Gyu Won staggered out of the clinic and went to her next class without stopping by any food stores for lunch. She was not hungry, as her cramps were all she could ever mind.

"I hope I will pass the test today," she thought.

************

That afternoon, she was walking slowly like a zombie when Shin passed by her.

"Gyu Won-ah," he said. "What happened?"

She told him what happened, and he grew worried.

"You should have told me," he told her.

"I'm fine. Bo Woon and the rest brought me to the clinic," she answered weakly.

Shin did not ask how Bo Woon was faring since Gyu Won was not in the mood to talk. He assisted his girlfriend and brought her to the parking lot where he parked his bike.

"I'll take you home," he said.

Gyu Won knew she had to fend for herself again, just as she always had. Halabeoji was in Yeosu, attending some seminars, and Appa was in school.

"I have heard that Halabeoji is not home," Shin said. "I'll take care of you."

Gyu Won was a bit hesitant to let Shin in her room--but hey, he had let her in HIS room.

"Don't decide, all right?" Shin demanded. "When I say I'll take care of you, I mean it."

She looked at her namja with a smile. Indeed, the hottest boyfriend in town is also the most concerned guy in the whole wide world. Shin had her sit at the back, and he instructed her to hold him tight.

************

Shin opened the gate to Halabeoji's house and ushered Gyu Won in. As the house was a bit labyrinthian, Shin almost had a hard time figuring out the way to Gyu Won's room. When he finally found it, he opened the door and brought his girlfriend inside.

"Hold on tight," he told her.

He supported her as she sat down on her bed. He watched her crawl to her pillow and told her that he would be preparing hot water for warm compress.

"I'll volunteer cooking dinner," Shin said.

Gyu Won pouted at him, for his specialty was just ramyeon. What else could he cook?

"Gomawo...."

Shin went out of the room and into the kitchen, where he prepared all the things she needed.

************

He watched her as she took her pain reliever, and assisted her in placing the warm compress over her lower abdomen.

"You sure know these things, Shin-ah," she weakly said.

"I am Jung Hyun's babysitter when she has her girly cramps too, you know," he said, winking at her.

The lass allowed her boyfriend to attend to her. During dinner time, he brought in some food and warm soup for her to take.

"How about Jung Hyun?" she asked.

"I'll cook for her when she gets home," he said as he checked his watch.

The door opened, and came in Appa. Shin stood up and greeted him as he bowed.

"Appa, don't worry about me," Gyu Won told her father. "Shin is taking care of me."

Sun Ki smiled at tapped the young man on the shoulder.

"You can go home now," the father said. "Thanks for taking care of my daughter."

Shin bowed again and looked at Gyu Won.

"I'll go now," he said.

She nodded and allowed him to kiss her on the forehead. Then, father and daughter looked at the young man leave the room.

"Your narcissistic prince is very caring, is he?" Appa .

"Ne, Appa," Gyu Won responded weakly. "He's the best thing that had happened to me."

Sun Ki smiled and nodded. He knew that Shin was responsible enough to take care of her and would never leave her. 

(Awww.... the Dooley fan in me is starting to squeal! EEEEE!!!!!!)

*********

Bo Woon finally admitted to her friends what she had been hiding from them, and she thought that it was only fair for them to know, since Gyu Won already knew. Good thing, the two ladies understood, and they encouraged her to go and escape.

"Just do it the ninja way so your Eomma will not know," Gayageum Girl said.

*****

As she was walking home and contemplating on when to escape, she saw Joon Hee and Hee Joo talking at a distance. Hee Joo slapped him since he was pulling her and Sa Rang away that night at Catharsis.

"If you have not been a meddlesome guy, your hair would not have been pulled," Hee Joo told him in anger.

"But....but I don't want Sa Rang-eonni to pull your hair too," he explained.

Hee Joo retorted. "That was one chance I had to get even. I hated her eversince."

Joon Hee replied. "You know how I protected you and took your side all the way. Could you at least think of me? Could you please be kind to others so that I won't end up having to choose any of my friends?"

Hee Joo was not willing to give in, but because it was her cute Joon Hee-dummy, she was willing to give it a try. The drummer boy believed her and hugged her tight.

"Gomawo! Saranghae!" he shouted in happiness.

Hee Joo did not know what to feel. Something inside her was brewing, and it felt that she had started to fall for him.

"Saranghae..." she replied as she hugged him.

Joon Hee was intensely joyful because she reciprocated his love.

Far from them, Bo Woon started to cry as she looked at the two hugging each other.

"I wish it's me...." she thought in tears.

*******************

She walked out of the convenience store to buy some medicine for her eomma when Joon Hee met her again.

"Eonni!" he greeted her with a big smile and a wave.

"Oh, Joon Hee-ya," she greeted back merrily.

The drummer approached her and took a look at her face.

"Oh? Were you crying?" he asked in concern.

Her eyes were puffy, but she still denied. He shook his head like a dog and told her not to lie again.

"You've been crying," he said.

She changed topic and congratulated him for getting a girlfriend.

"Oh?" Joon Hee asked in astonishment, then broke into a smile. "Ne, she said she loves me."

Needles began pricking Bo Woon's heart, but she did her best to hide the hurt. She had won a lot of trophies and medals for best actress, and now is not the time to show her real feelings.

"Geurae? So, is it for real already?"

Joon Hee pouted cutely at her. "Don't be like that. She only said she loves me, but when I asked her if she wants me for a boyfriend, she said again that she needed time."

Sparks of hope began to be revived in Bo Woon's heart. Maybe, just maybe, Joon Hee would change his mind.

"I will escape tonight," she said.

He got so excited that she finally realized that she needed to get out of the battery at home.

"But have you packed?" he asked in concern.

"Ani, but I will pack up fast tonight. If I pack up tonight and escape tomorrow night, Eomma might find out. She has the habit of going through my things, remember?" Bo Woon explained.

Joon Hee scratched his head.

"Do you want me to help you?" he offered.

She looked at him with an astonished expression. "Mwo?"

"If you escape tonight, and you have no help, bad guys might take advantage, you know."

Bo Woon thought that it was a good advice that she needed to think about. She nodded and allowed him to help her. So that night, Joon Hee kept watch as Bo Woon got in her room. Her eomma was sleeping on the couch and was totally drunk again. He prayed to Haneunim that Bo Woon won't get caught. Heaven smiled at them, for Bo Woon crept out of the door at twelve thirty, she turned off the lights and slowly closed the door.

"Have you left anything? Cellphone? Charger? Erhu?" he asked.

"Ani. I have everything listed this afternoon," she said. "My erhu is in school."

They walked in haste so that the wicked woman won't catch up with them.

*****************

"It's too late to wake your Appa," Joon Hee said. "Let's just stay at my house."

Bo Woon remembered his sick and loving eomma.

"I hope I won't be a burden," she whispered back.

"Don't worry. Eomma is kind," he said.

And so, they dashed into his house, which was still bright when they got in. He saw his eomma, sewing some clothes at the sewing machine. She was all aghast when she saw her son with some girl late at night.

"Eomma, joesonghamnidaman (I'm very sorry, but)," he started. "My friend needed a shelter for the night."

Bo Woon gave him permission to tell his eomma what happened. The kind lady listened attentively, but had to interrupt her son when she saw whip marks on Bo Woon's legs.

"So, it is true," the eomeoni said thoughtfully.

The kind woman stood up and led Bo Woon to Joon Hee's room, and told her son to stay at her (eomma's) room for the night.

"Anio, Eomma, I will stay here in the living room," he replied politely.

The eomeoni son. "You don't want to spend time with your Eomma anymore? When you were young and cute, you used to crawl up to my bed and sleep, and had me sing nursery rhymes for you."

Joon Hee frowned cutely while his eomma ruffled his hair. Bo Woon let out a smile, feeling envious that Joon Hee got lots and lots of motherly love.

******

"I have to apologize for my small room," Joon Hee told Bo Woon while the two of them were alone in his room.

"Don't be," she said. "The room is perfectly fine."

She dashed to him and hugged him tight.

"Gomawo....gomawo...." she thanked him as tears fell down her face.

He looked at her as she buried her face on his chest.

"Why do you always bury your face when you cry?" he asked. "It's not like I will laugh at you."

She looked up to him and said. "I just want to show people my happy face, and I just want to hide my tears."

He hugged her tight and placed his chin on her head.

"You are the one girl I knew to be the most unique," he confessed.

"Wae?"

"Because you kept me worrying, you have me chase you, you had me crying," he said. "I did half of that for Hee Joo-eonni."

Then, the rain from outside started to fall. Though both of them were together, she felt that they were apart, for his heart was thinking of someone else. As she shed tears and buried her face, she kissed his chest again.

"What the?" he asked in shock.

Then, he looked down at her.

"What have you done to me, Bo Woon-eonni?" he whispered the question to her, feeling that she turned him on again.

But Bo Woon did not hear what he had said, for the heavy rainpour drowned his voice, and she was drowned in her own misery.