Ga Eul returned to her routine of ignoring Hong Joon's messages and going about her day. It was like waiting for a nuclear bomb to detonate. Hong Joon could only send messages now because of Yi Jung. He Knew Yi Jung would be watching his moves like a hawk. This time, there would be no mercy for him. So instead he played with Ga Eul's weakness. She wouldn't be able to do him harm intentionally. Yi Jung probably couldn't imagine Hong Joon would be foolish enough to reach out to Ga Eul. Even more that Ga Eul wouldn't tell him. That was why Ga Eul felt so guilty. Again, Hong Joon ended up being Ga Eul's dirty secret.

It had been almost a month since he first contacted her, and Ga Eul was at her wit's end. She rarely used her phone in order not to be reminded of him. No matter how many times she blocked him, he would always find a way into her day.

Her pottery teacher could sense her frustration as she gently commented that she was squeezing the life out of the clay in her hands.

"I'm sorry." Ga Eul mumbled embarasssed.

"It's okay. You'll learn to let go day by day." She said, and Ga Eul had a feeling she wasn't talking about pottery.

She couldn't help but feel her teacher pay extra attention to her and the thought made Ga Eul grateful. She was by far the slowest learner in her class. After she was done with Yi Jung's gift, she would never touch clay ever again. After the class had ended, she was surprised that her teacher, Eun Jae, had offered to teach her one-on-one for an hour after class.

"Thank you so much. You didn't have to."

"I want to." She replied. She guided Ga Eul's hands, making her fingers grip the clay a lot more gently.

"Do you normally do activities that require strength?"

"Yes, I fix cars and such. My hands are more used to the hard grip of tools."

"That's why. You seem to be skilful. You have excellent concentration. Which is great for your learning, but you have to relax a bit. Remember, you have to be soft and precise. You're not commanding the clay but asking it nicely to take the shape you want. The clay fights back if you're too stubborn with it."

Ga Eul followed her advice and loosened her shoulders. Her finger tried as lightly as possible to go through the clay on the wheel. She dipped her fingers in the bowl of water and tried to softly create a dent into the clay. With precision as her teacher advised, she used the aid of her other hand to curve the clay into a circular shape. With a final breath, Ga Eul dipped her hand into the water bowl again to finalize the shape of her newly made bowl. She released her breath as she finished. The first-ever complete work she did. She looked over in excitement at her teacher.

"You did wonderful, Ga Eul. I'm so proud." Eun Jae beamed.

"Thank you. I can't believe I finally did it."

"Imagine all the other pieces you could do. It must be so exciting for you."

"Yes. I have something particular in mind." She mused.

"Then it must be a gift if you're so sure. Is it for your boyfriend?" Eun Jae asked.

"Something like that."

"I also started to learn pottery for the person that I loved. It's a beautiful way to start."

"He's on a far higher level than mine. I hope it'll impress him."

"Of course it will. Believe me, the gesture enough will leave an impression on him." Eun Jae said.

"I'll give you something to practice on. It'll be easy to duplicate." She said. Eun Jae grabbed a small piece from her desk and handed it over to Ga Eul. Once Ga Eul had it in her grasp, her face sank so quickly. She gave Eun Jae a meek smile as her heart raced a million miles an hour. Her mouth went dry and she uttered her thanks. She wanted it to be a coincidence so bad. Her chest was squeezed tightly by dread. The missing puzzle piece. Eun Jae. Everything made so much sense now.

She knew the right thing to do was go to Yi Jung right away. And that was what she did. She put the puzzle in the safety of her pocket and headed to the studio. She didn't want to. Every step she took felt like walking on nails with bare feet. Her heart was being pierced the more she approached the studio. With every single cell of goodness in her, she opened the door to the studio, ready to be cold and alone again. Instead, Yi Jung held her closely as soon as she stepped foot in the studio.

"Damn it. It's like you know when I need you." He held her closely. She reciprocated almost immediately with all that she had.

"What happened?" She asked.

"I got a call from my brother. He wants to meet up. I haven't seen him since he left."

"Yi Jung, that's great. You can talk as adults. I'm sure that would clear a lot of things up." She said, hugging him again.

"I still feel so angry. I'm afraid my anger will get the best of me. I'm not sure I can take it."

"You can. I know you will. You love and care about him as he does you. Try." Ga Eul said.

"Okay." He replied, hiding his face in her neck.

"What would I do without you, hmm?" He cooed. His arms wrapped around her waist as his grip tightened.

"If things go well, I want to introduce him to you." He said.

"It'll be my honour."

"Are things getting better? They have to be. I have you here in my arms." He cocooned her cheeks in his hands and Ga Eul leaned into his touch. His eyes were shining with so much hope that she didn't want to remind him any more of sad memories. The selfish side of her enjoyed how much love his eyes gave her. She desperately needed to be in his embrace but she couldn't find the courage to tell him about Eun Jae. She didn't want to lose him. She wouldn't survive. So Ga Eul kept her mouth shut.

Going back to her pottery classes wasn't easy, but Ga Eul was determined to power through. In the worst cases, she would remain Yi Jung's friend. It would break her heart to give his heart to another, but if it meant Yi Jung's happiness then her heart be damned. Eun Jae was wonderful. She would be good for him. That didn't mean that heart wasn't crushed into a million pieces as she looked into her eyes.

With the passing days, she was becoming better. Enough to bring her confidence to start working on Yi Jung's tea bowl. Today was the first time she started working on it. Yi Jung's birthday was approaching and she didn't have time to be complacent. She needed her bowl to be as perfect as possible.

Immersed, Ga Eul didn't realise that Eun Jae had joined her.

"Your work has become wonderful, Ga Eul. Between you and me, you are my favourite student." Eun Jae whispered playfully. Ga Eul smiled back at her.

"You give me way more credit than I deserve."

"Nonsense." Eun Jae replied.

"Is that a tea bowl you're making?"

"Yes, he loves drinking tea."

"He must be so refined then. It reminds me of my first love."

"What was he like?" Ga Eul asked.

"I always felt like he was made of glass. Too perfect and neat unlike anyone I have ever met. Maybe because I was young I looked at him with such reverence, but that's all I can think of when I remember him. Someone out of reach."

Ga Eul was taken aback by her words. That did sound like Yi Jung, but that was the impression of him she formed before she got to know him. It could be that he was much colder years ago.

"Do you still love him?" Ga Eul asked, gulping. Eun Jae laughed.

"I remember him fondly from time to time. Unfortunately, when I confessed, he didn't reciprocate my feelings, so I left without regrets. I don't have any lingering feelings at all. In fact, I'm about to be married." Eun Jae said, flashing her diamond ring. Ga Eul tried to hide away her surprise.

"That is wonderful. Congratulations." Ga Eul said, trying her best to feign excitement.

"Thank you. I'm so happy."

Ga Eul kept replaying Eun Jae's words over and over again. How could she tell Yi Jung anything now? And when did Yi Jung ever reject Eun Jae? So many things didn't make sense. So many things didn't add up as Ga Eul grabbed a heavy tool in her hand. She inspected the motorcycle one last time as she got to work. Her shoulders were hunched over the scrap of metal, trying to save whatever could be salvaged. Surprisingly, a lot more than what she expected survived the crash. But there were a lot of things that needed to be replaced. Unlike Carolina, Jin Woo's budget was super tight, so she had to sacrifice when it came to new parts. Jin Woo would understand, she thought to herself as she warily eyed the new parts. They would do, but they won't return the bike to its original glory.

Here, she could unwind. Ironically, she felt more relaxed in her workshop than in her classes. Pottery was supposed to help with the nerves, but Ga Eul liked it better when she was in control of her tools. She didn't want to give up her control. No one was around to tell her that her hands were stiff. Well, that wasn't until she heard the sound of familiar footsteps. She smiled to herself.

"I hate how this place smells." Yi Jung said.

"Then don't come here."

"I have no choice. You insist on spending time here."

"Don't hate the workshop. It's what made Carolina."

"Which exists in the comfort of my garage since you don't use it."

"I can't afford the luxury of driving Carolina all the time. She's there for me on special occasions though."

"You should start making more use of me. You know how much I could help." He said, grabbing his favourite chair.

"You already pay for all of my outings with the F4. That's more than enough."

"That's hardly even the bare minimum. The things I want to do for you, Ga Eul. If only you would let me." He mused, his eyes lingering on hers. He was being serious despite his flirtatious tone. Too serious.

"You do enough for me. Let's take it one step at a time. Compromise for me." She persuaded him. Yi Jung rolled his eyes at her.

"I met my brother today."

"Really? Why didn't you tell me sooner? Tell me everything."

"We talked a lot. He invited me to his coffee shop. He told me how he felt incompetent compared to my skills. He ran away from the pressure of it all. He didn't realize he was being selfish until the damage was already done. He said he had wanted to make amends for a long time but never got the chance. But now he's getting married and said it was time he faced me. He seems happy now. Peaceful and balanced."

"Oh, Yi Jung that is wonderful news. I'm so happy for you. So happy." Ga Eul said.

"Don't get all mushy on me."

"Let me enjoy this moment. I'm so proud of you. You did great."

"I did what I had to do. I apologized to him for my past actions as well. It feels like a huge weight has fallen off my chest." Yi Jung sighed.

"Anyway, he told me that his fiancee was someone I knew. He's making it a surprise for me. I'm supposed to meet her a few weeks from now." He said. Ga Eul found herself forcing a smile at his words. Her brain started trailing the sequence of these events. It couldn't be, she thought to herself. Eun Jae couldn't be his older brother's fiancee, could she?

Now, she had to confess everything to him. She couldn't let him walk into this blindly. She would protect him with her life if it meant to. She willed her mouth to utter anything but nothing came out. She damned herself.

"I told him about you." Yi Jung said, twirling a screwdriver in his hands.

"What did you say?" She asked.

"I told him that I have feelings for you. He was genuinely happy for me." Yi Jung said.

"I also said she hasn't replied to my feelings yet. I told him how much I yearn for you and how much longer I have to wait." He said, under a lowered gaze. She knew exactly what he was trying to do. Playing this game with Yi Jung wasn't good for her heart.

"Don't look at me like that."

"Like what?" He asked, feigning ignorance.

"Like you want me."

"Is it that obvious?" He asked, tilting his head while holding her gaze. He was taunting her.

"I'm confused whether you act like you don't know, or if you genuinely are unaware how much you consume my very being. Everything in my life leads back to you." He asked.

"I-I hardly think that you would say these words in earnest when you see me like this." Ga Eul said, pointing out the grease on her overalls.

"Don't divert the conversation. You know how serious I am right now." Yi Jung replied.

"I know. I also want you to know how much I care for you."

"I'm aware which makes me want you even more. I just don't want you to undermine my feelings for you or the lengths I would go to to keep the feelings you hold for me intact." He said, getting up and placing a lingering kiss on her forehead before he left.

Ga Eul was left in shock, absent-minded for the rest of the day. All she could do was think about him and his words. All she wanted to do was protect him yet she desperately needs for his feelings to stay the same. His words made it even harder to let him know about Eun Jae. But she had to. Before it became too late.