Who thought that this was going to be left like that? I bet lots of you. I'm sorry. 2020 hasn't been my years so far, lots of things have happened, my son had an accident, I got a change of pace in my job and basically, life happened. Very sorry that this udpate is coming so late.

Thanks to all of you who still wrote me to give me an encouraging love and kind words. I really appreciate it.

I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

XXOO

Jun Pyo's POV

"Father?"

"Hello, son."

"But how…?" I had been present at this man's funeral, had suffered his death and more so the consequences of it, because it was from then that my mother had taken advantage of me.

"You will find out everything soon. Right, Hee Soo?"

All present in the room turned to look at my mother, who was now white as a sheet and seemed to want to do something, but the terror prevented her from it.

"Don't try anything." This time it was Secretary Jung who spoke.

When I first met him, I thought he was some kind of robot. He never raised his voice, never laughed and never got angry, always ready to fulfill the witch's orders. Then, I discovered that he was actually a very caring man and even managed to take the place of the paternal figure I lacked all those years when my father came to Macau for work.

For those and several other motives, I was surprised to hear his voice so filled with anger. His features denoted repulsion when looking at my mother.

"I don't know if you'd like to give your version of the story, but I think you'll have your chance in front of a judge when they give you the opportunity to defend yourself." My father kept talking. "Jun Pyo, my son, I'm sorry about all you've had to go through. Sang Rok has been getting me up to speed on things since yesterday, and I promise you we'll have time to talk about everything that's happened. For now, I can say you've done a great job, and I'm grateful to you." I didn't know what to say, so I simply nodded. We all saw how my mother fell to the floor, and to say we were surprised didn't cover it. "I see you've realized there's no way out of this."

"H-How is this p-possible? You were never supposed to wake up…" It was the first time in my whole life I heard her voice waver. Kang Hee Soo wasn't a woman who would easily cower.

"It was thanks to Sang Rok who long ago switched the medicine cocktail you were giving me for others, which, according to studies, could repair the damage. You never suspected anything because he was good at being invisible and never contradicting you in anything. The Secretary also tells me I should thank you, Miss Geum." His eyes landed on Jan Di, who seemed equally surprised.

"I did absolutely nothing, sir. This is really a miracle."

"It was thanks to a characteristic that's very you, Miss Jan Di." Secretary Jung provided me with a smile. "That ability of yours to constantly talk was something that helped a lot to keep his brain active, looking for a way to answer you. Due to the orders of that woman, no one else but me and a doctor had access to him, and my schedule wouldn't let me give him all the care I would've wanted."

"Are you telling me I don't know when to shut up?" she asked, a bit embarrassed.

"In a way, it's what's made you come so far, miss. I'm sure it's more of a quality than a defect in your case. We have been waiting for him to wake up for six months. On two occasions, he woke up, but he would return to his comatose state hours after. We were proceeding with much care, but a doctor friend of mine told me it didn't seem likely he'd fall asleep again. We're being very optimistic at this point."

"STOP IT!" I yelled. "Stop talking about things I don't understand and explain once and for all why he was in a coma and what does the old witch have to do with it!"

"I'm sorry, Jun Pyo. To make a long story short: Your mother ordered me killed; it backfired, and I fell into a coma, and for some reason, she didn't have the guts to finish the job. She thought keeping me in bed would become an ace up her sleeve at some point."

"I discovered the plot one day as I was checking all the manor areas for security," the secretary continued, "I found your father, young master, and I can't even begin to describe how useless I felt. I confronted your mother, but she threatened to kill my family, and I...I couldn't do more; my hands were tied. I finally reached the conclusion that it wouldn't change anything if you knew about his condition; it was as if he was really dead. The president saw she could use me and added to my chores; I was to give him his medicine. After a couple of years, I brought up this situation to the doctor friend I mentioned before, and when he heard the medicines' names, he told me I was killing a man without realizing it. Thanks to him, we were able to create another set of medicines that would annul the previous damage. After so long, he gave me hope by mentioning an experimental drug that had worked on several patients, and we started to give it to your father a year and a half ago. Thank God, it all went well."

"Sang Rok had unearthed more than enough proof against Hee Soo." Kyu Bok turned to his wife. "He recorded all the conversations he had with you, when you threatened his family, and he even got a copy of the transfer you made for a huge sum of money to be sent to the Cayman Islands after my 'accident'."

"It took me years to track the account holder name, but I think I'm very close. I should have an answer in a couple more weeks. You're done, 'Old Witch'." Secretary finished with a very cruel tone of sarcasm.

And my mother? She was trembling and crying on the floor. It was pretty pathetic to see her kneeling and begging my father to forgive her, complaining that she wasn't well in the head and that her pills made her act in ways she didn't realize.

No one moved.

"The police are here, Master."

"Let them in and take away this demented woman, Sang Rok. I have to talk with these children."

We were witnesses to quite a spectacle when my mother fought tooth and nail against the officers, besides stringing together such profanities I was sure hadn't even come out of my mouth before.

"Please, sit down." My father asked us once she was gone. "You all deserve an explanation."

"Sir, this is a family matter, so it would be best if we go now," said Jan Di, taking Ji Hoo's hand.

"That is true, Uncl-I'm sorry, Kyu Bok-ssi…"

"It's okay to call me Uncle, Ji Hoo. I see you've become quite a man, same as my son. And trust me, Miss Geum, this also concerns you."

I saw both of them sit, albeit a bit uncomfortably, and I hadn't noticed till that moment that I had Jae Kyung's hand in a tight grip.

"Well, I won't relate the whole story because that would be too complicated, but still, it will be long. Kang Hee Soo was a girl that worked delivering mail to my father's office. A commoner, as you would say, someone that no one paid attention to, even me. But one day, everything changed when I bumped into her and spilled my coffee on her blouse. Reluctantly, I helped her and she tried to talk to me from that day onwards, and I can only say I was completely bewitched. She always smiled, was chatty and real, nothing at all like the other young ladies of my environment. It wasn't long before we engaged in a secret relationship, and it had to be, not only because of the fear of what my parents would say, but because I was engaged to another woman."

"Did she know this?" I asked.

"Of course she did. I didn't want to get involved to spare her the pain, but she was so captivating...I couldn't resist. She told me she loved me and didn't want my money, only a part of my heart."

"Unbelievable." I heard Ji Hoo muttering in a low voice, and it seemed my father did, too.

"Well yes, it sounds pretty impossible today, right? Anyway, before my engagement was officially announced, Hee Soo came to tell me she was pregnant. You can imagine how extremely difficult it was to give the news to your grandparents, but I wasn't disowned, only because I was the only son. And thus, your mother and I got married as quickly as possible to avoid the gossip. Joon Hee was my biggest pride some months later, but it was from this point on that your mother started to change; she wouldn't pay attention to her daughter and somehow had managed to sweeten up to my mother, so she would teach her the family business. To say she became cruel is downplaying it; I almost couldn't recognize the woman I had fallen for. We even stopped sleeping in the same room, so imagine my surprise when in the midst of a business trip a few years later, she appeared with a sweet smile and a loving disposition. It was as if we had returned to the moment I met her and, in those weeks, you were conceived, Jun Pyo."

"Spare the details, please."

"Not to worry...what I wanted to explain through this was your mother's plan to get a male heir, and she got it. When you were born, we already had plans to go live in Macau, but your mother was heels-deep about raising you both in Korea. My father had passed away and my mother was sick, so I had to come here to take care of the business. The moment was ripe; she stayed back, supervising the Korean branches, and I the Macau ones. In the years we didn't see each other, your mother became that 'old witch' you call her, and I had to fight her hard not to destroy Joon Hee happiness. I didn't want my children to have arranged partners like I had. While my choice wasn't the right one, I wanted to help you two make better ones, but she….she wouldn't hear any of it."

"I remember you said something similar to your mother at some point, Jun." Jae Kyung looked at me worriedly.

"My mother broke up my sister's relationship with a man of inferior class and forced her to marry the prominent son of a North American tycoon."

"Yes, I thought I had managed to avoid all of that, but then a trip to South America popped up, and I left for a few months. When I came back, your sister was already married. It was so awful to see my daughter with her eyes red-rimmed in her wedding day pictures. The only thing that soothed my heart was that this man was good and patient; he managed to win her heart in the end. However, the wound caused by that lost love will always be there. That's why your sister was always so protective of you, Jun Pyo. She wrote to me often, and I wanted to be more present; I...I have no excuse for my absence in your life. The few times I was there you seemed to have drifted further and further away from me. You resembled your mother more and more with each passing day, and I was terrified by it. The fact that you found friends calmed me a lot, but not completely."

"If you only knew how unbearable your son was in his childhood." Ji Hoo dramatically sighed.

"And his teens," Jan Di followed.

"He was the same as an adult." Jae Kyung finished.

"Yah!" I was going to answer, but the looks I got from all three people told me I better zip it.

"Nevertheless, you stood by him," My father replied, and I could see that amidst all, each one of my friends had a smile on their lips. "I can imagine how difficult it must have been to deal with this son of mine, you above all, Miss Geum."

"Please, call me Jan Di. But why do you think that?"

"Because you were the one he fell in love with, or am I wrong?"

A heavy silence fell on the room.

"Ah...um...well…"

"It's not necessary for you to put on those faces. Sang Rok, as I have said before, has kept me in the loop of everything that happened, and I know how things are now. However, that doesn't mean it wasn't difficult for you."

"I think it was for everyone."

"It must have been. I'm not sure about all the small details so I'll ask you to explain them to me later, but to get to the end of the story, this point needs to be brought in. Jan Di, Hee Soo hates you more than anything because she thought you would do what she had done: Snatch the heir of the Shinhwa Co. with a baby and force him to marry you."

"I would never-!" Ji Hoo had to stop her from starting a rant.

"I know, but that's what she thought…'A thief believes everybody steals,' and she thought you were of the same caliber. Hee Soo's past was never known and very few people are aware of it. She worked hard so that no one would ever doubt she had been born and raised in this environment. Do you remember what I told you the last time we saw each other, Jun Pyo?"

"Oh...you said that...everything would be fine."

"It was because Sang Rok had shown me some pictures of you two." He pointed at Jan Di and myself. "I knew how smitten you were with this young lady, and that is why when your mother came to tell me she was coordinating some agreements for you to marry the heiress of the JK Group, I wanted to crush her plans. I told her I wouldn't allow something like that to happen again, and I had already planned to call Jan Di and ask her to come talk to me. I wanted to judge her myself, but it was then that your mother planned all of this."

"That's...repulsive." Jae Kyung had tears in her eyes. "How is it that a mother can do that? How did I fall into this?"

"Calm down, I can assure you your motives were much purer than the witch's," I said while giving her a hug.

"I really loathe that all of you had to suffer because of this, but as I said, I'm not up to date with all the little details. Would you be so kind as to tell me what happened?"

Each one of us let out a heavy sigh, and I started telling my side of the story; then Ji Hoo talked about the time they had come to visit me and the rejection they were met with on my part. Jae Kyung followed, along with Jan Di. We told him about the breakup, the wedding; Jae Kyung talked about her love for me and for Jan Di, and the latter did the same. Ji Hoo and I talked about our love for Jan Di and the confusion we had to deal with along the way. It was an hour of purging a lot of stuff we had inside and hadn't had the chance to say out loud. If it wasn't now, then when?

My father apologized to all of us, but we assured him that somehow things had been straightened out and that he shouldn't be sad anymore.

The nightmare was finally over.

Jae Kyung's POV

"I'm sorry, master. The doctor is here." Secretary Jung came in just as we had finished our talk.

"Alright, let's go." Secretary Jung approached the wheelchair of Jun's father, and in that moment, he let go of my hand with a look. He rose and intercepted Sang Rok.

"You've done more than enough, Secretary Jung. I'll take my father."

"Of course. Yes, young master."

"And before I forget…"

What happened next left us all surprised. Jun Pyo hugged his Secretary. The guy himself didn't know how to respond to the action, but before he could react, Jun Pyo let him go.

"I deeply appreciate everything you've done for us. I've never said it before, but thank you."

Jun Pyo lowered his head in thankfulness, and I couldn't help but laugh a little at seeing how shocked and stunned Secretary Jung looked.

"Seize the moment," I told him. "It's not everyday that 'The Great Goo Jun Pyo' lowers his head before anyone."

At this, we all laughed, and the conversation was officially over.

Jun Pyo took his father to see the doctor, and Secretary Jung told us how things would be from then on. Although Kyu Bok-ssi would return to take care of the company after we made a public statement, there was a lot of work to be done and delegated.

"It would be very beneficial if we could do a sort of fusion, Ji Hoo…," I suggested.

"Well, even though our points of view are totally different, I don't see anything wrong with the idea. We already started to implement the new work plan with you. It would be just a matter of talking about it."

"But…! Put that idea on the shelf for a second. You guys are going to get married!" I saw them both slightly blush. God! To blush! At this point in the game… "I'm sorry this is my first reaction to your good news, Jan Di. I think you can understand my head wasn't present in that moment."

"Don't worry, unnie. The only thing I want is for you and Jun Pyo to be happy from now on."

"Who knows? Right now, there's nothing written; I only know it's going to cost him a lot to conquer me again...a damn well lot! I'm a woman that's worth tons, Jan Di, you know? And I'm not planning on presenting him an easy challenge. I think I could ask him for an island to begin with, what do you think?"

"Ah...well...your tastes and mine differ a lot, unnie."

"You're right. I'll think of something better than that. But let's leave this issue for later. The wedding, I want to know everything! Trust me, Jan Di, if you let me help you, you'll have a dream celebration."

"Truth is I don't want anything too grandiose, but it's obvious I need to check with one of my bridesmaids."

"I'm a bridesmaid!?"

"Well, yes. You'll have to share the title with Joon Hee unnie and Seo Hyun unnie if they accept. My maid of honor will be Ga Eul."

"Thank you so much, Jan Di!" I hugged her and then raised a menacing finger to her fiance. "Yah, Yoon Ji Hoo! If you hurt my dongsaeng you'll have to answer to me!"

"I could never perform such a lowly action, Jae Kyung-ssi. You can be sure I'll take care of her." He bowed down.

"When are you planning on getting married?"

"I don't know, but we want it to be soon. If possible, within the next six months."

"Six months is nothing!"

"I'm sure that even with so little time I'll end up having a wedding three times bigger than what I have planned in my head. So, I'd rather not drag it out," she replied, laughing.

"You're right, it's your wedding, and it is you who gets to decide what to do on that day, so don't even think about cheapening the costs, Ji Hoo!"

"I think you'll have to tell her that." He had a smirk on his face.

We both knew that Jan Di would try to spend the least amount possible, and even then, she would say the final product was way higher than the original idea.

"Yeah, you're right. Well then, Jan Di, I'll accept everything you want to do with your wedding, but the privileges of the bachelorette party are mine!"

Jan Di's POV

Time flew by.

After the surprising awakening of Jun Pyo's father, Secretary Jung was in charge of presenting all the necessary evidence to ensure Hee Soo ended up behind bars for a long time. While this woman had money of her own and an internationally famous lawyer (some guy named Bo, from Japan), the appeals she had presented were useless before the great amount of material against her.

Ji Hoo and I left Macau with the promise of keeping in touch with Jae Kyung and Jun Pyo. I really hoped those two would reconcile their differences and improve their relationship.

Besides that, thanks to our idea of getting the parents more involved with their children, now a partnership with Shinhwa's Institute looked more attractive and promising.

We arrived in Seoul after spending almost all of our vacation in Macau, and we were welcomed by Secretary Park, who gave us the great news that Grandfather was steadily getting back his health.

"Haraboji!" I threw myself into his arms as soon as we got home. Grandfather still needed bed rest.

"Aigoo! This girl doesn't have any respect for her elders." He said, laughing and hugging me back.

"We're back, Haraboji." Ji Hoo greeted him, and after making some tea, we discussed the achievements made during our trip and the destiny of the ex-President of Shinhwa Group.

Grandfather said he felt pity that the girl he had known at the beginning had ended up like that, but that she deserved what was coming her way.

"Soon, classes will start, so it would be best if you start going through your books quickly, so you don't get to the classroom with an empty head. Rest for today, but tomorrow you better study!"

"We know that, Haraboji. Can't you give us a little free time before enslaving us again?" Ji Hoo joked.

"This young man, when did you become so impudent?!"

Both men laughed, and I could feel how the happiness of watching them together filled me up. To think they had been separated for such a long time and that now they could openly joke made me truly happy.

"I'm not impudent, and you know it. But, you are right. I have a lot of things to go through, among those, the cases I'll take next semester."

"You'll be able to treat patients, Ji Hoo?" I asked excitedly.

"Yes. In our seventh year it's a requisite. By the way, Jan Di, shouldn't you tell him?"

"Oh yes, I almost forgot."

"What are you two talking about?" Grandfather asked.

"Haraboji, we're getting married!" I told him while Ji Hoo came to stand next to me and hug me.

"Um...Congratulations? I mean, I knew that."

"She means we're getting married right now. We're not going to wait until college is over. Most likely we'll do it during the middle or end of the next semester; it all depends on what we decide," Ji Hoo explained.

"But why the hurry? Wait! Jan Di-ah...you wouldn't happen to be…"

"Haraboji! I'm not pregnant...!" I rolled my eyes at him. For some reason, Grandfather thought Ji Hoo and I were a couple of bunnies constantly in heat and without any control of our hormones.

Although, come to think of it…

"We simply want to be married right now, why wait?"

"Chae Yun!" Grandfather called, and Secretary Park seemed to materialize out of thin air. It was an ability of his that always surprised me.

"Yes, sir?"

"We have to call a wedding organizer as soon as possible! These two don't plan to wait, and I won't allow my grandkids to marry in a hurry!"

"I understand. Congratulations again, young master Ji Hoo, Miss Jan Di." Secretary Park widely smiled at us. Truth is, I had learned to love him like Grandfather in all the time I had spent in this house. It was such a relief to have his support.

I smiled again and sighed...I had a wedding to plan!

·:*:·:*:··:*:1st MONTH·:*:··:*:·:*:·

The next day, I went to tell Ga Eul the good news and ask her if she would be my maid of honor.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I'll be your Maid of Honor! I would kill you if you didn't pick me!" She laughed.

"Now I only have to confirm if Joon Hee and Seo Hyun can be bridesmaids. If all goes well, I'll have the four most beautiful bridesmaids in all of Korea."

"And you will be the most beautiful bride, Jan Di. I can't believe it…you're getting married. And only at nineteen!"

"Nineteen, twenty, fifty...who cares as long as I'm with him?"

"Omo, tone down the sugar, would you? I'll suffer from diabetes if you plan on being like this for the next few months."

"Yah! What did you say?"

We both laughed like when we were little girls and remembered all the silly plans we had when we were five. Some were too crazy, like marrying on the back of an elephant, but some could be revived, like having a four-tiered cake.

"And how are you, Ga Eul?"

"What can I say? Living with someone is totally different, but it doesn't feel bad."

"Have you fought?"

"More times than I can count, but it's always over dumb stuff. 'Did you put down the toilet seat?'; 'Did you hang up the towel after your shower?'; 'Did you put your socks in the hamper?'"

"That one, he must ask you." Ga Eul had the habit of leaving her dirty socks all over her bedroom floor.

"Yeah…," she said laughing. "But, as I said, it's little things like that, and we are trying to adjust to and accommodate the other's habits. Besides, the make-ups are the best." She winked.

"Ga Eul!" I exclaimed, blushing.

"Oh, come on, Jan Di. I haven't seen you in a month! It's girls' time, so spill... How does that man with the perfect profile make you tremble?"

Ji Hoo's POV

"You okay, Ji Hoo?"

"Yeah, someone must be talking about me…," I told Woo Bin. It was weird that I was sneezing.

"So...six months?"

"Yeah, it would be best to do it at the end of the semester, so we're not running against the clock with our papers and examinations. Besides, if we do it that way, maybe we could even take a week off somewhere, to relax. We decided last night."

"Did you ever imagine this was how this was going to end?"

"No…" I knew perfectly well what he was referring to. "Quite frankly, no." I had the hope that it would, but I always thought Jun Pyo and Jan Di would end up together somehow."

"And now you're marrying her, after she proposed."

"Let us not forget I had asked her first."

"Yeah, yeah. But it must have been something so...I don't know."

"Like you can talk, you're the one living with Ga Eul." I laughed a bit but then stopped after seeing his expression. "Don't tell me you're still feeling guilty about that…"

"It's not that I feel guilty, Ji hoo...It's just that I would've liked to clear it with Yi Jung, even though there is nothing official between him and Ga Eul."

"That was years ago, Woo Bin. You, yourself, told me he was happy jumping from bed to bed in Sweden."

"But, still...You know what I mean."

"I do, but I would find it hypocritical on Yi Jung's part to come back and complain about a woman he left so long ago, one he didn't even fight for. And, you need to get used to the idea that he may come; after all, I need my three Men of Honor."

It was ridiculous to think I could pick only one of my brothers for that role, and so I already had confirmation from Jun Pyo and Woo Bin that they would do it. I had sent Yi Jung a couple of physical and digital invitations to the last addresses we knew he was using before he disappeared to his 'Spiritual retreat.

"What if Ga Eul…?" He started to form a sentence.

"Stop thinking like that. To do so is not to trust her." I knew a very small part of Woo Bin believed Ga Eul hadn't forgotten Yi Jung yet.

"Aish...I'm an idiot."

"That's how those two friends have left us."

"Cheers to that." He was going to raise his glass, but then he sneezed as well.

"Bless you… Maybe it's an allergy?"

·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 2·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Seo Hyun's POV

"This is ridiculous!" I saw how the poor woman looked to be on the brink of a panic attack.

"Look, lady, the last thing I want to do is argue with you. I know it is possible because it has been done before with different types of events, so things are simple: Either you can or you can't." Jan Di crossed her arms and put her leg a bit out, assuming her business stance.

"But it's the Yoon Family! Just imagine the possibilities! The wedding, the church, the reception, the ballroom…"

"That all sounds very nice, but this is my wedding and it's going to be the way I want it to be. If you can't fulfill the requirements I'm asking, then thank you for your time, I'll call someone else."

I had come to visit Ji Hoo and Jan Di after my graduation and to put in order all the necessary procedures to start my new job in the US. It was good luck that I could take a couple of weeks off before that, and I had already asked for permission for the time of her wedding.

Jan Di asked me to be her bridesmaid, and I accepted immediately. Since she had entered Ji Hoo's life, I knew she was going to be able to change him, to break that shell I had only managed to make some cracks in. To see Ji Hoo again had been fantastic, and I knew, since we hugged at the airport, that all our past had been peacefully buried.

Now I was next to Jan Di at her first appointment with the wedding planner, a woman so famous that when Secretary Park first made the call, she only had availability for this day, an entire month later, and after cancelling with several other clients. But who would miss the chance to say they had been in charge of Yoon Group's heir's wedding?

Obviously, the woman was already seeing her name in famous bridal and wedding magazines, but she didn't count on meeting a young lady very sure of what she wanted for her special day. And that was simplicity, which, of course, directly collided with this woman's plans.

"Of course I can do what you ask of me. I'm just...asking you to think it through. A wedding is something so important, so grand, so-"

"Allow me to interrupt your speech." Jan Di raised her palm to her, and the woman looked ready to have a conniption. "I know all the options on the market; I know I have an unlimited budget to do whatever I want with, and what I want is what I just told you. Can you meet those expectations? Yes or no?"

I had to hold back my laughter as the disappointment set in on the woman's face.

"Of course I can." And that was the meekest she had sounded the whole afternoon.

"Perfect! That was my main concern. Seo Hyun unnie, now what?" Jan Di turned to me, expectant, and I could see her plans had only gone as far as her wedding and reception venue; so, of course, I gladly offered my help.

"We could set a date to see the dresses, Jan Di. The one you will wear and the bridesmaids' ones. It will have to be on a different day than the guys' because I'm sure we'll take longer than them. You'll also need to think about the cake, the hors d'oeuvre, snacks, drinks, flowers, stationary-Oh! That's very important! We haven't sent your Save the Date cards yet."

"I don't know what those are. I was planning on sending the invitations a month before."

"A month before! Oh, dear!" The wedding planner definitely needed a tranquilizer. "Do you realize that with such little notice not all the guests may be able to attend?"

"The ones I'm interested in have already confirmed their attendance." Jan Di shrugged, and the wedding planner finally gave up and took out her pills.

After an hour of looking at dates for the next appointment, Jan Di took me to her room and heavily threw herself onto the bed. I sat on the end, wearing a smile.

"What am I going to do when you're gone? I won't be able to stand that woman on my own…" I could hear her whining a bit.

"You'll know how to handle her, I'm sure. Besides, Joon Hee promised to come help you, too."

"Yes, but she will also only be here a couple of weeks. I really never thought it was so difficult to get married. Maybe I should do what they do in movies. Elope to Vegas and have Elvis marry us."

I openly laughed at her crazy idea. I was sure she found the whole process very tedious, but I knew the final product would be magnificent and would make Jan Di happy.

We heard a couple of knocks and saw the door slide open a bit.

"May I?" Ji Hoo's voice could be heard.

"Yes…" Jan Di dragged out her answer.

He came in, taking off his white coat, his glasses still on. Ji Hoo had grown so much since the last time I saw him. He was no longer the boy I remembered.

"How are you?"

"I'm okay," I hugged him when he came to greet me, "and so is Jan Di, though I think she's mentally tired."

"Exhausted...Ji Hoo, let's just get married in Vegas and end this whole thing this weekend."

"If that's what you want, I have no problem with it," he answered while going to her. He sat on the bed as well and pulled her against his side. But Jan Di quickly kneeled and her eyes flared.

"Are you crazy? How could we do something like that to Grandfather? And what about the advanced payments to the wedding planner?"

"So...what are we going to do then?"

Jan Di pouted and finally relented, cuddling next to Ji Hoo while he hugged her and rubbed circles on her back, trying to calm her down.

The scene before me was one that had hurt to imagine at first, during those weeks when Ji Hoo and I had lived in our little bubble in France, when I noticed someone else had crept into his heart and created jealousy in mine.

But now that I saw it come true, I couldn't help but feel relaxed. I cared for Ji Hoo very much, and I could see how happy he was, and open with the rest as well. And Jan Di? She had left behind most of her impulsiveness and had become the graceful young lady I always knew she could be. She was quite the diamond in the rough when I met her. The years, Grandfather, and love had polished her beautifully.

"How do you feel about eating out today?" Ji Hoo suggested.

"Yeah, I want you to tell me how it went with your first patient," Jan Di told him, but we immediately saw his expression fall. It was an uncomfortable one.

"What is it? Was it bad?" I asked him.

"It was all good with the patient, but there's a sunbae who doesn't get it that I'm engaged. Normally, it's simple to ignore the comments, but she…"

"Is she insistent?"

"That's putting it mildly...But I hope she'll grow tired of it in a couple of days. Let's forget about that and go eat, yeah?"

·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 3·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Ji Hoo POV's

"I can't work with you so close."

"Do I make you nervous, Ji Hoo?"

"I'm bothered that I can't move my arm to write. Get lost."

"Aw, you're always so cold...but that makes it more interesting."

Han Yu Ri, my sunbae in the rehabilitation clinic and the person that's supposed to guide me in my training on patients' treatment.

From day one, she made her intent clear.

"I heard you are engaged to a commoner. Not to worry, in no time you'll realize there are better fish in the ocean; I'll personally take care of that."

And after that, everything had been extremely uncomfortable. When I sat down to study, she would harass me by being close; her perfume was suffocating, and more than once she had tried to lock us up in the small room used for resting. Anyone would ask why I kept on enduring that treatment, and it was because if I opened my mouth, no one would believe me.

The only granddaughter of the greatest contributor to our rehabilitation department, Yu Ri was a girl spoiled by her grandfather. He would never believe that she was known amongst the faculty for bedding many a guy, and none of them would complain about it. Most of them looked for an opportunity to fall into her clutches, but Yu Ri had a particular taste. She went only for those who didn't want her, boasting that she had made them 'fall'. Not even my position as heir of the Yoon Group had helped me, and the one time I tried to seek help, all I got for an answer was 'Why are you complaining about it? She's hot! Take advantage of it.'

Since Jan Di and I had announced our engagement, we decided on just one communication media, written and visual. Thus, we could lower the burden of interviews and such.

The first day after the news, there was chaos all around college: Several girls were divided into groups that were trying to make Jan Di 'give me up' -like that was possible- or taking the simpler route and offering themselves to me like prime steak. There were even some guys that confessed their feelings to Jan Di in the hopes that she would end her engagement to me. It was something that surprised her so much that after two days of hearing her gush about it, I started to feel jealous.

"Don't be ridiculous, Ji hoo. There's no way I'm breaking up with you. But, please understand me, I've never gotten love confessions before!"

And if I thought that her only experiences had been Jun Pyo and me, I could understand her. It was unbelievable to her that she could be an object of affection or desire to the opposite sex, and I was grateful that she didn't realize how charming she could be. If she exploited her potential, I would seriously have rivals.

We both rejected all kinds of propositions, invitations, offerings and more. It was enough on my part to be polite or cold, depending on the girl, for them to leave me alone, but Yu Ri was used to initial rejection, and the more I refused her advances, the more fun she had with it. There were occasions I had arrived home in an awful mood, just thinking about everything I'd had to do to avoid her that day.

"I'm sick of this."

"Calm down, Ji Hoo-ah." Jan Di knew about the situation, and she was as frustrated as me or more, knowing that we couldn't do anything. We would've talked to Grandfather if he hadn't been sick, but either way, I couldn't always depend on him. I had even thought about asking Woo Bin for some help in the scare department, but he was also busy with college and his 'marital' life, so I'd rather not bother him.

I had to solve this on my own.

"I can't concentrate on anything! The only moment she leaves me alone is when I'm with a patient, and even then, it seems like the place is flooded with her perfume. This is getting out of hand!"

"Ji Hoo…"

"I better go out for some air. I don't want to burden you with my foul mood. I'll be right back." I quickly pecked her lips and went out to ride my bike.

I hated to be like this with Jan Di when it wasn't her fault.

Ga Eul's POV

"It's too much, Ga Eul...I don't know how to help him." I received my friend's visit after a couple of days had passed since the last "Yu Ri incident," as we called it. Before, it was enough for Ji Hoo to look coldly at someone, and that was it; the girl would never dare approach him again.

"It's because he's changed, Jan Di. The cold boy that lived in a special bubble is gone. Now, he's a man; he's in love; he smiles more often and is willing to talk and form friendships with different people. Obviously, at some point, a girl was going to appear who was a tough bone to pick.

"And what do I do?" I was surprised by the wetness in her eyes.

"Hey, what's wrong? This isn't you, Jan Di…"

"It's everything! The wedding plans, the classes, the exams, and to top it off, Han Yu Ri; she's driving me crazy! Doesn't she understand she needs to stay away?"

"That's not all of it." There had been insistent women, stress and exams before, but something else was bothering Jan Di.

"You're right…" She sighed. "We haven't been together in weeks."

"You mean...?"

"Yeah, we haven't had sex in weeks, Ga Eul. And not because we don't want to, I assure you...And I would understand it if it was because of lack of time, but I hate that it's because he's in such a bad mood that he can't get that idiot out of his head." She furiously cleaned the tears that were about to fall.

"Did you try the usual?"

"Yeah. He liked the lingerie and also the change of scenery for that weekend in the hotel, but that's not something we can always do. If so, it would become a habit instead of a treat from time to time...I miss him, Ga Eul."

"Then it's time to take drastic measures." I rose from the floor and went to my nightstand for a magazine. "Page seventy four. Read the whole thing and do it. If that doesn't make him realize his interest and his head should always be focused on you, then I don't know what else to do."

"'How to perform a-' Ga Eul! Why do you have this kind of stuff?"

"Actually, I subscribed to the magazine by recommendation of Sae Jin-ssi. Turns out every once in a while they give you tips on how to keep the flames alive, and trust me, it works!" I winked at her.

I never would've thought I would be open about sex, be it discussing it or practicing it. I imagined myself more as the dutiful wife, comfortable with it because she loved her husband. But the years have proven there were aspects I didn't know about myself and that I was willing to explore. Loving Woo Bin has been something great and exquisite. I can be myself without inhibitions and that makes me feel powerful.

"I don't know if I can do this."

"Has he ever done it to you?"

"Well...yeah. Though I don't know why he likes it."

"Do it and you'll understand. Don't think about anything, Jan Di. You have to be a lioness, a woman sure of herself, that knows her man is being threatened and she's going to rescue him. Ji Hoo saved you many times, now it's your turn."

"You're right. You know what? You're damn right, this isn't me!" I watched her slap her cheeks, hard, signaling that Jan Di had come back to life. "Okay, Ga Eul, I need a plan, something to let this 'Yu Ri' know she's not to mess with what's mine ever again…"

I loved my friend so much.

Jan Di POV's

I spent a week planning and 'practicing,' if you could call it that, what I would do today. I knew Ji Hoo had a free hour between one patient and the next, so there would be no better chance than this one.

I went to the rehabilitation area as soon as I was done with my presentation on Siamese twins.

"Excuse me." I opened the door. The place seemed to be empty. "Ji Hoo? Are you here?"

"No, he's not here right now. He went out to buy me something to drink. What can I do for you?"

Han Yu Ri.

"I came to look for him."

"He'll be busy. Leave me your name and I'll pass on the message."

Sure you will. "I'm Geum Jan Di." That made the sneer on her face transform into a sweet smile and a mocking expression. She looked me over from head to toe.

"So you are the commoner…" Yu Ri came close and took my right hand to inspect it. "This doesn't look like Tiffany's. Frankly, you have the goose that laid the golden eggs and you do nothing to take advantage of it."

"So that's what you want? His fortune?"

"So obvious you don't know me. I have more money than I can dream of, but a woman needs to get her value's worth and demand what she deserves. Jewelry is one of those things, and of course, you seem to know nothing about it. Just look at you. I really don't know what Ji Hoo sees in you. I can only suppose you're a beast in bed."

"Leave us alone."

"But I haven't done anything...yet." She smiled again with that superior aura she had, hands on her hips. First time I saw her, and I already hated her. "It's only a matter of time, you know? For him to notice what he has in front of him, what's really good for him."

"You're insane if you think Ji Hoo would let himself be seduced in such a cheap manner."

"He's a man, that's reason enough to be sure he will let himself be seduced. Don't tell me you came to declare war on me or something? Let me tell you right now that you've already lost. What's more, it's good that you're here, so he can compare us, live." She came even closer and spoke directly next to my ear. "Go back to your hut to look from afar and dream, if you know what's good for you, commoner."

Stupid harpy.

"Jan Di?" Ji Hoo chose the best moment to come in; I was a fraction of a second away from tearing the smile off this slag's face with my nails.

"Hi, Ji Hoo."

"What are you doing here? I didn't know you'd be coming."

"Oh, she came to visit, Ji Hoo. Seems she wanted to see what she was up against," Yu Ri answered.

"Enough. You can bother me all day if you want to, but don't mess with her, you hear me?" He took me by the waist.

"Now that I have your permission, from now on, I'll bother you. .long."

"You're such a-"

"Ji Hoo," I cut him off. It was now or never, and it was great that she was present. Nerves would have to be discarded, same as modesty. I glued myself to him and pushed my chest against his. "Stop fighting with Yu Ri sunbae; she's just joking."

"What?" They both asked at the same time.

"It's obvious, sunbae. You can't find someone who stands you long enough to stay with you, so you go after anything that moves."

"How dare you?!"

"Isn't it true that you tried to lock Ji Hoo up in that room?" I saw I threw her off a bit with the question; maybe no one had stood up to her before.

"T-That's absurd."

"You're the only one with the key, right?"

"If you mean this," she dangled it with a bunch of other keys in front of my face, "Yes, I'm the only one that has it. You should ask Ji Hoo the things we did in there." Yu Ri pointed to a door to my right.

Great.

"Han Yu Ri! Stop the bullshit!"

"Why should we lie, Ji Hoo? It's best if she knows right now. I didn't say anything before to spare the pain, but you know-"

Before she could finish her phrase, I snatched the keys from her hand, took Ji Hoo with the other, and quickly dragged him to the resting area. Once inside, I locked the door.

"Hey, you! Who do you think you are? Open this door immediately!"

"I'm sorry, sunbae. I don't feel like listening to you." I pushed a more than surprised Ji Hoo against the door. "But I would like for Ji Hoo to do with me all those things you said he did to you."

"You what!? You're crazy! Open up!" She started banging on the door.

"Better go get the spare key; I'm not planning on coming out."

Let the games begin.

Ji Hoo POV's

To say I was stunned by Jan Di's attitude and her appearance at the rehab area was true. But now I had my back to the door, a prisoner of her small body, while on the other side Yu Ri was trying to forcefully barge in. I didn't have a word to catalogue what I was feeling right then.

"Jan Di, what are-?"

"Silence." I shut up. "Do you have any idea how long it's been since we last were together?"

I started to calculate and was surprised; it had been weeks.

"Jan Di, I…"

"I said shut up." Ok, who was this woman, and what had she done with my fiancée? "Lately, your mind is always distracted." Her lips came close to my neck, but she kept on talking, making me shudder. "You just think of Yu Ri, but not me. How should I punish you for that?"

I trembled.

Jan Di started to leave a trail of moist kisses down my neck while one of her hands pulled my shirt out of my trousers, pushing it up my abdomen. When I felt her nails, I tried to stop her, but she had different plans.

"You're not allowed to touch me, not now. You'll stay there, still, and you'll accept everything I want to give you. Do you understand?"

I nodded my head, remembering that I couldn't talk, either. Jan Di continued with her caresses. The only thing I could do was fully lean my weight against the door and close my eyes.

It was very clear why she was acting this way, but not in a million years would I have thought she was capable of something like this. My hands itched to touch her, and even more when I saw her unbuttoning her blouse, displaying a simple yet enticing lacy blue and white lingerie, with bows.

The knocking on the door had ceased a few minutes ago, and I turned my head to listen. I figured Yu Ri must have gone for someone to help her, which made the situation we were in much more dangero-

"Stop." Jan Di forced me to turn my head back and opened my shirt. "I don't want you thinking of anything but me, okay?" She said it against my lips but without kissing me. "You are mine, don't forget that."

My breathing was ragged now, and it increased when her tongue danced across the expanse of skin of my pectorals, leaving a few bites, and making me weak in the knees. Jan Di went for my throat and started traveling lower again, and lower, and lower and...

I opened my eyes. I realized what was going to happen when I saw her kneeling before me, her face glued to my zipper, pulling down my pants and boxers. The moment I felt her lips on me, I was surprised I didn't explode right that second. I was sure that the image of her half-closed eyes and the movement of her mouth enveloping me in a scorching moisture would remain branded in my memory till the day I died.

Her hands ran up my thighs and wandered to my abs, provoking each square inch of flesh to react to her. The suction was unbearable, and after so many weeks, I knew I wasn't going to be able to last much longer. Jan Di knew that; the sounds I was trying to hold back confirmed it, and she could read my body like a book. If she kept on going, if things kept on like this…

"St-Stop it...I can't-"

She had told me to shut up and I don't know why the hell I couldn't follow such a simple order. The moment the words left my lips, she opened her eyes and nailed me with her stare. Could there be anything more erotic than seeing her lust-filled gaze and the glint of malice that seemed to pass in the back of it while her lips and mouth held me imprisoned?

Instead of letting me go, she started to work more insistently, making small sounds that vibrated on her throat, transmitting that directly to my brain from my groin.

Fuck it.

I sent everything to hell and grabbed her hair with my hands, directing her to the rhythm I needed to finish. I got a couple of seconds to see her close her eyes, now with such a submissive expression...and that tipped the scale. She took me in just a few more times before I spilled and emptied myself inside that small hole that seemed to want to extract my soul.

I moaned. I couldn't hold it in. I forgot about Yu Ri being behind the door; I forgot about someone else coming with a spare key and finding us, nothing mattered anymore. The tremors took hold of me, and my legs finally gave out. AndI fell to the floor, spent. I felt Jan Di rise but didn't know where she had gone. I wasn't going to find out, either. I had literally no more strength.

"Are you okay?" Her question reached my ears, and I nodded. When I turned to look at her, I saw a rare, satisfied smile on her face. "You should fix yourself up. I believe you have a patient soon, right?"

"What?" What did she mean by 'a patient'? The only thing I wanted was to throw her on the bed and leave her breathless.

"I have to deliver a paper later, so I should be leaving. Here are the keys to give to Yu Ri, and...Ji Hoo?" I managed to stand up, kinda fix my pants and grab her wrist.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"To review my paper before I have to turn it in. Did you think I was going to stay? Allow me to correct that notion. This was a punishment." She extracted herself from my hold, pushed me on the bed, and sat astride me. "Now you won't think of anything else but what happened here. About how my mouth and my hands made you feel. About how in weeks you haven't cummed like that." Jan Di ground her hips, and we both moaned. "Remember that when your sunbae is close." And without any further ceremony, she stood up, opened the door, and left, leaving me stupid.

She was right. I had let my mood turn bad because of Yu Ri, and this pulled me away from Jan Di. I hadn't realized it. It had been weeks! Of course, she had to come and do something like that and leave me so horny I wasn't sure I'd be able to focus on work. The only thing I wanted was Jan Di.

And it wasn't just sex, we hadn't spent much time together lately. Before, even if we had lots to do, we found a way to share at least one hour with one another. Under the shadow of a tree in a park, reading a book, whatever...we had stopped doing that, and it was going to have to change.

"Ji Hoo? What happened here?"

Yu Ri came in and found me just as Jan Di had left me: Sprawled on the bed, breathing heavily, with my shirt open and my pants undone.

"Nothing." I replied.

"Right, like I'm gonna believe that. This room is for resting, not for you to behave like animals. This will reach the Dean." I sat up when I heard those words, realizing the door was closed again, the difference being that Yu Ri was still inside. "Unless, of course, you can give me something in exchange for my silence."

Of course she was going to take advantage of the situation.

I saw her take off her robe and unbutton her blouse, letting her long, straight hair down; she slowly approached me, and I stood up to meet her in the middle. "Trust me, Ji Hoo, I can make you feel a thousand times better...There's nothing that slag can-"

I took her by the wrist with force, pushing her until she was against a wall. For the first time, I saw her look at me with fear.

Good.

"I would appreciate if you didn't finish that sentence, sunbae. Jan Di is my fiancée, and I won't let anyone speak about her like that. I think that name suits you better."

"N-No need to be angry," Yu Ri said with a nervous smile. "If it's rough you like, I can play like that, too."

"I'm not playing, sunbae. At least, not with you. This is what's going to happen from now on. You'll leave me in peace; you'll leave us in peace, because I don't want to hear you're trying to get to Jan Di. If you insist on keeping up with your pathetic games, let me warn you, you'll lose. You're used to being in control, right? Well, you must remember that the strength of a man is greater." I proved my point by throwing her with a bit too much force onto the bed. "Do not provoke me because you won't be able to handle what you find. I will hurt you so badly you'll be ruined for the rest of your days. Do you understand me?"

"Y-Yes."

"Think hard about what I'm saying. Do not forget, I'm still an F4 and while it is true I've never liked using force, I can bring down upon you all the fury of the Goo, Yoon and Song families if necessary."

"I-I'm s-so-sorry." Apparently, my act had been stellar. Yu Ri was even trembling and trying to cover herself now.

"I'm glad we could reach an agreement, sunbae. Now, could you please fix your clothes?" No way I was going to let her run out, screaming that I had tried to rape her or something, even less to take the risk that the security camera she usually had turned off, was on.

When we were both presentable, we left the room calmly. I sat to review my notes, and she went to the other end of the area, which was perfect for me.

Now, about today's patient...

·:*:·:*:··:*:·MONTH 4·:*:··:*:·:*:·

Yi Jung's POV

It was amazing to be back in Korea after so many years. I was expecting to take longer with my training, but the retreat taught me more than I could've learned in ten years. The monks there dedicated their lives day after day only to the perfection of their abilities and had turned pottery into something more than a simple art; as for my wounded hand, that would be there forever, but now I had the knowledge to keep the pain at bay. Pain that only appeared when I forced myself too much.

Somehow it had worked to have a detox of my usual lifestyle, which wasn't easy to do, but I had borne the fruits, and I was now anxious to prove what I could do, not only in my country, but the world.

Something that surprised me, however, besides receiving Ji Hoo's letter saying he was to marry Jan Di and I was a dead man if I didn't appear at his wedding, was the fact that when I started the procedures for my return to Korea, my mind constantly thought of a name.

Ga Eul.

How had she matured over the years? I knew she had changed, thanks to the chats I'd had with Woo Bin, but it was still hard to believe. Sweet and shy Ga Eul learning self defense? It was something I couldn't comprehend. That she was a kindergarten teacher, now that fitted her personality.

I called a P.I. I used for certain works and asked him to find out where Ga Eul studied or worked because I wanted to surprise her after so long. It was true that our correspondence had been almost nonexistent, but I was sure she wouldn't be disappointed to see me. After all, we were still friends, right? What happened between us -or didn't happen- was in the past, but I still felt the first person I should look for as soon as I stepped on Korean soil, was her.

I disembarked the plane and found a couple of servants waiting for me. I sent them to take my things to the house and walked to my car to drive to a kindergarten not too far away from the city center.

Once there, I couldn't help but smile at seeing so many children at the gate. Surely, it was the end of the day. I noticed the teachers were wearing pink, yellow, and green aprons. I wondered which one of those colors Ga Eul wore.

"Oppa."

I looked down and noticed a bunch of wide-eyed kids staring at my car and a little girl calling for my attention.

"Yes, princess?" I crouched to meet her eye.

"Oppa, is that your car?"

"Yes, it is."

"It is very pretty!" she said with glee, and many of the children thought the same.

"Well, thank you very much, princess. Tell me something, do you study here?"

"I do!"

"And tell me, do you know a teacher named Ga Eul?"

"Oh! You must be Ga Eul seonsaengnim's boyfriend!"

That surprised me a bit. First, because this girl thought I was Ga Eul's boyfriend, and second, because I didn't mind that assumption at all.

"Tell me, why do you believe that?"

"Ga Eul seonsaengnim told us her boyfriend was on a long trip, that he had a pretty car, and that he was very handsome, too! And you're very handsome, Oppa."

Could it be? Had Ga Eul waited for me? We had never made any promises, but still...I found I was smiling at this little girl's honesty, and a new goal formed in my head. Find the girl I had come looking for.

"Tell me, little princess. Did Ga Eul seonsaengnim come today?"

"No, she comes once in awhile to help because she's studying to be a real seonsaengnim."

"When did you see her last?"

"Mmm…"

"Excuse me, are you this girl's family?" A teacher approached us.

"No, I'm sorry. I was distracted talking to her. I'm actually looking for Chu Ga Eul. Do you know her?

"Are you a friend or family?" I didn't appreciate the tone, but I could understand that she didn't feel right giving information to a stranger. Well, nothing a smile couldn't fix.

"We're friends; we have been for years, and I just arrived from a very long trip. They told me she could be here? She helps from time to time, I believe." Wink, smile, and…

"Um...yeah...what? Oh! Ga Eul, yes. She comes sometimes, yes. She hasn't come in a couple of weeks, but she should be here next week."

"Thank you for all your help." I kissed her hand. That would ensure she wouldn't ask my name.

I went to my car again and drove to Woo Bin's this time. He would be able to tell me where to find Ga Eul.

Can't wait to see you.