pain as he fell down next to his friend that was still holding onto the back of his bleeding head.

Jong Suk inhaled sharply with his body shielding in front of Shin Hye. Holding the steel rod tightly in his hand, he glared at the two men. “You better go now before I call the cops. This girl is underage and you will be in big trouble if you try to touch her. We are foreign students here and if anything happen to us, you will be in deep .”

Both of them were scared and knowing that they might not win the fight, they quickly helped each other up and ran away.

After Jong Suk make sure that those men was out of sight and really gone, he quickly went back to Shin Hye and checked on her thoroughly. “You okay?” He asked again.

Shin Hye’s brows creased when she saw the bruise on his face. “Y-Your face… is bleeding.”

Jong Suk touched his left cheek and winced softly. He didn’t realize it until he felt the pain now. He wiped the blood away and smiled at her. “I’m okay. But how about you? Did they hurt you?”

Shin Hye shook her head softly. “I-I’m okay… T-Thank you…”

Jong Suk stared at her and sighed. “Your body is still shaking. What are you doing here alone at night? It’s very dangerous.”

She looked up at him and breathed softly. “I… I just finished my work and was walking back to my apartment.”

“You should use the main road. There are a lot of people like them here at night. You should ask around and you will be shock with how many cases happened here before.” Jong Suk said. He sighed again when he saw Shin Hye held her head down without replying him. “Where is your apartment? I’ll send you back.”

Shin Hye looked up at him and shook her head. “It’s okay. I can go back myself.”

“Don’t be stubborn. You wouldn’t know whether they would come back again or follow you to your apartment. It will be safer with a man with you. Let’s go before they bring more people back.” He said again.

When they reached the apartment, Shin Hye turned to Jong Suk.

Jong Suk glanced up at the building before looking back at her. “You stay here?”

Shin Hye nodded. She hesitated for a moment as her eyes were looking at the wound on his face. Even thought she only met him for the third time but something told her that he is not a bad person. He has saved her twice. He was even injured now because of saving her. She should at least help him to clean the wound.

“Do… do you want to come in? I mean… you should clean the wound. It will get infection if you just leave it like this.” She said awkwardly.

He held her gaze for a second before he smiled and nodded. “Thank you.”

Jong Suk sat on the small couch, looking around the place. It was a very small apartment. Most of the things were still lying on the floor and have not unboxed yet. He straightened himself up when Shin Hye came back with a glass of water and a medicine box in her hands.

She gave the water to him and smiled awkwardly before she seated down beside him. “I’m sorry. I just moved in not too long ago and I don’t have anything to serve you. I hope you don’t mind.”

Jong Suk gave her a warm smile. “It’s okay.” He took a big sip of the water before placing the glass on the side table.

Shin Hye took a cotton bud and the antiseptic cream out from the medicine box and gently applied the cream on Jong Suk’s face. After she was done, she moved herself slightly backward before looking at him. “Thank you so much for just now and also the other day when you sent me to the hospital. I don’t know what I can do to pay you back.”

Jong Suk looked at her and grinned. “I can think of a lot. You can buy me a lunch or a dinner. Watch a movie with me and I don’t mind to have a date with a beautiful girl like you. We can hang out and…” He stopped mid-sentence when he saw the shock expression on Shin Hye’s face and her knuckles turned white by clenching it too tightly. He quickly looked back at her and apologized. “I’m sorry. I’m just joking and I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Shin Hye inhaled a deep breath as she looked down.

“Are you here to study? You didn’t answer me the last time I ask you.” Jong Suk asked, trying to change the topic.

She shook her head.

“You look young and around my age. If you are not here to study then what are you doing here in New York? It couldn’t be possible that you came here so far away from Korea just to work as a waitress, right.” He asked again.

Taking another deep breath, Shin Hye looked up at him again. “I left Korea because I lost everything in that place.” She paused and smiled sadly. “And the first place I want to go is New York. I have a wish since I was a kid that I wanted to see the Statue of Liberty right in front of my eyes in New York one day. I remembered someone promised me that he will bring me here and make my wish come true.” She continued to look at Jong Suk with a sad gaze. “My wish did came true but the only difference was I’m here alone.”

Jong Suk stared into her painful eyes as he felt a pang in his chest. He doesn’t understand why but his heart was clenching when he saw the pain that crossed in her eyes. This was the first time he took a closer look at her and he realized that she is very beautiful. Although her gaze was dull and she always looked expressionless, her beauty was evident. She even looks like So Ra in certain angles. He wonders what really happened to her and his brother. Why did she look so sad now and run away from Min Ho? What make her hardened her heart to kill the innocent life inside of her? Was it because his brother doesn’t want the baby? They looked very happy in the photo and thinking back about the text message she sent to Min Ho, it was clear that his brother doesn’t know she was pregnant. It was impossible that his brother force her for an abortion.

At first, he only felt anger and hatred towards her after knowing she was the woman who Min Ho cheated behind So Ra. But looking at her now, hearing what she just said, he found his heart softened and she triggered the interest inside of him. He wanted to know more. She gave him a feeling of weakness and it makes him wanted to protect her.

“Why did you come alone? Why didn’t you come with the person who promise to bring you here?” He asked, looking straight at her.

Holding his gaze, Shin Hye pursed her lips. “It’s very late now. Are you staying nearby? What are doing there so late at night just now?” She asked, trying to avoid his question that she doesn’t want to reply.

Jong Suk was slightly taken aback by her question. “I was having a drink with friends nearby and bumped into you when I was on the way back to my dorm.” He lied. He was there sitting in the coffee shop right in front of the restaurant she worked for the whole night. He laughed silently at himself. He wasn’t even understand his own behavior. He was stalking a woman that related to his brother and wanted to do something just to hurt him back. But looking at her now, what can he do to her? He doesn’t even want to hurt her.

“I see.” Shin Hye said as she glanced down at her watch.

Jong Suk noticed her discomfort and quickly put the antiseptic cream back on the table as he stood up. “I think I should go now. It’s very late.”

Shin Hye stood up too and smiled at him. “Thank you so much for your help. When you are free, stop by at the restaurant I’m working. I should buy you a lunch.”

“Of course.” He smiled back at her. “I always have my lunch there since my university is just nearby. By the way, my name is Lee Jong Suk. I’m 22 years old. I think we are around the same age, right? And your name is Park Shin Hye?”

Shin Hye raised her brows. “How do you know my name?”

Jong Suk rubbed his nape and smiled awkwardly. “I saw your name in your passport when I sent you to the hospital.”

She nodded. “I see.” She smiled slightly at him. “I’m 21 years old.”

“Cool. So we can just drop the honorific and speak casually.” He turned around and walked to the door but just before he go out, he turned back to Shin Hye. He took the necklace out from his pocket and showed it to her. “Is this yours?”

Shin Hye’s bit her lip when she saw the necklace that Min Ho gave to her during her birthday. She slowly took it from him and stared at it for a long second. “Where did you find it? It was in my bag and I thought I lost it.”

Jong Suk cleared his throat. “I hmmm… found it in the hospital. I must have dropped it when I took your passport out. Luckily I saw it on the floor. I’m so sorry.” He lied. “Is this very important to you? You look like you just found something very precious.”

She inhaled deeply before she smiled slightly at him. “Please be careful when you walk back to your dorm later. I’ll see you around, Jong Suk-sshi.” She said.

Knowing that she was trying to ignore his question again, he doesn’t want to push her further. So he was right. The necklace was hers and he can confirmed it was from his brother. “Just call me Jong Suk. I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Shin Hye smiled again. “Good night.”

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1 month later…

“This is an order. I don’t care what is the reason you want to work so hard but I really don’t want to see you faint in my restaurant anymore. It’s already 6pm now and you should go back to rest. Either I fire you or you listen to me.” The owner of the restaurant said as he took the tablecloth that Shin Hye was holding. She let out a deep sigh before she nodded and made her way to the staff’s room and takes her bag from the locker.

When she almost reached her apartment, her phone rings. She took it out from her bag and it was Jong Suk. Since the night he helped her, he have become the only friend she have in New York. Although they were not very close yet but at least they will chat when they see each other.

Shin Hye: Yoboseyo.

Jong Suk: Hey, where are you? I’m in your restaurant now but your boss said you have clocked out.

Shin Hye: Yes. He threatened to fire me if I don’t go back to rest.

Jong Suk (laughed): At least it worked. So you are at home now? Do you want me to get you dinner?

Shin Hye: It’s okay. I will just cook instant noodle and sleep after that. I’m tired.

Jong Suk: Okay. I guess I will see you tomorrow.

Shin Hye: Okay, see you tomorrow.

She put her phone back into her bag after she ended the call. As she walked towards the elevator, her legs were frozen in place when she heard a sound of baby crying. She turned around and saw a baby who was sitting inside a stroller at the corner. She scanned around the lobby and no one was there. She slowly walked towards the stroller and kneeled down in front of it. Her lips curled up in a soft smile when she saw the baby looking at her with a pair of big eyes. Judging by the design and colour of clothes the baby was wearing, Shin Hye guessed he is a boy.

A sharp piercing pain hit her chest in a sudden. Looking at the baby in front of her the image of her lying down on the surgery table slowly replayed in her mind again. Her eyes immediately reddened and covered with tears. She raised her trembling hand up and the baby’s face very gently. The baby cried even louder now as his two tiny arms were lifted up, wanting Shin Hye to carry him.

Shin Hye looked around again to find his parents but found no one there. She carefully carried his tiny soft body up and held him securely in her arms. She smiled with her tears starting to roll down her face. Caressing his soft chubby cheeks, she leaned down and inhaled into his sweet baby scent.

“Don’t cry. I’m here.” She closed her eyes and kissed his forehead. “I’m sorry to leave you alone.” She whispered without realizing what she was talking about. Her mind was totally controlled by the painful memory.

“What are you doing with my baby?!”

A loud voice brought Shin Hye back to the reality and she almost fell down when an American woman took the baby forcefully away from her arms and glared angrily at her. “What are you doing with my baby? #@!##$$%$#^&&*&^*(*(%^$#%$......”

That woman was scolding her in English and Shin Hye couldn’t understand what she was talking about. “I… I’m sorry… I saw him crying here and…”

“Shut up! $%%^@$#$^&^%&……” The woman cut her off rudely as she put the baby back into the stroller and walked away.

Shin Hye stood there for a long moment before she slowly brought back to her senses. She then walked mindlessly to the elevator and when she reached her apartment, she threw herself on the couch and lay there lifelessly.

“Halmeoni will look after you in the heaven. You are not alone. Min Ho will take care of you. You must have faith in him. He will love you. Halmeoni need to go now. Halmeoni love you…”

“I’m very sorry. If an ectopic pregnancy is left to develop, there is a high risk that the fertilized egg could continue to grow and caused the fallopian tube to split open or rupture. It will cause life-threatening internal bleeding. Since your situation is not that serious yet, you have to do the surgery to save yourself.”

“My name is Park Shin Hye, 21 years old. I’m having a surgery to remove the ectopic pregnancy.”

“We never talk about that before. But I know she love children. I guess if we are married, it won’t need any planning.” He smiled. “It will come naturally and no matter how many children she wants, I will give her. As long as she is the mother of my children, I will be more than happy.”

“Someone saw So Ra in Brazil. I need to go there to look for her.” 

“You know it will end one day. From the very beginning until now, I never