"So are you feeling better?" Young Jae asked. He took her to a bar he worked at; he was pretty early, but he didn't seem to mind as he offered her a glass of water.

"I'm...fine," Jan Di murmured, shaking her head to brush off her thoughts. "What brings you out today?"

"To be honest, I was just heading home. I had just gotten off my other job at the diner," Young Jae replied. "But since I saw you, I thought arriving at work early couldn't hurt. But you seemed pretty upset, Jan Di. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talking can be pretty exhausting," she admitted as she took a sip of her water. "...I broke up with my boyfriend."

Young Jae's eyes widened in surprise, but then his gaze softened. "I'm sorry to hear, Jan Di. Can I ask what happened…? If you don't want to talk about it, I totally get it—"

"Everyone's always asking me what's wrong," Jan Di replied, cutting him off. She lowered her gaze and stared at the marble counter. She traced her fingers along the smooth surface before bringing the glass of water to her lips for another sip. As she swallowed, she turned her gaze to the empty room. "Things have just gotten so complicated. Most of all, I think I finally understand how much love hurts."

Young Jae fell quiet. But he uttered a couple words to Jan Di, which she barely heard. "...I'm sorry, Jan Di. It sounds awful."

He extended a hand out to her, rubbing her shoulder as if to ease the pain. But the pain was not physical; it was emotional, and it stung her directly in the heart. With her head turned away from Young Jae, Jan Di's eyes watered once more, and she cried silently to herself.

Young Jae waited with Jan Di outside the bar when she received a text from Jun Pyo. She had told Young Jae that Jun Pyo was planning to pick her up. Through their talks, she confessed that she didn't know how to go home at this point, or where home even was. It was rather sad; it hurt Young Jae to see the way her eyes glimmered with sadness, with pain, with heartache.

It made his heart ache.

He hadn't planned to feel so attached to a mere girl who escaped poverty into a life of the rich and famous. But now she was going back to her roots. Although that was the case, she didn't seem to care about that. She didn't care about the loss of a fortune grander than any dream. Instead, she was torn from the scandalous behavior Ji Hoo displayed.

It was weird.

Young Jae felt weird as he watched Jun Pyo drive up. He exited the vehicle to approach Jan Di, who looked solemnly at the setting sun. She turned her attention to Young Jae, forcing herself to smile.

"Thank you, Young Jae. For listening and speaking with me. I appreciate all you've done for me," she said. She sighed heavily, brushing strands of brunette hair behind her ear. "I hope that one day I will be able to repay you."

Jun Pyo barely took notice of Young Jae. He didn't say a single word to him. Instead, Jun Pyo's attention seemed solely focused on Jan Di as he took her by the arm and walked her to the car. Once they were both seated in the car, they drove off, leaving Young Jae behind.

He leaned against the outside of the bar, watching as passerbys strolled on in to get their weekly dosage of alcohol. He had to return to work, but a part of him didn't feel like it. He was too focused, too worried about Jan Di.

What have I done?

He pulled out his phone and turned it on. It was a cheap phone, but it worked as well as any other. As he scrolled through his contacts, he found the name he was looking for: Park Min Ji. He selected her name and gave her a call.

Then he heard her sharp voice, tinged with annoyance. "Well?"

He swallowed thickly. "They broke up."

The drive home was a quiet one. Jan Di needed a temporary stay where she wouldn't be bothered. She still had to attend school, and the last thing she needed were her parents barraging her with questions.

"Aish… What a jerk," mumbled Jun Pyo, resting his arm along the window and driving with the other.

Jan Di remained silent. Her eyes had burned from all the crying she did earlier. Her heart ached for a love that was no longer there. It didn't make sense, though. How had things gone so wrong? She placed her hand to her head and watched the world they drove past. Shops were closing up for the night.

"How are you going to tell your parents?" Jun Pyo asked her suddenly.

She didn't say anything at first. Rather, she didn't want to think about the conversation she would have to have with her parents. It was funny how, not too long ago, she spoke to her mom about dating Ji Hoo, and now here she was, returning home because of a broken heart. The conversation would be tough. It would be full of scolding and shame. There would also be pity.

"Jan Di…? I'm speaking to you."

"I don't know," she replied finally, still keeping her watchful gaze on the window. "I don't know what I'm going to do. I…don't want to go back to my parents." Her voice fell quiet, and she could hear her own voice quiver. "That…That's not home, not anymore."

Jun Pyo didn't say anything. Not that she blamed him–after all, how was he supposed to respond? Was he supposed to care that Jan Di and Ji Hoo broke up? He had his own life; there was barely any sympathy to spare. But for once, he surprised her.

"Don't go home, then."

She glanced over at him curiously. "Where else am I to go? I can't afford a hotel…"

"Stay at my place," Jun Pyo interrupted her. He didn't look directly at her. Instead, he kept his eyes on the road.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Jan Di replied.

"Why not?" At a stop light, Jun Pyo finally took his gaze off the road and looked over at her. "My mother won't be a bother any longer. She's out of town herself, on a business venture. You can't burden Ga Eul with your problems either. If you don't want to talk about this with your parents, I think this is your best option, Jan Di." He looked away. "But that's up to you."

Jan Di refocused her gaze back ahead of her. She tugged at the hem of her jacket, pulling at the loose thread. A bad habit, sure, but when her anxiety was on the rise, it was hard to stop mindless habits. "No…funny business, okay?"

"Get your mind out of the gutter, Jan Di," Jun Pyo retorted. "I'm so over you."

They both looked at each other, and almost in unison, they laughed a little. It had been the first time she laughed like that in a while. It was refreshing not to be sad; as of late, Jan Di had always felt sad, hurt, and anxious. Not that it had been Ji Hoo's fault–

Jan Di stopped herself mentally. She was making excuses for Ji Hoo and his awful behavior. What he did was absolutely awful; the man who promised himself to her and her alone had been seeing another woman. Even when days prior they had been so in love, going on dates, kissing one another. It made her sick to her stomach, and her mood dampened once more. The water works started, and Jan Di clasped her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Jan Di–?!"

Jun Pyo's voice was filled with concern, but she kept sobbing. It hurts. Every part of this hurts.

Memories flooded over her. Jun Pyo avoiding her in Macau. The ache she felt when he avoided her thereafter. Then Ji Hoo taking a bullet for her.

I can't.

Ji Hoo's sweet words echoed in her mind. How he told her that he loved her. That she was the only one for him.

Then she remembered their dance together. How he made arrangements for Woo Bin to grab her a dress when hers was stained. How–no matter what obstacle–he had eyes only for her. Then why did he have his eyes on someone else?

She had been crying too hard to notice that Jun Pyo had pulled over and unbuckled his seat belt. She finally noticed him when he leaned over and pulled her into his embrace. Not that it was an odd thing for him; whenever she was sad or hurt, he always knew to hold her closely. It was a reminder that he was there for her. She didn't have to stop crying or feeling sad. She could do all that as he held her. It was a reminder that she was not alone.

Her crying slowed a bit, and she was left sniffling and breathing heavily. She rested her chin against his shoulder. Then, he spoke, "I won't forgive Ji Hoo for hurting you like this, Jan Di." Jun Pyo's voice was unusually soft. "I'll find out what happened. And if I need to…" He pulled back from her and lifted her chin up so she looked him in the eyes. "I'll knock his lights out."

Only if he deserves it, she thought to herself, I want to be the one to do it.