Hello again!
It's been almost four weeks now, right? I know I said I would update in three but my baby got really sick this past week and it was really difficult for me to do anything but work and take care of him...U_U He's doing better but I won't be calm until he's totally alright.

I want to thank all of you for the favs, alerts and reviews! I got a few here and there, and some that made my heart clench with happiness. Thank you all so much!

So, I'm sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy this chapter. Next update you say? Mmmm...let's say 3 weeks again!...

(Remember reviews for me are as coconut ice cream for me, my favorite! I can't get enought of it! LOL...)


Ji Hoo's POV

Soon, college life would start again, and the short amount of free time my grandfather had given Jan Di and me had run out. We were now back helping at the clinic and the company. Even though she had became a shareholder, we tried not to make any official announcement to avoid hurting the delicate psyche of some nosy idiot; even if all the people who worked with us were trustful, not all of them agreed with the idea of a 'commoner' taking charge of our business.

The only reason why they kept quiet about the constant presence of Jan Di in the hallways was because of her undeniable talent for it; she was now the head of the Art Centre project, her 'baby', as she called it. The teaching staff and technique, the Juilliard scholarships and similar institutions, even the admission program had all been supervised by Jan Di, and the results had been extraordinary. And it wasn't as though she'd taken business classes, as I had, or had any experience; the difference was that she seemed to take everything as one big project that simply required a little bit more responsibility.

The fresh ideas and the different point of view she offered to our job had caused everyone to be talking again about the Yoon Group.

Whenever she could, Jan Di went to visit the kids and she had become everybody's 'noona.' Little Jun Su, in particular, was very attached to her, and everytime she visited, he would give her a flower or make some kind of small gesture. He even told her he would compose a piece just for her, and that was what Jan Di mentioned to me that afternoon while we were sitting on the couch talking about nothing.

"Isn't that the cutest thing you've heard in your life?" she gushed.

"Only thirteen-years-old and he's already trying to steal my girlfriend," I shook my head.

"Don't be mean, Ji Hoo…Besides, didn't you-" Both of her hands went to cover her mouth, and her cheeks suddenly tinted red.

"What?" I asked her.

"No, it's nothing…How about some tea?" She started to get up from the couch and I quickly took her hand.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?"

She slowly sat back down, looking at anything but me, "I know, but this is kinda…"

"If it's something personal, I'll understand, but if you ever are in some kind of trouble, I hope I can help." She bit her lower lip and wrung her hands.

"Ji Hoo, I...it's just that...Aish! I saw the box you have in your closet and all the things in there!" she suddenly yelled and lowered her head, "I'm sorry!"

For a moment, I didn't understand what she was talking about, but when I realized what box she was referring to, it was my turn to be embarrassed.

"You...saw it all?"

"Yes. I was about to say 'didn't you also write songs for me?'"

"You listened to them?" She had definitely saw the whole box.

"I am so, so sorry. I truly am." She turned her body towards me and took my hand between hers.

"I'm not mad, just… embarrassed? I can imagine what you thought of me when you saw all that stuff."

"I didn't think badly of you! I swear I didn't…"
"How did you find it in the first place?"

Jan Di started to tell me how she had woken up on the day of Ga Eul's kidnapping and found Ju Mi snooping around. That made me very uncomfortable, but Jan Di assured me Ju Mi didn't get to see anything and profusely apologized when she understood how wrong what she was doing was.

Jan Di wasn't a curious person, and I knew that; it was obvious that after seeing that box she couldn't help but open it. Actually, everything inside was for her, so I wasn't bothered by her seeing it, but I would've liked it to happen under different circumstances.

"That day," her voice was soft, and a smile graced her face now, "I also looked for mementos of yours and mine, and I found several. There were the plush toys from the amusement park, the lotus flower necklace, the shoes you gave me in Macau, that hat you used when you offered me the ice cream, my swimmer certificate from F4, the perfumes you gave me on New Year's and my birthday...I also have lots of things that remind me of you."

I couldn't help but smile back at her while she listed all the items she had kept. "It's not that I intended to do it;" I told her, "I just suddenly found myself keeping those kinds of things in a box. When I stopped to actually look at it, it was full."

"I'm really sorry to have invaded your privacy."

"It's okay, I would've shown it to you at some point."

Jan Di nodded at this but then looked down at her hands, as if pondering if she should say something else, "Ji Hoo...Can I ask you something about what I heard?"

"Of course."

"The songs, they were beautiful but also very sad. Did you feel that way the entire time I was with Jun Pyo?"

I was afraid we would touch that subject someday and now that it was there before us, I felt a bit self-conscious. I was about to tell Jan Di all the feelings I had harbored for her while being in a relationship with none other than my best friend. I cleared my throat, turned to her on the sofa and took her hands.

"Truth is, I always felt attracted to you." This seemed to surprise her, but she let me continue. "In New Caledonia, I thought the kiss I gave you was because I felt pity: for you, because I knew you loved me and for me, for not being able to have the woman I loved. But after analyzing it carefully, I knew that what really happened was that I found you so lovely, wearing your feelings on your sleeve, so I didn't think about anyone else's feelings and acted on impulse." Her expression was serious as she listened to me. "After that, I noticed your love for Jun Pyo was real, and I decided to help you, but I always felt something bothering me deep down when I was alone. You had become someone important in my life, but I couldn't see you as a sister as Woo Bin and Yi Jung did, no matter how hard I tried. What was I supposed to do? I would never steal my brother's girlfriend, ever." I sighed upon remembering "However, Jun Pyo kept hurting you; Macau was the last straw, and for me, it was really the limit. I wanted you to turn your head and look at me one more time, and even then, I tried to give both of you more the wedding came, and I knew there was no turning back. I never wanted to impose my feelings on you, and that's why I remained silent, that and my cowardice over thinking about the rejection I could subject myself to. After my grandfather's offer, I wasn't willing to lose you now that I had you so close, and I constantly told myself that if you were happy I would be, too. Of course all of that went down the drain with the misunderstanding about Kyung Mi...I was consumed by jealousy; it was beyond my comprehension, and I knew I couldn't go on without you by my side." My hand lifted to caress her cheek, and I saw her moist eyes. "I've loved you for so long, Geum Jan Di, and you have no idea how happy it makes me having you by my side." I hoped my words carried all I felt for her. "Saranghae."

She crushed her frame against mine and hugged me tightly. I exhaled, in relief, and hugged her back. I really thought she would feel uncomfortable after knowing all of that.

"I'm so sorry…" Jan Di's words were muffled against my chest.

"Don't apologize, you loved Jun Pyo."

"I'm not apologizing for loving Jun Pyo but for not noticing how you felt for so long...And I just called you, asked for help, and leaned on you." She let go and looked at me. "You were suffering, and I was blind to your pain; I just saw my own feelings...I was so selfish."

"You gave me more than you can imagine, and you keep doing it, my little otter."

She gave me one of her huge smiles and whispered, "Only yours."

Those words touched me deep down, the weight of that phrase resonating loudly inside. I kissed her tenderly and thought how amazing it was that suddenly my life was filled with...so much.

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·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 1·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Woo Bin's POV

The rest of our vacation went by in a blink for Ga Eul and me. I greatly enjoyed going out with her often and talking about our feelings for each other and about what we wanted in the future.

The thing is, there sometimes were issues with that particular word: Future.

I still hadn't told my parents that Ga Eul and I were going out, due to the responsibility I knew they would push on her if they found out.

I, like the rest of the F4 -well, perhaps not Ji Hoo- knew that we had some freedom before we were forced to marry some woman who brought status, name, and benefit to the family; if I were to take a girl home, that was as good as saying I was ready to marry her.

I had imagined marrying Ga Eul, but what about her? While now she was a full-fledged woman in almost every sense of the word, she was barely 19. How was I supposed to tell her that being my girlfriend was like pre-signing a marriage contract? Besides, the engagement wouldn't be only to me but to the Song Family: My wife, whoever that might be, at some point will take my mother's place, and even if she didn't have a direct involvement in business, she was the one in charge of the manor and family matters, and she also needed to cast a blind eye to many of our 'arrangements'.

My parents loved Ga eul, and they were no fools; my father made it clear one afternoon after I got home from college.

"Woo Bin, what do you know of Ga Eul?"

"She's doing well, Father. She hasn't come home because this semester she's taking some more difficult classes, and she needs all the time she can get to focus on them."

"I see...And what about the relationship between you two?"

Stay cool, stay cool "Between us? Well, we get along fine and-"

"I'm not stupid, Woo Bin." I watched his glare; it was the one that forced you to shut up and remain humble in his presence.

"I know, Father." I stayed silent for a few seconds, but he didn't move. I took a deep breath and spilled the beans, "I love her, but I will not put that kind of pressure on Ga Eul by informing her that if she's with me, she'll someday have to consider marriage, too...She just turned 19, Father."

"And your mother carried you in her belly at that age."

"Times have changed. You can't expect this to happen like with you and Mother."

He sighed heavily and dropped the glare. "Look, Woo Bin, the reason why I'm asking you this is because I've noticed the way you look at Ga Eul, and I won't lie to you. I like the girl; she has spirit, courage, and even though she's very innocent, she's willing to give her all. In this last year I've been able to observe her closer, thanks to the training you gave her. If you love her, then tell her and explain what it would entail to love you back. I'm giving you that chance because next month I'm going to send you to the U.S. to study part of the semester."

"What do you mean the U.S.?"
"It'll be for four months, and the last 30 days you'll return to take your exams. Your career is International Business, and it's obvious you need to visit and live with foreign people so you can learn more things; besides, you will also meet with some of the families we conduct business with over there, and they'll have a chance to meet you. That way they'll know who they'll be dealing with in the future." He put his hand on my shoulder, surprising me. My father wasn't one to show affection in that way. "You'll soon have to take care of more family business, but I really wouldn't like for you to get married out of obligation." Once again, I was baffled. "I was lucky with your mother; our marriage was arranged, but I loved her ever since I laid my eyes on her, and I was very lucky that she felt the same way. I was resigned to living a life like your grandfather, but your mother changed all of that. I still haven't forgotten the rage you showed the day you came back from Goo Jun Pyo's wedding. I've never seen you like that, angry, furious; you even yelled at me."

"Yeah, I know" I clearly remembered that day.

After watching one of my best friends say 'Yes' while his eyes betrayed him by looking at the woman he was really in love with, something inside me snapped. I couldn't stand to watch the play-acting, the fanfair...and because the old bitch wanted her freaking merger.

That night when I arrived home, I got drunk, yelled at the staff and my father, broke things and complained about how stupid it was to marry that way.

"For that reason, if you really love this girl and she you, try to make it work. Otherwise, I won't have any other choice but to introduce you to some candidates when your semester is over."

"So soon? I thought I'd have until college was over."

"You'll be done in two years, and in that time you'll need to know each other, and she'll have to learn the business. She'll be free to work if she so chooses, but it is also necessary that she takes the position of the Lady of the House along with your mother. "

I couldn't answer. I was leaving in a month, and somehow, I had to tell Ga Eul all of this before that. That gave me, what...ten days? And then I'd have to come back four months later to hear her answer?

Karma is a bitch.

·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 2·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Ga Eul's POV

Woo Bin left for the U.S. that day.
Ji Hoo, Jan Di and I had gone to say goodbye at the airport. Due to his parents being present, we couldn't do more than a long hug, and even if the night before we had been together, I still felt it was a bittersweet departure.

A few days ago, Woo Bin had sat me down for a serious talk at our usual ice cream shop. I still couldn't fully recover from that conversation.

I was very much in love with Woo Bin, but did that mean I had to think about marriage so soon? It wasn't as if I hadn't fantasized about it before, but in my head that happened in five more years, give or take.

What would I, Chu Ga Eul, daughter of an office clerk and a housewife, do as Lady of the Song family? And let's not forget the fact that "Song" was a synonym for "Mafia" in Korea.

I didn't particularly mind about that last part, but I was only 19! Woo Bin had already told me he wouldn't press me, that we could take it slow, but I knew the only reason he had mentioned something like that was because he had already received a warning about his future.

Then what? If I didn't accept I would have to experience what Jan Di did, watching the guy I loved marry another?

No way, I'd never be able to endure something like that...so that only took me back to the only other option I had: Marry Woo Bin.
What was I supposed to do?

Jae Kyung's POV

The opening of the Art Centre in Macau had been a success. No expense had been spared so that everything was first-class and anyone who was 'someone' had attended; many had already registered their children months before so they could secure a spot. The planning had been perfect; the teachers were highly qualified in their fields; the children had been evaluated, and only the most promising had been accepted.

And however, the results were anything but.

In only two months we could see great losses from our estimated budget; the institutions that had requested our kids for their concerts the first weeks had not invited them again; there were constant complaints from the teachers, especially those of the younger ones. The teenagers frequently played hooky and bribed the guards not to tell. Nothing was going according to plan.

Mother was furious.

"It's unbelievable that something like this is happening! These brats were supposed to be the best in their field! Why is it that they're not being invited to competitions and winning cash prizes!?"

"Mother...there must be some kind of explanation. We could go through the suggestions boxes from-"

"Suggestions?"

"Yes. Suggestions boxes were set in every classroom so the children could put in what they-"

"The children? Jae Kyung...this has nothing to do with the suggestions of the children. Most likely, their parents are spoiling them too much due to the talent they possess and now they think they can do whatever they please! The teachers must be more strict with them…" she huffed in annoyance, "This is ridiculous!"

I could understand part of her frustration. By now, our Arts Centre was supposed to still be a hot trend, but only after a couple of months, we were already old news. I couldn't understand what we had done wrong, but I wasn't willing to let a first fail deter me.

"I understand, Mother. I promise you this will change. If need be, I'll make a complete change of the teaching staff."

"I leave this in your hands, Jae Kyung."

I stepped out of that office, upset and wishing to ask for help, but Jun had his own projects to supervise, and I didn't have real friends here in Macau; they were all the typical snobby rich kids who could only think about the next dress they'll buy and the next season shoes they'll wear. And I couldn't say anything to Jan Di directly because she was the competition; although, she had been the one to give me the idea of the suggestion boxes during one of our conversations. She mentioned the kids in Ga Eul's class did it.

"The most important thing here is the children," she had said, and I sighed heavily, knowing we couldn't use that approach here.

·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 3·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Jan Di's POV

University had become more demanding: classes were more complicated; competition was greater each time; from the 10 classrooms that started with me, only half of that number remained, and it was only the fifth semester! Ji Hoo had it worse than me with his externship, having to leave often to watch how therapies were conducted with the patients. Ji Hoo had finally decided on a specialty: He would be a rehabilitation therapist.

Many of his teachers had tried to convince him to become a neurosurgeon or a cardiac surgeon, due to his dexterity and steady hand in the anatomy classes when we needed to open bodies to study the organs. But Ji Hoo was still reluctant to interact with too many people. Last semester, he had the opportunity to experience a physiotherapist's job; he had been impressed and had dedicated lots of time to investigating the real work they did.

"Treating one person at a time isn't the only advantage. You have the chance to give someone the ability to walk once more, talk, lift a fork. It's praiseworthy, what they do and the patience they have." Those had been the words Ji Hoo used when grandfather questioned his choice.

Truth was that if you really thought about it, the position was perfect for him: he would only work with one person at a time, and even if he had several people in one day or during a week, he possessed that calming aura that brought peace to anyone. He also had the patience of a saint, rarely getting mad, and he knew how to listen.

On my side, even if I was still forbidden from touching patients at college, I had the experience of 51 assisted births, keyword being 'assisted'. Grandfather was always with me, but little by little I felt as if I was gaining more confidence, and I knew that when the time came for me to fly solo I would make it. I just needed to keep practicing with all of my effort.

"Did you hear about the field project?" Ji Hoo asked one afternoon while we studied in the library.

"Yeah, it's to go offer help to a village with scarce resources, and we get to assist our superiors."

"You going?"

"Of course!"

"That makes two of us." That angelic smile always got me.

Ga Eul's POV

Woo Bin and I had kept minimum communication. We hadn't agreed on that, but it was already difficult to know that when he came back, we would need to make a decision.

It was so unfair to rush to this...Why couldn't we just go out as a normal couple and think about marriage when we wanted to?

I talked with Jan Di about my conversation with Woo Bin, and she recommended the same thing I was already thinking, not to rush into any decision. And it was amazing that she, of all people, would tell me this when she was practically engaged and married.

"It's different in my case...Ji Hoo and I know we're going to be together for good, but we don't need to marry right this instant when we're so worried about college. We have time, and we are sure about our decision. But I see you have a few doubts."

"It's not that I don't love Woo Bin," I averted my eyes, "But what if something doesn't work? What if after a few months, Woo Bin can't stand me anymore and we have to get a divorce or something like that?"

"If you're already thinking that everything will fail, that's a big issue."

"It's not that I think that's how it's going to be...you know what the real problem is, Jan Di?"

"What?"

"I'm scared. Through all of this, since we started our weird relationship, I've been holding myself back; I haven't wanted to dive in head-first again because of my feelings, because if I do it, perhaps this time I won't come back…"

Jan Di took my hand in hers and looked at me with a smile and understanding, "Who says you'll need to come back?"

Jan Di's words helped me see my situation from another point of view and, that day, I went to Woo Bin's house to talk to his mother directly. If this was ever going to work, we better start with honesty.

"Ga Eul, darling," Beautiful as always, Song Sae Jin, wife of Kwan Suk came to greet me, dressed in an elegant kimono with her hair in a bun and giving off a pleasant scent, "How lovely to see you again."

"Sae Jin-ssi, I'm sorry I didn't come earlier."

"It's okay, Woo Bin told us your studies were more demanding than usual this time."

"Truth is I came today hoping to have a serious talk with you."

Sae Jin looked at me for a few seconds and then, with her hand, invited me to the living so we could have some tea.

Shit just got real, I thought, recalling Woo Bin's favorite phrase.

·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 4·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Jun Pyo's POV

Crossing paths with my mother these days was to defy a dragon's wrath. It wasn't as if we were going to go bankrupt because one project wasn't returning the expected results, but 'Failure' wasn't an existing word in the witch's dictionary.

No one denied the kids at her Art Centre were talented; after all, they had been chosen from thousands that possessed similar abilities, but receiving the reasons as to why they weren't good enough drove the witch to the edge of hysteria.

"There's no heart in the performances; the feeling that music or paintings should transmit doesn't exist." Those were the words of one of Macau's renowned orchestra directors after listening to the choir, the band, and visiting a painting exhibit.

The stream of profanities she let out that afternoon in her office surprised even me. I would have never imagined she had that kind of vocabulary.

Truth is, I could've remained totally indifferent to this project if it wasn't for the fact that Jae Kyung was intimately involved with it.

"Hey," I quietly greeted after entering bedroom. The sun was brightly shining outside, but the place was darkened. Jae Kyung had been stricken with a migraine since the last time she discussed possible solutions with 'Madam Kang,' and now she was lying down on the bed with a wet cloth covering her eyes.

"Hey." Her voice was hoarse, so obviously she had been crying.

I sat next to her and regulated the lamplight on our bedside table so it was bright enough to see something but not so strong as to bother her.

"I brought you something to eat. There's cookies, candy, gummy bears and…"

"And?" She asked, a little bit excited.

"Strawberry ice cream." She finally took the cloth off her eyes, and I knew I was right when I saw them red and swollen.

"Do you have any idea how much I love you right now?"

"Of course I do, I'm the great Goo Jun Pyo after all; it's impossible not to love me."

"And humility is still your most attractive quality," she half-smiled while she opened the gallon of ice cream.

"Leave this project, Jae." Lately, I got used to calling her that, must have been because of how she called me 'Jun.' "You're killing yourself for nothing, and you know how the old witch is. She'll never leave you alone if this keeps failing, which is the most probable thing right now."

"I can't Jun...I started helping her with this, and I don't want to give up; I don't want to yield."

"You're not giving up. No one in their right mind would stay in a sinking ship." She didn't answer me and gulped down a big spoonful of ice cream. As I went to take what I had bought to the table so she could eat later if she wanted, I thought I heard her speak, but it was low.

"I'm sorry, did you say something?" I turned to her but she still wasn't looking at me.

"I said that...there might be a solution, but I'm sure your mother won't like it and perhaps you won't either."

"What is it?"

"I was thinking about asking for help from the Yoon Group."

"From Ji Hoo?"

"Not him directly. I would reach out to the group and try to talk with the main responsible person of their Arts project; I don't think he's the one, but it's necessary to get help from someone. Your mother has opened supermarkets, hotels, schools and thousands more businesses, but this it the first time she has come across this branch. I feel it is necessary for an expert to guide us, or this is really going to sink."

I thought about it for a bit "You know she won't support you in that decision."

"I know, but I was thinking of talking to my parents to get their help, and you too...You're Ji Hoo's best friend, and you know how successful his company's projects are. Your vote will be decisive if we get a motion in a board meeting."

It wasn't a bad idea. If there was someone who could help us with the big mess we were facing, that was the Yoon Group. Giving Ji Hoo a call wouldn't hurt, and I could ask him as a personal favor if the case called for it.

"I'll stand by you."

"Really, Jun!?"

"Why would I lie?"

She smiled widely and sprinted out of the bed to catch me in a hug that almost dislocated my neck, but her spirits went up, and that was the most important thing.

·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 5·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Chae Yun's POV

"Bah! I can't believe they're asking us this."

"You are not planning to help them, President?"

"Of course I will, but it's ridiculous. They can't deal with an Art Centre having more resources than us."

I opened my schedule and checked some itineraries "We could send Sang Ook or Nam Kyu…"

"I'll be honest with you, Chae Yun, I'm thinking of going myself."

"Are you serious?"

"I am. I really want to observe how this project is being carried out. One would need to be blind not to notice they'll be our direct competition if they manage to enter the Korean market. If there's something good, I want to rescue it, boost it and improve it in our centre, and whatever is wrong, I wish to dispose of and replace it."

"I don't see any problems with your agenda if you do it at the end of next month."

"Then I'll be able to take Ji Hoo with me. He's the second person after Jan Di that knows the ropes of her 'baby.'"

"Miss Jan Di certainly has a gift with children."

"You couldn't expect less from my granddaughter." I internally smiled, Miss Jan di had lodged herself in the president's heart and no one would take her away from that spot.

"By the way, President, tomorrow young master and miss Jan Di will be going out of town for that field project they told you about. It will be for two days and one night."

"Oh yeah, I remember now. Then we should have dinner together today so they can go to bed early."

"President, don't you think they're old enough not to be told what time to go to sleep?"

"Shh! They're still children!"

I could only laugh before the president's attitude. Even if his grandchildren were nearing 20 and 22 years, respectively, he still treated them as a couple of toddlers in occasions like this.

Ji Hoo's POV

Jan Di and I had left early for the village, prepared with one suitcase each. With each passing day we learned more about this 'project', and we had found out that actually this was a punishment for the students of higher semesters who failed a class or were involved in serious misconduct in college; they were all taking this as a burden, and you could see that even the two teachers in charge of the 30 people on the bus must have been chosen randomly because of the attitude they gave.

And they called themselves doctors.

Most people on the bus seemed to have packed for a month of stay instead of two simple days...Jan Di and I looked at each other, sighed, and promised to try to help as many people as we could. We had done our homework and knew that the place we were arriving at in less than an hour had only one health post with a really old woman, who had few adequate instruments for severe cases, and some helpers that had learned what they knew empirically.

When we got there, we climbed to the highest part of the village and assembled the tent in which we would attend the patients, and ever since we let them know we were open, people didn't stop coming.

Jan Di was with the group that studied Gynecology and Obstetrics, and I was in between trauma and screening. We had arrived at a very auspicious moment, seeing that one of the patients was the old lady from the health post.

"Drink this medicine and rest for three days, Halmoni."

"Thank you very much for everything you're doing, young man."

Almost ten hours later we finally saw the last person of the day. To be honest, there were many more, but unfortunately, they'd have to wait for a turn the next day.

When we went to re-count our supplies, we noticed, with alarm, that we didn't have as much as we have anticipated, but we decided to do what we could with what we had.

Jan Di, on her part, took what we experienced that afternoon very seriously and seized four condom boxes before the awed look of everyone and then went to the house she was assigned to.

"May I ask what you're doing?" That night, like everyone else, we were staying in groups of four with the townspeople. The houses were too small to accomodate more persons, but all the locals were more than happy to offer what they had in thanks for the service we were providing.

Our other two companions fell asleep and slept as rocks as soon as they got there, and I was really tired too, but when I got out of the shower, or well, the small bathroom they provided for us with a large bucket filled with lukewarm water, I saw Jan Di with several pieces of cardboard splayed on the floor. Curiosity invaded me.

"I'm making a presentation."

Leaning over a bit, I finally understood why she had taken the boxes.

"Family planning?"

"And as soon as I'm done with this one I'm making one of HIV and AIDS."

"It hit you hard." It hadn't gone unnoticed by me, the parade of teenage mothers that had gone to get a medical checkup. The births were normally performed at home with the help of more experienced mothers and from time to time, the old lady.

"Ji Hoo...do you have any idea of how many of them are younger than me? There's a girl of fourteen years old, and she's six months pregnant! Fourteen!"

"It is to be expected in this place; they haven't received the appropriate education and obviously, haven't had access to what they needed to protect themselves."

"That's why I'm thinking to leave all of this here and teach the girls, and if possible some of the boys, how to take precautions."

"Not to burst your bubble, but you do know you can't change this in one day, right?"

"I know, but I won't leave without trying first."

I smiled, and seeing that there was no one around, I hugged her from behind.

"You're amazing, you know?"

"Nope."

"Well, I do." I turned her face around with my hand and kissed her-properly. I was so proud to have a woman like her by my side. "Come on, I'll help you finish."

Jan Di's POV

Our second day in the village was even more demanding and somehow more uncomfortable for me, not because I had to attend the women who came to see us, but because of the idiot students of higher semesters that didn't know how to behave. Their whole attitude showed that if it depended on them, they would've never come to this kind of place to tend to this kind of people.

An asshole even covered his nose and left the tent saying he couldn't stand the smell.

I didn't punch him just because I was tending to someone else.

Either way, being a fifth semester student, they didn't let me do much -besides the fact I was Geum Jan Di, commoner and Ji Hoo's girlfriend- so I decided to put my plan in action and give my small talk. Obviously, I started to secretly tell all the girls and some boys from around there to meet me in back of the house I had stayed in the day before; the last thing I wanted was for someone to keep me from doing that, too.

My surprise was enormous when I found at least 20 girls and 3 embarrassed boys that seemed to have been dragged there by their mothers.

"Good morning, my name is Geum Jan Di, and today I would like to talk to you about some very important things: Family Planning and what HIV/AIDS is."

At first I thought that I could be quickly done in half an hour and go unnoticed by the teachers and other students, but I had no such luck when after a few minutes more people started to arrive. Then more questions needed to be answered, such as what the demonstration was for, how to put on a condom, which was repeated four times, and the ways to get HIV, and the doubts of many kept on increasing.

When I was done, around two and a half hours had gone by, and I saw one of the teachers in charge wearing an unfriendly face and coming toward me while I took down one of the presentations I had made with Ji Hoo.

"What do you think you're doing Miss Jan Di?"

"Putting things away."

"Who gave you the authority to do something like this? You should be helping your classmates instead of doing this kind of stuff. Even more, you took material without permission and gave it away as you saw fit!"

"My 'classmates' won't let me help, and besides, wasn't that material for free distribution?"

"When we talk about a box-"

"Why not four!? These people have poor education, so the least we could do is to teach them a way to stay health-"

"Keep dreaming! This place will stay as always: Forgotten. You think you'll make a difference with some condoms and a ridiculous presentation?" I was speechless before what this 'teacher' told me. "Stop with this idea of an absurd utopia and limit yourself to do what we came to do. If I find you doing something that me or your classmates haven't ordered you to do, you'll face a suspension, Miss Geum."

I couldn't move; the rage I felt inside kept me in place longer than I wanted, and then it was the embarrassment of not being able to find a way to reply, and finally the sadness of finding out that...he was probably right.

"I heard an alarm blaring." I didn't ask him how he got there at the perfect moment because I was already used to that, so I simply launched myself into his arms, finally finding solace.

"I hate when I'm not able to do something."

"As I told you, we can't change things in one day, but all the little efforts make it count."

I let myself enjoy being in his arms for a few minutes before asking him to help me pick up my things. After that, I went out and tried to help a bit more before leaving.

That afternoon, while we headed down the road toward the bus that would take us back to college, I felt great satisfaction at seeing so many people smiling and greeting us. I couldn't do less than smile and greet back, hoping to return someday.

Just a few meters short of the entrance to the village, we heard a scream.

"WAIT! Please, wait!" It was a young man coming down from the village as fast as he could with a woman on his back. "Please help her!"

Ji Hoo, a guy, a girl, and I went running to him to see what was going on. When we tried to get the woman off of him we stopped upon noticing his blood-soaked pants, blood that was not his.

The girl was pregnant.

"The bus is here," was what we heard one of the teachers say while the rest of the students got on the bus.

"Didn't you hear? This woman is about to give birth; we need to help her!" A sunbae told him.

"And you're going to take care of her? You're in your 7th semester, specializing in Traumatology; you, Cho Hee, in pediatrics; young Yoon in rehabilitation. While it's true that Miss Jan Di is studying to be an OBGYN, she's still in her 5th semester, so she's not allowed to touch patients, which means zero experience. These people have done this for a long time before we came here." He turned to the guy still holding onto the fainting girl, "You, take her to someone who can help her; we have to go."

"Please," he said, "My mother would've taken care of it, but she's bleeding too much and she doesn't know what ot do. The old lady is sick…"

"Everybody to the bus; we need to go."

"I'm not going up." I told him, "Suspend me or expell me if you want. Ji Hoo, help me stabilize her. What's your name?"

"Eunji" said the guy.

"Alright, Eunji, I need you to move as little as possible and take us somewhere we can lie her down."

"The health post is near; it's a few houses away; we all go there to get treated."

"Good, good, we'll go there. Are you staying?" I asked my two sunbaes.

Choo Hee grabbed her things and got ready to go with us. "I'll stay; I'll be able to help you when he's born,"

"I'll try to help in whatever way I can," The sunbae that defied the teacher was Dae Hyun, and I was glad we had another set of hands to help.

"Let's go then."

The four of us tried to get there as fast as we could without moving Yu Ra, Eunji's girlfriend, too much.

The health post was small, having only two beds, an office, a bathroom, and a drawing room, but it would have to do. We lay Yu Ra down, and everyone started to move like lighting, trying to find gloves, alcohol, sheets, blankets, and clean water; Cho Hee set a space on a table next to Yu Ra and prepared with what she had on hand for any eventuality.

"What...What can I do?"

"Eunji, calm down. At this moment, the only thing you need to do is support her, take her hand. Yu Ra, I'm going to check how far along you are, so you'll feel some pressure, okay?" She nodded and took Eunji's hand. I looked and touched between her legs, and I could tell she was ready. Her water had broken, but the blood...there was so much blood.

Could it be Placenta abruption?

"Dae Hyun, I need to do a sonogram."

"There's no ultrasound machine here, Jan Di. I checked."

"I want to push...I need to push…"

"No!" I said that a bit too forcefully and actually scared Yu Ra. Damn it. "Listen, Yu Ra, you're very close, and I know this must be difficult, but you need to listen to me. Don't push until you feel the contraction pain hit."

"B-But I haven't felt any contractions for a few minutes..."

"That's because your baby is tired, and he might not be be getting enough air-"

"He's dying!"

"No, he's not. That's why you need to listen to me, okay? I'm not going to let anything bad happen to you or your baby." Big words I should never mention, but what else could I say?

I saw her nod at me with tears in her eyes, and Ji Hoo told her how to breathe and started talking to her.

Rule number one is 'Never promise Life', and I just did exactly that...

"Cho Hee," I called her away from the couple, "I need you to ask Dae Hyun to prepare for an emergency C-section"

"What?" She angrily whispered, "Are you insane? We're already way over our heads and you want to perform an emergency C-section here? With no instruments, no epidural, no nothing!"

"I think she may have placenta abruption!"

"A-Are you sure?" This was a very rare occurrence in pregnancies, and I could only be 50% sure about what I had felt.

"I'm not sure, but I want to be prepared"

Cho Hee cast a glance at the mother and then at my trembling form. "Can you do this? Jan Di, they could die"

"You think I don't know this!? Don't dump any more unnecessary stress on my head! Call Dae Hyun and get it done!"

I had only attended on one of these cases one time at Grandfather's clinic and watched a video of another one. I was shaking all over.

When I returned to Yu Ra, Ji Hoo was talking to her about how beautiful her baby would be, what a great job she was doing, and it was excellent. He was amazing at it, and I was relieved because calming her down was crucial.

"Jan Di, are you sure you can do this?" Dae Hyun whispered as he walked past me, instruments in hand.

"Dae Hyun sunbae, this is not the best moment to question me so pass me those gloves, a cloth, peroxide, and get out of my way!" I gritted through my teeth.

Soon enough, Yu Ra's contractions came back, and I needed to stay calm for her.

I put on the gloves, sat between her legs and encouraged her to push

"Come on Yu Ra, you can do it…" Ji Hoo and Eun Ji sacrificed their hands; Yu Ra was squeezing them so hard while pushing that she was positively crushing their fingers. "Come on, Yu Ra, you're crowning! Yes, I can see the head now, come on." We kept doing that, talking, and she kept pushing as we wiped her sweat. I was dreading the need to perform a C-section as the minutes ticked by when suddenly, after a horrible, primal, deep cry from inside her, we heard a shrill cry. I had the baby in my hands and for a moment, I was speechless.

"Oh my God." I heard Eunji's voice. I snapped out of it and quickly put the baby on Yu Ra's belly while Cho Hee cleaned him as best she could, and Dae Hyun passed Eunji some scissors to cut the cord.

"Say hello to your baby, Yu Ra." She did so with a watery smile and a sob.

"No, don't take him away." Cho Hee had taken the baby away to perform the APGAR exam, and I took advantage of that to ask Yu Ra to keep pushing, I still needed her to deliver the placenta. I helped her by gently pulling the cord with one hand and kneading her uterus with the other, just as Grandfather had taught me. Thankfully, it came out quickly and whole, thank God, so I could finally clean Yu Ra as best as I could, while Dae Hyun gave me some clean sheets.

Yu Ra was pale and tired; nevertheless, her expression was one of relief and pure adoration when Cho Hee gave her back her son, now tightly wrapped with a small hat on his head. Where had she found that, I didn't know.

"Hello, hello there, Bon-Hwa…" And that was the moment I noticed I had delivered a baby completely alone, without Grandfather's voice guiding my hands.

The adrenaline subsided.

"Calm down, you did really good." I was surprised to see Dae Hyun holding me by my shoulders. My legs had turned to jelly, and I wobbled backwards for a second.

"I'll take it from here, Dae Hyun sunbae." Ji Hoo took his place quickly, and Dae Hyun went back to cleaning what was left next to Cho Hee.

"I-I can't believe what just happened…"

"Well, believe it," he kissed my forehead, grabbed my shoulders and leveled his gaze to mine "Congratulations on your first time flying solo." His smile was dazzling, and I felt something finally clicking inside me.

Ji Hoo's POV

That same night Eunji's parents came and thanked us profusely for our help.

Because it had been a natural birth, Yu Ra could walk already, and the child's grandparents thought it best for her to return home. Cho Hee saw fit to go with them to keep an eye on little Bon-Hwa, and Dae Hyun wanted to go with her. It seemed to me there was a little thing between those two.

Good.

"Doctors, I would like to receive all of you in my home, but...I don't have that much space. I asked my neighbor if she could take you in as she did for a group of yours yesterday."

"Don't worry ma'am. We already called someone to pick us up early tomorrow; the two of us can stay here. Sunbaenim, 9am tomorrow, is that okay?" Jan Di asked, and they nodded.

We said goodbye to everyone and went to get comfortable as best we could. I went to the bathroom first, and when I came out I noticed Jan Di grumbling at her suitcase.

"Is everything alright?" She turned to answer but stayed silent when she saw me, "Jan Di?"

"Do you have an extra shirt?"

"I think so, but what happened to yours?"

"One is dirty from yesterday morning, another from yesterday afternoon, one from this morning and, as you can see, what I have on has blood on it."

Due to the fact I remembered I had nothing either, I took off the shirt I had on and gave it to her.

"I-I didn't mean that"

"I only have this one, and I won't get a cold sleeping shirtless for a night. Go, wash, change and lets try to sleep, okay?"

"Okay…"

I saw her close the bathroom door, and I sat on the bed I was going to sleep in.

I sighed at remembering the day's events. I knew there would be problems when we went back to college, but, who cared? We had helped three people today, and Jan Di had brought a life into this world all on her own. There was a moment when she locked herself in the bathroom and cried from pure overload of emotions, but she had done it.

In my mind, I thanked Grandfather for bringing her to my life, for teaching me what I knew and for having trusted her...Jan Di will become a great doctor; each day I could see that more clearly. She was strong, brave, irreverent and beautiful. That was the woman I would be with forever and simply thinking about it made me smile like an idiot.

The bathroom door opened, and when I turned to look at her, I lost my breath.

Her loose hair.

Her nude legs.

Her body covered only by my shirt.

Why did I lend it to her? I won't be able to sleep now…

I offered her my hand; she came closer and took it. She stood between my legs as I rested my head on her chest, and she embraced me.

We said nothing; there was no need to. We were both still exhilarated by the events of that afternoon and enjoying the emotions we experienced. Listening to her heart soothed me yet feeling her hands scratching my head and back thrilled me. It was so contradictory.

I let go of her for a moment and watched her.

Jan Di's frame was lit by the low light of the lamp; the hint of a smile was on her lips, and her eyes were tired but filled with joy.

She was so fucking gorgeous.

"Ji Hoo...I-"

"Marry me."


Don't kill me for leaving it there...