A/N: Chapter Twenty-One, released! Thanks to all reviewers and readers for sticking with me! Time to discuss reviews:

I also always saw him as a selfless character. He's always pushed away his own troubles for hers, and always tried to be there for her when she needed someone! And I couldn't help it - I particularly believed that Yi-Jeong and Woo Bin would try to make his time at the hospital a bit enjoyable! Knowing hospitals, it's probably not good quality meals that they normally eat. And I always thought he regretted it, especially since it was unfair to her, though I can kinda understand why he did it. I also always saw as Ji Hoo's grandfather as "wise" in some aspect. I want his role to help Ji Hoo and Jan Di when they need it most! :) But thank you for your review! And thank you for reminding me about that - I always expect myself to try and write something big to entertain readers, but sometimes small things like this are necessary to build the story! So thank you (JHsgf82). I also think that it would be wise to speak to his grandfather about Madam Kang and Jan Di's kidnapping, but he probably doesn't want to accuse anyone without any real evidence. That was why he had Jun Pyo try and check in on it, though he found nothing! But I agree with you (angee818323).

Now onto business! This chapter I got distracted a lot.. So I'm not sure how it turned out. It was a decently slow chapter, since I had a little trouble writing it, but hopefully it turned out well! Enjoy!

While waiting for his return, Geum Jan Di found herself curious to know what exactly caused him to look so… serious. He was mostly warm smiles and laughter, but it seemed as though speaking with Jun Pyo meant business. And she couldn't help but feel a bit anxious herself. She was actually considering to ask him about what was going on—not because she was a nosy person, even though she naturally was—but because she was concerned for his well being. She didn't want to see him frown or cry again; not like those days where he would remain alone and suffer in his own silence. He was very different now, and if she could take away what troubles he suffered through, she would undoubtedly do it. Again, she found herself flustered at her own thoughts. It was almost as if she would do anything for him..

Would I?

How far would I go for him..?

Love was indeed strange; Jan Di didn't even understand it fully herself. In fact, this was one of the first times she actually fell in love with someone. Expressing affection or love was not very easy for her; especially with pride like her own. For so long, she depended on herself to get through life, but now she knew she could depend on him; she just didn't know how or where to even begin. It wasn't very easy for her. She wondered if it was easy for him. He was also alone for some time, despite being close to Seo Hyun. He was lonelier than her. Was he able to depend on others as easily? Could he really adjust his lifestyle and adapt?

"Well.. If I have a say in it, I'll make sure he can grow to depend on others. We both could work on that," she mumbled half to herself.

After sitting for several moments, waiting for Ji Hoo's return, Jan Di decided to go see if he was still on the phone. Thanks to a certain loudmouth, Ji Hoo was wide awake and their quality time together was disturbed. Quietly, she tiptoed out of the room and near the kitchen, hiding behind a wall as she peered into the room. She saw harabeoji and Ji Hoo talking.

"It's not good to constantly hide things. If you handle situations on your own, you will only burden yourself.. And burdening yourself, in the end, will cause harm to not only yourself, but those around you. You must rely on others, Ji Hoo," spoke the old grandfather.

Jan Di watched sneakily, only because her curiosity got the best of her. It wasn't like she could help it. There was a silence between the two, and Ji Hoo glanced away from his grandfather, staring blankly at the wood floor. He looked to be in thought.

Then she heard his grandfather's voice again. "Are you happy, Ji Hoo? I've.. never really known whether you were truly happy or not." There was a tinge of concern in the elder's voice and Jan Di felt her heart drop at such saddened words. If anything, his grandfather was probably filled with regret for leaving his grandson alone at such a young age.. Was he even aware of all the suffering Ji Hoo endured? Suddenly, she saw Ji Hoo smile from the corner of her eye, which caught her by surprise.

"Of course, harabeoji." A dip of the head was given to the old man, and for once, Ji Hoo looked.. happy. Jan Di blinked slowly, noticing suddenly how his gaze softened, even though he was now no longer looking at his grandfather. Instead, he was smiling warmly, as if hearing those words only reminded him of the memories that brought him joy. "I'm happy," he reassured him. Slowly, he turned his head to look at his grandfather once more. "I have a family again, don't I?" As if that were enough for an answer, Ji Hoo strolled out of the kitchen without another word. Jan Di scrambled away from the door and raced away as quickly as she could so she wouldn't be caught eavesdropping. She dashed back into his bedroom—luckily without being caught—and climbed back into the bed. She then yanked the sheets over her body to act as if she hadn't left the bed at all. And seconds later, Ji Hoo entered the bedroom, glancing at her suspiciously.

Uh oh.. Did he see me?

She smiled nervously and sunk beneath the sheets in shame. "I'm sorry, sunbae.."

"Sorry? I don't think sorry's going to cut it this time." He approached the bed, folding his arms across his chest and looking as if he were about to scold her. "Do you want to explain to me why?"

She gave in and a defeated sigh fell from her lips. "I was only curious about the phone call—I couldn't help it.. I was worried, Ji Hoo. It looked as if something were wrong and.."

Ji Hoo blinked at her confession. "You were curious about the phone call? Wait, were you eavesdropping on me—?"

Jan Di stared at him blankly, her expression pale. She jerked up into a sitting position, gripping tightly onto the sheets until her knuckles went white. "..You.. Weren't you asking me why was I listening in?"

Ji Hoo moved closer until he was sitting on the bed beside her. "Not at all—I was curious as to why you were hiding my phone from me earlier."

She couldn't help but feel even more ashamed and embarrassed for that matter—not only did he remember the incident with his cell-phone, but she also gave away what she was trying to hide: the fact that she was shamelessly eavesdropping on his conversation with his grandfather. She fell silent, feeling her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. She couldn't find the right words to say. She was caught red-handed, even though she tried so hard to be sneaky about it.

"So.. You were eavesdropping then?" Ji Hoo's lips curved into an amused smile. "I'll change my question.. What were you eavesdropping for?"

She averted her gaze while she rubbed the back of her neck nervously. There was no point in hiding it now. "Well.. You looked worried when you answered the phone, so I wanted to see if I could help.." her voice trailed off. "Is something wrong, sunbae? You can always tell me if there's anything on your mind.."

Suddenly she felt his hand cup her cheek, and before she knew it, he was leaning closer to her; only stopping once their faces were close to touching. A smile was still expressed on his features. "Geum Jan Di, are you worried about me?" His words teased her relentlessly. But regardless of his teasings, he still spoke to her sweetly. "Don't worry yourself further, little Otter. Everything is going to be okay, I promise.." Then before she could expect it, he leaned up and pressed his lips to her forehead gently. Then he pulled away, giving her space once more, although his smile remained.

She remained sitting on the bed in the same position, stunned by that sudden action. She wasn't used to his affection yet, considering she rarely ever let Jun Pyo express his in such ways. But coming from Ji Hoo.. It felt natural, and she noticed that she actually enjoyed such forms he expressed his affection in. It wasn't always a kiss to the lips; if anything, that only happened once. He always made sure she was comfortable before making any type of move on her.

"If it's a promise from you, then I have no reason to doubt," she replied moments afterwards. She met with Ji Hoo's gaze. "But please.. Rely on me. You're not alone anymore, sunbae. Like you said, you have family now. You don't need to endure anything on your own anymore," she spoke with sincerity and offered a small grin of her own to further assure him.

Before any more words could be said, a voice called out to her. "Jan Di!"

Both Ji Hoo and Jan Di glanced up from each other to where the voice came from. A female of tall height and expensive tastes in fashion entered the bedroom, only stopping once she noticed that the two of them were sharing a 'moment' of some sort.

"Oh, I'm sorry—did I interrupt something?" she asked, blinking and staying by the doorway. "I was told it was okay to come in.."

Ha Jae Kyung..

"No, we weren't. It's okay, unnie." Jan Di gave her a small smile, though she was unsure why she was at Ji Hoo's home. "What brings you here..?"

"To spend time with Jan Di, of course!" Jae Kyung smiled brightly as she ran over to Jan Di and took a hold of her arm. "Let's go shopping for a bit! And let's call Ga Eul too! Let's all have a girl's day out!"

"Huh? But I'm not ready.." began Jan Di.

"I'll help you get ready," replied Jae Kyung eagerly before dragging Jan Di off the bed and to her room to get dressed; leaving Ji Hoo staring blankly as he was left behind without another word.

"You're not alone anymore."

"You don't need to endure anything on your own anymore."

Ji Hoo was staring at the doorway where Jan Di was dragged out. He didn't even get a chance to respond to her words, although he wasn't even sure where to start. He was speechless. It was the first time anyone told him anything like that, and it hit him pretty hard. They were definitely sincere, but really, Ji Hoo didn't even think about it.

For so long, ever since he lost his parents, Ji Hoo was left abandoned by his grandfather. He was left alone, believing that the reason behind his parents death was because of him. At such a young age, Ji Hoo blamed his existence and suffered throughout his life remembering such an accident. It was the reason he didn't enjoy riding in cars and why he preferred his motorcycle as a mode of transportation. For years, he would cry himself to sleep, only to wake up with tear-stained eyes. There were even days where he couldn't get any sleep due to the nightmares that constantly plagued his sleep. Seo Hyun was good support to him, but she was also far too busy to be with him. And whenever she wasn't with him—the only person who truly cared about him and understood him—he would fall into a state of depression. Because in reality, he was alone. Jun Pyo was busy with his business as the Shinhwa heir, but despite that, he still constantly surrounded himself by people. Woo Bin and Yi-Jeong were always together, and while Ji Hoo would spend enjoyable time with them, he didn't enjoy the whole F4 business of destroying students lives. It wasn't something he was fond of in his highschool memories, and it was something Jan Di made him feel ashamed of to be included in. She fought the F4 system and helped him find reason to smile again.

It was all thanks to you, Jan Di..

It was why he couldn't lose her. Why he refused to give in to Jun Pyo and let him steal her away. Ji Hoo fell in love with the student who fought for what was right, despite coming from a poor background. And she earned a living for herself. It was something the F4 men never did. Their way of living was a lot easier than hers, and it wasn't very admirable the way they disrespected people constantly. The F4 men still remained similar to how they were in the past, but they also learned from Jan Di.

Thank you..

"U—unnie," began Jan Di as she was dragged throughout a store at the shopping center. Ga Eul was with her two friends, although she was also being dragged by Jae Kyung at times. "What are you shopping for?"

"Yes," agreed Ga Eul as she nodded her head. "We've been looking through stores, but we're not even sure what you're looking for. If we knew, maybe we could help you.."

Jae Kyung was busy looking at a pair of heels that were clearly to her liking. She stood up straight and turned to look at both her friends with a bright smile on her features. "It's not just for me. I brought you two along so we could all get something for the banquet."

"Banquet?" Jan Di and Ga Eul exchanged glances with each other. "What banquet?"

"Didn't Joon inform you?" asked Jae Kyung as she blinked several times. "Madam Kang is hosting a banquet, and I thought you both received an invitation."

This was news to Jan Di. She didn't keep in much contact with Jun Pyo as of late, and it caused her to feel a bit guilty for not trying harder. She lowered her gaze, unable to help her current emotions.

Ga Eul spoke up suddenly, "Ah.. Now that I remember, Yi-Jeong sunbae mentioned us going somewhere soon."
"Yes, it's very soon!" Jae Kyung grinned happily. "It's going to be within a couple weeks, but I don't wanna get alone.. I was hoping you two could come with me."

"Would it be okay if we both came?" asked Jan Di uneasily, knowing her relationship with Jun Pyo's mother wasn't the best. "Isn't it.. for prominent families..?"
"Of course it'd be okay. I helped Jun Pyo set up the invitations. Yi-Jeong and Ji Hoo should be getting them today!" Jae Kyung clapped her hands together once. "So I'm going to help you both pick out outfits for it." Jan Di and Ga Eul once again exchanged nervous glances.

"We don't have much money.." began Ga Eul, who was having the same money issues as Jan Di.

"That's okay." Jae Kyung waved her hand in dismissal. "I'll pay."

"How could we possibly repay you?" asked Jan Di.

"Hmm.." She pointed at them both. "By coming to the banquet! I'll make sure to leave Ji Hoo and Yi-Jeong stunned!"

Both Ga Eul and Jan Di blushed at her comments. But while Ga Eul tried objecting that her love with Yi-Jeong wasn't "technically" official, Jan Di couldn't help but think about the event. Did Jun Pyo even want to see her, after everything she had done to him? She even got together with his best friend, although did he even know it?

I'm sorry, Jun Pyo..

A/N: Enjoy? What are your thoughts?