There are three hired goons. The first one was looking out for the twins making them occupied playing safely at a nearby nursery home. The second one was tying the unconscious Jiyong and Dara safely on the chair to keep them from moving and escaping. While the third one was on the rooftop with his sniper ready.

The wind from the rooftop was blowing Dara’s disarray hair into even bigger mess. Still she looked beautiful, just drained, tired and pained. Yunho carefully fixed her hair eyeing her intently. The movement woke Jiyong into alert. “Don’t touch her!” he screamed at the guy.

Yunho snickered. “Yeah. Try stopping me then.” he teased looking at Jiyong’s tied hands and feet.

Jiyong angrily bit his lips and wiggled free from the bind but to no avail. “Dara. Santtokki!” Jiyong tried waking Dara up. But the girl was too tired and hurt to respond, she was still unconscious. “What did you do to her!” he demanded.

“Want to punch me?” Yunho grinned. He locked eyes with the pitiful Jiyong and kissed Dara lingeringly on the lips eventually waking up the girl. Her eyes in disbelief. Pained. Broken. And in denial.

“See. She is my Snow white, she woke from my kiss.” Yunho temptingly his lips making Jiyong even more frustrated. He then turned to Dara and turned to boyfriend mode, “Are you hurt anywhere hmmm~”

“Yah! Tokki. Don’t listen to him!!!” Jiyong screamed.

However, Dara seemed neither to care nor to hear. Her focus was on Yunho. Her once again loving Yunho. Her eyes watered. Then her cheeks became stained with tears. “Yunhossi…” she cried. “It’s not you right?” she begged.

Slowly, Yunho kneeled in front of Dara levelling her gaze. With loving eyes he traced the tears that flowed on her milky white face. He wiped them out with care. “Sssh…” he murmured. “Everything will be okay. You have me. Hmm~~” Then he let out a hollow laugh. Almost maniacally. “You believe that do you?”

He stood up and dusted his pants. “Silly. Look at you; I won’t even give you a glance if not for Haejin. Too bad.”  

“NOO!!!” Dara screamed.

Haejin who was just three stair steps away from them run frantically towards the direction of Dara’s voice. “What now!!!” he screamed thinking of different scenario.

“Just in time.” Yunho grinned. “Let the party begin!” he even applauded.

“You are crazy! Where are the twins! And please please don’t harm Dara and for Pete’s sake she has been a good girlfriend to you!”

“Really now!” Yunho spoke as if thinking. “So you hurt Jessica because…” he said as he traced the cold gun on Dara’s face. “Oh I remember, Jessica is a faithful, loving, caring and loyal girlfriend and you crushed her into pieces. So I should….” Yunho trailed and inched his fingers near the trigger. The gun pointing at Dara’s head.

“NO!” Jiyong and Haejin pleaded.

While Dara was numb. In trance. As if nothing was happening. As if she was in a bad dream and was calmly waiting to wake up. Her tears streaming endlessly down her face. Not even feeling scared of losing her life. But was anticipating him to pull the trigger and hear the loud bang of the gun believing that it will wake her up from her very very very bad nightmare she ever had.

“Please.” Haejin resigned. “Don’t harm them. Harm me instead.”

Yunho then focused a camera prepared for the finale of his plan on Haejin.

“It’s going to be shown live on TV.” he mouthed. “Read the idiot board then I’ll set everyone free. hmm~~” he commanded.

“Show me that the twins are safe first.”

“Suspicious much.” Yunho responded in a bored manner and commanded the goon to show something to Haejin. It was a live feed from the other goon playing with the innocent twins. Haejin let out a sigh of relief at the sight but was furious again seeing the goon’s hidden gun.   

“Better get your act together.”

Within the already twisted mind of Yunho, he was thinking of victory. Of finally avenging his beloved sister, Jessica. He recalled how he painfully discovered why his sister jumped to her death. Not because she was dumped. It was more than that. The cruel of the man that Haejin is, that man he so despised killed all the possibility of his sister bearing a child.  

Suddenly the building next to them flashed something other than cf on its gigantic screen that was showing Lee Yeon Hee’s commercial just a minute ago.

It showed Haejin at his current state on the rooftop with the caps: I’m a sinner.

“Read.” Yunho ordered from behind the camera with his gun on Dara’s head. While the goon was fast to silence Jiyong with a masking tape and handkerchief on his mouth.  

Haejin did as he was told. Slowly and tremblingly, he read the idiot board.

“Years ago, I killed a young girl with big dreams and potential. I out her life. Cut her wings from reaching her dream. And finally, when I was tired of her, I throw her away like a trash. So don’t forgive a person like me.”

As he did, the goon with the twins was ordered to set the kids go and immediately aid the goon by his side who was currently untying Dara.  Turns out, the twins were just two floors below them.

Haejin choked at the last page of the idiot board. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He shook his head. “Please no.” he almost whispered.

It caused Yunho to recklessly drag Dara near the balcony. Jiyong screamed inwardly. It was then that he was able to know the reason why Haejin stopped reading the idiot board, it reads: Now I’ll witness my sister die the same death the young girl did years back. Jiyong cried. For help. For miracle.    

Jiyong found an opening. It was weird but Yunho left the gun at Dara’s already empty seat. Also magically, the rope around his wrist was slowly loosening. He was able to break free and swiftly run towards Dara pushing Yunho at the camera.

The camera fall on the cold cement capturing random foot movements of the unfolding bloodshed.

However, when Jiyong thought they were out of trouble because he has already saved Dara from Yunho, the despicable guy pointed at the building beside them showing the sniper. It was aimed at Dara. Jiyong cried and protectively pointed the gun at Yunho. While the goons discreetly made their way towards Haejin.

It was smart of them to use Haejin to lure Jiyong to put the gun down. Not knowing what to do, Jiyong remained rooted at his spot firmly pointing the gun at Yunho.

However, Dara seemed to have awakened from her trance. She foolishly broke free from Jiyong’s protective embrace to block the gun pointing towards Yunho. “No.” she shook her head. Her tears streaming down again. “Ajjumma. If you kill him, you are killing me too.”

It left Jiyong, Haejin and Yunho awed. Yunho betrayed an off guard loving look at Dara which didn’t pass Jiyong’s eyes. With that, Jiyong weakly moved towards Haejin scaring off the goons that were immobilizing the older guy. He knew Yunho can’t and won’t kill Dara. The look he just showed in that brief moment was enough to convince Jiyong.

Jiyong ordered the goons to scamper away. At first they were reluctant but then they obliged. He secured the place and let Haejin block the door to prevent the goons from coming back. And to prevent the sniper from killing anyone he blinded him by shooting the light that gives them away.

“Now what?” it was Yunho. “Thought I am finished?”

“You know it too. It’s game over.” Jiyong answered.

“She is beside me. Don’t forget that.”

“And?” it was Jiyong’s turn to tease the despicable guy.

“I can easily toss her down.”

“You know you can’t even if you want too.”

“I can.” Yunho’s tone was frustrated.

“You….”Jiyong trailed. But before he could add the words he never wanted to disclose, they heard a loud bang the same time the rooftop was lighted by the fireworks from Han River.

Blood came gushing from Haejin’s belly who was protectively covering Dara. It was her wake up call. She hugged her brother and wailed. “OPPA!!!”

Jiyong run toward them and protected Dara from another shot by the sniper Jiyong thought they have already blinded but thanks to the fireworks, they were visible again.

“Jiyong. Protect Dara, the twins, and Ji Hyo….” Haejin painfully tried to mumble.

“Oppa.” Dara whispered.

“Neh~~” Jiyong masked his own pain since he was also shot.

“Freak sister, Jiyong loves you…” Haejin grinned. “Oppa thinks he is more suited to you than that Yunho muscled guy.”

“Neh~ oppa. Don’t say anymore.” she randomly answered. Then Haejin put Jiyongs hands on Dara.

“If you open your eyes, you’ll see that…” Haejin stopped feeling intense pain from his belly. “I really wish to see you two get married.”

“Neh~ oppa. I’ll even marry him eh! Just don’t sleep on us.” she screamed seeing more blood gush out from his belly. With that, Haejin smiled peacefully. And that was his last words.   

For the last time, the sky was blanketed by beautiful light brought by the fireworks. It was the last and biggest firework. It made the rooftop so illuminated that the sniper was able to shoot his last bullet on Dara’s head.

By that time, Jiyong was so tired and his eyes were already droopy. But he did not miss how Yunho protectively shielded Dara from the last shot because he can’t move anymore. The girl was crying so hard that she was oblivious of what was happening. She was so focused on her brother that she didn’t notice Yunho. She thought it was still him shielding her.

Before Jiyong closed his eyes, Jiyong saw Yunho struggling to dial 911 and they both passed out.        

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Devoid of any emotion, Dara visited Yunho at the prison after three months. She didn’t say a word. They both stared at each other divided by the window glass. He looked mechanical. Without the same warmth. And so was she.

Five seconds fly without them uttering a word. And for the last minute of her visit, it was then that Dara ended the staring battle.

“Can I ask a question?”

There was no reply.

“Back then, I really did love you.” she forced her tears to stop from forming. “it was a lie right, that you didn’t love me back.”

Still, there was no reply. Dara stood up the same time the warden said that the visitation time was over.

Yunho also stood up. He stopped and answered facing the door towards his hell, “I just taught you what pain is the same way you’ve taught me.”

When Dara was out of sight, tears streamed down Yunho’s face. “I love you.” He dared not to voice out. Scared that someone might hear. Scared that Dara might hear. And scared that Jessica would disapprove.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“Ajjumma..” it was Dara. Jiyong sighed. It was the first time she initiated the call. The girl has been terribly lost with all the mishaps. She has a handful of friends to help but she declined everyone. She said she wanted to try living anew with her own strength. And she did. And she was able to.

She stopped singing. Instead, she put up a coffee shop. Became nurse of Cheundong who was still sleeping and Ji Hyo who has lost her mind due to her husband’s unfaithful death. And became the twins’ mom.

“Tokki~” he cheerily answered.

“Can you come with me at some place?”

“Some place?”

“UMh~ don’t forget to bring flowers. See you at Hongdae say, 2 pm” then Dara hung up and took her first and last look at the prison with a strong resolve. She will definitely live anew.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

“What’s with the three red roses?” Dara complained and pouted.

“You said to bring flowers.” Jiyong smiled awkwardly facing Haejin’s tomb. “But you didn’t say it’s for hyung.”

She shook her head. “Oppa, would it be okay not to marry this guy?”

Jiyong froze. He looked at Dara confused, excited and somehow anticipating.

“Can we date first?” she asked blushing not looking at the tomb but at Jiyong who, just like her was blushing.

“Can you say something now?” Dara forced an awkward smile. “I’m already embarrassed.”

Jiyong bit his lips while raking his hair. “If you so insist then.”

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Yunho aged. A lot. He has grown some moustache making him look like a hermit. His eyes were dead. His idol days were really over. And no one would think he was once one. There are no traces of it.

“Hey.” it was Jiyong.

There was no reply. The guy was impassive and was just looking directly into Jiyong’s eye.

“I’m really curious why did you do that?”

Again there was no reply.

“At one point you did love her did you.”Jiyong grinned. Yunho looked away from him. It made Jiyong snickered. “I guess I’m right then.”

“I love her.” He felt crazy telling him that. “You know, you could have fled that night. But you called 911 and saved her. She actually thought it was me.”

With that, Yunho stood up. But he halted at Jiyong’s statement, “She still freaking love you. How long has it been? Three years? Waah~”

Gone was the impassive Yunho. Instead he looked at Jiyong with different eyes. It showed sadness, hope, bitterness. Jiyong can’t fathom. But still, there was emotion. Then, the guy turned impassive again.

“Don’t ever visit again. And tell that to TVXQ too.” With that, Yunho left.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Dara personally served Jiyong the coffee he ordered. She looked cute even in that measly uniform Jiyong thought. He smiled at Dara which the girl smiled in return too.

“You don’t have a schedule?” it was Dara.

“Umh~” Jiyong answered after sipping the coffee. He contemplated while mixing it.

“Something bothering you?” Dara asked full of concern.

“Umh~”

Dara cupped Jiyong’s face to face her. “What’s the matter?” she asked. Jiyong was already facing her.

He removed her hands from his face and sighed. “Do you still remember him?” he asked instead.

“Him?” she asked confused. Then she pouted. “You are changing the subject ajjumma.” she snatched the coffee from him and drunk it. “Hot! Hot.” she whined and immediately hold her ears.

“Careful.” Jiyong nagged while wiping her stained face. His face contorted with concern.

“What are we talking about again?” she asked.

“About remembering him.”

“Who?”

“That guy. You know.”

“I know? Spill your problem.” Dara faced him with eyes turned to slits. She was obviously tired of playing mind games with him.

“I wanted to break up.” He blurted without meeting her eyes focusing on the coffee.

“Break up?” she mimicked. Stunned. “Okay.” she agreed after contemplating making Jiyong frustrated and awed.

“That was…. Cool.” it was Jiyong. “Aren’t you curious why?”

“It’s your decision. I respect it. So we’ll be bestfriends?” she asked hopefully.

His face turned grim. He stood up. Then place the bill on the table before strongly disagreeing, “NO.” with that, he left her curious and sorry.