Author's Note: So BTS came out with a new album on November 30 and I'm in love with it. Although the song about the whale cracks me up. If you listen to it, there is a comment down at the bottom that had me in tears. It says, "From International superstars to a whale… slow claps." (This isn't a hundred percent correct but I'm too lazy to look it up.) I died. I laughed so hard I cried. It was just a comment but it was funny. The song is sad, but the comments. B.A.P came out with "Young, Wild, & Free" and EXO just dropped "Sing for You." I'm in heaven.

I got to go back to work tomorrow but I'm going to enjoy my mini concert as I do laundry for this week. But this week is the last week before Christmas break. I get two and a half weeks to do nothing but write, listening to music and finish my crochet projects.

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"I'm in remission with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia."

Those words repeated through Won's head over and over and over again. He hadn't expected those to be the last words he had heard while he had been with her last night. She had basically told him she was going to die at some point much sooner than normal people did nowadays.

He had say across from her for a long few moments before he had gotten up and wandered around the area for a bit. She had followed him to make sure he hadn't stepped out into traffic. She had made sure he had gotten home before she had gone home herself.

She hadn't texted him that morning and he hadn't her. She had known as soon as she had told him he was going to need time to process it. He had gotten dressed and had gone to work in a slight daze.

There hadn't been any morning meetings so he had spent the entire time looking up the different versions of leukemia to see how bad it really was. He had even ignored Da Kyung's phone call and had declined her invitation for lunch. He wanted to know as much as he could.

How could Soohyun be so strong even when she is sick? How could Hyun I allow her to live alone when he knew what was going on? His assistant had to be having a hard time with having two family members sick. How did he do it?

There was a knock at his door just as he was getting agitated with so much information coming at him. He heard the door open and close before he looked up. Soohyun stood in front of his desk. She wasn't upset or anything that he could see.

There was one outstanding thing different about her. She wasn't blond anymore. She was wearing a black beanie with the Zeus Hotel emblem in silver.

He got up and they walked over to the comfy chairs in the corner. Soohyun sat down and handed him a cup of coffee from the same coffee shop from last night. Attached to the cup was a note in scrawling handwriting.

"Kim Won-ssi, I figured I told you about her illness by the way you stumbled out last night. She wouldn't have told you if she didn't trust you could handle it. I doesn't let it hinder her. Hyun I hyung and I have tried many times to tell her to slow it down, but I is stronger than she seems. She does what she can and asks for help when she needs it. Right now she is doing well and we're thankful for that. I hope you come to understand that.

Jeon Hoon Jin"

Won looked up at Soohyun. She watched him and took the note from him when he handed it to her. A slow smile crept across her face as she read it. She shook her head then carefully folded the paper.

"Was he privy to all of your personal life?" he asked. He was trying to catch his breath.

"Hoon was there when I was diagnosed. He took me to a lot of my chemotherapy and radiation sessions. He stayed by my side when I was so sick I could barely get out of bed. Without him and Hyun Joon, I wouldn't have survived it," she answered.

She continued when he couldn't even speak. "I didn't tell you for you to worry about it. I lost a lot of friends when I first got sick because I couldn't do anything. I wasn't fun anymore. But I learned that those who were physically, mentally and emotionally distraught over my illness were the ones I needed in my life. Those people give me the strength I need to keep fighting."

Won wiped the tears from his eyes. "How can you be so strong?"

She shook her head. "I'm really not, but I learned to ask for help. Now do you want to go somewhere with me for your lunch break?"

He couldn't say no to her so he stood and followed her from the office. They got a couple of curious stares as they passed his secretarial staff. He hit the down button and the elevator doors opened immediately. Soohyun was quiet as they rode down to the lobby. Unfortunately the elevator was not on their side today as it stopped every three floors. Won ended up pressed against her side to keep everyone away from her.

Once out of the elevator, Soohyun led him through the lobby and down the sidewalk. He trailed behind her as he let his mind think on everything that he had been told. His instincts were telling him to watch out for her, but his obligation to his family was warring with him.

"Where are we going?" he asked, stepping up to her side.

"I have an errand to run. You seem shaken so I figured I bring you with me to ease your stress level. Oppa does the same thing. He has to be close after every doctor's appointment," she answered. She stopped in front of a bookstore. "Come on."

She led him into the store and immediately went to the right. He noticed she was going to the invitations. She looked at the cheapest ones even though he was certain she made more than the average chef.

"Kim Won?"

He turned around at the sound of a very familiar voice and came face to face Jeon Hyeon Joo. She hadn't changed since he had last seen her a year ago. Her hair was a little longer but everything else was normal. She was dressed down for a teacher. He had to think of what day it was a national holiday that he should be observing instead of working. Hence why the woman wasn't all dressy.

"What are you doing here? I thought you would order your fancy invitations from an event company," she said.

"I'm actually here with a friend. Soohyun-ssi," he answered, turning to look for the woman. She walked up to him instantly and looked around his shoulder. "Lee Soohyun, this is Jeon Hyeon Joo. She teaches at Jeguk High School. Soohyun-ssi is a chef at Zeus Hotel. She is catering my company party tomorrow night."

Soohyun inclined her head. "Hello. Kim Won has never mentioned you before."

Hyeon Joo frowned. "I'm not sure why he would. We were only acquaintances. How did you get him to come with you? I had to drag him by the skin of his teeth."

"I may have accidentally upset him. I asked him to come out to cool down before he stewed over it for so long that he did something stupid." She turned to him. "I'm going to check out. I'll be right back. Excuse me." She bowed to Hyeon Joo before walking to the back of the shop.

The other woman looked at her ex. "Does Da Kyung know about her?"

"She knows we're friends. I explained it to her when I say her last night when we were planning the wedding. They'll meet each other tomorrow night. You're invited to the party if you wish to come," Won tossed out.

"I don't want to be in a place where I am not wanted. I'm sure your fiancé will have her hands full with that woman alone. Seeing how beautiful her personality is will make any other woman feel inadequate."

Won's hackles rose instantly at the tone. "Don't mock her."

Hyeon Joo lifted her hands in surrender. "I didn't mean anything by it. In today's society it's hard to find someone who isn't jaded by circumstances. I need to be going. We should catch up sometime." She inclined her head and hurried out the door.

Won watched her disappear out of his sight and thought it over. If she hadn't been so gun shy of his status, they could have been together. But as that thought continued, he knew it would have never happened. He would have had to surrender his company due to finances and everything else his father had left him with.

"That woman still cares for you, Won-ssi."

He jumped as he turned to the soft voice of Soohyun. She was rummaging through her bag as he looked down at her. She looked up at him then smiled. That smile was the only thing that could melt any nervousness or anger he had at anyone. It was soft and sweet and gentle.

"Stand still. I don't want to poke you."

He watched as she pulled the back off of a pin. Rising on her tiptoes, she gripped the lapel of his suit jacket and poked the sharpened end through the material. Carefully she replaced the back and smoothed the lapel down. Won looked down to see an orange metal ribbon right below his Korean flag.

"The ribbons have different meanings. They're known as remembrance ribbons. The orange signifies leukemia. All my friends wear them. And I found one for mental health disorders for Oppa."

"I don't understand how you can do this," he said.

She laughed at him. "Don't worry about it. If I need your help, I will let you know. Let's get you back to work."

"You don't have to go back with me. I know you must be getting ready for the party tomorrow night."

"It's actually all ready. We just have to move the boxes and drinks tomorrow. Everything will be fine."

Won framed her face in his hands and sighed. "Go home. Rest for tomorrow night. It's going to be a long party."

Soohyun smiled as she watched him leave the store. He was way too kind for his own good sometimes. But she wasn't going home. She was meeting Hoon Jin at a tteokbokki stand a couple of blocks over.

He was already waiting with two bowls when she showed up. He tossed her a yellow bottle and waited as she sat down. After taking the medication jostling around inside, Soohyun took the second set of chopsticks and dug into the spicy rice cakes.

"How did he like his note?" Hoon Jin asked.

"He was overwhelmed, much like you were when I told you," she answered. "He ran into his ex-girlfriend while in the store."

Hoon Jin laughed. "How well did that go?"

"He still likes her, but I don't know how she feels about him. It's obvious she left because she didn't seem to think they have a future. I bet she's kicking herself now."

He popped her lightly in the head with his spoon. "Don't get involved in someone else's personal life. We never know what's going to happen with you so it's better for you not to get involved with a chaebol."

"He's a good friend, Hoon. He seems to understand. You didn't even understand for at least a month."

"But I didn't go anywhere did I?"

"I give you way too much credit sometimes."

Hoon Jin lifted his head and looked at her. "Noona, there aren't a lot of men who would stand by an ailing woman even if he's married to her. The statistic is even less if they're dating. You're lucky you've got a friend who has."

Soohyun set her chopsticks on the top of her bowl and leaned back in her chair. "Honestly, you're my only friend. Everyone else left."

He pointed at her. "Exactly." She didn't react and he tilted his head in question. "That doesn't bother you at all does it?"

"It did in the beginning, but now I don't really care. None of it matters as long I live. And if I don't, I'll know I'm leaving behind a really good friend and a brother who cared for me more than life itself."

"If you keep spouting stuff like that, I'm going to ask you to marry me."

Soohyun laughed and started playing with the edge of the table. "Are you able to help with the party tomorrow night? Moon Jong Sik can't because he's going to his grandfather's memorial banquet thing tomorrow. I need someone who can help set up and carry trays back and forth from the kitchen. You won't actually have to talk with the guests."

"Good because I don't get enough of that at work."

She frowned at him. "Why are you bitching? You're the one who wanted to open a coffee shop."

He sat back in his chair, mirroring her lackadaisical stance. "You're never going to let me live that down are you?"

She shook her head. "Not for as long as you live. You also have that moment where you wrecked your bike into a parked car."

Hoon Jin blew air sharply between his teeth. "You said you would never mention that."

"Oh, I don't in good company, but you're Hoon Jin so you don't count."

He started laughing. Soohyun smiled at how quickly his concern disappeared by a simple comment. It was one of the real reasons they were so close. Despite all of their hard times, they had stuck by each other. They had hardly fought and if they did, it was over almost as fast as it started.

Hyun Joon was even surprised they hadn't gotten married. The thing was Hoon Jin was a little brother and she had never seen him as anything more than that. He was just happy to be near her so he let it go. But every now and then she wondered when he was going to ask for more.