Here is the next chapter. I dedicate this to all of you who reviewed my story. I hope you like it as I've enjoyed writing it.

The day had finally come to its end. Ga Eul breathed a relieved sigh and waved at Mi Young who was just leaving. The fluorescent lights shone coldly as she wiped the floor clean. Somewhere in the back the boss was cleaning dishes and, at the same time, singing, rather horribly, a cheery pop tune. Doing her best to ignore the scratchy voice coming from behind her, Ga Eul mopped the floors with short, precise moves. It was getting late and darkness was already setting in. Mi Young tapped the glass window and mouthed a by to Ga Eul before she skipped to what looked to be Woo Bin's car. A smile softened Ga Eul's face.

It had been a strange day as far as she was concerned, especially considering the strange visit she received earlier. That old woman had been frightening with her cold scrutiny and everything she knew about herself and Mi Young. Ga Eul shuddered at the possibilities running through her mind. "I don't even want to know," she whispered to herself slowly. Steering clear of the disconcerting topic, the girl put the cleaning supplies away in a small closet. She turned to inspect her work and noted with satisfaction that everything was squeaky clean. "It definitely paid that Mi Young helped me before she left."

Ga Eul pulled her hair out of its ponytail and shook her head, running slightly tired fingers through her mass of strands. She unlaced her apron, carefully folding the red material in a square, and walked to the back where her boss was happily washing used bowls with a silly smile on his face. She put her apron over the others, silently checking that nothing was missing. After making sure everything was in its place Ga Eul took her purse from the self it was perched on, searched its contents for something and turned to her boss. "I'm leaving now. See you tomorrow."

"Oh, I haven't told you? You don't have to come tomorrow." She looked at him questioningly. "My mother is sick and I'm going to visit her in Incheon. As I don't know when I'll be back, the shop will be closed down for the time being," he clarified.

"You don't have to do that. We can handle it just fine even if you aren't here." Ga Eul offered with a small smile while pulling her coat on and buttoning it up.

"No, no. You girls take a few days to rest. You've been working hard anyway." he insisted, wiping his hands on a clean towel.

"If you're sure. Then I hope your mother gets better soon, sir." she replied and placed the straps of her purse on her shoulder before grabbing her scarf. "Good night then." She bowed and purposefully strode away.

"Good night to you too." was the answer she barely made out. She hadn't strained very hard to do it either. Ga Eul was just glad the day was over and she could finally go home and relax. The free days were a nice bonus. She would have to call the others tomorrow to let them know.

Stifling her yawn, Ga Eul opened the door with a small jerk. She let the cool air invigorate her and stepped out, slowly shutting the same door behind her. The streetlights had been turned on. The girl smiled at the image of the light bathed city. "It sure looks nice," she mussed and checked her scarf, it had been her father's gift to her a few years back and she loved it very much. It was also very good at keeping the cold away. That proved to be useful on nights such like these when the chill seeped into the city, unremorsefully making people shiver if they were not prepare for it.

A taxi sped by past her, blowing fumes right in her direction. Ga Eul wrinkled her nose in distaste and turned in the general direction of the bus stop. Taxis were only useful if one was in them, yet Ga Eul knew it would cost her too much to take a cab home. She was much safer, financially wise, if she stuck with the good old bus. Yet a comfortable car and some warmth would have been preferable to waiting in the cold evening. "Lucky Mi Young, she has Woo Bin to pick her up." Indeed, her friend was lucky.

The words hadn't left her out for one second when a car pulled in front of her. It took Ga Eul's brain a few moments to make the connection but she did recognise Yi Jeong's vehicle. Briefly it crossed her mind to ignore it, and him, and walk away. She had more than enough on her plate today without having to deal with Yi Jeong. However, her treacherous heart sped up its beating and before she could stop herself, Ga Eul was walking to the window that had rolled down. A muted scream of frustration filled her mind. She couldn't help it anymore than she could stop breathing.

"Ga Eul-yang," he said in greeting, his lips stretching in a smile. If he had planned it, his face gave away nothing. Yi Jeong was not about to give her the upper hand.

Her hearth thudded at the look on his face. He knew well enough what effect that smile had on her and he still used it shamelessly. "Yi Jeong-sunbae, what are you doing here?" There were times when she was really bothered by his ability to make her dizzy with his smiles. Like the present for example.

He took a few moments before answering, as if he had to measure his words. "I was close by and decided to pick you up." Perhaps he had been thinking about that. Yi Jeong himself didn't know just what he had hoped to achieve by coming to pick Ga Eul up. But for some reason he didn't regret his decision.

Dimly Ga Eul thought his reply had something to do with not wanting to give her too much hope. "You didn't have to bother, sunbae." She walked to the other door, opened it and climbed in. "Thank you." Offering a warm smile, she fastened her seatbelt. 'Best be polite with the person offering you a ride home,' Ga Eul though somewhat sardonically in the back of her mind. She carefully hid it from the driver.

Instead of getting a reply, Ga Eul had to make do with a somewhat unexpected stare. His eyes were fixed on her face and it looked like he would ask her something anytime soon. Conflict shined in his eyes and she turned her head away. She wouldn't let herself be caught in his problems again. For one who had fallen for this trick one too many times, Ga Eul found it hard to play unsympathetic. It was in her nature to help others, even more so when her heart cried out to them.

"How was your day?" he finally asked as they were driving down the street. It was not what he had intended to ask her, yet it was the only thing that came out of his mouth. Still it was better than springing an unthinking question of her. Yi Jeong was aware that he took shelter in the mundane. He had always been a cowards, it hit him with clarity. 'Some things never change, do they? Once a coward, always a coward.'

Pursing her lips, Ga Eul considered the question. "It was fine, well about as good as any day ever is. But we had a strange client today," she disclosed. Her face had turned to him and warm eyes settled on his profile. Her mind warned her against lingering for too long. Yi Jeong was dangerous to her.

"Strange?" he repeated slowly. "How so?" There was genuine curiosity in his question. His thoughts sorted through the persons that could have been responsible for the visit. He hoped, a little alarmed, that there had been no danger to her.

"Well, for one, she seemed to know all about me and Mi Young. It was like she came there to confirm something. I even wondered if it didn't have something to do with you F4." She fiddled with a piece of hair and looked out the window, wondering if it had been wrong of her to tell him this after all.

In the lingering silence something sparked, subtle but smouldering. Ga Eul closed her eyes against the onslaught of feelings. She wasn't anywhere near ready to face whatever it was that was building up between them.

Neither was Yi Jeong. His hands gripped the steering wheel tighter and those dark eyes flashed. He turned his thought back to potential visitors. Maybe his grandmother had something to do with it. The old woman could do that any day, God knew it. If it had been her, that meddlesome grandmother of his, at least she hadn't frightened Ga Eul. Yi Jeong breathed out a sigh of relief.

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Mi Young arranged her glasses and took a deep breath, all too aware of Woo Bin's eyes on her. "My little sister, she…" her speech trailed off as a sharp pain jabbed her. "Si Young, she has cancer," Mi Young managed to get out in a whispered breath. Brown eyes filled with tears that couldn't be stopped from spilling over. "There, I've said it."

For the faintest moment Woo Bin stood frozen where he was. So that was what had been bothering her. Understanding dawned upon him and relief flooded his whole being. His hand reached out to hers, long fingers wrapping around her smaller hand. Mi Young looked up at his face with a hopeful glimmer in her, still wet, eyes, like she had expected another reaction than the one he gave her. Woo Bin used the pad of his thumb to wipe her tears away. "Just know that this doesn't chance anything."

"I didn't want you to feel burdened or that you had some sort of obligation." Mi Young explained, her own fingers curling around his hand. "You are in no way responsible." she repeated decisively. Dark lashes blinked the storm in her chocolate eyes. She brushed her hand against her cheeks to clean the remnants of her tears.

Woo Bin watched the road ahead without saying anything. He was lost in his own thoughts, only half registering what was going on in front of him. "Do you visit her often?"

"Si Young? Yes, I used to go to the hospital almost every single day," Mi Young replied, "now they've let her come home. It seems that she getting better but with her illness, you never know."

The genuine worry he sensed in her touched Woo Bin to the core. It was clear where Mi Young's priorities lied. "Let's take you here, you must be tired."

"I'm not actually," she delivered her answer accompanied by a yawn, the promptly rested her head against the window, closing her eyes.

Her boyfriend took one last look at her and increased the speed slightly. He decided he would let her rest for the time being. Doubtlessly she was more tired than she let on and the reason was finally known to him too. Poor Mi Young, she had to be strong for her sickly sister but no matter the mask she wore inside she was scared. She was barely and adult herself, it didn't seem fair to him that she had to be saddled with such responsibilities. Woo Bin promised himself he would look further into it and do whatever he could to help. Mi Young's sister would get only the best.

The car slowly came to a stop at the red light. Woo Bin was waiting, impatiently, for the colours to change when his phone started buzzing. With an exasperated sigh he dug in his pocket and took the device out. He stared at the screen for a moment, before frowning. "Why is she calling me?" he asked to himself. Mildly interested he answered making sure not to let his voice seem anything less than glacial. "Yoboseyo?" If anything she could be trying to play the sympathy card on him, like so many had tried before her.

He had never really understood this annoying habit women had of calling their past lovers to tell them a sob story or another and to beg to get back with them. For him once a relationship was over he never looked back, it was really over. And they never seemed to get that much to his exasperation. "Why are you calling me, Ye Jin-ssi?"

For an interminable second the other speaker said nothing and Woo Bin had half a mind to end the yet to have begun conversation. "I need your help." Ye Jin said in a somewhat scratchy voice, like she had been crying. She proceeded to speak in a hurry, her voice cracking over the line, making in impossible for him to understand her.

"Slow down," he instructed unhurriedly in order to not wake Mi Young, who seemed to have fallen asleep to the asleep to the smooth movement of the car. "Now repeat what you've just said without rushing."

Ye Jin had started speaking again but now instead of rushing she was crying, making it equally difficult for him to decipher. Her voice continued to break as he took a turn. There was only a little more until he reached Mi Young's neighbourhood. Dimly he searched his brain for the address she had told him, only half listening to Ye Jin talk. When the right name popped in his mind his conversation partner was still not done.

"Listen, Ye Jin, I can't do anything for you right now. You've gotten yourself into serious trouble." Maybe it was cruel of him to refuse to help her but in all honesty she was the one who had gotten herself into the wrong crowd. Her pleading on the other line didn't move him an inch. "I warned you." Woo Bin calmly reminded her.

A couple of weeks before their breakup he had told her not to get involved in such dark dealing. She hadn't listened it seemed, she never did listen anyway. That had been one of subjects of their frequent arguments and perhaps a contributing factor to their separation; it had speeded it considerably no doubt. The disagreements had slowly evolved into full-blown verbal fights, more often than not accompanied by unflattering words. That had doomed their relationship. It had been too much strain on both of them and neither was so invested into the liaison as to give up their point of view.

"Woo Bin-oppa, please! You have to help me. I'm begging you." Ye Jin sniffed into the p[hone, making a show of her distraught state. "You're my only hope."

"And you're a brilliant actress." Woo Bin remarked coldly, voice not above a whisper. He had suspected something when she called him but only now was he able to piece everything together. He remembered her threat when they broke up. "Don't call me again. I'm hanging up now."

The woman on the other end tried to say something but he ended the call in the blink of eye, ignoring her loud cry. He eyed the screen again before placing the phone back in his pocket.

The movement he caught with his peripheral vision came as a shock. It seemed that Mi Young was awake and looking rather intensely at him. She was biting one of her lips, seemingly analyzing her options. "Was that Ye Jin-ah?" she asked quietly while catching his stare with her own.

"Yes." There was no point in hiding it from Mi Young, not when she had already heard. "It seems like she's in some kind of trouble." he volunteered the information. "She wanted me to help her."

"And are you?" Mi Young couldn't help pressing further, something roiled in her stomach at the thought of them meeting. "Going to help her, I mean." she clarified at his blank look.

"She is responsible for her own actions and in all fairness, I did warn her not long ago." Woo Bin replied in an indifferent manner. "Her family is more adequate to help her than I, in any case."

It seemed that his response had calmed Mi Young as the wariness drained from her face. "If you want to help her, I have no objections." she said softly, making sure to hide her anxiety from her voice. She realised that she would have to trust him if they had any chance at all. As if he had seen through the thin veneer of her feigned lack of concern, Woo Bin smiled. Mi Young felt her face flame and turned towards the window, only to see her house in view. Woo Bin pulled over, the car coming to a halt.

Before she could open the door, Woo Bin spoke. "What are you doing tomorrow?"

Struck by his question, Mi Young turned around. "I promised my sister to take her to the park."

"Would you mind if I took my sisters along and we joined you. They have been pestering me to take them somewhere." He smiled charmingly at Mi Young.

The girl pursed her lips. "That alright. If your sisters want to, that is. We would be glad to have you along."

"That settles it. Should I pick you up?" His fingers entwined with hers.

A nod was his answer, followed by an "Okay." Mi Young smiled and made to turn to the door again. This time she was pulled back in a quick kiss that stole her breath away. The press of his lips was barely there and this was one of the few chaste kisses he had ever given any of his women. Yet, he didn't feel the need to rush things. It felt nice to know that what he had with Mi Young was real. A smile formed on his lips when she finally moved her mouth against his. Apparently, Mi Young was rather shy and lacked a thorough experience.

The knowledge filled him with satisfaction for some unknown reason. He was glad and he had no idea why. Pulling away from the kiss, he shook his head. Mi Young was catching her breath, cheeks red. She smiled at him and opened the door.

"See you tomorrow, Woo Bin-sunbae." She offered, pulling out of the car and jogging slowly to the front door of her mansion.

He had called a reply out to her and waited until she was inside before starting the car up again. Driving away, he couldn't hold his elation in. The smile on his face was worth a thousand words.

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The wine glass flew across the room, past Hana's head, barely missing her, and crashed against the wall. She barely had the time to blink and put the pieces together. The delicate piece splintered in little pieces and fell along the floor in a heap of shards. Young Mi stared horrified at her daughter, mouth agape and face beet red. Hyun Ki whirled around, eyes frantically searching the source of the disturbance. Once he saw his daughter, who had, as opposed to her mother, gone white and shaking like a leaf, Hyun Ki turned to glare at his stunned wife.

Without saying a word Hana made to retreat but her father was quicker. With a few wide steps he was in front of her, arms wrapping lovingly around his only daughter. He whispered reassuringly in her ear, recognizing that she had gone into shock. "Hana, it's okay. Your mother and I, we didn't mean to scare you, darling. It's okay. Let's go and sit down, okay?" By the time he had finished speaking, Hana was furiously wiping tears away from her face and Young Mi was at her daughter's side with her hands sliding comfortingly up and down her back. "Sit down, love." her father instructed softly. "Young Mi-ah, bring our daughter something to drink.

Hana shrunk against the couch. She suddenly felt like a little girl again with her father hovering over her like that. "It's nothing," she murmured, "I'm fine, really. Just surprised." Despite her numerous tries to speak her father shushed her, placing a finger to her lips. Young Mi returned with a cup of juice which she handed to her husband. He put the cup to Hana's lips, who obediently took a sip. The cool liquid travelled down her throat. She breathed in relief and her father put the cup on the table.

"Your colour is returning." Young Mi observed. "That's good." Her hand had automatically travelled to Hyun Ki's shoulder. It was a habit Hana had not witnessed for some time, but she still remembered it from when she was little. When Young Mi was scared or overwhelmed she would put one hand on her husband's shoulder to steady herself. "I'm sorry darling, so sorry." she apologized with her eyes on fire. "I didn't mean it, darling."

As she had recovered from the shock, Hana blinked slowly. "That's alright mom, I'm no stranger to your fights. It just surprised me to witness it in front of my eyes, that's all." There was a lack of pity in Hana's words that made her parents realize she was serious. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to my room." She rose from her seat, pulling her jacket off, along with her scarf.

Neither of her parents seemed to hear her until her father spoke. "No, wait. We have to talk." Young Mi seated herself on the couch and patted the spot next to her. Hyun Ki took his daughter's jacket and hung it in its place. He returned and sat of Hana's other side. In spite of his claim, silence fell between them.

Feeling a bit uncomfortable, Hana wiggled between them impatiently. "I think this is not working." she said, hand demurely in her lap. "This, whatever you have between the two of you, it's not working. Do you have any idea what it's like coming home to a battlefield? Yu Han is staying at a friend's house right now. Do you know why?" Hana spilled her frustration out in a ramble. "Because he can't stand to be here, in this belligerent atmosphere."

Young Mi whimpered and put a hand to her mouth. "What have we done?" She looked to her husband as if he had the answer.

Hyun Ki watched his wife with softened eyes. "Hana, I think you should go to your room now. We have to talk Young Mi. Join me in the study."

Bidding them good night, Hana walked slowly to her room. Maybe this time they would work something out. Perhaps they would even accept counselling. Heavens knew they needed it. "Good thing Yu Han went to his friend's house." Her brother would not have been able to take it, Hana mussed. She herself had reacted rather badly. Yet she hadn't been able to help herself.

Opening the door to her room, she stepped in and closed it. Once inside her eyes travelled to her made bed. It looked so soft and inviting. She wanted to crash in it and sleep for a month straight. Hana sat on the edge and simply took the time to breathe. Falling back on the sheets she suddenly found herself glad that it was Friday. The weekend waited for her.

The phone buzzed in her pocket and Hana dug her hand in to find it. She pulled the device to her face. Staring at the screen she saw a message was waiting for her. Ga Eul had sent it. Hana opened it, mildly curious. After she read it she thanked her lucky star. Apparently the mother of their boss was unwell and they would get a few days off as the boss had went to her. "I hope it's nothing serious." With a start she realized the house was quiet. She smiled at the though to her parents talking amiably.

Placing the phone back on the mattress Hana pulled herself up. Unhurriedly she pulled her blouse off and reached for her neatly arranged pyjamas. The clothes continued to fall off of her until she was ready to put on her nightwear. Once that was taken care of she plaited her hair tightly and used a band to tie it. She looked herself in the mirror briefly and smiled at her reflection. "This isn't such a bad day."

Her phone buzzed again. Hana hurried to the bed and picked it up. She had a new message from Ji Hoo. A tender smile touched her lips when she read it. It was nothing unusual but it was extremely thoughtful of him. She replied in kind and snuck under the covers, clutching the phone to her chest. Her eyes closed.

Outside her door Hyun Ki and Young Mi were quietly whispering to each other. Lost in their conversation the two adults cracked the door open and peeked inside. They saw Hana stretched out on the bed, soundly asleep. The door closed softly.

"I can't believe we've been so neglectful." Young Mi spoke, a warm undertone to her words.

"It is no wonder Hana snapped." Hyun Ki agreed. "Then this is how it'll be, right?"

"I want us to try again. We can't just throw everything away because of misunderstandings." she offered, her hand finding his shoulder.

The husband nodded. "I'll make us an appointment then. Young Mi, don't doubt that I love you and our family."

"So do I. I love you." Young Mi assured him. "Do you ever think about before? Do you remember the summer in the gardens? I still think about it."

"Me too. I remember every little detail, the scent of magnolia and your blue dress. I even remember that annoying dog." he supplied with a boyish grin on his face.

"We should go there sometime." she suggested, nostalgia taking over her.

Wrapping an arm around her waist, Hyun Ki put his head on top of hers. "I would like that."

It was like two pieces of a whole found their way back together after travelling alone for too long. "I'm glad. I'm so glad for you and our children. I love all of you so much. We can be a family. We'll be a family again."

Calmness settled over them. Young Mi pulled her husband along to their room. Along the way lights continued to be switched off. It was time to make peace with the past and move on. The future was waiting; their future was waiting.

In the sky the stars twinkled as if they themselves were happy for those below. The moon glowed with her enigmatic allure, bathing the city in an ethereal shine. There was no palpable strength to its glow but it subtly travelled inside homes and along the streets, silently announcing that the time had come to sleep. It called to those along and lovers alike. Everyone was invited to join in and share the mystery.

The chilly wind accompanied the soft light, caressing all in its path. The moon's reign was joined by swishes and whooshes in a primal symphony meant for all ears to hear. Souls made and broke bonds against this backdrop. The sense of security pulled them in and eased their fears. Perhaps that was what they all needed, someone or something to offer them comfort in their moments of weakness, to stand next to them in their moments of glory.

Other sounds travelled the city. Not all heeded the call of the night; they never did. Car horns, whispered conversations and screeching tires spoke of an ever vibrant night life nestled deeply in Seoul, ingrained in it even.

There is more to come, worry not. Please drop a line. I'm always curious to know what my readers think. Reviews make me happy! :)