《Sister, Back-off From MY MAN》 Chapter 1 - What A Beautiful View! It was a beautiful day in Boseong County, South Korea. The delightful spring season was always the best time of the year, with a pleasant temperature. The flowers were in full bloom and green spaces were bathed in the delightful hues of the pink cherry blossom. The weather at this time of the year was least likely to be inclement, as a result, this perfect time was chosen for the Song-Lee couple''s wedding. The eldest son of the Song family was going to be bethroted to the youngest daughter of the Lee family. It was a day that is finally going to bring joy and glee to the Lee family, which experienced great tragedies in the past one year. They believed happiness was finally knocking at their door, in form of this wedding. The big lawn of the Lee''s farmhouse in Boseong County, was turned into a beautiful wedding venue. The entrance of the ceremony was beautifully decorated by a lush floral welcome sign, fancied up with elaborate white and peach flowers that perfectly embedded the peach palette of the wedding theme. Every guest who was entering the venue, couldn''t help but admire the lovely arrangements, done in such a short notice. The path from the entrance to the main altar was beautified with oversized floral vases placed at a perfect distance from one another, serving as a gorgeous accent to the venue. Every tree in the lawn was beautifully decorated with strings of flowers wrapped around, strewing all over it. The aisle was decorated with flower petals covering the whole path. The aisle ended at a small white-coloured structure, where the celebrant would be uniting the bride and the groom in the holy matrimony. Individual chairs as well as ceremony benches were placed in front of the aisle on the either side of the path for the guests. Every chair and bench were decorated by pretty netted clothes giving them a royal feeling. The guests were not surprised at the extravagant setting. After all it was the reunion of the two richest families in Seoul, the Songs and the Lees. The two eldest old men of the respective families were the happiest as their grandchildren would be united in this wedlock today. Old man Lee, was very emotional. After losing his elder son and daughter-in-law ten months ago in a car accident he thought life couldn''t be any worse. But who can predict life? It proved him wrong by tragically taking away his eldest granddaughter, in another car accident four months ago. Cloud of gloominess shadowed the Lee family until his youngest granddaughter expressed her wish to marry Song Ji Hun, his best friend''s eldest grandson. After some persuasion from the elders, Song Ji Hun agreed to this wedding. Old man Lee and old man Song were sitting together on the wooden bench together, delighted with the current turn of events. The celebrant was waiting at the altar for the bride and the groom, when a tall, young and strikingly handsome man dressed in a black tuxedo stepped towards the altar. Even on his wedding day, he carried a cold and callous look on his face, which could make one shiver in fear. He stood near the altar with a stony face, checking the time on his watch, hoping for his bride to arrive soon. Just at the right time, the beautiful bride appeared at the aisle, her arm was wrapped around her elder cousin''s arm. He was the one walking her down the aisle. Holding a bridal bouquet in her other hand, she walked towards the groom with a wide smile painted on her lips. Wearing the white Ball Gown, with a fitted bodice and a wide full skirt, which glided over her lower torso, she looked like a fairy out of a folktale. The perfect wedding dress, highlighted her perfect curves making her look like the most beautiful bride one has ever seen till date. Every guest kept looking at the bride in awe, mesmerized by her beauty. Her long hair perfectly clipped in a bun with few lose strands falling on her face, added to her charm. No one could take their eyes off this radiant bride. After reaching the altar, Lee Aera stood in front of her future husband, Song Ji Hun, with a bright smile on her face as her life-long dream was finally going to be fulfilled. It was now just a matter of few minutes. There was no reaction from Song Ji Hun, when he looked at Lee Aera. One couldn''t predict he was happy or sad but she was not offended. Aera knew him from their childhood and was accustomed to his coldness. The two beautiful people standing at the altar with the celebrant painted a delightful view. The celebrant looked at the bride and the groom, before commencing the official wedding ceremony, "We are all gathered here today to witness the marriage of Song Ji Hun and Lee Aera. I am duly authorized by law to solemnize marriages according to law of¡­" CLINK!!! CLINK!!! CLINK!!! The sound of a champagne glass being clinked echoed all over the place. This clink sound was then followed by a magnificent, beautiful voice of a woman, who suddenly appeared out of nowhere. "Wow, what a beautiful view!" She loudly exclaimed after ensuring all eyes were on her. The beautiful bouquet fell down from Aera''s hand, when she looked at the woman, who was standing opposite her on the other end of the altar. Her hands were shivering in fear, which she tried to hide by pressing them together. Aera couldn''t believe the woman she thought was dead, is standing right in front of her. ''This is a dream, this is definitely a dream, she can''t be alive. How can she be alive? This can''t be possible. This is definitely not possible. This is a dream. Yes, yes this is a dream. Aera, come on quickly open your eyes and come out of this dream. Come on Aera.'' The bride kept telling herself but it was no dream to come out of. Aera suddenly took a step back only to almost lose her balance when she saw her dead sister was walking towards her. Chapter 2 - Second-Hand Man Due to the loud clinking noise, every person, present there turned their attention towards the woman, who was smiling brightly after successfully interrupting the wedding ceremony. When they all looked at the breathtakingly gorgeous and elegant woman standing at the end of the aisle, their eyes widened in shock as if they were looking at a ghost. She was unaffected by all the curious gazes on her, this kind of reaction was anyway expected. How can one not be shocked when the woman they all believed to be dead for four months now, was standing right in front of their eyes. Dressed in a white sophisticated dress, which was loose at the waist and fell straight to the floor without any flare, she looked even more beautiful than the bride standing there. In Korean culture, it is disrespectful to the bride if anyone else shows up in a white dress at the wedding and even more so if this person looks prettier. But right now, no one present there bothered about these traditions. They were still not able to recover from the shock of seeing the apparent dead woman standing in front of them. This woman didn''t care about others, after placing back the champagne glass in the tray she slowly started walking down the aisle. Every pair of eyes in that venue, were still stuck on her. The woman looked to her left, and saw her aunt and her younger uncle, who were seated together. After a few steps she came across her elder cousin. These three people were equally shocked to see her there. She couldn''t even differentiate between their reactions, they were all the same. After walking a few more steps, she finally reached her destination. She was now standing in front of the bride and the groom, who were just as astounded by her presence as everyone else. Kiaraa Lee, faintly smiled when she finally looked at the two people, who tops her list. The look on Song Ji Hun and Lee Aera''s faces as if they were stuck by lightning made Kiaraa happy. She enjoyed the reactions of all the five people. Her aunt, her younger uncle, her cousin, the bride and the groom. ''One of you five, killed my parents and also planned to kill me, but unlike my parents, I am too smart to die in your hands. Now that I am back, buckle up Mr. or Ms. Mastermind, Kiaraa Lee is here to have her revenge. I will pay you back with hundred-folds of what you gave me'' she smirked. Stepping closer to them, Kiaraa dazzlingly smiled at her younger sister, Lee Aera, "Hey baby sis, are you that desperate for marriage that you would even marry a SECOND-HAND MAN?" Kiaraa condescendingly questioned her sister, without losing that brilliant smile on her face. Lee Aera, who had been frightened until now was pissed with what Kiaraa said and tightly clutched her fists in anger but before she could retort back, Kiaraa Lee looked at the groom and sweetly greeted him, "Hey Husband, long time no see" Kiaraa''s haughty statements were clearly heard by every guest, thanks to the pin-drop silence that was spread all across the place. After greeting her husband, Kiaraa gently laughed. Seeing how astonished Song Ji Hun was, she stepped closer to him and slowly whispered in his ears, "It seems my husband is disappointed to see me standing here, maybe he wishes I was dead instead?" She then moved back and continued smiling. Song Ji Hun didn''t smile back and he continued looking at her. No one could know what was going on in his mind. Sensing Aera''s gaze on her, Kiaraa turned to look at her sister, who was observing her white bridal dress in anger. It was evident that Aera was offended at the way Kiaraa was dressed. Kiaraa helplessly shook her head, ''After knowing your dead sister is actually alive, instead of hugging her in happiness, you are bothered about her dress?'' ''Tch, Tch, Tch, that''s why my sister has always been so dumb'' Kiaraa cursed her sister before speaking softly, "Hey, don''t misunderstand looking at me in this white dress, I am not here to marry him again. If I have to get married for a second time¡­" Kiaraa this time looked at her husband before continuing, "Then I would rather choose a hotter and a sexier guy." Kiaraa laughed at her own joke and looked at her sister, Aera, "But sorry sis, unfortunately I am alive and therefore I am still married to this boring guy, so this wedding can''t take place. Better luck next time.." Kiaraa scornfully taunted her sister and smirked proudly. Chapter 3 - Finally Showed Some Reaction Anyone observing them would surely think, the three people are having a friendly and emotional conversation as they all reunited after four months without true knowledge. Lee Aera, was trying to control the tears that were forming near her eyes. The man she had always been in love with was about to be hers but again her elder sister, who already snatched away the love of her life from her once, rose from death and again snatched him away. If it wouldn''t have been illegal, Lee Aera would have happily stabbed her elder sister over and over a thousand times, eliminating her from this world. "Kiaraa" Old man Lee finally found his voice, as he just recovered from the shock of looking at his allegedly dead granddaughter standing in front of him. He observed her closely and there wasn''t even a scratch on her body. Wondering if he was dreaming or his granddaughter, his pride, was actually standing in front of him, he looked at her. "Grandpa" Kiaraa emotionally stepped towards the old man and tightly hugged him. Only after hugging his granddaughter, old man Lee accepted that this was not a dream and his Kiaraa was indeed alive. Tears started flowing from his eyes, he trembled emotionally, hugging his granddaughter, "Kiaraa, are you really alive dear? Are you?" The old man questioned her between his sobs. "I am indeed alive, grandpa" Kiaraa assured him and was relieved that her grandpa was finally talking to her. Nine months ago, he disowned Kiaraa and never talked to her until today. Therefore, Kiaraa was glad, as everything was going according to her plan. "Kiaraa, my baby" A woman softly called her name from behind. Kiaraa shut her eyes to hide the disgust. But she had no choice, she had to dig deeper and delve into the depths of her parents'' murder and wished to know, who tried to kill her too before she faked her own death. Kiaraa broke the hug and looked at her aunt, Lee Min Seo, her dad''s younger sister and the second born of grandpa Lee. "Aunt Minya" Kiaraa intentionally called her so intimately and tightly hugged her aunt. Everyone got emotional seeing the bond between the aunt and the niece but they had no idea, Kiaraa was ruthlessly pressing on Lee Min Seo''s shoulders, hurting her. Her aunt is suffering from shoulder impingement. If anyone presses on her shoulder, it causes her immense pain. "Ahhhh" Lee Min Seo, loudly shouted in pain and pushed Kiaraa away. Kiaraa lost her balance due to Min Seo''s aggressive push but before she could fall down, a firm hand was wrapped around her waist, not letting her fall down. "Are you alright?" The man who had been stony and cold until now, finally showed some humanly reaction. Aera was even more pissed when she saw the worried expression painted all over Song Ji Hun''s face. She would have jumped in joy, if he would have showed even a tiny bit of this care towards her. But she was only treated coldly and arrogantly by him. Kiaraa on the other hand, wanted to remove his hand from her waist but she didn''t forget the act she had to put up in front of their families. "I am fine, thank you" She sweetly smiled at Song Ji Hun and politely stepped away from him. Looking at her aunt, Kiaraa questioned her, "Aunt Minya, are you not happy to see me here?" Kiaraa acted as if she was the one who got wronged by her aunt. "Kiaraa, you hugged me tightly and it hurt my shoulder, so¡­" Lee Min Seo started explaining herself as she was scared of her father, but ultimately what she feared anyway happened. "Min Seo, can''t you bear with your pain for a second? Kiaraa is meeting all of us after a long time. We are not even sure, where she was and how she was during those last four months. How could you be so absurd to push her away?" old man Lee, scolded his daughter in front of all the guests, making her lose her face. ''This Kiaraa, why the hell is she back? How the hell did she survive that accident?'' Lee Min Seo furiously thought to herself but she had to be nice to Kiaraa to keep her father happy. "I am really sorry dear, please forgive your aunt" Lee Min Seo begged her niece, who smirked in victory, "I can never be upset with you, aunt Minya." Kiaraa assured her. But Min Seo, saw the snobby smile on Kiaraa''s face when she begged for her forgiveness, which angered her even more. Min Seo missed those days when old man Lee, disowned this granddaughter of his and didn''t talk to her until today. Chapter 4 - Five People Min Seo missed those days when old man Lee, disowned this granddaughter of his and didn''t talk to her until today. But after Kiaraa''s death, he cursed himself for being upset with her and for not forgiving her mistake, which seemed small after her death. As it was famously said, the true value of a person is realized when they are gone. Grandpa Lee, experienced this first-hand. Every day he regretted his past actions. He never expected his granddaughter would be back, giving him the chance to rectify all his mistakes, so right now he was the happiest person in this world. Grandpa Lee wished to know what exactly happened four months ago and how she survived that dreadful accident but before that, his youngest son, Lee Man Sik stepped towards his niece interrupting grandpa''s interrogation. "Kiaraa, dear" Lee Man Sik held her hands, "I can''t tell you how happy I am to see you alive. I wish elder brother and sister-in-law too were¡­" he started crying recollecting the deaths of Kiaraa and Aera''s parents. ''Wow Uncle, what an amazing actor you are. If not for the proof I hold against you. I would have been fooled by your fake act'' Kiaraa thought to herself but she smiled at him instead. "Yeah, if that person wouldn''t have had such evil intentions towards mom and dad, then they would have been still alive" Kiaraa openly declared her parents'' death was not due to some accident like they all believed but it was a murder. "What do you mean by that?" Choi Yuk, Kiaraa''s elder cousin brother, the one who walked Aera down the aisle questioned Kiaraa. Lee Min Seo glared at her son, who was unnecessarily making himself get noticed. Kiaraa smiled at her elder cousin brother, "Brother Choi Yuk, I meant god had evil intentions against my parents and took them away" Kiaraa intentionally taunted the five people earlier, just to observe their reactions. She did not intend to reveal that she already knows that her parents'' death was due to murder and not by accident like it has been portrayed. She had proof against all these five people as they all tried to hurt her parents in one way or the other. But only one of them is the mastermind behind their deaths. One of the following five people, killed her parents and now want to kill her: Song Ji Hun, her husband Lee Aera, her younger sister Lee Min Seo, her aunt, the second child of grandpa Lee Lee Man Sik, her uncle, the third and the youngest child of grandpa Lee Choi Yuk, her elder cousin brother, Lee Min Seo''s son Therefore, she was observing the reaction of these five people, when suddenly Lee Gun, her younger cousin brother startled her by his tight and warm hug. "Kiaraa, what happened to you in the last four months? Where were you all this while? Why didn''t you come to us earlier or contact anyone of us? What happened that dreadful day? How did you survive that terrible car accident? Did anyone help you? How did you find out about this wedding? How did you reach here today?" Lee Gun asked her all the questions that everyone there had in their minds. Kiaraa was aware of her surroundings. There were many guests standing there whispering amongst themselves and paying utmost attention to the Lees and the Songs. Gossipmongers were the type of people Kiaraa loathed the most. With a polite smile on her face, Kiaraa looked at her younger cousin brother, "Gun, elder sister is extremely tired right now. Can I take some rest before I answer all your questions?" Kiaraa then looked at every important person from the Lee and the Song family, "I am sure all of you have many questions about my ''sudden appearance''. I promise I''ll answer you all. Can we all meet after a few hours, I want to rest now, I am tired" Kiaraa respectfully made a request. ''Why is this bitch suddenly acting like a nice person?'' Aera thought, boiling in anger. Chapter 5 - Kiaraas Warning ''Why is this bitch suddenly acting like a nice person?'' Aera thought, boiling in anger. A woman in her early fifties, Ji Seo Yun rubbed Aera''s arm lovingly, asking her to calm down. She wanted to assure her that everything would be alright. Aera turned to look at the elegant woman, who was as upset as Aera right now, "Mom" Aera softly called her, almost crying. Ji Seo Yun is Song Ji Hun''s mother. She always wished for her son to marry Aera but few months ago he went against everyone''s wishes and married Kiaraa instead. Ji Seo Yun, never liked Kiaraa and was upset with her son''s decision. After Kiaraa''s sudden demise, Ji Seo Yun was very happy and tried her best to convince her son to marry Aera instead. Today she thought finally Aera was going to be her daughter-in-law but now, everything was ruined because of Kiaraa''s sudden appearance. "Shhh, don''t let anyone see through you" Ji Seo Yun whispered softly and asked Aera to compose herself. It was clearly evident on her face that she is upset to see Kiaraa alive. After her parents'' and elder sister''s demise, Aera was technically an orphan as her immediate biological family was gone. Right now, after finding out Kiaraa is alive, Aera was supposed to be happy but the two sisters never shared a close bond in spite of being blood-related. Their relationship is worse than step-sisters. Ji Seo Yun asked Aera to not be so obvious about her dismay towards Kiaraa. Hearing the suggestion of the woman, Aera loves even more than her own mother, she tried to act composed. "Kiaraa, you are right. You must be tired now, please go and rest" Grandpa Lee patted his granddaughter''s head and pointed at the farmhouse behind which belonged to the Lees asking Kiaraa to rest there. "Thank you all for understanding" Kiaraa respectfully bowed to everyone and walked towards the farmhouse. On the way she saw Ji Seo Yun pacifying Aera. ''Somethings never change'' Kiaraa laughed in her head. She was planning to ignore the two women but then she thought, why should she? "Mom" Kiaraa stepped towards the graceful woman and tightly hugged her. Ji Seo Yun almost lost her balance when Kiaraa suddenly hugged her putting her whole weight on the that woman. "Kiaraa, be careful" Ji Seo Yun shouted at her unpleasantly. "Sorry mother, did I hurt you?" Kiaraa innocently questioned her mother-in-law. Ji Seo Yun, was even more pissed when she saw the act of innocence Kiaraa was putting forth but because of her son, she controlled herself from being rude. "No, you didn''t" Ji Seo Yun coldly replied. Kiaraa smiled at the woman and whispered in a low volume, "I am sure, mother must be upset to see me here as I ruined her darling Aera''s wedding but save your perturbance for future as I am going to make your Aera''s life a hell. She will need you even more at that time." Kiaraa, who started speaking politely suddenly turned cold and vicious by the end. Aera and Ji Seo Yun were the only two people, who heard Kiaraa''s warning as the three women were standing a bit farther from others. The two women were frightened by Kiaraa''s warning but they were helpless as right now, if they say anything against Kiaraa, it won''t be well received. "Take care, mother. I''ll catch up with you later" Kiaraa winked, casually speaking to her mother-in-law before stepping inside the farmhouse and headed straight to her bedroom. This farmhouse in Boseong County was bought by her father. It was their occasional holiday home. It was also her mom''s favourite place and every d¨¦cor in this home, was personally selected by her mother. It was a place, big enough for everyone to have their own individual rooms. Kiaraa entered her bedroom, and right in front of her there was a big photo frame, hanging on the wall, seeing which made her emotional. She totally forgot about this frame. Kiaraa stepped towards it and observed the picture. In that photo, her mom and dad were looking extremely proud and happy. This photo was clicked on the same day when Kiaraa secured her first client in her own business. That day, everyone was proud of her. Kiaraa wiped the drop of tear flowing from her eye. At that time, she took her parents and their love for granted. Only after losing them, she realized their true value. Kiaraa always thought they died in some car accident but just a month before she was attacked, Kiaraa found out there was a conspiracy behind her parents'' death. Since then, her heart was not at peace and she decided to delve deeper into this matter, only to become a target in the same conspiracy, which almost made her lose her life. ''Mom, dad, I promise you. Whoever was involved in your death, would get the worst ending possible. That is my promise to you'' Kiaraa closed her eyes and swore revenge against the people who separated her from her family. RING!!! RING!!! Kiara''s attention turned to the continuous ringing of her phone.. Annoyed at the interruption, she looked at the caller ID and frowned when she saw the name that flashed on her screen. Chapter 6 - One Down, Four To Go Kiara''s attention turned to the continuous ringing of her phone. Annoyed at the interruption, she looked at the caller ID and frowned when she saw the name that flashed on her screen. Kiaraa immediately locked her door and answered the phone. "Ian, is all set from your end?" Kiaraa asked him as soon as she answered the phone. "Yes, all set. You can use the fake story we came up with last night. I have arranged for all the proofs to back up your story" Ian informed her. "Ahh, thank goodness you handled it. I can''t imagine what a mess all of this would have been if not for your help." Kiaraa slouched on the couch in relief. Although she suddenly showed up at this wedding to ruin it, there were a few things she left unattended, which were taken care of by her best friend, Ian. "Yeah, if you didn''t act like a stubborn kid, insisting on ruining this wedding, then we wouldn''t have been in this trouble" Ian taunted her irked at her sudden decision to ruin Aera and Song Ji Hun''s wedding. "Excuse me? Then what the fuck do you expect me to do? Just sit and watch my sister getting married to my husband?" Kiaraa sarcastically ridiculed him. Ian rolled his eyes in frustration, "K, you don''t even love that man. You and I, we both know why you married him in the first place. So, what difference would it make even if he ends up marrying Aera?" "What difference would it make?" Kiaraa mocked him, before seriously adding, "I did this to have my revenge against Aera" "What?" Ian was confused at this revelation. Kiaraa held the bridge of her nose and decided to be honest with him. "Although only one of these five are behind mom and dad''s death, these five people did try to harm them in one or the other way, according to the proof we have, right?" "Yes" Ian confirmed as he was the one who helped Kiaraa get all this information. "Therefore, I am not going to let these five people get away with their deeds easily. I am going to take my revenge against them for the things they did to mom and dad before their deaths. One down, four to go" Kiaraa wickedly declared. "So, ruining Aera''s wedding was a revenge?" Ian questioned her. "Obviously but a smaller one. I am going to trouble her in more ways" Kiaraa declared. "Really?" "Yes, did you really think I did all of this to claim Song Ji Hun as mine?" Kiaraa questioned him. "Yes" Ian unhesitatingly shared his opinion. "Yeah, even that is true. As you know Ian, what''s mine, is mine. Even if I like it or I don''t like it, if a thing belongs to me, then I would not let anyone snatch it away. Today''s situation was a double bonanza for me. I ruined Aera''s wedding and I marked my claim on Song Ji Hun." Kiaraa was very close to Ian since her childhood, so she frankly shared her thoughts with him. Ian slightly shivered in fear when he heard her psychopathic words, mustering up all the courage, he said, "Song Ji Hun is a human being not some object" Kiaraa cackled with laughter, "Why are you getting emotional? I am warning you Ian, don''t get all preachy." Ian deeply sighed, as he had no way to argue with this stubborn woman. "Anyway, I hope you remember the fake story we made up last night." Ian casually exclaimed. "Seriously? You are doubting my eidetic memory?" Kiaraa mocked her best friend, who was smacking his head to the wall. "Can you please stop being a narcissist for one second?" Ian shouted at her in irritation. "Fine" Kiaraa didn''t push this guy''s limit as he helped her a lot in faking her death four months ago and in researching who were behind her parents'' death. If it wouldn''t have been for the sudden official wedding announcement of Song Ji Hun and Lee Aera, then Kiaraa would have taken more time and delved much deeper into her parents'' suspicious deaths. In the last few months, she was able to figure out her parents were not killed for simple reasons like inheritance or family business but there was a big conspiracy behind it. Not one person was involved in it but rather there were more people involved but one thing was sure, one of the five people she doubts is the one leading this team. If Kiaraa had more time, she definitely would have found more information on them but the moment she got to know her sister was about to marry her husband, Kiaraa decided to ruin this wedding. Aera had always been in love with Song Ji Hun and marrying him was her dream. Therefore, ruining it was the best revenge she could take against her sister. "Kiaraa, soon I am going to show up there and act like I also found out this truth just now." Ian informed her. Kiaraa was confused as this was not in their plan, "Wait, what? Why would you come here?" "Your family already made an announcement to the media that you are alive and they officially called off Aera and Ji Hun''s wedding." Ian informed her. "Fuck" Kiaraa cursed in frustration. "What? Shouldn''t you be happy, the wedding is officially cancelled? Your revenge was a success." Ian was confused at her reaction. "I wanted to see Aera''s face when this announcement was made" Kiaraa sighed in disappointment. "K, why are you being like this? You already snatched away the only man she loved, few months ago and now¡­" Chapter 7 - Crazy Sister "K, why are you being like this? You already snatched away the only man she loved, few months ago and now¡­" "Hey, what the fuck do you mean by snatched him?" Kiaraa was clearly agitated by what Ian said, "He was the one who proposed me. I was not the one who begged him to marry me. It was him" Kiaraa reminded Ian of what happened in the past. "Yeah, I know." Ian knows there was no way he could make Kiaraa understand his point as the relationship between the two sisters was beyond repair. "Anyway, the important thing is, I am going to be there in an hour. After knowing my best friend is alive and I don''t show up immediately it would look doubtful." Ian explained why he would be joining them here. "Hmm, you are right" Kiaraa agreed with his logic. "Yeah, and I will also ensure everything is fine when they will ask you questions about where you were in the last four months" "Hmm." "Kiaraa, there is a good chance that these people might try to kill you again, so don''t forget the story we made up to ensure your safety. You need to be alive if you want to avenge your parents'' death" Ian reminded her as he was worried about her. By revealing herself, Kiaraa probably endangered her life. Ian tried to convince her a lot to let Aera and Song Ji Hun get married for now, and she can reveal the fact that she was alive later, after they find out who is actually behind her parents'' accident. He convinced Kiaraa with the logic that, Aera and Song Ji Hun''s marriage will be illegal anyway as Kiaraa is still alive but Kiaraa was very stubborn and didn''t listen to him. Although she was not interested in Song Ji Hun, she didn''t wish for Aera to have him either, so, only to ruin Aera''s happiness she intentionally showed up right before the wedding. She could have just shown up a day ago too but she wanted to humiliate Aera in front of everyone so this timing. "Yes Ian" Kiaraa was annoyed with this man, who was overly concerned about her. "Kiaraa, remember one more important thing. No matter what, not even as a joke, you are going to express any doubt about your parents'' sudden demise. Because of what you did last time, you had to end up faking your death." "Yeah, I won''t repeat my mistakes again" Kiaraa assured him. "What mistakes?" A voice questioned Kiaraa, startling her as she didn''t detect anyone''s presence in her room. Kiaraa was clearly scared as she was not sure since when he was standing here and how much of her conversation he already heard. In reflex, she cut her call and stood up facing him. "How did you enter my room? I locked it earlier." She questioned the sudden intruder. "I have the key to this room. This is where I have been staying in for the last two days." Song Ji Hun explained himself. That was when Kiaraa realized her room was allotted to him as the Lee and the Song family had been living in this farmhouse for the last two days. They came here from Seoul as Aera expressed her wish to get married at this farmhouse. "Oh" Kiaraa didn''t wish to leave but she neither wished to be in the same room as this man, so she was about to leave when Song Ji Hun, stopped her. "Can we talk?" He requested her. "Why?" Kiaraa rudely questioned him raising her eyebrows. "Since you came back, we didn''t even get a chance to have a proper conversation." Song Ji Hun calmly answered her. Kiaraa chuckled condescendingly, "What the hell do you want to talk about?" "About this marriage¡­" Before Song Ji Hun could continue, Kiaraa interrupted him. "Which one? Your and mine sham marriage or your, almost wedding to my sister, that unfortunately just got ruined?" Kiaraa sarcastically asked him. Song Ji Hun was not offended by her attitude as he was used to it. Before marrying Kiaraa he knew what he was getting into, so her arrogance didn''t come as a surprise to him rather her nice, innocent act earlier in the presence of both the families, was what stunned him. "The almost wedding with your sister" Song Ji Hun answered her question, "The reason I agreed to this wedding was because¡­" "Look Mr Song, I am not interested in knowing why you want to get married to my sister. It is your business." Kiaraa shared her opinion. "But still, I want to explain my side of story" Song Ji Hun calmly said. "Anyway, we all know how crazy my sister is about you and how desperate your mother is to have you two get married. So, I can figure out what must have happened." Kiaraa was not interested in knowing his side of story. "Also, no need to thank me for saving you from my crazy sister" Kiaraa indirectly reminded him to thank her, as she knows how much he dislikes her sister. Chapter 8 - That Night Kiaraa also wanted to see Song Ji Hun''s reaction, she wanted to confirm if he really dislikes Aera, or pretends to do so. Song Ji Hun smiled at her, "Thank you for rescuing me" Kiaraa scoffed in annoyance, "I didn''t rescue you from her, I rather rescued my sister from marrying a SECOND-HAND MAN" She intentionally taunted him and was about to walk away. "Second-hand man, huh?" Song Ji Hun suddenly pulled her towards him and pinned her to the wall behind, startling her. Kiaraa didn''t wish to build good relations with Song Ji Hun, so whenever he tries to be nice with her, she always said something to offend him. Now that there was a good chance that he is the mastermind who killed her parents, how can she be polite to him. But she didn''t expect he would be this offended by her insult that he would pin her like this. Song Ji Hun trapped Kiaraa between him and the wall, pinning her shoulders to it. "We have been technically married for almost nine months now and yet we never consummated our marriage. So, can you please explain how did I become second-hand?" Song Ji Hun recollected she called him second-hand earlier at the wedding in front of all the guests but at that time, given the situation they were in, he let her be. But now she was again taunting him by calling him something that he was not. If he was indeed a second-hand man, he wouldn''t have minded being called that but he wasn''t. Kiaraa Lee was not frightened by his cold personality, she rather stared back into his deep black eyes. "That''s because except for you and me, no one else knows the truth. In the eyes of public, you are indeed a second-hand man" She confidently retorted back. Song Ji Hun didn''t let her go and still pinned her to the wall and seriously nodded his head, "Hmm, you are right, they don''t." Kiaraa smirked at him in victory, "Therefore I can call you second-hand in front of anyone, no one will know I am lying" "You are absolutely right but I have a problem" Song Ji Hun leaned closer to her, reducing the gap between their faces. "What problem?" "I hate my wife lying to other people, so maybe I should help you convert this lie into truth." Song Ji Hun harshly bit on Kiaraa''s soft lips, shocking her. He didn''t give her any time to react and cruelly bit her. Kiaraa pushed him away with full force and shouted at him, "Are you out of your fucking mind? How dare you cross the line?" She was agitated right now and glared at the man, who was unaffected by her anger and continued smirking at her. Kiaraa was about to step away when Song Ji Hun again held her wrist and pulled her towards him. This time he tightly hugged her in his arms. Kiaraa struggled to get out of his hold when his next question froze her. "You are acting as if we never kissed each other before. Have you forgotten that night?" Song Ji Hun smiled in satisfaction when Kiaraa stopped struggling after he reminded her of that night. Taking advantage of her speechlessness, Song Ji Hun leaned towards her and kissed her cheek, "I miss that night a lot, do you ever think about it?" His lips were still pressed against her cheeks when he questioned her. Finally, Kiaraa came back to her senses and glared at him, "Let me go" she ordered. Song Ji Hun decided to not trouble her more and therefore released her from his arms. Kiaraa furiously stepped into the washroom and closed the door with a bang as she felt disgusted by being kissed by her parents'' killer. Until and unless she doesn''t find out who is the actual mastermind behind the conspiracy against her parents.. She will consider everyone as her parents'' murderers. Chapter 9 - Rather Walk Around Naked After locking the door of the washroom, Kiaraa tried to calm herself down. She felt dirty when she recollected that night. During their marriage, Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun were clear that they don''t wish to have any marital relations with each other. It was a sham marriage. But one night, one thing led to another and they almost consummated their marriage. A few days after that night, Kiaraa got to know her parents'' death was murder and not an accident. Since then, her focus shifted onto finding more information behind her parents'' death and she regretted the night she spent with Song Ji Hun. Therefore, Kiaraa started avoiding him and they never talked about that night again. After digging deeper into her parents'' death, suddenly there were attempts on Kiaraa, which she luckily escaped and it was then that she decided to fake her death. Only after faking her death, could she peacefully dig deeper into their death and this plan actually worked. In the last four months, she got the shock of her life when she found out about a few secrets her simple-looking parents had been hiding. Then she found out how at some or the other point, her aunt, her uncle, her elder cousin, her sister and her husband created trouble for her parents in one or the other way. The things the other four people did didn''t shock Kiaraa as much as what Aera did. Kiaraa didn''t have any special attachment towards Aera and neither Aera liked Kiaraa that much but Kiaraa was sure Aera loves their parents a lot and would never do anything to harm them. But oh boy, she couldn''t be any more wrong. So, after knowing how Aera betrayed her parents'' trust and helped outsiders, Kiaraa was shocked. Therefore, she realized if Aera can betray her own parents by falling so low, then the possibility of she killing them for her own gains was equally possible. And that''s how Aera made to the list of her suspects. Song Ji Hun and Aera were the people Kiaraa doubts the most. Song Ji Hun was secretly meeting with her parents just a month before their death. There was some conspiracy involved here and since they died soon after it, Kiaraa doubts him too. Right now, she felt disgusted recollecting the night, she spent with her parents'' probable murderer. ''If you are the one truly involved in their death, Mr Song. Then I am going to make you go through hell'' Kiaraa made a promise to herself. Kiaraa then decided to take a bath as she had a long day. Getting out of her white bridal dress, which she intentionally wore to piss Aera, Kiaraa felt much better. She is not the person, who prefers wearing such stylish, heavy dresses. Kiaraa was wearing a t-shirt and jeans the day she got married to Song Ji Hun. That indifferent she was about clothes and attire. After having a nice hot shower, Kiaraa looked into the bathrobe rack, and face-palmed herself as there were no robes there. ''Fuck, my clothes are still not here. Amazing job, Kiaraa. You were so hell bent on showing up at the wedding to ruin it, that you didn''t think through it all. What to do now?'' Kiaraa literally had no clothes to wear, she could just borrow Aera''s clothes but that is something she would never do. Kiaraa will rather walk around naked, than borrow her sister''s clothes. "Mr Song, are you still in the room?" Kiaraa called Song Ji Hun''s name but there was no response. She slowly opened the door, and peeked out from the small slit to check if he was in the room. He wasn''t. Kiaraa sighed in relief and stepped out the bathroom butt naked and opened the cupboard hoping to find her old clothes. But she could see only a few pair of shirts and pants, which clearly belonged to Song Ji Hun. ''Fuck my life. These people threw away my clothes. So, insensitive'' Kiaraa cursed everyone including herself. "Wow, what a beautiful view!" Song Ji Hun suddenly greeted her in the exact style, she greeted everyone when she made her grand entry at this wedding. Chapter 10 - Hickey "Wow, what a beautiful view!" Song Ji Hun greeted her in the exact style, she greeted everyone when she made her grand entry at this wedding. Kiaraa froze on her spot, when she heard Song Ji Hun''s voice from behind, her exposed back was facing him. Kiaraa only turned her head and saw Song Ji Hun leaning back on the door that leads to the gallery, and was shamelessly checking her out with a smug smile on his face. In that moment, she genuinely wished to kill him. He was in the gallery and she didn''t check it when she walked out from the washroom. "Close your eyes" She shouted at him. "Why should I?" Song Ji Hun was still smiling, his eyes wandering all over her naked body. "Fuck you" Kiaraa muttered in anger and took out a blue shirt from the cupboard and wore it. That moment, she realized she was wrong. She would rather wear her enemy''s clothes than walk around naked. "What a disappointment" Song Ji Hun commented when she covered herself. Although his shirt was not too big, it was long enough to cover her butts. She turned around to look at the shameless man, "What is wrong with you? Why are you being so shameless?" Kiaraa confronted him, as Song Ji Hun never acted like this before. In the five months of their marriage, he never crossed the line and always respected her space. If not for the information and proof she got on him, she would have never believed Song Ji Hun could kill her parents. "What shameless?" Song Ji Hun pretended like he did nothing wrong. "How dare you check me out?" Kiaraa was pissed right now. "What''s wrong with me checking out ''MY WIFE''?" Song Ji Hun countered her. Kiaraa narrowed her eyes at him, "According to what you promised me, we are just a married couple on the paper. I am not your wife and you have no rights on me." She reminded him of what they decided before their marriage. "That doesn''t mean I can''t check you out. If a naked woman is standing in front of me, you can''t expect me to act like a saint and close my eyes. After all, I am a man who has his needs." Song Ji Hun countered her. Kiaraa smirked and stepped towards him. Song Ji Hun was still leaning back on the door of the gallery, amused as he was looking forward to see how Kiaraa would respond. He always enjoys the conversations they have, as she never fails to surprise him. Kiaraa stood in front of him, daringly facing the scary man. She suddenly ran her hand on his chest, "So, you have some needs?" Kiaraa seductively questioned him. Song Ji Hun knows her too well, he wondered what did she have in her mind when she started acting like this but he decided to have fun for now and let her do whatever she wants. Song Ji Hun looked at the woman who was smiling seductively while her finger was tracing his chest. He held her wrist, stopping her from touching him and pulled her closer instead. "Hmm, I do" He answered her. Kiaraa circled her other arm around his neck and stood on her toes, "Will this satisfy your needs?" She leaned near his neck and slowly sucked on it. Song Ji Hun was truly surprised as he didn''t expect her to act like this. Feeling her soft lips against his neck, he was losing himself, "Hmm" he hummed softly. Kiaraa bit on his neck, leaving a hickey on him, before moving to the front side of his chest and left another big hickey there. Song Ji Hun''s hold on her wrist tightened as he enjoyed her actions. After successfully leaving three visible hickeys on him, Kiaraa moved away from him but Song Ji Hun didn''t let go of her wrist and pulled her closer, "Don''t go" He requested her. Kiaraa wanted to punch this guy but lucky for Song Ji Hun, there was a knock on the door interrupting them and thus saving him from her wrath. ''Ahh lucky bastard'' Kiaraa cursed in her mind, but she was glad as she successfully marked him. Song Ji Hun opened the door only to see Aera standing there. When she saw him, she felt nervous but she had to muster up a lot of courage before coming here as there was something she wanted to discuss with him. Again, mustering all her courage, she looked him in the eye, "I want to¡­" but she trailed off in her sentence when she saw a red mark on his neck, Aera then saw there was another mark near it. Chapter 11 - Hundred Million Won Aera was shocked as she couldn''t believe what she was seeing. Clutching her fist in anger, Aera tried to control her rage, as she was not that dumb and could clearly see what her sister did. "Aera, if you have nothing to say, can you leave? You are disturbing our sweet time." Kiaraa suddenly appeared there and lovingly hugged Song Ji Hun''s arm, resting her head on it, while speaking to Aera. When Kiaraa walked towards the door and saw Aera, she decided to take advantage of the situation. After all, she didn''t leave all those hickeys on Song Ji Hun for no reason. It was her way of torturing her sister. Lucky for Kiaraa, Aera saw those hickeys earlier than planned, so how could she let go of any opportunity to trouble her. Aera looked at Kiaraa, who was wearing a man''s shirt and it was not rocket science to know, this shirt belonged to Song Ji Hun. Kiaraa was clearly not wearing anything else beneath this shirt. Her attire was way too suggestive, that something was indeed going on here between them which got interrupted by Aera. Biting her lips, to control her tears from falling down her eyes, Aera informed them, "Grandpa, called you two downstairs" "Why are you delivering this news? Aren''t the servants supposed to do this kind of work?" Kiaraa questioned Aera as it was obvious, Aera wished to take advantage of their grandpa to discuss something with Song Ji Hun but again got interrupted by Kiaraa. Kiaraa then looked at Song Ji Hun and exclaimed, "We are unnecessarily paying these servants, right? Aera is more efficient than them at this job." Song Ji Hun helplessly looked at Kiaraa, begging her to not drag him in this sisters quarrel. "I need to make a call" He excused himself and went back to the room, leaving the two sisters alone. Kiaraa looked at Aera, who was clearly agitated right now. "Baby sis, you need anything else?" Kiaraa asked her. "I HATE YOU" Aera declared and walked away from there, with tears flowing from her eyes. Kiaraa smirked in victory and thought to herself, ''Ahh those disgusting hickeys were totally worth it. I wish troubling the other four people was as easy as torturing Aera. In that case, my life would have been so easier.'' ¡­ Aera locked the door as soon as she entered her room, and started crying. She was hoping to talk to Song Ji Hun, but didn''t expect she would witness something like this. Recollecting Kiaraa''s arrogance, Aera was agitated. Her entire body was burning with rage. She wiped away the tears from her eyes and opened the contacts list on her phone. She looked at the name of the person, she never wished to contact again but Kiaraa left her with no choice. With her fingers shivering in fear, Aera dialled the number and within two rings, the call was answered. "Ms Lee, long time no see" The person from the other end greeted her, "Sorry about your wedding, just saw the news" he added. "You don''t need to be sorry" Aera was annoyed as she received calls and messages from many people, expressing their condolences for her ruined wedding but she could see, they were all mocking her. The person from the other end sinisterly laughed. "When I got the news that Kiaraa Lee is alive, I was expecting this call from you." "Obviously you would receive a call for not doing your job well" Aera was trying to control her rage. "Are you sure you should be rude the person, who is helping you get rid of your sister?" The person from the other side asked her. "How the fuck did you fail? You assured me she died in that accident. Don''t forget, I paid you a lot of money to get rid of her" Aera was furious and boiling in anger. "Hey, calm down. Even I am not sure, how she managed to survive that cruel blast. This time, I''ll try my best to kill her." The person promised. "Good, ensure I see her body this time" Aera warned him. "Yes boss. As soon as you transfer a Hundred Million Won, I''ll kill her" Aera''s eyes widened in surprise, "Last time, I already paid you a Hundred Million Won, and you didn''t even do your task properly. Then why the fuck should I pay you again?" The person from the other end laughed at her, "You are still a baby, if you don''t know how these things work, then don''t involve yourself in such activities." ''Today is the worst day of my life'' Aera thought to herself, "Give me some time, I''ll arrange the money but do ensure Kiaraa is dead this time" Aera seriously said. "Yes boss" The person cut the call and Aera washed her face before heading downstairs as Grandpa Lee indeed called everyone. Chapter 12 - Disowned When Aera reached the living room, she saw the whole family sitting there. Even Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun were present. Unlike earlier, Kiaraa was wearing a long gown, which clearly belonged to their aunt, Lee Min Seo. Aera then observed everyone present there and she could see they were all feeling a bit awkward and when she followed their gazes she realized, they all noticed the hickeys on Song Ji Hun. "Ji Hun, close the top two buttons of your shirt" His mother finally spoke up as she was annoyed at her son for flaunting his bedroom activities for everyone to see just after his wedding with Aera was cancelled. Song Ji Hun was clueless as he didn''t check himself in the mirror and came downstairs for this gathering. He had no idea what his wicked wife did. "Mom, it is a bit hot" Song Ji Hun refused to close his buttons and he had no idea why his mother was treating him like a three-year old. COUGH!!! COUGH!!! "I know you are meeting your wife after four months, but you don''t have to flaunt it" Grandpa Song tried to indirectly ask his grandson to behave himself and Song Ji Hun was still clueless. Kiaraa was enjoying all of this as Aera too was present here. She intentionally leaned closer to Song Ji Hun and whispered, "The hickeys I left earlier are visible" That''s when Song Ji Hun realized what she did and he closed the top two buttons of his shirt but alas, Kiaraa intentionally left them at places which can''t be covered by just buttoning up his shirt. So, she was happy. "Kiaraa dear, are you feeling better now or still tired?" Grandpa Lee asked her, worriedly and he didn''t bother himself with anything else. Right now, his granddaughter was back and he didn''t care about anything else. Kiaraa politely smiled at the old man, "I am fine grandpa, but I want to rest a bit more" "Hmm, rest as much as you want dear" Grandpa smiled at her. "I called you all to discuss something" Grandpa Lee looked at everyone present in the room, especially his two children and four grandchildren. The six people were curiously looking at grandpa, wondering what he wants to discuss so suddenly. "As you all remember, few months ago when I disowned Kiaraa, I removed her name from the inheritance but now I decided to forgive her for what she did and I am going to add her name back in" Grandpa Lee declared. Lee Min Seo, Lee Man Sik his two children and one grandson, Choi Yuk were upset when grandpa Lee added Kiaraa back in the inheritance. Aera was upset that grandpa Lee decided to forgive Kiaraa for what she did. Lee Gun, was the only person happy with grandpa''s decision. "What an amazing news grandpa. Can this day get any better? My sister came back alive and now grandpa decided to forgive her. Kiaraa, we need to celebrate" Lee Gun excitedly declared. Lee Man Sik, helplessly shook his head when he heard the excitement in his dumb son''s voice. ''Does this idiot realize, now he will get less share in the Lee assets?'' Lee Man Sik thought to himself. Kiaraa smiled seeing how happy her younger brother is and looked at grandpa, "Grandpa, thank you so much for forgiving me. I am happy and it is enough for me. I don''t need any share in the inheritance." Kiaraa declared surprising everyone present there as they all know how greedy Kiaraa is. "What? Why would you say that?" Grandpa Lee was surprised too. "Grandpa, I have my own business and whatever belongs to Ji Hun, is all mine. As long as I have Ji Hun, I don''t need anything else" Kiaraa declared holding her husband, Song Ji Hun''s hand. Song Ji Hun was taken aback when he heard her cheesy words. Just like others, he too knows how greedy Kiaraa is as she always eyed the CEO position of the Lee Conglomerate. After her father''s death, she was supposed to take over it but circumstances resulted in grandpa Lee disowning her. The old man, knew of her capabilities and was aware the she is the only person, capable enough to run his entire business empire but after what Kiara did that day, he couldn''t forgive her and disowned her. Chapter 13 - Manipulate Her Own Family Grandpa Lee didn''t let anyone else take over the CEO position and he himself took it over for the time being and hoped for Choi Hyuk or Lee Aera to prove they are worthy of this position. Aera was not interested in business so she gave it up for her elder cousin brother Choi Hyuk. Aera has always been close to their elder cousin brother Choi Hyuk, while Kiaraa was close to their younger cousin brother Lee Gun. Choi Hyuk had been trying very hard to prove he can run the entire business empire but he kept failing to prove himself and for the last nine months, Lee conglomerate didn''t have a permanent CEO. Song Ji Hun was sure his wife, Kiaraa is still eying this position in spite of the fake act she was putting on. Aera was the most affected when she heard Kiaraa''s words, her sister was not leaving any chance to claim the man she had always been in love with as her own. Aera was sure Kiaraa was only saying to piss her and she is not truly in love with Song Ji Hun. Even Song Ji Hun''s mother, Ji Seo Yun was irritated with the way Kiaraa was acting but she decided to keep quiet as elders were here. Grandpa Lee laughed when he heard Kiaraa''s words. "I had no idea you love this boy so much." Grandpa Lee looked at Song Ji Hun, "I hope you will take good care of my granddaughter" Song Ji Hun just nodded his head as he was feeling awkward. Since the last few weeks, this old man kept pestering him to marry Aera and now he was asking him to take good care of Kiaraa. He couldn''t handle these people''s hypocrisy. Only he knows the true reason as to why he agreed to marry Aera in the first place but he was obviously not going to share it with anyone else. Earlier, he came up with a lie to tell Kiaraa as he can''t tell her the truth but she anyway didn''t wish to know his reason, so he was relieved. "Kiaraa, although you don''t wish to be a part of our inheritance, it is your right. So, I am adding you back and also I have a request to make" Grandpa Lee didn''t accept her decision and announced his own. "What request grandpa?" Kiaraa innocently asked him as she already knew what it was and excitedly waited for her grandpa to say the words, she had been dying to hear for years now. "Will you take over the CEO position of our Lee Conglomerate?" Grandpa Lee asked her surprising everyone in the room. "But grandpa, I had been taking training for the last eight months and you promised me the CEO position if I prove myself" Choi Hyuk couldn''t keep his cool and he questioned his grandpa. Choi Hyuk is Lee Min Seo''s son. "Yes, but you failed to prove yourself" Grandpa Lee unhesitatingly spoke the truth. "But grandpa¡­" "My decision is final. If you don''t agree to it, you are free to walk away" Grandpa Lee strictly announced. Choi Hyuk was agitated. Lee Min Seo tried to calm her son but he walked away from there furiously. "Dad, can you please give Hyuk one more chance?" Lee Min Seo begged her father. "No" Grandpa Lee didn''t explain himself anymore and looked at Kiaraa as he wished to hear her decision. "Grandpa, if elder brother is that desperate, then maybe give him a chance" Kiaraa requested her grandpa astonishing everyone present there. Song Ji Hun was the only one, who understood what exactly she was doing.. So, he just decided to enjoy seeing his wife manipulate her own family. Chapter 14 - A Wish "Kiaraa, since you were young you always said you would take over the CEO position and will make our company reach greater heights. You studied business management for that and trained under me for so many years." Grandpa Lee questioned her. ''And yet it took you just one minute to disown me, grandpa. You forgot all the hard work I have put in the organization and took away my rights from me'' Kiaraa was agitated when she recollected the past but, on the outside, she shielded her feelings very well. "So, how can you ask me to give that idiot a chance?" Grandpa Lee questioned Kiaraa, referring to his grandson Choi Hyuk. Lee Min Seo was furious when her father called her son an idiot but right now, she had to keep quiet if she wants to have her hold on this family business. Her son Choi Hyuk, already made things difficult for them by fighting with grandpa Lee and losing his hold on the CEO position, so now she has to somehow ensure grandpa doesn''t take away any other rights from them. "Grandpa, I am now a part of the Song family. How can I take responsibilities of the Lee conglomerate? Even if I do, me being a part of the Song family, will ensure I have lesser rights on our companies. So, it is better brother Hyuk take over the position" Kiaraa innocently looked at her grandpa. Grandpa Lee got emotional when she uttered these words as he recollected something. "You have not yet forgiven grandpa for disowning you that day, right?" Grandpa Lee asked her as her reason clearly implied, his hurtful words of that day still affected her. ''Obviously, how can I? You humiliated me grandpa. All my hard work was overseen by you, just because I married the man your favourite granddaughter, Aera loved.'' Kiaraa thought to herself. "Grandpa, who am I to forgive you? Also, you didn''t commit any mistake for me to forgive you. It was me who committed a grave sin" A few drops of tears were collected near Kiaraa''s eyes. ''Hey, although you don''t like me, please don''t call our marriage a grave sin'' These were Song Ji Hun''s thoughts as he felt bad when he heard her words. "Elder sister, just a few minutes ago you said as long as you have Ji Hun, you don''t need anything else and now you are saying it was a grave sin to marry him. You are contradicting your own statements" Aera, who was annoyed with her sister''s drama, couldn''t help but speak up and expose her hypocrisy. "Firstly, he is your brother-in-law, don''t call him by his name, only I am allowed to call him Ji Hun" Kiaraa wiped away her tears and warned her sister, before adding, "Secondly, when did I say marrying Ji Hun was a sin? I only said I committed a grave sin, which was to get married without taking grandpa''s blessings. Thirdly¡­" Kiaraa held Song Ji Hun''s arm lovingly and smiled at him before looking at Aera, "Ji Hun is the best thing happened to me, I am not going to let go of him, no matter what" Kiaraa''s tone had a warning which was not just felt by Aera but by everyone present in the room as the hatred between the two sisters was nothing new for them. To make the matters worse, the two sisters ended up falling for the same man, ruining their already ruined relationship even more. Aera was furious with Kiaraa''s warning, "He is not a thing" she said out aloud, not caring about her reputation anymore. Song Ji Hun started having a headache, seeing them fight over him without even bothering what he actually wants, ''Once everything is sorted, I''ll take Kiaraa away somewhere'' he decided. "He can be anything for me, right Ji Hun?" Kiaraa lovingly looked at her husband, unaffected by Aera''s words. Rather, she enjoyed it as Aera was clearly pissed. Kiaraa doesn''t enjoy anything more than pissing her sister. "Hmm" Song Ji Hun only hummed as he didn''t wish to be trapped between these two sisters but unfortunately his life always got entangled with them. "See? So, you don''t tell me how I should refer ''MY HUSBAND'', is that clear?" Kiaraa focussed on the word ''MY HUSBAND'', annoying Aera so much, that she stood up from her seat and left from there. Grandpa Lee, helplessly shook his head. ''When will these two patch things up between them? Why can''t they live in peace like other sisters? I wish to see them talking lovingly with each other, at least once before I die'' Grandpa Lee made a wish. Chapter 15 - Emotional Fool "Grandpa, about Lee conglomerate maybe brother Hyuk should take over it" Kiaraa reminded her grandpa of the serious discussion they were having which was interrupted by her stupid sister. "Oh, right." Grandpa recollected their discussion, "Dear, you too know that your elder brother is not as smart as you. Aera, is more interested in fashion and modelling. Gun, is too young. You are the only one perfect for this position" Grandpa Lee tried to convince her. "Hmm, then I''ll do one thing grandpa, I''ll become the temporary CEO of the Lee conglomerate, and will train Gun under me. Once he is capable enough to handle this position, I''ll handover the CEO position to him" Kiaraa acted like she just came up with this idea and found a solution to grandpa Lee''s problem. Lee Gun is the youngest Lee in the family and Kiaraa''s younger cousin brother. Everyone present there were surprised, as Kiaraa is not a charitable person. She doesn''t even donate a penny to orphanages, then how can she giveaway the entire Lee Conglomerate to her younger brother is what everyone thought. Song Ji Hun was the only one, who able to see through her strategy. He smiled to himself, ''As expected of this wicked woman'' "Kiaraa, what do you mean?" Grandpa Lee too was surprised at her suggestion as he knows her from the day she was born and this is not something Kiaraa would ever do. Giveaway something that she believes belongs to her is next to impossible. If Kiaraa gets her hold on something, then it is forever hers, even if she doesn''t like it. So, her suggesting giving up on the Lee Industries surprised the old man. "Grandpa, to be honest, I know someday you would wish for Gun to take over the whole business as he is the only Lee grandson you have. Brother Hyuk technically belongs to the Choi Family, I belong to the Song family and Aera will belong to whichever family, she marries into. Lee Gun is the only one to stay in the Lee family. So, I am sure, one day you will snatch away everything from me and give it to Gun. Not that I am complaining, the past is proof enough to know what you would be doing next. Therefore, I just suggested what you will anyway suggest few years later, right now." Kiaraa unhesitatingly shared her thoughts. Everyone in the room was speechless. She perfectly predicted what her grandpa might actually do but the way she said it was hurtful and offensive. "You mean, I will use you for my gain and then give away your hard work to Gun?" Grandpa Lee was now surer that she didn''t forgive him for disowning her. "Grandpa, you are not wrong. Your heart lies at the best interest of our companies and our family, so this is indeed the right thing to do. I too agree with this idea. Let''s do this" Kiaraa spoke enthusiastically as if she is some great person, who would sacrifice what she likes for her family. "Kiaraa, you think your grandpa is so disgusting that he would use you for his business and snatch everything away from you?" "No grandpa, don''t take it the wrong way. If you can disown me once, you can do it again too, so this time I am trying my best to stay detached from the Lee Industries. The time when my rights were taken away from me, it took me a lot of time to accept the truth and get over it. I just don''t wish to go through that pain again" Kiaraa calmly put her point forward. As soon as Kiaraa was done talking, Grandpa Lee took out his phone and called his lawyer. "Mr Ahn, prepare a legal document which would ensure all the 70% of the shares that I hold of Lee Industries are transferred to Kiaraa. Also, once transferred, I would lose all my rights in the company and can never take it back from her. Please, prepare a strong legal document in Kiaraa''s favour, transferring the rights of Lee Industries on her name." Grandpa Lee declared. ''Emotional fool'' Kiaraa laughed to herself as her grandpa fell in her trap. ''I promised myself to make you pay for disowning me grandpa and now I fulfilled the promise I made to myself'' Kiaraa evilly thought. Chapter 16 - Drama Everyone stood up in shock when they heard what grandpa Lee said on the phone. "Dad, do you realize what you are doing?" Lee Man Sik, who had been calm till now observing the family drama unfold in front of him, couldn''t keep his calm and shouted at his father. Grandpa Lee has three children, his first son is Kiaraa and Aera''s father, second is his daughter, Lee Min Seo, who is married in the Choi family and Choi Hyuk is her son, third is his son Lee Man Sik, who has only one son named Lee Gun. Out of his three children, Kiaraa and Aera''s father, Lee Myung Soo was the smartest and the most capable, therefore the whole family business was under his control. Lee Min Seo, in her young days was rebellious and spoiled. She never cared about business and she only cared about partying and hanging out with her friends. During one such outing, she met Choi Chan Woo at a very young age and one day spontaneously she made a decision to marry him and in spite of opposition from her father, she got married to Choi Chan Woo. The first ten years of their marriage went fine but after that, things didn''t work out, so she got separated from him, left her home and came back to the Lees. Since then, she and her son Choi Hyuk had been living with the Lees. That was when Lee Min Seo realized the importance of having hold on power. She tried to inculcate herself in the family business but she was not able to manage or understand anything as she lacked the skills required. Therefore, she decided to train her son well, so that he can take over the Lee conglomerate someday but unfortunately for her, Kiaraa, her niece too had her eyes on the same things as she. Lee Man Sik, had been the youngest and most pampered kid of the Lee family. Although, he had the resources to enjoy and party, he was always studious and focussed on his studies more. When it was time for him to take over a high position in the Lee industries, everyone realized this son of theirs is good at studies and theoretical knowledge but lacked practical understanding. He was not good at handling business and clients, therefore slowly he too lost his hold on the Lee industries and worked under his elder brother''s shadow. Just like his elder sister, he too hoped to train his son well enough to take over the Lee Industries and hold the power through him. Kiaraa was the biggest hurdle they all had. When grandpa Lee disowned her, except for Lee Gun and Aera, every Lee partied that night. Lee Gun loved his sister, Kiaraa and always looked up to her. He was therefore, heartbroken at grandpa Lee''s decision. Kiaraa married the man, Aera had been in love with, all her life, so she was heartbroken too but for a different reason. Even grandpa Lee''s decision to disown Kiaraa didn''t make her happy as she lost her true love to her sister. Nothing could make her feel better. Therefore, now, when they heard grandpa Lee''s decision to transfer Lee conglomerate legally to Kiaraa, everyone was shocked and unhappy. "Dad, do you realize what you are doing?" Lee Man Sik, shouted at his father. He couldn''t keep calm seeing everything that belonged to them was being given away to Kiaraa. "Dad, don''t talk to grandpa in this tone" Lee Gun couldn''t believe his calm and silent, father was shouting at his grandpa. "You don''t dare meddle in between" Lee Man Sik warned his son and looked at his father. "Dad, how can you transfer everything to Kiaraa? What about your other three grandchildren?" He questioned him. Aera and Choi Hyuk came downstairs, when they heard someone shout, only to witness their quiet, composed uncle shouting at the old man. "I agree with Man Sik, dad. What about Aera, Choi Hyuk and Lee Gun?" Lee Min Seo too asked her father. She didn''t care about Aera and Lee Gun but Aera is grandpa Lee''s favourite grandchild, so she wanted to use her and to get Lee Man Sik''s support she had to mention his son. "Do we only have Lee conglomerate? We have many other properties, jewellery and antiques; it will be distributed equally amongst all the four grandkids. You all don''t have to worry." Grandpa Lee answered his children. "Four grandkids? Which means Kiaraa will overall get more from you than other three?" Lee Man Sik asked his father. "Yes" Grandpa Lee unhesitatingly said. A smirk was painted on Kiaraa''s lips when she heard the firm decision of her grandfather. "Control your happiness, don''t betray your acting or all your efforts will be wasted" Song Ji Hun whispered in his wife''s ears. Kiaraa immediately composed herself and glared at him, "Don''t preach me" She mouthed these words, before turning her attention back to the family drama. Kiaraa always loves whenever there is some drama in her family. Chapter 17 - I Want To Be The CEO Kiaraa always loves whenever there is some drama in her family. "Dad, are you serious? How is this fair to Aera, Hyuk and Gun?" Lee Min Seo was pissed at her father''s decision. Their eldest brother, Lee Myung Soo had more power and more assets than her and Man Sik and now Kiaraa would be holding more power than their children. Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik were not fine with having their children suffer the same fate as them. "Elder sister is right, you are being unfair to Aera, Hyuk and Gun" Lee Man Sik added in support of his sister. "Dad, I don''t need¡­" "YOU SHUT UP!!!" Lee Man Sik shouted at his son, who was about to say he doesn''t care about all of this. "Why it has to be fair?" Grandpa Lee questioned his two children surprising them. "What do you mean, father?" Lee Min Seo couldn''t believe what her dad said. "I built Lee conglomerate all by myself, then it was Myung Soo who brought our companies to its current position. What the hell did you two do except for enjoying money mined through his hard work? When you used to party till late night, it was Myung Soo who used to stay at the office till late hours, working his ass off." Grandpa Lee taunted his daughter before turning to look at his son. "When you messed up deals because of your stupidity and lack of practical knowledge, it was Myung Soo, who corrected your mistakes and saved the company from heavy losses" Grandpa Lee taunted his son. "You two, have been nothing but just a burden on the family. Myung Soo did all the hard work so being his daughter, Kiaraa deserves to inherit more than others" Grandpa Lee made himself clear. Kiaraa, who was completely enjoying this drama, was shocked when her quiet sister suddenly spoke up. "Then what about me, grandpa?" Aera questioned him. Not just Kiaraa but everyone present in the room were shocked. Aera was the kindest person in this house. She was not greedy and never had her eyes on money or Lee conglomerate. Whole her life, she only wanted to be Song Ji Hun''s wife and needed nothing else. If it would have been old Aera, she wouldn''t have cared about all this drama but today the scenario was different. Today, she decided to not keep quiet like she did her whole life, today she will fight for her rights. "What about me, grandpa? I am also my dad''s daughter. If Kiaraa deserves to have everything as dad built this whole organization, then don''t I equally deserve it?" Aera questioned her grandpa, who was as shocked as everyone present there. ''WHAT THE FUCK!!'' Kiaraa loudly cursed in her mind. She never thought her kitten-like sister, would suddenly turn the tables like this. Kiaraa was about to speak up, when Song Ji Hun suddenly held her hand, stopping her from saying anything. "Now is not the time" Song Ji Hun whispered in a low volume. ''Why is he suddenly favouring Aera?'' Kiaraa was pissed at him and pulled her hand back from his hold. "What about me, grandpa?" Aera again asked her grandpa. "Aera, I thought you are not interested in business. Your modelling career is going great. So, I thought¡­" "Grandpa, I want to be the CEO of the Lee conglomerate" Aera declared surprising everyone present there. Kiaraa was the most shocked as she never thought her dumb sister would play a dirty trick like this. ''Playing dirty is my thing, Aera. Not Yours'' At that moment, Kiaraa wished to kill her sister. Choi Hyuk, Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik were shocked too and were standing speechlessly. After composing herself, Lee Min Seo decided to speak up but her son stopped her. "Aera, will be in our control, don''t worry" Choi Hyuk assured his mother as he reminded her in a whisper of how they always kept Aera in their control. "Dad, I don''t mind Aera taking over the Lee conglomerate" Lee Min Seo immediately expressed her support. "Yes grandpa, even I am fine if Aera takes over the CEO position" Choi Hyuk added. Aera got emotional seeing her elder brother and aunt supporting her. Lee Man Sik looked at his sister in surprise as he didn''t understand why she agreed to Aera being the CEO but he too decided to express his support as anyone was better than Kiaraa to take over this power. Aera was a simple girl so they can manipulate her later, therefore he too supported Aera. Aera was overwhelmed with happiness as she didn''t expect their family would support her decision. This made her proud for what she did. Kiaraa was annoyed as she could see why everyone was in favour of Aera. ''I am not going to let Aera take anything that belongs to me'' Kiaraa promised herself. "Are you all serious?" Grandpa Lee didn''t expect the whole family to be in Aera''s support. "No, I disagree. Elder sister is more perfect for this role, as she is trained and she has her own business which had been doing well even when she was not here for the last four months. That is the kind of business she built" Lee Gun, spoke up in support of Kiaraa. ''Gun is the only one in this family who truly cares about me. I am forever thankful to you, Gun for being a part of my life'' Kiaraa thought to herself. "All of you, calm down" Grandpa Lee was confused with this current situation. Aera was his favourite grandchild, who didn''t ask him for anything else till date except for Song Ji Hun. He couldn''t even bring her the guy she wants. Song Ji Hun was not a thing, so it was not in grandpa Lee''s control to get him for Aera but this CEO position is something he can actually give her. But he just promised Kiaraa he will give it to her. Right now, he was in a very tough dilemma as he had no idea, what to do. Chapter 18 - Please Give Her The CEO Position Right now, grandpa Lee was in a very tough dilemma as he had no idea, what to do. On one side was his favourite grandchild, Aera, who asked him something for the first time which he can actually give her. On the other side was his grandchild, who he wronged by disowning her and almost lost her, few months ago. Only he knew how much he regretted his behaviour towards Kiaraa. Today, he got a chance to right what he did wrong with Kiaraa and he also got a chance to finally give Aera, what she wants as he failed in getting Aera married to Song Ji Hun. Unfortunately, he can only fulfil one granddaughter''s wish and disappoint the other one. ''God, is this why you kept me alive? To punish me like this?'' Grandpa Lee thought to himself. After thinking for a while and cursing his situation, Grandpa Lee finally made a decision. "As we are at a weird crossroad right now, I need more time to decide, which of you two would take over the CEO position" Grandpa Lee declared. Kiaraa was agitated at the new turn of events but she tried to keep her calm and continue her act. She smiled at her grandpa and said, "Grandpa, you don''t need to take more time to decide. At this age, you should relax and enjoy yourself instead of bothering about such politics. I suggest please giveaway all your shares and the CEO position to Aera." Kiaraa then looked at Aera with love, before adding, "Grandpa, we all know how much she pined for Song Ji Hun all her life. She was crazy about him and her only wish, throughout her life was to be his wife. We all know, that didn''t happen" Kiaraa looked at her sister sadly but Aera could see how her sister was humiliating her by reminding her of the past. Song Ji Hun had to helplessly see Kiaraa talk about the topic, he hates the most. "Since then, this was the first time I am seeing Aera desire for something. Unlike Song Ji Hun, whom she can never have in her life, Lee conglomerate is something she can" Aera tightly clenched her fist as she had the urge to kill her sister, right there. Kiaraa didn''t let go of a chance to remind Aera of how Song Ji Hun can never be hers. "Therefore, please give her the CEO position grandpa. I don''t mind" Kiaraa announced looking like the greater person between the two but everyone, present there knew something was going on in Kiaraa''s mind as she would never let go of the entire conglomerate without a fair fight. This time even Song Ji Hun, couldn''t see through Kiaraa''s plan and wondered what she would do next. Grandpa was shocked seeing Kiaraa acting like a matured person as it was always Aera, who was more matured in spite of being two years younger than Kiaraa. "Kiaraa, are you serious?" Grandpa again asked her. "Grandpa, didn''t I tell you earlier? As long as Song Ji Hun is with me, I don''t need anything else" Kiaraa looked at Aera and brightly smiled. "Today, your dream of marrying Song Ji Hun was almost fulfilled. He was almost yours but unfortunately that didn''t happen. So, the least I can do for you is, give up on the conglomerate. You can keep it to yourself, Aera" Kiaraa first looked apologetic then she turned into a great person, who would sacrifice everything for her sister. "ENOUGH Kiaraa" Ji Seo Yun, Song Ji Hun''s mother shouted at her daughter-in-law, "Stop reminding Aera of the past. It doesn''t look like you are consoling her, but it seems like you are humiliating her" Song Ji Hun''s family too was present there in the living room, but since this matter concerned the internal discussion of the Lees, they decided to keep quiet. It won''t be appropriate for them to meddle in Lee''s matters and they couldn''t even walk away from there so they were stuck in this situation. Therefore, the least Songs could do was try to reduce their presence as much as they can by not intervening in this affair but their daughter-in-law suddenly spoke up, ruining the peace from their end. Ji Seo Yun angrily glared at Kiaraa after scolding her. It was not very surprising, as everyone was aware of how much Song Ji Hun''s mother loves and admired Aera, while dislikes Kiaraa. After her son got married to Kiaraa, Ji Seo Yun''s hatred deepened towards her. "Mother, don''t meddle in my family matters and you don''t need to teach me how I should talk to my sister" Kiaraa didn''t mind letting go of her ''good person'' image for Ji Seo Yun. Her good image was only reserved for the Lees, not the Songs and definitely not for her so-called mother-in-law. "How dare you talk to me in this tone?" Ji Seo Yun questioned her. Chapter 19 - Official Announcement "How dare you talk to me in this tone?" Ji Seo Yun questioned her. She expected Kiaraa to continue her fake act with her too and didn''t expect her to insult her by talking back. Kiaraa chuckled as if she heard some joke, "One does not need guts to talk back to worthless people, who live on other people''s money and show-off as if it belongs to them" Ji Seo Yun''s eyes widened in shock and she looked at her son, who was helplessly shaking his head. "You will let her speak to me like that?" ''And it happened'' Song Ji Hun knew his mom will next shout at him. "Mom, you brought it upon yourself" Song Ji Hun calmly answered and walked away from there, to make a phone call. He could make this call some other time, but he chose to leave amidst this drama, unlike Kiaraa he prefers leading a peaceful life and hates drama. "How dare he talk to me like this and walk away?" Ji Seo Yun was furious with her son and glared at Kiaraa, "You did something to my son, you are the reason he is acting like this, he never talks to me in this tone, you are ruining a mother and son''s relationship." "Honey, stop being rude to Kiaraa. Don''t forget she is our daughter-in-law" Song Jae Ho, her husband stepped up to make peace. "Then why don''t you scold her for being rude to me?" Ji Seo Yun questioned her husband. "You are the elder one here, stop acting like a child" Her husband scolded her and looked at Kiaraa, "Dear, don''t mind her but from the next time please be respectful towards your mother-in-law, after all she is older than you." Song Jae Ho, nicely talked to Kiaraa and politely requested her. "Sorry father, I''ll be mindful the next time" Song Jae Ho, is the only person from the Song family, Kiaraa truly respects. So, she didn''t go against her father-in-law and was polite towards him. "Grandpa, coming on to the main topic, I don''t mind you giving away the Lee conglomerate to Aera. It also seems, this is what uncle and aunt too would prefer. If majority of the family wishes to see Aera, taking over our businesses, I am sure it is the right thing to do" Aera was not feeling happy about this situation, especially after she heard Kiaraa''s words. She announced she wants the CEO position only to hurt Kiaraa and to show her how it feels to crave for something your whole life, almost have it but get it snatched away at the last minute. She wanted Kiaraa to suffer but here Kiaraa was talking as if Lee conglomerate belongs to her and she is sacrificing it for Aera. It didn''t make Aera happy at all. She can''t even play dirty tricks like Kiaraa and say she doesn''t want the position as she herself said it out aloud that she wants it. ''Let it be, I''ll first gain some power and eventually I''ll make Song Ji Hun mine'' Aera decided. Grandpa Lee looked at Aera and smiled, "Dear, are you sure you can carry the responsibilities of the Lee conglomerate well?" This was the final step of confirmation he needed before he officially announces the next heir to the family. Later, he would announce it to the media too. Aera hesitated before answering her grandpa''s question. ''In the heat of the moment, I said I want it but can I manage everything?'' Aera was kind of regretting her decision but she casually glanced at her sister, who was smirking at her. Kiaraa''s gaze clearly said, ''YOU CAN''T DO IT! YOU WILL FAIL'' "Yes grandpa, I can do it. I won''t disappoint you" Aera declared. "Kiaraa, you too sure about your decision?" Grandpa Lee asked her and she nodded in affirmative. Grandpa Lee asked everyone''s opinion from the Lee family. Except for Lee Gun, all agreed with Aera being the CEO. As the majority of the family was in favour of it, grandpa Lee announced his decision. "I am going to make an official announcement declaring Aera as the next CEO but¡­" Grandpa Lee paused and looked at every member, who paid utmost attention to him as they didn''t expect a ''but'' in the sentence, except for Kiaraa, who was hoping to hear something that is in her favour. She knows her grandpa well. No matter what, he won''t give away his hard work by taking an emotional decision. In Kiaraa''s case, he knew her capabilities so he didn''t mind giving his business to her but the same was not the case with Aera and therefore Kiaraa pulled this fake act. "I am going to make an official announcement declaring Aera as the next CEO but...." Chapter 20 - Amazing Actor "I am going to make an official announcement declaring Aera as the next CEO but the 70% shares will still be under my control." Grandpa Lee looked at Aera, "Dear, as much as I appreciate the interest you showed in our business for the first time, I can''t ignore the fact that you don''t have a degree in business management like Kiaraa. You don''t know anything about handling business but you seem to have the strong willpower to run it. Therefore, I''ll make you the temporary CEO of the Lee conglomerate for the next six months in which you need to prove your worth to continue being the CEO." Kiaraa was happy with this decision but her happiness didn''t last longer. Grandpa Lee then turned to face Kiaraa, "As you showed support towards your sister, I hope you would continue to do that. Therefore, I want you to train Aera and teach her how to run a business. Earlier, just like you suggested you will train Gun, do the same with Aera." Kiaraa, who was happy until now, was shocked when she heard her grandpa''s last request. ''WHAT THE FUCK!!!'' She cursed this situation. "But grandpa, I have my own business to handle and since I haven''t been here for the last four months, I need to focus there. The reason I suggested I would train Gun was because he too is studying business management. Therefore, he won''t take much time but with Aera it will be difficult." Kiaraa tried to get out of this situation. "Hmm you are right but I really want both of you to run the business together, Kiaraa. Please reconsider my request, then we can come up with a plan to make this happen so that your business is not affected." Grandpa Lee patted her head. "I''ll think about it grandpa, give me some time" Kiaraa said, already thinking of ways to turn this problem into an opportunity. Just then there was a knock on the door, grabbing everyone''s attention and all the people looked at the entrance of the farmhouse. "Long time no see, everyone" A man brightly smiled looking at everyone and when his eyes fell on Kiaraa, his smile widened and he stepped towards her. "Kiaraa, you are indeed alive" He emotionally declared without losing that wide smile and tightly hugged her. Just then Song Ji Hun stepped in the living room after finishing his call, only to witness, this handsome, young man tightly hug his wife. Song Ji Hun clenched his fist in anger, as he was looking at the guy, he disliked the most since his childhood. After hugging Kiaraa to his heart''s content, Ian said, "Kiaraa, what is this miracle? I still can''t believe you are alive and standing right in front of my eyes. You have no idea; how happy I am" Ian excitedly said, he even acted like he had tears in his eyes. ''What an amazing actor, he is'' Kiaraa thought to herself as it was Ian, who helped her fake her death but she normally smiled at him. "I can see that" she said. "Wow, Ian, you already reached here as soon as you got the news. Seems like you have some superpower to reach Boseong County so fast from Seoul" Song Ji Hun taunted him. Ian turned to look at Song Ji Hun and now the two men were standing facing each other. "Hey bro, sorry I couldn''t make to your wedding today morning" Ian indirectly taunted him back and hugged Song Ji Hun, who didn''t bother hugging him or patting his back. When Ian moved away, his sight fell on the big hickey that was left by Kiaraa on the side of Song Ji Hun''s neck. For a moment, Ian lost his happy smile and frowned but within a second, he composed himself and looked away. "Grandpa, your granddaughter is back, this calls for a celebration" Ian happily declared masking the pain he was going through right now. "Absolutely, Ian. I am glad you are here" Grandpa Lee was happy to see him. "Where is old man Kim? Why did he not show up for the wedding?" Grandpa Song questioned Ian as Ian is the grandson of their third best friend Kim Dong-il. Grandpa Lee, grandpa Song and grandpa Kim were childhood best friends and they never let their businesses ruin their friendship. That was why their friendship stayed strong all these years. "Actually, grandpa was not keeping well and¡­" Ian was giving an excuse when grandpa Song interrupted him. "Don''t lie to us, we know that old man very well. Your entire Kim family didn''t show up at the wedding to show your displeasure towards Aera and Song Ji Hun''s marriage" Chapter 21 - Love Of My Life It was true that the Kim family was disappointed, especially grandpa Kim that his best friends were getting their grandchildren married just four months after they lost Kiaraa. He believed this was a disrespect towards the girl, who just died by getting her husband married to her sister. Therefore, no one from the Kim family showed up at the wedding. It was their silent protest. Ian smiled awkwardly and ruffled his hair, "Yeah, because we all love Kiaraa a lot" Ian put his arm around Kiaraa''s shoulder annoying Song Ji Hun. "Enough of this talk, did you have your lunch?" Kiaraa worriedly asked Ian. ''I wish she could show at least 10% of that worry to me'' Song Ji Hun sulked in jealousy. "Not yet" "Then let''s have lunch together" Grandpa Lee declared and they all headed towards the dining room. Ian was walking with Kiaraa, his arm still around her shoulder. No one found it weird as Ian and Kiaraa have always been best friends since their childhood. Ian was the only man Kiaraa let near her before she married Song Ji Hun. Grandpa Lee sat at the head of the table position; his chair was the only one on the shorter end of the table. Kiaraa sat next to him, at one end of the longer side. Ian was about to sit next to her when Song Ji Hun suddenly exclaimed, "Wow, beautiful!" Ian turned to his left in reflex as Song Ji Hun was standing behind him at his left side but as soon as Ian turned, Song Ji Hun swiftly walked past him from his right and sat next to Kiaraa. By the time, Ian turned back towards the table in confusion, Song Ji Hun was already sitting on the chair, Ian was planning to sit on. ''Bastard'' Ian cursed the sneaky man and unwillingly sat next to him. "Why did you suddenly exclaim in surprise, Ji Hun?" Ian asked not letting him off the hook as because of that he couldn''t sit with Kiaraa. "I got excited when I saw so many dishes on the table" Song Ji Hun lied, happily sitting between Kiaraa and Ian. ''What a smooth liar!'' Ian cursed the man and looked at Aera, who was lost in her own world. Since, the moment grandpa announced she would be only a temporary CEO and has to work with Kiaraa, her mood turned foul. ''Today, is officially the worst day of my life'' Aera thought to herself. "Aera, why do you look sad? What happened?" Ian suddenly asked her, startling Aera as Ian rarely talks to her. He never bothered himself with anyone except for Kiaraa. "I am not sad. I am just tired" Aera casually answered him. "Hmm marriage arrangements can take toll on one''s health, it is damn tiring. Although the wedding didn''t happen, the arrangements must have been still exhausting for you two. Right, Ji Hun?" Ian taunted the two people. "Hey, don''t cross the line" Lee Gun suddenly warned Ian. Although, Lee Gun loves Kiaraa more and is closer to her, that doesn''t mean he would let an outsider bully his other elder sister, Aera. Kiaraa too taunted her multiple times, which everyone noticed but no one uttered a word as she just came back home after four months but if some outsider tries to insult Aera, then the Lee family won''t take it lightly. "Wow, seems like the kid is growing up" Ian smiled at Gun, not getting offended by what he just said. "Hmm, even this kid is growing up, don''t know when the adult-you, would grow up?" Song Ji Hun taunted Ian. "Don''t bother about me" Ian replied. "I really don''t want to but when you keep showing up in my personal space, how can I not?" Song Ji Hun taunted back. "How can I not show up after knowing my best friend is alive?" Unlike their grandpas, Ian and Song Ji Hun are frenemies. They are sometimes friendly but majority of the time, an unspoken rivalry exists between them. This was therefore not new for others, seeing them banter like this. Song Ji Hun didn''t respond and ignored his statement. "Grandpas, did you miss me?" Ian asked the two old men. "Hmm, we missed your whole family as your grandpa hadn''t been talking to us for the past few weeks" Grandpa Lee said. "Don''t worry grandpa, after we got to know Kiaraa is alive, we were so happy that mom, dad and grandpa decided to fly here tomorrow to specially meet her" Ian informed them. "Then you too should have come with them" Song Ji Hun indirectly expressed his displeasure to see Ian here. "How can I not come after knowing the love of my life, is actually alive" Ian seriously said, surprising everyone at the table except for Kiaraa. Chapter 22 - Rejected Him "Hahaha, I am kidding" Ian laughed loudly after seeing how shocked everyone was. "God, this kid" Lee Min Seo smiled, helplessly shaking her head. "How can you all fall for his lies? Have you forgotten what a big prankster he is" Kiaraa casually said as she indeed believed or rather hoped he was joking. "Don''t crack such jokes, I don''t like it" Song Ji Hun warned Ian. "Chill bro" Ian laughed teasingly but he was hurting inside after what Kiaraa said. Joking was his defence mechanism to hide his pain. They all had lunch talking about regular stuff. After lunch, Ian and Kiaraa went for a walk outside. "I hope she will open up and would let us know, where she was in these four months" Grandpa Lee worriedly exclaimed, sharing his pain with his friend. "Don''t worry, give her some time, I am sure she has some plausible explanation for what happened" Grandpa Song consoled him. Song Ji Hun was heading to his room, when grandpa Lee stopped him. "Ji Hun, did Kiaraa tell you where she was these four months?" "She is upset with me as I agreed to marry Aera within four months of her alleged demise. She is not talking to me" Song Ji Hun said this much and left from there. "Earlier, didn''t she seem happy with Ji Hun?" Grandpa Song looked confused. "Maybe she loves him but she is also a bit upset about all of this. Should we tell her we forced Song Ji Hun to marry Aera?" Grandpa Lee voiced out his thoughts. "No. Your and Kiaraa''s relationship just started improving, don''t spoil it. I have faith in my grandson he will pacify her" Grandpa Song continued consoling his friend. The two then looked out at the lawn where Kiaraa and Ian were discussing something seriously. "I hope she at least shares everything with Ian, after all he is her best friend" Grandpa Lee commented to which grandpa Song just nodded his head. Song Ji Hun entered the gallery of his room and took out a cigarette, he lighted it up while seriously looking at his wife and her best friend walking around the lawn, with mixed emotions of anger and jealousy. After they entered the lawn area, Kiaraa checked her surroundings before scolding Ian, "Why did you come so fast? Shouldn''t you at least come in the evening? There is a loophole in your actions." "Hey, I was getting bored and wanted to meet you" Ian complained. "Ian, Song Ji Hun is damn smart, if he joins all the doubts, he will know I faked my death and you helped me" "I hope you didn''t forget that Song Ji Hun might be the person behind your parents'' death. Rather, he is most probably the one. Remember, he met with your parents just before their accident?" Ian was worried about her feelings towards Song Ji Hun so he reminded her of this. "I didn''t forget anything, Ian. How can I?" Kiaraa glared at him, "By the way, I troubled Aera so much¡­" "You keep troubling Aera but you keep rewarding Song Ji Hun" Ian interrupted her, looking upset. "Rewarding?" Kiaraa stopped walking and raised her eyebrows in question. "I saw the hickeys you left on him" Kiaraa laughed loudly, "It was so amazing Ian, after I left those hickeys, Aera came to our room and saw those hickeys, you should have seen the look on her face" Kiaraa smiled happily, looking proud of herself. "Was that look something closer to this?" Ian pointed at his own face and questioned her. The smile on her face froze due to Ian''s actions. "Ian" She softly called his name looking beyond belief. "It hurts me, Kiaraa. Seeing you with him, hurts me" Ian didn''t hide his dismay. "Ian, you promised¡­" "I did but I am sorry, okay? It hurts me seeing you two together. The thought that you two got intimate, kills me." Ian was straightforward about his feelings. "Ian, even if I wouldn''t have been with Mr Song, you know I would never be with you either." "It would have been better if you were single and not be with me than you be with him" "Ian, you said years ago that you are over me, you moved on. Then why are you saying all of this? Have you been lying to me all these years?" "Well, it is just that, I wouldn''t have minded you being with someone else. Anyone is fine except for Song Ji Hun" "I am not with Mr Song because I love him. You know everything, so stop bothering me about these silly things and please let''s focus on important stuff" Kiaraa didn''t like having this kind of discussion. That''s why the first time Ian confessed his feelings, she rejected him. ... Hey guys, thanks for all the support. I won wpc - Gold Prize. Please continue showering your love, it means a lot. Also please leave your reviews on this novel.. For this month, I''ll be releasing chapters every alternate day. Thank you!! Chapter 23 - Story That''s why the first time Ian confessed his feelings, she rejected him. She doesn''t see herself being involved in romantic relationships. Any man, who likes Kiaraa is avoided by her and she prefers staying away from such men. Ian therefore had to put a lot of efforts to assure her he is over his feelings and moved on as he didn''t wish to lose his friendship with Kiaraa. Only then did Kiaraa let him be near her and their friendship didn''t fall apart. "Hmm, sorry" Ian apologized to her. "It''s okay but I must say one thing" "Hmm?" "Your taste in women sucks" Kiaraa and Ian laughed together at what she said. Seeing them laugh, Song Ji Hun was pissed and headed back to the room, as he was not able to take this anymore but neither could he stop them from spending any time. He was helpless. Kiaraa then informed Ian of how her grandpa was about to transfer the company to her and at the final moment Aera played her cards. "It seems the little rabbit is learning how to play games" Ian commented. "Hmm, I really want to crush this little rabbit and separate her head from its body" "Kiaraa" Ian scolded her, "Don''t you ever dare think of murdering her. You are not a criminal, Kiaraa" "Chill! If I wanted to kill her, I would have done it long ago. I am going to torture her in my own ways" "Stop it K, we are not sure if Aera is actually behind your parents'' death. You are not torturing the other four yet, so give her some slack" "I am going to torture other four too. For now, it is her turn as she wanted to marry my husband, how dare she. I have to make her pay for it, Ian." Ian helplessly shook her head seeing how possessive Kiaraa was of a man she is not even in love with. He wondered what would happen to the man, she would actually fall for. Then Ian and Kiaraa once again discussed the lie she would share with her whole family about the last four months. "They might not get convinced of your story but don''t forget we have enough proof to back it up" "Got it, did you find dirt on Choi Hyuk?" Kiaraa then asked him. "Hmm, I did. When would you want all that information?" Ian asked her. "How about we serve Choi Hyuk''s drama tonight for dinner?" Kiaraa smirked at him. "It is going to be cruel, Kiaraa. He will be destroyed." "That''s the plan" Kiaraa was happy. After talking to Ian, Kiaraa called everyone to the living room. She informed them that she was now ready to share the story behind her disappearance. Ian and Kiaraa, both didn''t expect Ian would be present here while she would share the truth with everyone. They were relieved as he would be able to indirectly handle the situation if any problem arises. The Song and The Lee family were seated in the living room. Song Ji Hun was curious to know what story she would be coming up with. Kiaraa started explaining what happened in the last four months. "Four months ago, after my accident, I fell in the river and lost my consciousness. I think some nearby fishermen in some small town found me but I fell in the state of coma for the last four months." "I woke up ten days ago. It took me some time to recover my energy and organize my thoughts. My mind was all dizzy as if I lost some memories." "But then in the local news I saw the announcement of Ji Hun and Aera''s wedding. That''s when I recollected everything" "Last night; I was able to find out where this wedding is taking place. So, using whatever resources I had, I reached here on time to stop the wedding" Kiaraa completed her story. ''Which drama did she watch to steal this story from?'' Aera sarcastically thought. ''What a liar! She seriously thinks we will believe this lame story?'' Ji Seo Yun, Song Ji Hun''s mother thought. ''I hope they have enough proofs to back-up this lie'' Song Ji Hun hoped. ''My poor child, suffered so much'' Grandpa Lee felt sad. Others didn''t have much thoughts. "Kiaraa, we searched all the nearby local villages after your accident hoping to find you but we were not able to" Ian voiced the doubt that was on everyone''s mind. Chapter 24 - Tigress "Kiaraa, we searched all the nearby local villages after your accident hoping to find you but we were not able to" Ian voiced the doubt that was on everyone''s mind. "Hmm, even I wonder how did you all not find me" Kiaraa acted along. "Ian, it was you right, who looked into these neighbouring towns" Aera reminded everyone. "Yeah, it was me. That''s why I am so confused" Ian acted confused, "Kiaraa, give me all the details of the town you were in" "Sure" "But your perfect timing is just so strange. You showed up right before the vows" Aera suspiciously raised her point. "I agree. I guess even the fate does not wish for you to marry my husband." Kiaraa taunted her back. "Kiaraa, just to clarify, it was me, who forced Aera and Song Ji Hun to agree to this marriage" Grandpa Song decided to chime in and clear Aera''s name as Kiaraa had been insulting her for a while now. He also wished to protect his best friend, so he took all the blame upon him as he hoped Kiaraa will respect his age. "Grandpa, I grew up with Aera. I know what she is, you don''t have to lie." Kiaraa indirectly asked the old man to shut up and not cover for her sister. Grandpa Song was speechless. He never expected Kiaraa would be rude to him too. In their culture, no matter what, elder people are respected and well treated by the younger ones. "Kiaraa, don''t be rude, be respectful." Grandpa Lee scolded her. "If one wants to earn some respect, they should not lie" Kiaraa answered him back. "You are right. It was me, who requested grandpa to get me married to Song Ji Hun. You know why?" Aera interrupted this discussion and furiously glared at Kiaraa, "Because I am in love with him, I had always been in love with him. It was you, who stole your younger sister''s love" Aera was done being treated like a carpet by Kiaraa. So, she decided to remind her sister, who broke the past promise and who stole whose love. Kiaraa smirked in satisfaction, she always loves it when her sweet, rabbit-like sister, turns into a tigress and acts like her. Fighting is fun only with people, who are equal, what fun it is to fight with someone, who is a pushover. "Hmm, I am a bad person, maybe the worst one for stealing the man my sister was in love with, sorry in one-sided love with." Kiaraa then smirked at her, "But then what are you, who is trying to steal her sister''s husband, who is in a mutually consensual marriage?" Kiaraa''s question turned Aera speechless. ''I am better than this, I am not some evil vamp. I am a good person but what is this bitch turning me into?'' Aera cursed herself in her mind but she was done taking shit from her sister. "I am sure the story she just shared of falling in a coma and losing her memory is full of shit. She is obviously lying. Within twenty-four hours, I''ll find the proof and will validate your so-called story" Aera shouted at Kiaraa as she had no other response. "Please do that, it will be a huge favour on me" Kiaraa was unaffected as Ian already arranged the proofs to back-up this story. "Anything else you all wish to ask me?" Kiaraa looked at other people ignoring Aera. "After waking up from your coma and getting back your memory, why did you not call us? We could have just come over to receive you" Song Ji Hun''s mother asked her. "I didn''t remember anyone''s phone number. So, I called our company''s reception number after finding it on the website and asked them to connect me to anyone from the Lee family." "I told the receptionist that I am Kiaraa Lee but she didn''t believe me and assumed I am lying. She thought it is a prank call" "I found out on news that they would be getting married here, so I reached this location. When the security saw me at the gate, they were shocked to see me but they let me in" Kiaraa confidently answered her mother-in-law. "You seemed really calm and composed when you arrived at the wedding. Shouldn''t you have been shocked seeing your beloved husband marrying your sister?" Her aunt, Lee Min Seo questioned Kiaraa. "I already knew they were getting married via news channels, not that I showed up and then saw this dreamy, fairy-tale like picture in front of me. I also knew even if I show up late, this marriage would still be illegal as I am still alive. So, I was not worried and I stayed calm." "Anything else?" She again looked at everyone. Chapter 25 - Black Handkerchief "Anything else?" She again looked at everyone but seeing her confidence they had no questions. Also, they decided to wait for Aera to find the proof she said she would to validate this information. "Nothing else dear, you go to your room and take some rest." Song Jae Ho, her father-in-law suggested. "Thank you, father." Kiaraa stood up from her seat and asked the servants to bring her dresses to her room after they are delivered as she ordered a few dresses online a while ago. Kiaraa then went back to her room to take some rest. After reaching her room, she messaged Ian to share all the information he found on Choi Hyuk with her. Tonight, she is planning to ruin Choi Hyuk''s reputation with the information she has on him. ''Who among you five killed my parents and why? What the fuck did you even get by killing them?'' She thought, leaning her head on the bed rest and closing her eyes. ''Whoever it is, I am going to kill you'' she decided, ''But except for you, Aera, if it is indeed you, who killed them, I am going to keep you alive. I can''t kill you. Mom and dad will be disappointed in me if I do'' Kiaraa had tears in her eyes with these thoughts. She was seriously thinking of what to do next, while tears didn''t stop flowing out. Annoyed by these tears she stepped towards a handbag kept on the table in her room. Earlier, when she appeared here, she kept this handbag in the car she came in. Earlier, she asked a servant to deliver it to her room. She intentionally booked a car from a town, which was closer to the place where she claimed to have stayed in her story earlier. Before coming here, she and Ian took a lot of precautions. From her handbag she took out a black coloured handkerchief which had a small golden embroidery designed at its corner. It was a small, pretty logo-like design. Kiaraa seriously looked at this piece of cloth before using it to wipe her tears and suddenly the door to her room opened, startling her. She frowned when she saw Song Ji Hun appear. "What are you doing here?" she got annoyed. Song Ji Hun didn''t answer her, his gaze fell on the black handkerchief she was using and he saw her eyes which were clearly teary. He locked the door and stepped towards their bed, sitting on it relaxingly he went through all the messages on his phone. Since Kiaraa''s appearance, his phone didn''t stop vibrating as a lot of people were messaging, to check on him. "I asked you something. What the hell are you doing in my room?" Kiaraa got annoyed at his ignorance and shouted at him. "Keep your voice low if you don''t want others to hear you" Song Ji Hun didn''t even lift his head to look at the angry woman agitating her even more. Kiaraa hates being ignored. She stepped closer to the bed, "This is my room. GET OUT!" "Actually, this room is mine. If anyone should leave, it is supposed to be you" He coldly replied, still checking his phone. "Fine" Kiaraa was about to step towards the door, annoyed by his reaction when his words stopped her. "As long as I have Ji Hun, I don''t need anything else; Having Ji Hun on my side, is enough for me" He imitated what she said earlier in front of their families. "If you leave this room after spouting all that bullshit, everyone will be suspicious of our relationship. If that''s what you want, please feel free to leave" Song Ji Hun reminded her of the act they are supposed to put in front of their families. Kiaraa stopped in her tracks and looked at the man, who was seriously browsing through his phone. Frustratedly, she sat on the couch cursing herself. ''We need to leave for Seoul as soon as possible or else I will have to stay with this man in the same room.'' She thought. Song Ji Hun cautiously glanced at the woman sitting on the couch across, who looked like she was lost in some deep thoughts. His gaze then fell on the black handkerchief she was still clutching on. He went through a turmoil of emotions looking at it, ''I had no idea, she still has it'' he thought recollecting that dreadful day when he saw Kiaraa cry for the first time. Their thoughts were interrupted by a servant, who brought the shopping bags with clothes Kiaraa ordered for herself. "Thank you so much" Kiaraa politely smiled at the servant and after choosing a dress for herself, she decided to have a bath. She was desperate to get out of her aunt''s dress as soon as possible, although it was better than wearing Aera''s, it was still dreadful. Before entering the washroom, she carefully kept her black handkerchief back in her handbag. After she left, Song Ji Hun stepped towards her handbag and took out the same black handkerchief she had been holding, he carefully looked at it and saw the golden logo at the corner of it, ''Wow, it is indeed the same¡­'' "What the hell are you doing?" Kiaraa shouted at him from behind. He frowned in shock and stood still when he heard her. Chapter 26 - Who Is He? "What the hell are you doing?" Kiaraa, who just stepped out of the washroom saw Song Ji Hun holding her handkerchief and shouted at him. After Kiaraa entered the washroom, she realized she didn''t take a towel with her to dry herself, so she stepped out only to see Song Ji Hun going through her handbag. She got agitated as she believed he was spying on her by going through her contents. "This black handkerchief looked very unique, so I was checking it" Song Ji Hun composed himself and with partially honesty, he answered her. Kiaraa marched towards him and snatched away the piece of cloth, she put it in her bag and zipped it, "Why the hell would you go through my contents? Have you forgotten we are not allowed to enter each other''s personal space? You have no right to do this no matter what." She warned him. Triggered by her words, Song Ji Hun pinned her to the table behind trapping her between him and the wide table attached to the wall. "Then who has the right to do this?" Song Ji Hun coldly asked her. Kiaraa was confused seeing Song Ji Hun angry, as far as she remembers she never saw him angry no matter how she behaved. He was a cold and indifferent person, for sure, but Kiaraa never saw him get furious. Even when she taunted him in the past or was rude towards him, he never got upset. This was one of the reasons why his possible involvement in her parents'' murder, shook her as she could never imagine this calm looking man killing anyone. His and Aera''s possible involvements were very disturbing for Kiaraa and she hoped she was wrong. "You are at fault here, how dare you question me back instead?" Kiaraa retorted back in spite of her surprise. "Why were you going through my stuff?" "I just saw a piece of black cloth which looked familiar, therefore curiosity got the best of me" He answered her. "Familiar?" "Hmm" "You have any idea who it belongs to?" Kiaraa anxiously asked him. "Doesn''t it belong to you?" Song Ji Hun sarcastically questioned her. "I borrowed it from someone" she didn''t explain herself more. "Then don''t you know who you borrowed it from?" He raised his eyebrows in question. "Do you know or not, who it belongs to?" Kiaraa was running out of her patience. "It is a custom-made handkerchief, with a unique design. It is one of its kind and only the owner of this napkin has more copies of it." Kiaraa rolled her eyes at him, "I know all of that. Answer my question, first. Do you know, who it belongs to?" Although she was angry, Song Ji Hun could see desperation in her eyes to know who is the owner of this piece of cloth. "Hmm, I know" He finally said what she wanted to hear. Kiaraa''s eyes widened in shock, "You are messing with me or you really know?" "Alex Kwon, a renowned fashion designer specially designed this napkin for his friend. This is one of its kind because Alex Kwon never designs napkins for anyone." Kiaraa was now sure Song Ji Hun definitely knows who the owner of this napkin is. Finally, she can know all about the man she had been thinking about for last ten years, although occasionally. She tried to search for this man but the only information she was able to get was Alex Kwon designed it for a special friend and no matter how much she begged Alex, he refused to answer her. "Who does it belong to?" Kiaraa desperately asked him. "Did you steal this napkin, Kiaraa, that you don''t know who the owner is?" Song Ji Hun smirked at her. "That''s none of your business" She glared at him. "Cool" Song Ji Hun finally stepped away from her and was about to leave when Kiaraa stopped him, "Who is he?" "He?" "The owner of this handkerchief, who is he?" "How can you be so sure it is a ''he''?" Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows. "I met him" Kiaraa hated answering him but she was more desperate to know, who that man is. "Then you must know who he is. How can you meet someone and not know who that person is?" His tone was filled with sarcasm. "It is complicated and you don''t need to know the details. Just tell me, who he is" Kiaraa was clearly losing her cool. Song Ji Hun again stepped towards her and before she could take a step back, he held the sides of her waist and pulled her closer to him. "How dare you ask your husband, details about some other man so desperately?" Chapter 27 - Wreak Havoc "How dare you ask your husband, details about some other man so desperately?" Kiaraa gently pushed him and he let go of her, "Don''t touch me without my permission" she warned him. "So, with your permission I can, like that night?" he asked smirking lightly. "Can you stop mentioning that night. That stupid night was a mistake. Stop talking about it and stop making me uncomfortable" She shouted at him. "Sorry" Song Ji Hun was about to step away when she tightly clenched her fists, furious at herself for what she is going to do, "Who is he?" she again asked. Although Kiaraa hated being helpless but after ten years, she finally found a link to ''that man''. Years ago she gave up on finding him and accepted it as her fate, to never know who he is but today she unexpectedly got a new clue. Song Ji Hun was surprised as Kiaraa never asks the same thing again and again. If anyone chooses not to answer her, she too ignores that person, instead of nagging them. This was the first time she was being like this. "Why are you so desperate to know who he is?" He asked. "That''s none of your business" "Fine, since it is none of my business, I am not going to answer you" Song Ji Hun acted stubborn. "Why do you care about the reason? You are a person, who doesn''t meddle in other people''s business. Don''t tell me in the last four months, you became nosy like Aera" Kiaraa taunted him. "How can I not meddle into my wife''s business?" He narrowed his eyes at her. Kiaraa frowned at him, "Stop talking like I am actually your wife" "You are, remember we registered our marriage at the local district office?" "It is a sham marriage" Kiaraa wanted to shout loudly but she restrained herself from doing so. "Really? Then why did you suddenly show up at my wedding today morning?" Song Ji Hun took a step towards her and Kiaraa took a step back, as he looked different. "Why did you tell Aera, we are legally married and therefore even if I marry her, it won''t make a difference?" "Why are you pretending like we are happily married in front of our families?" "Why do you keep claiming your rights on me?" Kiaraa was about to trip as she collided with the bed but before that he hugged her waist and pulled her closer to him. "Why?" He seriously asked. Kiaraa was speechless, she was not sure how to answer his questions. "Don''t you ever dare call our marriage a sham" Song Ji Hun warned her. "If this marriage means so much to you, then why the hell did you agree to marry my sister and that too within four months of my apparent death?" Kiaraa questioned him. "Because¡­" "I don''t care" she interrupted him and gently pushed him away as she was still in his arms, "What I care about is who this handkerchief belongs to. If you don''t wish to tell me, then say so, don''t waste my time" Kiaraa stepped away and Song Ji Hun didn''t stop her. After picking up her towel, she headed back to the washroom for her bath. He kept looking at her retreating back going through a turmoil of emotions. Song Ji Hun kept standing there looking in the blank space when a phone call interrupted his thoughts. Seeing the caller ID, he deeply sighed and stepped into the gallery outside, "Hmm?" "They still don''t know about the news, should I tell them Kiaraa is alive?" Yang Nam-il asked directly coming on point. "No, it would wreak havoc, if they will find out" Song Ji Hun held the bridge of his nose worrying about the mess that is going to be created. "But they will know sooner or later" Yang Nam-il warned him. "Hmm, will see what to do when they''ll know. Until then, let''s try to delay this news from reaching them for as long as possible" "Ji Hun, I am trying my best but like last time, I might fail again" "Then learn from your mistakes and don''t fail this time" Song Ji Hun hung up the call. Yang Nam-il helplessly sighed. Chapter 28 - [Bonus ]I Dont Love Her After a while, Kiaraa came out of the bath wearing a light-yellow coloured cotton dress, her hair was wet so she stepped towards the mini cupboard to search for a hair dryer. Sensing the moment in the room, Song Ji Hun, who had been in deep thoughts until now, stepped inside. Seeing her state he scolded her, "Are you crazy? Why would you wet your hair at night? You''ll catch cold" "Stop pretending like you care" Kiaraa was still searching for her dryer. From some other drawer, Song Ji Hun calmly took out what she is looking for and handed it to her. "I am not pretending, Kiaraa. I do care" He replied. Kiaraa chuckled as if she heard some joke, "Please, save that act for someone else. I am pretty sure, after Aera it must have been you who was disappointed seeing me alive." Song Ji Hun decided to ask her what has been on his mind, since she uttered those words. It was a good opportunity. "Today morning why did you ask if I was disappointed to see you here and rather wished you were dead? Why would you accuse me of something like that?" His eyes looked very sad which didn''t go unnoticed by her. ''Why does he look so offended?'' Kiaraa wondered. "Why would I wish for you to be dead, Kiaraa? If that''s what I wanted why would I even marry you?" Song Ji Hun seriously questioned her. "I casually said those words, don''t mind me" Kiaraa coldly answered him. "Casually also don''t say such stuff" Song Ji Hun warned her and headed downstairs as he wanted to breathe in some fresh air and smoke. ''What is wrong with him?'' she asked herself. Downstairs Song Ji Hun ran into Ian, ''Fuck my life'' Ji Hun cursed in his heart and stepped out in the lawn ignoring him But Ian ignored his obvious rude gesture and followed him out. "Bro, what''s up. Earlier we didn''t get a chance to have a proper conversation, right?" Ian cheerfully smiled, greeting the cold man. "Why should we even converse?" Song Ji Hun wanted to be alone for a while and was not in mood to entertain him. "Because we are best friends Ji Hun" Ian said only to get glared at by the cold guy. "Okay, okay Yang Nam-il is your best friend, happy?" Ian asked to only get ignored by Song Ji Hun, who took out a cigarette. "Kiaraa doesn''t like smokers" Ian reminded him. "Why would I care?" "You are her husband and therefore you should care of your wife''s likes and dislikes." Ian said as a matter-of-fact. "Oh, I am surprised you accept that I am her husband" Song Ji Hun taunted Ian. "Woah! Am I sensing some sarcasm?" Ian didn''t lose his cheerful personality. "Seeing the way you behave, I don''t think you accepted that she is married now and would never be yours" Song Ji Hun''s harsh words stunned Ian. "Hmm, she is not mine on paper but she trusts me more than her own husband, she also cares about me and loves me" Ian''s cheerful personality was gone and was replaced by a cold aura. "Yeah, she indeed loves you" Song Ji Hun agreed, "But as a friend" he added pissing Ian. "At least she loves me" Ian countered. "Hmm, congratulations" Song Ji Hun took a puff from his cigarette, looking at the landscape ahead. "Are you jealous?" Ian tried to provoke him. "Why would I be jealous?" Song Ji Hun looked unaffected. "If my wife is closer to her best friend and hates me, then I would be jealous" Ian said. "That''s your problem" Ian smiled seeing Song Ji Hun trying hard to look unaffected, "In reality, this is your problem" "It is not" "You know what, Ji Hun? Your love towards Kiaraa is very obvious, but of course, she can''t see through it. She never could" Ian commented, talking from his personal experience. "I don''t love her" Ian chuckled as if he heard a joke, "I pity you Song Ji Hun. You couldn''t even confess to the woman you love. You had to manipulate her and get married" This time Song Ji Hun didn''t bother to reply and continued smoking. "I still don''t understand one thing. If you love Kiaraa so much, why would you agree to marry Aera? Why?" Ian deeply thought. "Ji Hun, why?" Ian again asked as he didn''t get a reply. "None of your business" Song Ji Hun stepped away from him but the next minute he saw Aera standing a few feet away from them. "Can I have a word with you?" she requested him politely. Chapter 29 - Sisters "Can I have a word with you?" she requested him politely. Song Ji Hun wondered why he keeps coming across the people he wishes to avoid but he agreed to Aera''s request as that was the least, he could do for her after everything that happened and also as he too played a role in awakening her dream before crushing it. "Hmm" Song Ji Hun and Aera stepped away to the other side and Ian frustratedly turned off the recording on his phone. He was hoping to capture Song Ji Hun''s love confession and show it to Kiaraa hoping that she would leave Ji Hun after finding out the truth. "I am sorry for how the events turned" Aera nervously apologized to Ji Hun. "Are you apologizing for your sister being alive?" Song Ji Hun frowned hearing her words. "No, I mean¡­ I am sorry we all forced you to agree to this marriage¡­ Kiaraa must be misunderstanding you and giving you a hard time¡­" Aera nervously bit on her lips. She was not sure why but this man''s presence always made her nervous, her heart beats faster when he is around. Every time he talks to her, her silly heart flutters. Aera can''t help but pay attention to every word of his, trying to memorize it forever, trying to capture every moment with him in her brain. Till date since their childhood, Song Ji Hun hardly used more than two hundred words while interacting with her, so every word he said was very precious for Aera. "That''s my problem" Song Ji Hun interrupted her. "Hmm, but if you want, I can talk to Kiaraa and explain nothing happened between us in the last four months¡­" "No need" Aera was thinking of what to say to keep him stay with her for at least a few more minutes so that she can look at his handsome face to her heart''s content for some more time. "I''ll try my best to get over you, now that Kiaraa is back" Aera declared. "Thank you" Song Ji Hun looked indifferent but he was sincerely hoping Aera meant what she said. "You have anything else to say to me?" Aera hopefully asked him, she wished to know that at least for a second, just a second Song Ji Hun felt bad for Kiaraa''s appearance that ruined their wedding. Song Ji Hun shook his head in no, disappointing her. "Hey sis" Kiaraa''s cheerful voice suddenly greeted Aera, startling her. Song Ji Hun and Aera turned to the other side to see Kiaraa smiling brightly at them. "Am I interrupting something important?" Kiaraa teasingly asked them. "No" Song Ji Hun answered her and looked at Aera, "Anything else?" Aera anxiously shook her head in no, so Song Ji Hun stepped away from there leaving the two sisters alone. "Seems like your lingering feels have still not gone" Kiaraa taunted her sister. "You are talking as if you just discovered the truth now. Haven''t you been taunting me about it since you arrived?" Aera didn''t back down as this time no one was around them. It was only her and Kiaraa in the lawn. She didn''t have to continue her fake pretence. "And yet you are shamelessly drooling over my man" The beautiful smile didn''t leave Kiaraa''s lips. "Your Man?" Aera chuckled as if she heard some joke. "What''s so funny baby sis? Please share it with me, I want to laugh too" Kiaraa was not offended by Aera''s actions, rather she was amused. "Remember in the past, we once made a deal?" Aera asked her elder sister. Kiaraa laughed recollecting that silly deal, "Don''t tell me you took that deal seriously? We were kids at that time, Aera" "And yet you immediately remembered what I was referring to?" Aera smirked in satisfaction as she expected Kiaraa to pretend she doesn''t remember that ''silly'' deal at all. The smile on Kiaraa''s face froze, as she fell in the trap. "Hmm, what if I remember it? Big deal" "You promised you will never eye ''my man'' and¡­" "Mine" Kiaraa interrupted Aera and took a step towards her, decreasing the gap between them, "He is mine. Dare you refer to him, as yours and you''ll see the worse side of me" Aera gulped in fear, when she saw the rage in Kiaraa''s eyes. "Why Kiaraa? Why are you doing all of this? You don''t even like him" Aera tried to control the rising rage in her body. "That''s none of your business. Just have some self-respect and stay away from my man.." Kiaraa warned her and was about to walk away, when Aera made an offer, stopping Kiaraa in her tracks. Chapter 30 - Proof Aera made an offer, stopping Kiaraa in her tracks. "I''ll ensure to transfer Lee Conglomerate to you if you promise to divorce your husband" Aera didn''t dare to call Song Ji Hun by his name, as she didn''t wish to provoke Kiaraa. She wanted to handle her sister carefully. Kiaraa looked at Aera in surprise, "Really? You will ensure I would have Lee Conglomerate, if I divorce Ji Hun?" "Yes, I will" Aera felt happy as she successfully ignited Kiaraa''s interest. She was happy seeing her plan work. "Really Aera, can you really ensure this?" Kiaraa hopefully asked. "Yes, Kiaraa, I will" Aera could see a glimpse of hope. "Hahahaha" The next second, Kiaraa laughed loudly as if she heard a joke, "You couldn''t even convince grandpa to give yourself the whole rights on the company but you will ensure, to transfer the conglomerate on my name?" Kiaraa asked Aera while laughing loudly, "Awe, my baby sis is so cute" Kiaraa pulled Aera''s cheeks and continued laughing. "Once I prove my capabilities, Lee Conglomerate is going to be mine" Aera was offended to see Kiaraa condescendingly laugh at her, so she challenged her. Kiaraa laughed harder holding her stomach, "Oh goodness, Aera, please stop joking, I can''t handle this anymore" "Enough Kiaraa, it is not funny" Aera shouted at the woman, who didn''t leave any chance of insulting her. "You sure? A dumb model like you really thinks she can handle our industries? You realize right Lee Conglomerate doesn''t handle one sector but is the leader in multiple sectors?" Kiaraa stopped laughing and turned serious. "Also, you remember, grandpa asked me to train you?" Kiaraa added. "I¡­" "Lee Aera, Song Ji Hun is mine and so will be the Lee Conglomerate. To hell with that silly deal and to hell with grandpa''s decision of making you the CEO." Kiaraa was not in the mood to continue her discussion, so she said what she intended to say all along. "You can''t have both, Kiaraa" Aera clenched her fist in anger. Kiaraa stepped towards her sister, and looked into her eyes, "What will you do even if I have both?" Kiaraa glanced at Aera''s fists and smirked. Kiaraa leaned closer to her sister and slowly whispered, "You will again try to kill me like you did four months ago?" Aera was shaken when she heard Kiaraa''s question, her eyes widened in shock. "You wasted your Hundred Million Won once, want to waste the same amount again?" Kiaraa threw another bombshell on Aera. "I have the proof that you were the one, who tried to kill me." Kiaraa tucked the few hair strands, falling on Aera''s face behind her ear, "If you try to eye my man or my business, I''ll put you behind the bars. Don''t you dare, mess with me" Kiaraa walked away with a huge smile on her face, after warning Aera, who was still standing rooted at her spot, in shock. ''How the hell did she find out? How could she know I paid Hundred Million Won to that man? Did he betray me?'' Aera got scared with Kiaraa''s words still ringing in her ears. Her hands were shaking and trembling in fear when she took out her phone. She found the number of the man, she hired to kill Kiaraa and called him again for the second time, today. Within two rings, the call was answered. "I didn''t expect to have the honour of receiving Ms Lee''s call twice in one day" The man from the other end greeted her. "Who all know that I hired you to kill Kiaraa?" Aera directly came on point, trying to control the obvious quiver rising in her voice. "What? What do you mean?" The man asked in surprise. "Kiaraa, just told me she has the proof that I paid you Hundred Million Won to kill her. How the hell does she know all of this? Did you betray me?" Aera shouted at him but was also careful of her surroundings. The man was speechless, and had no idea, what to say, "Kiaraa, herself told you this?" "Yes" "I never told anyone, keeping our client''s identity and intention confidential is our first rule. The information didn''t leak from my end, maybe it did from yours" The man confidently said. Aera cut-off the call, in frustration, ''Is she the one, who betrayed me?'' Aera wondered thinking about the only person, other than her, who was aware of this plan. The man, Aera just spoke to on the call, ran his hand through his hair, in confusion. He didn''t expect things to turn out like this "Is Aera, telling me the truth?" He wondered muttering to himself, then he saw Kiaraa enter the farmhouse, so he quickly rushed towards her. "You revealed to Aera that you have proof against her about her attempt to kill you?" Ian asked her almost in a whisper. Chapter 31 - Partner In Crime "You revealed to Aera that you have proof against her about her attempt to kill you?" Ian asked her almost in a whisper. Kiaraa looked around their surroundings and dragged Ian with her to a more private place. "I was so pissed with her, so yeah¡­ I did" Kiaraa now looked guilty. "K, we need those Hundred Million Won to work on our next plan. I hope you do remember that we still don''t know who killed your parents." "Ian, I know that." Kiaraa lowered her voice, "I only told Aera that I know, she is trying to kill me. She has no idea it is us who manipulated her" "Yeah, but after being threatened by you, you seriously think we are getting that Hundred Million Won again?" Ian, frustratedly asked her. "Fine, I created a mess, I''ll find a solution to this problem. Don''t irritate me" Kiaraa was already in a bad mood after talking to Aera and Ian was not helping. "I am irritating you?" Ian pointed at himself. "What were you talking to Song Ji Hun about, earlier?" Kiaraa asked him as she saw the two men conversing from her room gallery. "Just casual talk between old friends" Kiaraa chuckled as if she heard some joke. "What''s so funny?" Ian asked. "How shameless are you? You loathed that guy almost all your life and now you are claiming you are old friends?" They all grew up together, so Kiaraa obviously knew Ian and his jealousy very well, she witnessed it first-hand. "I was just being sarcastic. I have a strong intuition that Song Ji Hun is behind your parents'' death, so I was hoping to find whatever information I can" Ian lied to her. Kiaraa helplessly shook her head. "Ian, don''t be reckless. We are anyway closer to the truth; I am sure we will know who is the mastermind behind everything very soon." Ian just nodded his head. "I hope everything we discussed earlier will be executed well tonight?" Kiaraa asked Ian. "Yes, tonight Choi Hyuk''s reputation will go down the drain" Ian smirked in satisfaction. "Good" Kiaraa looked happy. "Yeah, need to fix some lose ends, I''ll check that" Ian said and went outside to the lawn while Kiaraa stepped back inside, startling the two women in the living room, who were having some serious discussion. Kiaraa cheerfully smiled at them, "Mother, Aera, did I disturb any serious discussion?" Kiaraa asked them. The colour from their faces got drained off, with her sudden appearance. "N¡­ No, we were just having a casual discussion" Ji Seo Yun answered. "Mother, why do you look so scared?" Kiaraa stepped towards her mother-in-law, carrying the same pleasant smile. "Scared? Why¡­ why will I be scared?" Ji Seo Yun tried her best to hide the panic building inside her. "Because you helped Aera by giving her that money to kill me? After all you are her partner in crime." Kiaraa asked her in a low volume making the elder woman tremble in fear. "Mom, you alright?" Song Ji Hun, who just stepped there with his father, worriedly asked his mom, seeing her shake in fear. "Seo Yun, everything fine?" Song Jae Ho too asked his wife. "Aera said something to mother and since then she had been shaking like this" Kiaraa lovingly wrapped her arm around her mother-in-law''s shoulder to support her body. Song Ji Hun and Song Jae Ho, looked at Aera, their eyes asking her what suddenly happened to Seo Yun. "Huh, ahh, actually¡­" Aera was confused what to say as Kiaraa suddenly put her in a tough spot. "Actually, I am feeling tired, I think I am having a fever. All these wedding preparations seem to have taken a toll on my health" Ji Seo Yun immediately answered, interrupting Aera. "Mom, you should rest" Kiaraa lovingly said and looked at her father-in-law, "Dad, I''ll ask the servants to send dinner to your room with some medicines" "Thank you so much dear" Kiaraa''s father-in-law politely nodded at her and took away his wife. Aera, too left from there and went to her room, as Kiaraa''s presence scared her now. Since the moment she revealed about having this proof against her, which could implicate her for attempt to murder, Aera couldn''t be at peace. Kiaraa asked one of the servants to prepare some Ginseng Chicken Soup and to send it to her in-laws'' room. Song Ji Hun, who was silently observing her actions wondered why is she suddenly being so caring towards his mother. After instructing the servants, Kiaraa turned around to see Song Ji Hun, suspiciously looking at her. "What? Am I so pretty that you couldn''t take your eyes off me?" Kiaraa sarcastically asked him. Chapter 32 - False Theory "What? Am I so pretty that you can''t take your eyes off me?" Kiaraa sarcastically asked him. "I have seen prettier women than you and never glared at them" Came his taunting reply implying she is not that pretty. "If you keep glaring at every woman you find pretty, you will be called a creep." Kiaraa was unaffected by the underlying meaning of his words. Song Ji Hun seriously stepped towards her, "Even when I am being a decent person, I am anyway called names, so how is this any different?" he coldly asked. Kiaraa could see, he was still upset about the discussion they had earlier. ''Why is he acting all righteous and why does he look like I wronged him?'' she wondered. "Decent person? Are you sure about it?" Kiaraa''s question was dripping with sarcasm. "Recollect me one incident where I have been indecent with you" Song Ji Hun''s tone sounded challenging. It took Kiaraa a while and a bit of brain scratching before answering him, "Today morning, when you kissed me against my will" Song Ji Hun chuckled as she couldn''t find one indecent moment from the first five months of their marriage. "Firstly, I didn''t kiss you, I bit you there is a difference." "Still, it was indecent" "I apologize for it, I got excited to see my wife alive but when she kept calling me second-hand, I just wanted to punish her" "Excited or disappointed?" Kiaraa couldn''t believe he was excited as he agreed to marry her sister within four months of her death. "Why will I be disappointed?" Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows. Kiaraa was again speechless as she was trying to find some solid reason to throw at his face. "I need to figure that out" Kiaraa replied after some brainstorming. "So, your accusation is only based on your own judgement and not on facts?" Song Ji Hun''s question turned her speechless. "You know what your problem is, Kiaraa?" He again asked and she kept looking at him waiting for him to speak. "You believe what you see and you draw conclusions from everything that is laid in front of your eyes. You never try to look for the hidden intentions. You decide everything by yourself and you believe that" Song Ji Hun''s words turned her speechless. It made her think deeper about something and suddenly a realization stuck her. If what he said is right then she had definitely committed a huge blunder. ''Oh no, Aera was on my suspect list because of a judgement I made, it was not based on a fact. Shit, does that mean, Aera has got nothing to do with¡­'' Kiaraa''s thoughts were processing in a direction she never thought they would. "I''ll talk to you later" Kiaraa left from there to find Ian. Song Ji Hun smirked to himself, ''My wife is still a rookie'' Kiaraa went to the lawn to talk to Ian, who was still on a call. He was preparing for their big plan to expose Choi Hyuk. "Ian" Kiaraa rushed towards him calling his name. Ian unhurriedly cut the call, "Yeah?" "In that file, was Aera''s name anywhere mentioned?" Kiaraa asked him directly coming on the point. "Well¡­" Ian tried to recollect if Aera''s name was mentioned in it or not. Kiaraa waited for his response, her heart was pounding faster in anticipation. "Actually, we suspected Aera based on the fact that she sold some of your parents'' secrets to other people, and you felt she was indirectly involved¡­" "SHIT!!!" Kiaraa covered her mouth in shock, "I was so angry, I didn''t even think it through, before accusing Aera" Kiaraa just realized her theory of Aera being one of the suspects in their parents'' murder might be completely false. "Oh no, does that mean, Aera might not be a suspect at all?" Ian understood what is going on and he asked her for confirmation. "Yeah, highly possible" Kiaraa agreed and deeply sighed, "If that is indeed the case, then no one would be happier than me" she added. "You don''t like Aera at all" Ian reminded her. "Hmm, but mom and dad loved her a lot. It would hurt them if she is the one behind their deaths" Ian smiled seeing how relieved Kiaraa was and pulled her for a hug. Chapter 33 - All Fake Ian smiled seeing how relieved Kiaraa was and pulled her for a hug, "You are not as evil as you try to portray yourself. You are actually a very sensitive person, K. That''s what I love about you." Kiaraa tapped on his firm chest and gently pushed him away, "Ian, don''t hug or touch me without my permission. I don''t like it." She politely warned him, unaffected by everything he just said. "Come on, K, it was just a hug" Ian didn''t take her words seriously. "Ian, don''t make me repeat what I just said" Kiaraa looked serious and added, "Today morning, when you intimately wrapped your hand around my shoulder, I didn''t like it. Only to give you some face I didn''t say anything in front of others. Don''t touch me without my permission, is that clear?" Ian nodded his head, trying to hide how much he was hurt by her words but he couldn''t hide his disappointment. "I always wonder, why few months ago, you got intimate with Song Ji Hun and let him touch you?" Even before he could control himself, the question he suppressed in his heart for more than four months came out unintentionally. Kiaraa was shocked, "Ian, it is none of your business" she reminded him. Her words triggered him and the regret he felt just a second ago was gone. "No, I am serious. I am your childhood friend, the one you have been the closest to. You are closer to me than your own sister. Yet, you rejected me ten years ago when I confessed how much I love you. You told me you never want to get married in this life but one day you suddenly agree to marry the guy, you never gave a damn about, and you even went as far as sleeping with him¡­" THUD!!!! A loud sound echoed in the lawn, when Kiaraa slapped Ian. "He is my husband. I sleep with him or fight with him this should not be of any concern to you." Although Ian is a close friend of Kiaraa, she has some boundaries around her and no one has the liberty to cross them. She turned to walk away when Ian''s next words made her stop. "He can be your parents'' murderer, don''t forget that" Kiaraa just paused for a moment before she walked away, not bothering to turn back as she didn''t believe she owes anyone a justification. ''His jealousy is making him blind, why am I so unlucky? Why can''t my best friend be just my friend? Why the hell does he have to fall for me? Ahhhh my hand hurts'' Kiaraa cursed in her heart rubbing her palm, which ached from the moment she slapped Ian as she used up all her energy in beating him. Song Ji Hun suddenly appeared there, blocking her path. Holding her arm, he took her to the guest room with a medical kit box in his other hand. He didn''t give her a chance to refuse. "Leave me" Kiaraa shouted as she hated being dragged away like this. "Shut up, Kiaraa. I had enough of you" Song Ji Hun glared at her. Kiaraa was not sure why, but she stopped struggling and followed him to the guest room. He locked the door and looked at her palm, which turned red. When he touched it she shouted in pain. "If you can''t handle it, why act recklessly?" Song Ji Hun made her sit on the bed and took out an ointment which he gently applied on her hand. "Stop pretending like you care" Kiaraa was struggling with herself when she saw the concern in his eyes for her. ''It is all fake Kiaraa, he is a good actor, don''t forget that. He might be the one, who killed your parents.'' She kept telling herself as she didn''t wish to repeat the mistake, she once committed during their five months of marriage. Song Ji Hun ignored her accusation. After he was done applying medicine on her hand, he advised, "Stop bothering yourself with Ian. Don''t take his words seriously." "Don''t you dare talk ill about him or try to provoke me against him." Kiaraa warned her husband. "Fine" He didn''t argue with her as there was no point, "Do you want to have dinner in the room?" "No" Kiaraa left the room after he was done. Chapter 34 - [Bonus ]Scandal On reaching the living room, she came across the two grandpas, who seem to have just arrived from somewhere. "Hi grandpas" Kiaraa cheerfully greeted them. "Hello dear" "It feels so good to have you greeting me like this. Reminds me of old times." Grandpa Lee got emotional as he still couldn''t believe Kiaraa is indeed alive. ''Old man keeps saying one thing and does the other'' Kiaraa hatefully thought as she didn''t forgive her grandpa for giving away the position, she eyed to Aera. "Haha true, grandpa" Kiaraa sweetly smiled. "What happened to your hand?" Grandpa Song worriedly asked seeing the ointment spread across it. "She was careless and hurt herself" Song Ji Hun, answered his grandpa on her behalf. "Be careful, dear" Grandpa Lee stroked her head. Kiaraa politely smiled at him. They four people went and sat around the dinner table after the butler informed them that the food is ready. One by one all the family members joined them except for Song Ji Hun''s parents, who stayed in the room. Since the moment Kiaraa accused her mother-in-law of trying to kill her, Ji Seo Yun panicked as she was the one, who gave Aera the money to do this task. If Kiaraa shares all the proof she claims she has with their families, Ji Seo Yun''s reputation will be ruined and she might even end up going to jail. Ji Seo Yun, was in her room, wondering how to handle this situation. Here, at the dining table, everyone was immersed in casual small talk when suddenly one after another their phones started ringing, startling them. "What is happening?" Lee Man Sik muttered as he got a call from the head of the PR department. Except for Kiaraa, everybody received call from their closest associates. "What?" Grandpa Lee shouted in shock after receiving his call and asked the butler to turn on the TV and switch to any news channel. Within minutes, there was chaos in the home and once the television was turned on, everyone turned silent as their attention shifted there and subconsciously some of them stood up from their seats. Kiaraa looked at Ian, who smiled back at her as their plan was now set in motion. She was glad Ian didn''t take that slap to his heart and was back to being normal. On the television, a reporter was showing an old warehouse in the background and reported, "This is where the innocent girls are kidnapped and kept before being smuggled to other countries. The names of the big people involved in this scandal has shaken South Korea." She then started listing the names of the people involved in smuggling young women and when Choi Hyuk''s name was mentioned, grandpa Lee lost his balance. Song Ji Hun immediately stepped forward and supported grandpa. He made him sit on the chair and gave him some water. Grandpa Lee raised his hand and didn''t accept the water, he looked around but Choi Hyuk was nowhere to be seen. "Where is that bastard?" He shouted scaring everyone present there. "Grandpa, please calm down." Kiaraa rubbed his arm. Seeing Kiaraa, he indeed calmed down a bit but his anger was still not gone. "Where is your son?" Grandpa Lee asked his daughter, who was crying uncontrollably after seeing this news. "Dad¡­ I think¡­ there is some¡­ misunderstanding" Lee Min Seo spoke between her sobs, who was being consoled by Aera. "I''ll check" Ian volunteered and went out, only to see Choi Hyuk shouting at someone on the phone. "Grandpa is calling you" Ian informed him. "Get lost" Choi Hyuk rudely shouted at Ian. "Elder brother, grandpa is very angry, please step inside" Lee Gun, who followed Ian warned Choi Hyuk. "You will tell me what I should do and what I should not?" Choi Hyuk didn''t listen to his cousin either and was planning to leave when Ian held his shoulder. "No point in running away, Mr Choi" "Are you dissatisfied after getting slapped by my sister? You want to feel my hand too on your cheek?" Choi Hyuk smirked at Ian, who was gritting his teeth to control the rage building inside him. Earlier, Choi Hyuk too witnessed Kiaraa slap Ian from his room gallery. "You disgusting man" Grandpa Lee himself stepped out holding a belt and suddenly hit Choi Hyuk with it. Chapter 35 - My Wife "You disgusting man" Grandpa Lee himself stepped out holding a belt and suddenly hit Choi Hyuk with it. "Dad, please¡­" Lee Min Seo was crying controllably as it pained to see her son getting hit so ruthlessly. Aera held her aunt tightly, stopping her from meddling as her grandpa might hurt his own daughter if she comes in between. "You bastard, how dare you sell those innocent girls? Do you have no shame and conscience?" Grandpa Lee was agitated after seeing the news and didn''t hide his anger. Smuggling young women was not a small thing. It was a big crime and knowing that his own grandson was one of the people involved in it, grandpa Lee lost his face and felt ashamed of Choi Hyuk. "Ahhh grandpa, it hurts" Choi Hyuk whined in pain as the belt used by the old man, was not a normal belt but one studded with sharp small needles. On every whip, Choi Hyuk''s loud cry could be heard. "Dad¡­ please don''t¡­ beat him" Lee Min Seo was crying wishing to stop her dad but Aera held her tightly. "Have some shame, aunt Minya. Your son did something so shameful and yet you want to protect him" Kiaraa taunted her aunt. Lee Min Seo looked at Kiaraa with raging red eyes, "You bitch, it is you, who did all of this, right?" she shouted. "I am going to destroy you, BITCH" Lee Min Seo struggled harder to free herself from Aera''s clutches. Aera smirked and immediately let go of her aunt, who strode towards Kiaraa to hit her but before aunt Minya''s hand could even touch Kiaraa, Song Ji Hun pulled his wife towards him and protectively hugged her, hiding her face in his chest. He glared at Lee Min Seo, "How dare you try to hurt my wife?" Everyone present there was shocked as no one ever saw Song Ji Hun being disrespectful towards his elders. If there is something he doesn''t like, he prefers walking away from there instead of confronting or fighting with people. This was unlike him. In this matter his personality was opposite to Kiaraa. He was a peace-loving person but his life never lets him stay in peace. Even Kiaraa was startled at this sudden turn of events. She would have been able to handle her aunt and would not need Song Ji Hun''s protection if she was prepared but when suddenly Aera let go of her aunt and she came towards her, Kiaraa was frozen on her spot and went blank. "She is the one, who is ruining my son''s life" Lee Min Seo stopped in her tracks scared of Song Ji Hun, but that didn''t stop her from accusing Kiaraa. "Your son¡­" "I can handle her" Kiaraa interrupted Song Ji Hun and gently tapped on his chest and he let her free. Turning around to look at her aunt, Kiaraa smirked, "You are reacting like this only after seeing grandpa beat elder brother, what will you do when the cops would take him away?" "Cops?" Lee Min Seo''s eyes widened in shock. Choi Hyuk, who was being non-stop beaten by grandpa too heard this word. "Ahhh grandpa, please give some gap to your beating" He begged the old man to let him go as he wished to run away from there before cops'' arrival. Choi Hyuk regretted not running away as soon as he got the call. "Of course, aunt Minya. When a person commits a crime, they need to be punished. In today''s time, we can''t decide punishments on our own so cops do this job" Kiaraa looked at Aera and smirked. Although she was talking to Lee Min Seo, her words were meant for Aera too. Aera, who was already upset seeing Song Ji Hun''s protective side towards Kiaraa, got scared when she understood the hidden meaning behind her words. The next moment, a police siren was heard and cops actually showed up there. "Who called the cops?" Lee Min Seo panicked. "I did" Ian answered her. "You¡­" Aera again held her aunt, who was about to pounce on Ian. "Aunt Minya, please calm down" Aera begged her as she herself was not in a great condition right now. Her brother, the one person she was closest to and relied on turned to be a smuggler of young girls. After seeing this undeniable evidence against Choi Hyuk on news, Aera had to believe this harsh truth. Also, she just realized something, which disturbed her from deep within. Chapter 36 - Stocks The cops arrived to the farmhouse and there was some drama when they entered the premises to arrest Choi Hyuk but he and his mother didn''t cooperate well. After some chaotic drama, cops had to drag Choi Hyuk with them. Lee Min Seo and her brother Lee Man Sik, followed the cops and contacted their lawyer on the way. Grandpa Lee announced ending ties with Choi Hyuk. "He only knows of one punishment" Kiaraa muttered recollecting how her grandpa disowned her too in the past for her mistake. "Kiaraa, refrain from making such statements" Song Ji Hun, who was the only person to hear her sarcastic remark, warned her. "And you stop pretending like a caring husband. Next time if anyone comes to hit me, let me get hit instead of intervening" Kiaraa warned him about earlier. The warmth she felt due to his actions was something she disliked. Kiaraa won''t let herself commit the same mistakes as in the past. "I am sorry but I can''t let anyone hurt my wife" He countered. "Oh really?" Kiaraa narrowed her eyes at him. "Yes" Song Ji Hun looked serious. "Then you should keep an eye on your mother" Kiaraa''s words confused him and he looked at her in confusion. "You are smart, figure it out by yourself" Kiaraa scoffed and went to her grandpa, to calm him down as he was currently crying. Song Ji Hun went aside to make a phone call, affected by what Kiaraa said. Everyone went back to their rooms, as they all lost the appetite to eat their dinner after the events that unfolded. Choi Hyuk''s arrest was not a small thing. It is going to grow in a huge scandal which will affect the Lee Conglomerate''s business and stocks. Kiaraa took her grandpa to his room. The old man was still sobbing as he couldn''t believe his grandson would stoop so low in his life. Kiaraa made him sit on the bed and handed a glass of warm milk. "Grandpa, you didn''t have your dinner but please at least drink some milk, you need to take care of your health." "No Kiaraa, I don''t want to" Grandpa Lee was still sobbing. Kiaraa cleaned his eyes with a tissue paper and said, "Please grandpa, I insist" she brought the milk glass closer to his mouth. Giving up in front of her, he had a few sips. "After Lee Myung Soo''s death, everything is just falling apart. Life was much easier when your parents were alive" Grandpa Lee cried even more remembering his deceased son. "Grandpa, a few things are not in our control. Instead of crying over the past, we should look forward to the future and try to secure it" Kiaraa gently rubbed his arm and made him drink his milk. "I never thought Hyuk would smuggle innocent girls like this. Why did he do all of this? What did he get from being involved in something like this? Was this all just for money?" Grandpa Lee voiced his thoughts. ''There is more to all of this than just money, grandpa. You will be shocked to know Aera, Song Ji Hun, aunt and uncle too are directly or indirectly involved in this smuggling scandal. There are bigger things than what meets the eye. Only elder brother''s name was on the paper, so he got caught.'' Kiaraa thought to herself. "Grandpa, you should not think about all of this. Let the cops do their job, we have something else to worry about" Kiaraa decided to strike the iron when it is hot. "What else?" Grandpa looked confused, wondering what all is still left for him to see. "Grandpa, there is a sudden dip in our stocks and the share price is continuously falling. Till date, it was speculated brother Choi Hyuk would be taking over the Lee Conglomerate. Therefore, his arrest has affected the business." "We still didn''t announce it is Aera, who would be taking over it instead. I think we need to fast-forward the announcement to ensure the stability in the market" Kiaraa suggested. Grandpa Lee seriously nodded his head as Kiaraa was right. "I love how even in such crisis situations your mind works so sharply." "It''s all because of the training I went under you and dad" Kiaraa sweetly smiled. Grandpa then called a butler and asked him to send Aera to this room. Chapter 37 - No Trust Grandpa then called a butler and asked him to send Aera to this room. Aera, herself was panicking about this Choi Hyuk situation and wondered if she was supporting wrong people, when the butler delivered her the message. Within a minute, she was in grandpa''s room. Seeing Kiaraa there, her shields were up. "Aera dear, come here" Grandpa pointed at the seat opposite to him. Kiaraa was sitting next to her grandpa, while Aera sat across them. "Aera, I know we are going through something very tough right now but we can''t ignore a few important things which needs our attention" Grandpa Lee started explaining and Aera nodded her head. "Our share prices are falling and we need to take some immediate action to protect our business" He added. "I understand grandpa, so what''s the plan?" Aera asked him. Grandpa looked at Kiaraa, understanding his intention, Kiaraa explained, "We need to make an official announcement that you would be taking over the Lee Conglomerate¡­" "Actually, I have some change in plans" Grandpa interrupted Kiaraa as she seemed to have misunderstood him. "What change, grandpa?" Aera had a bad feeling about it. "Aera, I know grandpa promised to make you the CEO but unfortunately all of this happened. You are a top model and are doing great in your field but you didn''t study business management." Suddenly the hope Kiaraa lost in the afternoon was back. She wanted to jump in joy as she could predict grandpa''s next words. "Given the current scenario, it would be a problem to our business if we announce you as the CEO given your lack of qualifications, so¡­" "So, you will announce elder sister as the CEO instead?" Aera completed his statement on his behalf. Grandpa Lee nodded his head, without looking into Aera''s eyes. Aera scoffed, smiling sadly. "You promise to give me something grandpa, then either elder sister snatches it away or you yourself hand it over to her. That''s how my life has always been." Aera fought the tears before saying, "Fine grandpa. This business is yours. You should do whatever you want to do with it. I have no right to claim what belongs to you. Please go ahead with what you planned" Aera stood up to leave when grandpa stopped her, "Dear, please try to understand the current scenario. After what Choi Hyuk did, we now have to do everything that is in the best interest for our business. That''s why¡­" "It''s okay, grandpa. Please don''t explain yourself. For you, business was always above us, so I am not even surprised with this decision" Kiaraa and grandpa were shocked. Aera, never talked to her grandpa like this. This is the kind of behaviour that was expected from Kiaraa but Aera. ''Seems like after all the shocks she got in one day, my baby sis'' true personality is finally coming out'' Kiaraa smirked. "Aera, I am still not done. Let me finish" Grandpa Lee composed himself and pointed at the couch asking Aera to sit. Today, Aera''s dream wedding was ruined. After making a promise, in the afternoon, grandpa was breaking it at night. So, he decided to let go of her rude behaviour. Aera didn''t go against her grandpa''s request and sat there. "I suggest just like how Kiaraa trained under me and your father. You start getting trained under her and once the business is stable and Choi Hyuk''s scandal is forgotten by everyone, you can take over the CEO position" Grandpa Lee shared his whole plan, calming Aera but pissing Kiaraa. ''Of course, his plan involves using me'' Kiaraa thought but she looked normal on the outside, ''I''ll ensure to fail your plans, grandpa'' she decided. "Really grandpa, that''s the plan?" Aera asked for confirmation. "Of course." "I am sorry grandpa, but I know you way too well. So, I would request you to give me this in writing" Aera declared shocking Kiaraa. "In writing?" Grandpa Lee too was taken aback. "Yeah, I don''t trust Kiaraa and neither you grandpa.. So, I want a legal document that would state, the ownership of Lee Conglomerate will be transferred to me after all the scenarios you just said are done." Chapter 38 - Accusation "Wow, you don''t trust our word?" Grandpa still couldn''t believe it was the same Aera, in front of him, whom he adored the most. "Believe me grandpa, any person in their sane mind should never trust you two" Aera declared surprising the old man and amusing Kiaraa. ''Baby sis, is learning a lot of things'' "Fine, I don''t mind signing a legal document" Kiaraa declared. "Okay, then I won''t mind too" Grandpa Lee agreed before adding, "But I must say Aera, although you personally disappointed me by making this kind of request, professionally you impressed me" "Glad to know that, grandpa" Aera politely smiled and looked at her sister, who weirdly looked proud of her. ''Am I overthinking or is Kiaraa proud of me?'' Aera wondered and left. "Grandpa, you should sleep, it is getting late" Kiaraa helped him lie down on the bed and after tugging him in the comforter, she left the room. "Kiaraa, can we talk?" Aera requested, she was waiting for her in the living room. "Hmm" The two sisters again stepped outside in the lawn. "Earlier, you accused me of trying to kill you¡­" "It wasn''t an accusation; it was a declaration" Kiaraa interrupted her. "How do you know it was me?" Aera asked her. "I know everything, Aera. I would be lying if I said my heart didn''t wrench in pain to see my baby sis trying to kill me" Kiaraa looked sad and disappointed. "Don''t pull your drama in front of me. If you would have been in my place, then you too would have tried to kill me" Aera confidently declared. "No, I don''t kill, it is illegal. I anyway have better ways to torture you" Kiaraa shamelessly smirked not hiding her hatred. "Like getting married to the man, I always loved?" "Gosh, Aera. Get over it" Kiaraa was now irritated with this talk. Fighting over a man was frustrating and yet she kept up with it for around twelve hours to entertain herself but now, she was exhausted. "Get over it? Seriously, Kiaraa? You knew how much I loved him. You used to tease me about it during our childhood. Then one day, you suddenly show up at our home, marrying him. Why Kiaraa? Why did you do this to me?" Since Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa''s wedding, this was the first time, Aera questioned her about this huge betrayal. "I had my reasons" Kiaraa for the first time felt bad for Aera, as she indeed betrayed her. "Please tell me not even for one moment you felt love towards him" Aera hopefully and desperately begged her as Kiaraa actually answered her previous question instead of dodging it. So, she wanted to get answers to all her questions. For a second, cloud of hesitation covered Kiaraa''s eyes but she immediately composed herself, "Why does it matter, Aera? You should give up and move on from him. He is mine now. You can find someone better for yourself" Aera couldn''t believe what she was hearing, "Then why not you find someone better for yourself and leave him for me? You don''t even like him, Kiaraa" "Do you love him so much that you didn''t hesitate to kill me for his sake?" Kiaraa ignored her sister''s words and asked what had been bothering her since the moment Aera conspired to kill her. "Yes, I don''t mind killing anyone for him" Aera didn''t deny as it was indeed the truth. "Can you even go as far as killing our parents for him?" Kiaraa suddenly asked surprising Aera. Earlier, Kiaraa had a small doubt if she misunderstood Aera as one of the suspects in her parents'' murder. Therefore, she couldn''t control herself from confronting her sister. "What?" Aera shouted in disbelief. "Can you kill our parents for Song Ji Hun?" Kiaraa asked again. "Are you out of your mind? Why the hell will I kill my own parents for anyone? Even if I killed them to have Song Ji Hun, do I actually have him? No, right? Why would I lose my parents, Kiaraa? They are not even related to him in anyway. How dare you accuse me of something like this?" Aera''s anger knew no bounds when she heard Kiaraa''s accusation. Her eyes reflected her anger one could see how offended she was. Kiaraa sighed in relief, as she could clearly see Aera was being honest. Earlier, when Kiaraa accused Aera for trying to kill her, Aera was shaken but right now, she looked truly upset. Kiaraa knows her sister well enough to understand when she is lying and when she is being honest. ''Hmm, we indeed misunderstood, Aera'' Kiaraa concluded but she didn''t mind ruining her wedding as the end of the day, Song Ji Hun was hers. "Okay" Kiaraa casually responded. "Kiaraa, mom and dad''s deaths were an accident not a murder" Aera reminded her as that''s what they all believed until Kiaraa came across the shocking truth only she knew of. "Hmm, I know. I just wanted to see how crazy your love is towards my man" Kiaraa changed the topic. "My love towards Song Ji Hun knows no bounds, I can do anything for him but of course, I am not going to kill my own parents" Aera reiterated. "But you can betray them?" Kiaraa''s question came as a surprise to Aera. "What do you mean?" Aera''s eyes blinked in fear and she was trying to not show how scared she was. "Did you help Song Ji Hun''s mother in a few deals by betraying our parents?" Kiaraa directly asked her. Chapter 39 - Nobody Cares "Did you help Song Ji Hun''s mother in a few deals by betraying our parents?" Kiaraa directly asked her. "Kiaraa, do you know something?" The guilt on Aera''s face could clearly be seen. "How could you betray mom, dad''s trust in you?" Kiaraa questioned her as it was evident now that Aera indeed betrayed them. The tears which were being controlled until now, flowed down from Aera''s cheeks. "Kiaraa, I had no idea it was a big deal, I just wanted to win mom''s favour, so I helped her. I casually mentioned the bid price. I had no idea, she would use it against us, I am so sorry" Aera explained herself, still crying. After this incident, Kiaraa and Aera''s parents died in the car accident so Aera always felt guilty for betraying her parents just before their deaths. This guilt had been killing her all these months. Aera couldn''t even bring herself to visit the memorial vault of her parents due to the same reason. "And in spite of she using you, you joined hands with her to get me killed? Even now you two are close" Kiaraa didn''t melt seeing Aera in tears. "Yes, I was feeling very guilty for betraying mom and dad but I also love Song Ji Hun''s mom a lot. After mom, dad''s death she apologized to me for making me betray them and so¡­" "So, you forgave her?" Kiaraa raised her eyebrows in question to which Aera nodded. "Aera, I knew you were dumb since birth but how can you be this dumb? Can''t you see that woman is manipulating you? She has always been" "Kiaraa, you are wrong, she loves me a lot¡­" "Aera, she is using you. We don''t use our loved ones. She always assured to you that you are going to be her daughter-in-law but not once she dared to force Ji Hun to marry you until my death." "That''s because¡­" "Stop trying to justify her actions. She might like you but you can''t deny she is also using you. Her son has always been stubborn and yet she gave you false hopes without checking with him. At least now you have to realize who cares for you and who don''t" Aera scoffed hearing Kiaraa''s words. "Cares for me? Kiaraa, let''s face it, no one truly cares for me" Aera continued crying, "Since my birth, my own elder sister never cared about me. My elder cousin was obviously using me which implies my aunt too was using me. Uncle was always only polite to me and was never caring. Grandpa acts like he loves me the most but we all know he loves money and his business the most. The man I love is clearly into my sister. The only woman, who cares for me is now being accused of manipulating and using me, by you. Our parents were the only ones, who truly cared for me but they are no more. Please, name one person, who truly cares for me?" Aera asked turning Kiaraa speechless. Kiaraa was stunned as she always believed Aera was more loved between them. Everyone loves her sweet, polite personality but now listening to Aera''s words realization was drawn upon her that Aera is right. Indeed no one truly cares for her, not even Kiaraa herself. "Hmm, maybe we are the same in this matter, nobody cares about us." Kiaraa was not sure why but she wanted to make Aera feel better but instead Aera laughed as if she heard some joke. "Kiaraa, there are a lot of people who care about you. Gun cares for you, Ian cares for you, entire Kim family loves and cares for you, and you know what pains me the most?" Aera asked a shocked Kiaraa. Before Kiaraa could say anything, Aera added, "The man I pined for my whole life, whose one glance is enough to make me happy, he too only cares for you" Aera broke down at this last sentence and fell on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably sitting on her knees. Kiaraa wanted to feel happy seeing Aera''s state but she was not able to. Her heart was wrenching in pain. ''What is wrong with me? Why does it hurt to see Aera cry like this? What should I do?'' Kiaraa wondered and as if her body had a mind of its own, she too sat on her knees and hugged her sister. "Calm down, Aera, I care for you" Kiaraa too didn''t believe herself but she wanted to say something comforting as she was sure her parents would be disappointed seeing Aera break down like this. "No, you don''t¡­ you hate me¡­ you hate me" Aera cried tightly hugging Kiaraa, who was gently stroking her back. "Fine, I hate you but I also care for you. That''s why I stopped you from marrying a second-hand man. I want you to marry a fresh, first-hand man. You will find someone better than him." Kiaraa was not even sure what she is blabbering but she was trying to say anything that would make Aera feel better. "Kiaraa, you are so bad at consoling" Aera continued crying but she smiled for a moment when she heard the word, second-hand. Kiaraa kept stroking her back, while Aera continued crying in her arms. Song Ji Hun was smoking a cigarette, while witnessing this scene from his room''s gallery. A faint smile was painted on his lips and he captured this moment in his phone. After extinguishing his cigarette, he called his friend, Yang Nam-il. "Ji Hun, I saw the news¡­" He worriedly said as soon as he answered the call. "Hmm, just ensure no one ever finds out about our involvement in this scandal. Also, make sure Choi Hyuk suffers enough and doesn''t dare to open his mouth" Song Ji Hun''s voice sounded cold which could make shivers pass through one''s spine. "I will do that but what if Kiaraa knows about our involvement?" Yang Nam-il worriedly asked. "She already knows" Song Ji Hun answered his friend, shocking him. He again looked at the two sisters, where one woman was consoling the other one, he lightly smiled before going back to sleep. Chapter 40 - Oppa May 1991, 30 Years Ago MedStar Medical Hospital Members of the Song, Lee and Kim family occupied the top floor of the hospital which belongs to the Songs. They were all awaiting the birth of the first child of the next generation in their circle. Song Jae Ho was worried as his wife is inside and about to give birth to their first child. "Jae Ho, everything will be alright" His father consoled him but he was still freaking out as his firstborn is soon going to enter this world and he lacks the basic experience. Soon, the doctor announced a son was born to the Songs. Song Jae Ho was slightly disappointed as he was hoping for a daughter but when he took his son in his arms, all those feelings disappeared. A huge smile was spread across his face, "Ji Hun" Song Jae Ho declared naming his son. There was no bound to happiness as the three families celebrated the birth of the first child in the new generation. Three months later, daughter-in-law of the Kim family, gave birth to the first grandson of the Kims, Ian Kim. A year later, Choi Hyuk was born. Another year passed away and Ji Seo Yun gave birth to another son, Song Ji Hwan. The same year, Lees gave birth to their first grandchild Kiaraa. ¡­ Kiaraa, who was now less than two years old, was sulking in a bad mood sitting in the hospital. "Darling, what happened?" Lee Myung Soo lovingly stroked his daughter''s head. "Go home¡­" Kiaraa pouted sadly. She was just learning a few words and was able to speak with difficulty but Myung Soo understood his daughter didn''t like being in the hospital and wanted to go home. He carried her in his arms and made her sit in his lap, "Baby, we will go home soon after your baby sister or brother is born" Kiaraa still pouted, not understanding what her dad was saying. "We will go home soon" Myung Soo assured his cute daughter and kissed her head. Soon, they got the good news that another daughter was born in the Lee family. After a while, Lee Myung Soo carried Kiaraa to the room where his wife and the new born baby were resting. "Kiaraa, meet your baby sister" Myung Soo placed his daughter on the bed where his wife was sitting carrying their new born in her arms. "Kiaraa, say hello to your sister" Kiaraa''s mom pulled her elder daughter''s cute cheeks. Influenced by her mom''s actions, Kiaraa pulled her new baby sister''s cheeks making the new born cry in pain. "Kiaraa, you should not pull your sister''s cheeks like that" Her father scolded her in reflex and carried her back in his arms, away from the new baby. "It''s okay, Myung Soo, she just repeated what I did to her." his wife gently patted his arm and smiled at her elder daughter, "Kiaraa, your sister is still small so you should care for her, okay?" her mom gently spoke. Kiaraa didn''t understand what wrong she did and what her mom was saying but the fact that her father scolded her for the first time because of this new baby, was something that stuck with her forever in her subconscious mind. "Daddy is sorry for shouting" Lee Myung Soo realized this was the first time since Kiaraa''s birth that he spoke to her in a loud volume and seeing the pout on his daughter''s face, he understood she was upset. But Kiaraa was still upset at her father and glared at the new baby, who was still crying. A year later, Kims gave birth to another daughter and Lee Gun was born after a few years. ¡­ Once in every fortnight, it was a rule between the three families to meet during the weekend and spend the entire day together. Grandpa Lee, grandpa Song and grandpa Kim were best friends since their childhood. Their friendship was similarly carried forward by their children, who were close too but the same was not the case with their grandchildren. The third generation was not very close. They were always living in their own world. ¡­ 13 years later, 2004 A 13-year-old, Song Ji Hun was irritated with this family gathering he is forced to attend once in every fortnight. He would rather prefer to be at his home and read a book instead of being here. These gatherings happen once in the Lee family household, then the next one in the Song Mansion and after that at Kims'' place, then the cycle again repeats. Song Ji Hun likes this gathering when it happens at his own place, as he can just greet their guests and escape back to his room, losing himself in his world. But unfortunately, today he was at the Lee Mansion, sitting in the lawn area on a bench, reading a book which he bought with him. Although, here also he reads a book, there is a difference as he lacks the privacy he needs. "Oppa" A soft voice called him from behind and he helplessly cried, tightly closing his eyes. She was the reason he wishes to avoid being in the Lee and the Kim Mansion. Song Ji Hun did not have to turn around to see who it was as he was already used to her presence for a few years now. "Oppa" The soft voice again called him. Taking a deep sigh, Song Ji Hun turned around to look at a nine-year-old, wearing a cute yellow frock, her hair was tied in two side pigtails. "Oppa, it is hot, drink some water" her tiny hands handed him a glass of cold water. Song Ji Hun again sighed, how can he get angry with this child, who was only nice and caring towards him. Her presence is something that annoys him, but he was not sure why. "Thank you" he politely accepted the glass from her and drank from it. A huge smile was spread across Aera''s face, "Oppa, you need anything else?" she shyly asked him. Song Ji Hun wanted to say, ''Yes, I want some space in life'' but he ended up shaking his head in no. Seeing the book in his hand, Aera understood he wants some privacy so she left from there collecting the empty glass from him. This entire scene was witnessed by Kiaraa, Ian and Song Ji Hwan, who were standing together a few meters away. Chapter 41 - Soft Toy "Is it just me or my sister has some weird obsession towards that weird man?" Eleven-year-old Kiaraa asked her friends. "Hey, don''t call my brother weird. Your sister is the one, who is weird" Song Ji Hwan refuted, defending his elder brother. "My sister is definitely weird and also dumb but that doesn''t mean your brother is any normal. He looks like the most boring guy in this world" Kiaraa looked at Song Ji Hun with a judgemental face, who was seriously reading a book. "Be respectful, he might be your future brother-in-law" Ian informed her resulting in the three people laughing loudly. "Yeah, my sister is just nine-years old and she looks love struck already" Kiaraa helplessly shook her head. "That''s the effect my elder brother can have on any woman" Song Ji Hwan proudly said only to get glared at by Kiaraa and Ian. "You look proud as if my sister is crazy about you" Kiaraa taunted him. "Being crazy about my brother is good enough too" Song Ji Hwan retorted. "Anyway, are you two planning to audition for the annual school play?" Ian asked them. All these kids go to the same elite school in Seoul, where children from rich household study. "I don''t do such boring stuff" Kiaraa looked indifferent. "We are still juniors and you people are preferred over us, so I am not going to participate either for now" Song Ji Hwan who was in the same class as Kiaraa, replied. Ian looked proudly at them and declared, "In the upcoming play of Romeo and Juliet, guess who has been already selected to play Romeo without having to go through the auditions?" he pointed at himself answering his own question. "Of course, after all you are the most handsome man in your class" Kiaraa happily pulled Ian''s cheeks making him happier. Song Ji Hwan scoffed, "Nonsense, the most handsome guy in their class is my elder brother and just for your information, my brother was offered the role of Romeo first, which he rejected" "So, what? The school now found a better Romeo" Ian smiled as he was unaffected for being the second-choice as at the end of the day, this role was his. "I agree. If your brother would have played the lead role then instead of romancing Juliet, he would have scared her" Kiaraa joked making them laugh. "Hey, if my brother starts acting romantic, then all girls will go crazy" Song Ji Hwan countered playfully. "Crazy with madness, wondering why this boring guy is acting creepy?" Kiaraa asked. Ian laughed louder, "Anyway, I hope this time you two will sit through the whole program and would even attend my play" "Of course, we want to see you romancing Juliet" Kiaraa winked at Song Ji Hwan. Taking her hint, Ji Hwan added, "Our Ian would look so romantic on the stage" "Yes, and after this play all girls would only want Ian" Kiaraa teasingly joked. "True that" Song Ji Hwan agreed. "Guys, you just love me too much" Ian blushed with all the praises. Just then Kiaraa''s mom stepped there, "Kiaraa, dear" she gently called her daughter. "Yeah, mom?" Kiaraa looked at her beautiful, gentle-looking mother, who was carrying a big, cute soft toy in her arms. "Kiaraa, for years I didn''t see you playing with it. You still want this toy or you are already bored with it?" Her mother asked. "Mom, this soft toy was given to me on my birthday and whoever gave it to me, didn''t know me at all" Kiaraa looked annoyed seeing that big pink soft toy. "Kiaraa, don''t be rude. Just tell me you want this toy or not?" Chu Yu Ri asked her stubborn daughter. "No, I obviously don''t, mom" Kiaraa rolled her eyes as her mother was asking her silly questions. ''Doesn''t she know me?'' Kiaraa wondered. Chu Yu Ri smiled and patted her daughter''s head, before walking away with the soft toy. "Don''t know which idiots gifted me this soft toy?" Kiaraa muttered, looking irritated. "It was us, who gifted it" Song Ji Hwan answered her question surprising Kiaraa as she didn''t expect this and she genuinely didn''t remember. Ian widened his eyes in shock, "Ji Hwan, don''t mind her words, she is just kidding" he tried to save Kiaraa from embarrassment. "Why are you speaking up for me?" Kiaraa looked at Ian in annoyance, then she turned to Song Ji Hwan, "Your family should learn how to give gifts. They gift me what Aera likes" Song Ji Hwan laughed loudly, "You are so shameless, Kiaraa. Do you even know how expensive that soft toy is?" "What''s the point of gifting expensive stuff which is of no use?" Kiaraa asked him. "Sorry Lee Kiaraa, next time the Songs will give you an amazing and useful gift, happy?" Song Ji Hwan crossed his palms and asked for her forgiveness as he can''t argue with this stubborn girl. "Very happy, also just to help you out I''ll give you a list of stuff I want, you can just give me one of those items" Kiaraa cheekily smiled. "So shameless" Song Ji Hwan face-palmed himself. "What shameless? Kiaraa has a point. Isn''t it better to gift her what she wants?" Ian supported her. "Gifts are meant to surprise people, what''s the point of gifting if we kill the surprise element" Hwan muttered. "Just do as I say" Kiaraa glared at Hwan, who nodded his head. "Elder sister, thank you so much for this toy" Aera thanked Kiaraa in a cute voice after suddenly showing up there, with a huge smile on her face, as she hugged the big soft toy which was almost as big as her. Seeing the soft toy, she just rejected in Aera''s hand, Kiaraa got pissed. "Who gave you this toy?" Kiaraa shouted at her younger sister, scaring the little girl. The happy smile on Aera''s face froze and was replaced by fright. "Mo¡­Mom gave it" she softly answered, not looking into Kiaraa''s eyes as she was terrified. Song Ji Hun, who was immersed in his book was disturbed by Kiaraa''s shouting and looked over to see the two girls. Chapter 42 - Brutal Song Ji Hun was not interested in whatever that was happening there, so he again looked into his book focussing in it. "Mom¡­ mom" Kiaraa loudly shouted and snatched back the soft toy from Aera. Aera was so frightened she let go of her toy and looked at the ground below. She was silently crying, being too afraid to even look at her sister. Chu Yu Ri, Ji Seo Yun and Ian''s mother Sa Da-Hye came rushing out, hearing Kiaraa''s loud screams. "What happened?" Kiaraa''s mom worriedly asked seeing Kiaraa holding the soft toy and Aera silently sobbing. "Mom, why did you give my soft toy to her?" Kiaraa shouted looking furiously at her mom. Song Ji Hun was again disturbed by the sudden noise in his peaceful atmosphere. He stood up from his bench and stepped inside the house away from this drama. In the living room, he found a corner spot on the couch and sat there, reading his book in peace. He hates drama and prefers living in silence. While in the lawn outside, the drama continued. "Your sister loved this toy and asked me for it. When I checked with you a few minutes ago, you clearly expressed your disinterest in playing with it, so, I gave it to her. Instead of sitting between the dust in your room, this toy will be put to good use if Aera plays with it" Chu Yu Ri patiently explained her actions to her eleven-year-old daughter. "Mom, whatever belongs to me irrespective of my interest in it is mine. How can you give it away to Aera?" Kiaraa didn''t care about the explanation provided to her by her mother, she was adamant on her stand. "She is your sister, Kiaraa. What''s wrong with she having the toy that you don''t want?" Chu Yu Ri was slowly losing her cool. "What''s mine is mine" Kiaraa rudely answered her mother. "Kiaraa, don''t be rude to your mom" Ji Seo Yun, Song Ji Hun''s mother scolded Kiaraa. "Don''t meddle in our family matters" Kiaraa disrespectfully warned Ji Seo Yun not bothering about the age gap between them. "Kiaraa, don''t talk to my mother like that" Song Ji Hwan chimed in and scolded his friend as he didn''t like anyone disrespecting his mom. "Then ask her to not interfere in my family matters" Kiaraa shouted at Song Ji Hwan before looking at her mother. "Mom, I don''t like sharing my stuff with anyone, especially this girl" she pointed at Aera, who was now sobbing even more, hurt by what her sister said. "This girl? That''s your sister, Kiaraa, she has a name." Chu Yu Ri frustratedly scolded her daughter. "Sister?" Kiaraa scoffed looking at Aera and added, "Why should I acknowledge her as my sister?" "Because she is" Chu Yu Ri raised her voice agitating Kiaraa even more. "Did you ask for my permission before giving birth to her? Did you ask me if I want a sister or not? No, right? So, don''t expect me to treat her like my sister" Kiaraa angrily declared and stepped inside the house only to be followed by her mother. "Can you believe eleven-year-olds these days? Mannerless and rude" Ji Seo Yun muttered angrily. "Seo Yun, she is a child, don''t take her words to heart" Sa Da-Hye consoled her friend. "Child? She doesn''t act like a child at all. Yu Ri and Lee Myung Soo spoiled their daughter. Look at Aera, so polite and calm. Kiaraa should learn manners from her sister" Ji Seo Yun angrily spouted. "They are children, you are a grown-up and yet you are acting like a child too" Sa Da-Hye smiled rubbing her friend''s arm as she was trying to calm her down. Hearing the soft sobs, the two women looked at Aera, who was still crying silently with her head lowered down. Ji Seo Yun''s heart wrenched in pain, seeing the small, petite child''s condition. "My baby, don''t cry" Ji Seo Yun sat on her knees and gently pulled Aera towards her. Wiping tears away from Aera''s eyes, she promised, "I''ll buy a bigger and better soft toy for you, okay?" Aera smiled when she heard her favourite aunt''s words and tightly hugged Ji Seo Yun, "Thank you aunty" she spoke in her soft voice. Ji Seo Yun smiled and gently rubbed her back, "No need to thank aunty" she then carried Aera in her arms and stepped inside with Sa Da-Hye and their sons. After stepping inside the living room, Kiaraa seriously looked around the big mansion, before stepping inside the kitchen. "Kiaraa, where are you going? I am still not done talking to you" Kiaraa''s mother followed her, looking agitated at her daughter''s attitude. ''Why can''t these people talk softly?'' Song Ji Hun sighed seeing everyone, who was present outside the lawn, stepping inside the living room one after the other. ''Need to find some other place where no one can come'' he thought to himself and was about to leave but the next second he was frozen at his spot, when he saw what Kiaraa carried with her while stepping outside the kitchen. Kiaraa was holding a big butcher knife in her right hand. Chu Yu Ri''s eyes widened in shock, "Kiaraa where did you get that from? Give it to mommy" The anger on Chu Yu Ri''s face was replaced by panic as she was worrying if Kiaraa would end up hurting herself. Kiaraa smirked seeing how worried her mother was. Ignoring her mom''s plea, she placed the soft toy on the floor and with one swift motion, she cut the toy into two halves using that butcher knife. Ji Seo Yun immediately hid Aera''s face in her shoulder as she didn''t wish for this child to witness such brutality. Everyone else present there were shocked as they didn''t expect Kiaraa would do something so brutal. Everything happened so fast that no one was sure how to react as they were all stunned to even step ahead and stop her. Chapter 43 - A Girl Caught His Attention "Kiaraa" Her mom shouted at her and rushed towards the girl to snatch away the butcher knife but before she could do so, Kiaraa again cut that soft toy in more pieces. Lee Myung Soo, who was with his friends in the study room, came rushing out hearing the loud commotion outside. When he saw the butcher knife in his daughter''s hand, he immediately stepped towards her and gently snatched it away, as he was scared of hurting her. "What is going on?" Lee Myung Soo angrily looked at his wife. "That''s what I want to know too" Chu Yu Ri replied to her husband before turning back to face Kiaraa. "Kiaraa, where did you find this? How could you use something so dangerous? What if you would have hurt yourself?" Chu Yu Ri shouted at her daughter. "Yu Ri, don''t scold her" Lee Myung Soo called the main servant who is in-charge of the kitchen. "Do you people keep such dangerous equipment in reach of children?" Lee Myung Soo scolded the head servant of the kitchen department before handing over the knife to him. "Sorry sir" The person responsible apologized. "Ensure, all such essentials are kept out of reach from children" Lee Myung Soo ordered the servant and after he left, Myung Soo sat on his knees facing his daughter. "Kiaraa, why did you do this?" Her father asked her pointing at the soft toy as he noticed the toy cut in pieces. Seeing Kiaraa hold the knife and seeing that toy, it was not rocket science for him to figure out that Kiaraa was the one responsible. "If I don''t want something, I''ll rather destroy it instead of giving it to her" Kiaraa pointed at Aera, who was in Ji Seo Yun''s arms, still resting her head on her aunt''s shoulders. Lee Myung Soo didn''t get the context and looked at his wife, who was clearly worried hearing Kiaraa''s words. "Okay, understood. Go and play with your friends" He suggested and Kiaraa went to Ian and Song Ji Hwan, who were clearly still scared from what they witnessed just now. "Let''s go and play" Kiaraa cheerfully said and the two guys looked at each other in shock before obediently following her. Lee Myung Soo signalled his wife and the two people went to their bedroom to discuss what just happened. Ji Seo Yun and Sa Da-Hye went to another room where they were hanging out earlier carrying Aera with them. The only person left in the living room was Song Ji Hun, who instead of being happy for regaining his freedom and peace back, stepped towards the soft toy lying on the floor. He observed the pieces and how brutally it was butchered. A small smile was painted on his lips. ''Very interesting, she is. Why did I never notice her before?'' he wondered looking in the direction Kiaraa left. He was the only person, who didn''t get scared or shocked by Kiaraa''s actions. Rather, he was amused. This was the first time a girl caught his attention. He had no idea from this moment his peace-loving life is going to take a turn towards drama and he would enjoy every second of it. After entering their bedroom, Chu Yu Ri updated her husband about everything that happened until now. "You know how possessive Kiaraa is about her stuff. Why did you give it to Aera?" Lee Myung Soo scolded his wife instead of being angry with his daughter. "Aera wanted that toy and I never saw Kiaraa use it. Rather, she always cursed that gift so I thought¡­" Chu Yu Ri looked guilty. Lee Myung Soo sighed and gently hugged his wife, "It''s not your fault but next time if Aera wants something, let''s buy it for her instead of taking stuff away from Kiaraa. That is not appropriate either. We need to teach Aera, what belongs to Kiaraa is only Kiaraa''s and she should not ask for it" He calmly explained his opinion to his wife, who agreed with him. "Hmm, I''ll teach Aera to never ask anything that is not hers but Myung Soo, today Kiaraa''s behaviour scared me, it was not normal." She lifted her head and looked into her husband''s eyes. "Although Kiaraa was angry, butchering that toy was a bit too much. It shows the aggression inside her. It is not normal for an eleven-year-old" Chu Yu Ri elaborated on her concern. "Yeah, we need to handle Kiaraa with love and care" Lee Myung Soo had no idea what else to say. When he saw the anger in his daughter''s eyes, he too was shaken and it was not wrong to say he was a bit scared too but he had no idea what to do with her. "Myung Soo, why does Kiaraa hate Aera so much? We always ensure to treat them equally rather we favour Kiaraa over Aera, to not provoke her but still¡­" Chu Yu Ri trailed off as tears started flowing from her eyes. It pained her to see their daughters not having the sibling-love that they should. Ian and his sister are loving towards each other and so are Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan. Kiaraa and Aera are the only pair of siblings who lack that bond. "Where did I go wrong, Myung Soo?" she asked him with teary eyes. "Yu Ri, stop blaming yourself alone. It is our responsibility to look after them. If something went wrong then it is both of us not just you but I think Kiaraa just says she hates Aera but if need comes, she will protect her sister." "You really think so?" Chu Yu Ri still looked doubtful but there was hope in her voice. "Yeah, if the day comes where Aera needs Kiaraa, she will be there for her" Lee Myung Soo, himself didn''t believe what he said but right now he wanted to assure his wife, who was clearly more worried and panic-stricken. "I really hope that''s the case" The two people then stepped out to host their guests. Chu Yu Ri joined the other two women while Lee Myung Soo went to spend time with his friends. Song Ji Hun on the other hand, stepped out to the lawn where the three people, who were now joined by Kim Do-Yun, Ian''s sister, were playing Gonggi, a popular children''s game in Korea, which is played with five pebbles. "Shall we invite Aera too to play with us?" Song Ji Hwan casually mentioned only to get glared at by Kiaraa. "You''d dare?" she asked him making shivers run through his spine. ''Ji Hwan she is younger than you. There is no reason to be scared of her'' Song Ji Hwan told himself but not one word could get out of his mouth, as he recollected how she butchered a toy. ''She will butcher me next so it would be better if I just shut up'' he concluded. "No, I won''t" he answered. The four kids then continued playing, while Song Ji Hun stole glances at the girl, who just scared his younger brother. Instead of getting angry, Song Ji Hun liked her bold personality. Unknown to him, he found something that interests him more than reading a book. Chapter 44 - [Bonus ] Romeo And Juliet Few days later "Ahhh, why am I friends with this Ian?" Kiaraa frustratedly said the same thing for the umpteenth time. "Kiaraa, this play will only last for two hours, stop acting like you have to sit through this play for the whole day" Song Ji Hwan was annoyed hearing her complaining about attending this play since morning. "I hate this play" Kiaraa again complained sitting next to Song Ji Hwan as they took their seats in the school''s auditorium. It was their annual celebration at the school. Every year this celebration happens where the students and the faculty put up a show on the stage. It is a four-days event, where putting up a play is an event for day-two. The parents too were here but they were sitting in a separate section. "Kiaraa, if you hate attending this play so much, why did you even bother to come?" Song Ji Hwan was done hearing her nagging and got irritated by her. Hwan loves watching movies and plays, so he was excited to see this play, especially because his close friend Ian would be playing the role of the Romeo. If his elder brother would have accepted this role and played it, then Ji Hwan''s happiness would have had no bounds but since that is not happening, he at least wants to be happy seeing Ian. "Ian forced me to come here" Kiaraa pouted holding the tub of popcorn. "Then please at least for his sake, watch this play and enjoy" Song Ji Hwan requested her. Kiaraa sulked and kept quiet. The next second, one boy suddenly came there and sat on the empty seat next to Kiaraa. She was now sitting between this boy and Song Ji Hwan. In five minutes, the play was supposed to start so all the lights in the auditorium were turned off. The play started and there was complete silence in the room, as everyone paid their complete attention. The play began with the narration informing them of the long family feud between Romeo and Juliet. Kiaraa rolled her eyes and muttered, "What a silly reason to have a feud. The feud exists only to make the story interesting" Song Ji Hwan leaned closer to her and requested, "Kiaraa, Romeo and Juliet is a classic love story, please don''t ruin it for me" "Why is it even a classic? Both lovers die at the end. It seems like a rule that only tragical stories end up being classics" she again muttered. "I am done" Song Ji Hwan declared and carefully left from there without disturbing the audience seated behind them. He therefore didn''t notice the guy, who was sitting next to Kiaraa. "Ji Hwan, don''t go, Ji Hwan" Kiaraa begged him in a whisper but he left as he wished to peacefully enjoy this play. Luckily for him, he found a seat in the row ahead and sat there. Kiaraa couldn''t see him clearly in the darkness and lost him, therefore she couldn''t follow Hwan. "Ahhh how will I survive this boring play now?" she again muttered as she has a habit of demeaning every movie she is watching, finding the loopholes in them as that gives her more pleasure. Now she didn''t have a listener to hear her opinions, making this boring experience even more boring for her. Ian, handsomely dressed as Romeo, just walked on the stage as this was his introduction scene. His friends in the audience cheered for him but Ian remained professional, unshaken by the applaud he got. The current scene on the stage was of a party where he sees Juliet for the first time where he falls head over heels in love with her. "Love at first sight, what an overrated concept" The boy next to Kiaraa commented successfully capturing her attention. Kiaraa excitedly turned to her right as that was the exact thought she had in her mind when the scene on the stage shifted to that of Ian and the girl playing Juliet''s eyes met. At the exact moment, when Romeo and Juliet''s eyes met on the stage, off the stage Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun''s eyes met. It wasn''t an understatement to say she was shocked. Although she knew this guy since the day she was born, she barely talked to him all these years. This was the first time, Song Ji Hun used so many words to interact with her. Song Ji Hun waited for her to say something after what he said but she kept looking at him as if she was looking at an alien. ''Is me talking to her that weird?'' he wondered. "Sorry, if I disturbed you" He was not sure what else to say. Kiaraa came out of her daze hearing more words from him and smiled brightly, she turned back to the play and said, "Love at first sight is indeed an overrated concept. How can one love someone without even knowing anything about them?" she added. Song Ji Hun smiled in victory as his purpose was fulfilled and he got her talking. "It is most probably lust at first sight" He leaned closer and whispered in her ears. "Lust?" Kiaraa cluelessly looked at him as she was still not completely aware of the concept called lust. Song Ji Hun wanted to smack himself, she was an eleven-year-old and he was discussing lust with her. "Don''t bother" he replied ashamed of himself. The two then looked back at the play. On stage, a romantic sequence was playing where Romeo and Juliet were developing feelings for one another at a party. "Why do people like being romantic? Isn''t it so annoying?" Kiaraa complained to Song Ji Hun. "Hmm, even if you are romantic, why do you have to be romantic in public? Please, get a room." He added agreeing with her as he had similar opinion. "They romance in public to show off how amazing and cool their lives are" Kiaraa muttered in a whisper but Song Ji Hun could clearly hear her. The two people were mindful of other people in the audience, so they only whispered to one another. Chapter 45 - I Will Wait Then later the story didn''t show much on the romance angle as the boy playing Romeo was still a thirteen-year-old and the girl playing Juliet was a twelve-year-old. The school didn''t want to raise a scandal so romance was very less in this play keeping their audience in mind. The scene on stage then shifted to a small fight that takes place between multiple characters where Romeo accidentally kills Juliet''s cousin. "You know what, this killing was added just to rotten the relationship between Romeo and Juliet''s families and it was shown as an accidental murder only to keep Romeo''s character clean" Kiaraa scoffed after sharing her opinion with Song Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun was sitting at the first seat of this row, Kiaraa in the second one and the third seat was empty as Song Ji Hwan, who occupied it left. Therefore, no one else in the audience was disturbed by these two as they were considerate enough to talk in whispers. "As if it is a thumb rule that every lead character has to be a nice and perfect person. Why can''t the lead be someone with flaws? After all normal people have so many flaws in them" Song Ji Hun agreed with her. Kiaraa, turned to look at him, the corner of her lip was raised in a slight smile. She kept looking at him like that. Sensing her gaze on him, Song Ji Hun''s attention shifted from the play to the girl sitting next to him. "What?" he asked as she kept smiling at him, not saying a word. "You are not what I thought" she declared. Song Ji Hun was not sure she was praising him or taunting him. "What did you think I was?" he counter questioned. Kiaraa turned back to look at the play, "How does it even matter?" she still didn''t lose that faint smile on her face. Song Ji Hun was not sure how to feel about it as he was dying to know what she thought of him and what she is thinking right now. If he had some magical powers, he would love to enter her mind and explore it or at least read her thoughts. Currently, the scene of Romeo repenting killing Juliet''s cousin was going on and Ian was actually doing a great job at it. "I had no idea Ian is such an amazing actor" Kiaraa whispered to Song Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun was not sure why, but he didn''t like the way she praised Ian. He turned to look at her and saw the admiration in her eyes towards Ian''s acting. For the first time, at that moment, Song Ji Hun regretted rejecting the role of Romeo, which was offered to him first. ''She would have been praising me if I was on the stage right now'' he thought unknown to him that if he would have played Romeo, Kiaraa wouldn''t even have wasted her time sitting through this play. Later, there was another Romeo and Juliet''s scene going on when Song Ji Hun whispered, "They two look good together, right?" He was not the kind of person to say something like this but he wished to know what Kiaraa thinks of Ian. "Hmm, they do. Ian is so handsome he will look good together with any girl" she added upsetting Song Ji Hun. "But his clothes are funny" Song Ji Hun suddenly said trying to make Ian look lower in her eyes. "That I agree" Kiaraa looked at Song Ji Hun and laughed as Ian was dressed in 16th century Italian clothes. At that exact moment, Ian was enacting a scene looking at the audience, narrating his thoughts as Romeo, just then the spotlight, which was moving across the audience passed over Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun and Ian''s gaze fell on them. What he witnessed was Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun smiling at each other and this made him froze on his spot, as he went blank and forgot his next dialogue. In thirteen years of his life, he never saw Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun interact with each other and therefore the scene in front of him was no less than a shock. He believed their interaction was a bad omen as he didn''t like what he saw. The girl playing Juliet was standing there as a statue as Ian was supposed to share his feelings and thoughts with the audience before they continue the scene but Ian suddenly stopped speaking. Everyone in the audience kept wondering why is he not talking. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun too looked at the stage after realizing the dialogues suddenly stopped and there was a weird kind of silence around them. When Kiaraa and Ian''s gazes met, he realized he was in the middle of the play and immediately he acted like he went speechless between his thoughts due to the pain and shock Romeo is going through. Ian continued saying his next lines, handling the situation well as the audience believed the pause that happened was a part of the play. The next scenes played out well and it was finally the climax scene where a misunderstanding about Juliet''s death leads to Romeo committing suicide. "What a weird misunderstanding. He didn''t even wait for a few more hours before killing himself. If he did, the story would have been so different" Kiaraa muttered to Song Ji Hun as she couldn''t help but feel bad seeing this tragical ending. "It is a work of fiction; it is not real" Song Ji Hun reminded her. "Hmm but still if he would have waited a bit longer, their lives would have been different" Kiaraa muttered making Song Ji Hun turn to look at her. "I will wait, no matter how long it takes" the words suddenly came out of his mouth even before he could stop them.. He was not sure what happened at that moment and what triggered him but he felt like saying these words. Chapter 46 - Acting Weird "I will wait, no matter how long it takes" the words suddenly came out of Song Ji Hun''s mouth "What? You will wait? For what exactly?" Kiaraa was surprised at his choice of words. "I mean if I would have been Romeo I will wait" Song Ji Hun himself was not sure why he said those words and what he was saying now. Kiaraa chuckled hearing his words, "You are indeed as weird as I thought you to be" Song Ji Hun just smiled back at her. The next moment Juliet too kills herself. "Ahhh, what a dumb story" Kiaraa frustratedly muttered. The next moment Romeo and Juliet''s feuding family finally reconcile over their children''s deaths. "If they were about to reconcile like this then Romeo and Juliet should have just faked their deaths and after the family''s reconciliation they can just appear shouting ''busted''" Kiaraa shared an alternate ending, the one she would have preferred. Song Ji Hun smiled hearing her version of the story, "Seems like you would have done a better job than Shakespeare if you wrote Romeo and Juliet" "I know, right?" Kiaraa didn''t disagree. Song Ji Hun smiled, helplessly shaking his head, looking at this narcissistic woman, who indeed believed she could have done a better job than the greatest writer in this world. The play was done and the whole cast and crew bowed to the audience concluding the play. They received a standing ovation from the audience. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa too stood up in appreciation as it was indeed a good play. Keeping aside their toxic opinion, they enjoyed it a lot. Song Ji Hwan came back to join Kiaraa as the play was over but was shocked seeing his brother standing next to her. "Hyung" Ji Hwan called his brother, "You are attending a play? Seriously?" He didn''t hide how surprised he was to see his brother there. Song Ji Hun was planning to leave before his parents or brother could notice him but alas, he was caught. "Why? Can''t I attend a play?" Song Ji Hun coldly asked his brother surprising Kiaraa as until a minute ago he sounded so gentle and in the very next moment he sounded scary. Song Ji Hwan was used to this tone, so he didn''t find anything weird rather if he would have heard how gently his brother talked to Kiaraa a moment ago, he would have gone crazy by now. "Well, you can but you usually don''t prefer to. That''s why you even rejected to star in this play." "Acting in a play and watching it are different experiences, can''t be compared." "But I am sure your watching experience must have been ruined" Song Ji Hwan commented and looked at Kiaraa, "You must have annoyed my sweet brother." he concluded. "Nonsense, rather we had a lot of fun watching this play, he is a better partner than you are" Kiaraa rolled her eyes before walking away from there to meet Ian, back-stage. "What?" Song Ji Hwan kept looking at Kiaraa''s retreating back before looking back at his elder brother, who too left from there and headed towards the exit. Song Ji Hwan looked around and after spotting his brother in the crowd, he chased him. "Hyung, wait" he shouted and caught his brother''s arm, stopping him. "What?" Ji Hun coldly asked him trying to hide his nervousness. Song Ji Hwan is the only man who can match Song Ji Hun''s smartness, so much that he is the only one who can beat Song Ji Hun at things he is good at. Therefore, Song Ji Hun is careful around his brother as he is the only person, who can see through him. "Why did Kiaraa say you guys had a lot of fun?" Song Ji Hwan caught on the important information he came across and directly asked his elder brother. "You should ask her" Song Ji Hun wished to walk away but his brother didn''t let him. "My sweet Hyung, why are you nervous?" Song Ji Hwan''s question startled Ji Hun. "Nervous? Are you crazy?" Song Ji Hwan held the arm of his brother and lifted it a bit higher and wrapped his fingers around Ji Hun''s wrist, "Your pulse rate says something else" he pointed it out. "Ji Hwan, don''t waste my time" "Since, when have you been interested in plays and girls?" Song Ji Hwan''s sudden direct question made Song Ji Hun uncomfortable. "Hwan, don''t cross the line" "There is no line between us" He countered. Song Ji Hun deeply sighed, "I was bored so I decided to watch a play, coincidentally I ended up sitting next to her. We had similar opinion on the play, which we discussed" A huge grin was spread across Song Ji Hwan''s lips, "Hyung, since when have you started explaining yourself and that too to me?" Song Ji Hun frowned. "You are acting different than you usually do." Song Ji Hwan again pointed out. "Stop interrogating me as if I am some criminal" Song Ji Hun warned him and Ji Hwan decided to let his elder brother off. "Fine, I''ll go and meet Ian. He did a great job today; you want to tag along?" "No and he was not that great, I would have done a better job" Song Ji Hun couldn''t control himself from saying so. Song Ji Hwan was again surprised as it was unlike his elder brother to compare himself to anyone especially a person like Ian, who doesn''t exist for Ji Hun. "You are acting weird" Song Ji Hwan exclaimed. "I am hungry" Song Ji Hun made up an excuse and was about to leave when Song Ji Hwan said, "I don''t know what opinions you and Kiaraa shared but I am sure they must be shitty" "That''s your opinion" Song Ji Hun left from there leaving Song Ji Hwan smiling as he could clearly see the change in his elder brother. Song Ji Hwan then headed back stage to congratulate Ian on his mind-blowing performance. Chapter 47 - Being Ridiculous At the back stage Kiaraa congratulated the cast whoever she came across while trying to find Ian. Then she saw a guy dressed like Ian, looking gloomy and sulking in a corner which surprised her. His play was a hit, so she expected to see him looking bright and happy, not sad and gloomy. "My amazing Romeo, you were awesome" Kiaraa went to hug him but Ian glared at her, which made her hands stop in the mid-air. "What happened Ian? Why do you look so upset?" Kiaraa worriedly asked him. ''Did anyone insult his acting or his role? Did he get some negative feedback?'' she wondered. "What were you doing with Song Ji Hun?" he couldn''t restrain himself from asking this question and neither could he pretend like he didn''t see anything or was fine. Ian prefers being direct. "When?" Kiaraa looked genuinely confused. "Earlier, during the play" Ian was gritting his teeth in frustration. "Well, we were watching the play. What happened?" Kiaraa casually asked him. "K, I don''t want you to spend time with him" Ian declared. "Why not?" Kiaraa was confused as they were all family friends. These two are so close to Hwan so why there is a problem in spending time with Ji Hun. "Because I don''t like him" Ian honestly replied. Kiaraa chuckled hearing his words, "You are being silly. Anyway, you were good in today''s play, I was surprised when¡­" "Kiaraa, I just asked you something, can you not change the topic?" Ian raised his voice at her. Kiaraa didn''t intentionally change the topic, she indeed didn''t take her encounter with Song Ji Hun serious enough to make such promises to Ian. "Don''t talk to me in that tone" She warned Ian, not liking the way he raised his voice at her. "I am sorry" Ian tried to calm down knowing Kiaraa''s nature, "But please promise me you won''t spend time with Song Ji Hun like you did today" "Ian, what is wrong with you? Why are you making a big deal out of it?" Kiaraa genuinely took her interaction with Song Ji Hun as a fleeting cloud. It meant nothing to her. "Kiaraa, can''t you just agree with one request I am making? As a best friend, I am asking you for something. Please just agree with it." "You are being ridiculous" Kiaraa glared at him. "When you ask me to ignore Aera, to not include her in our games, to not greet her back when she greets me, you too were being ridiculous" Ian reminded her of her own antics. Kiaraa couldn''t retort as he was right, he always gave in to her weird, nonsensical demands, so she decided to let him have his way for once. "Fine, I won''t interact with Song Ji Hun from now on, happy?" she asked him. Ian was extremely happy and he hugged her, "Thanks for this promise, K. It means a lot" "But after Aera marries him, I have to interact with him, right? After all he would be family" Kiaraa joked to lighten the mood. It worked as this made Ian''s mood good, "True, true then you can talk to him." "Hey Ian, you were so good man" Song Ji Hwan, who just arrived there hugged Ian and congratulated him. "Thanks dude, hope you two enjoyed the play" "Yes" "Yes" Song Ji Hwan and Kiaraa answered him together. "What? You enjoyed this play? You didn''t make fun of it?" Ian was not surprised by Ji Hwan''s response but was of Kiaraa''s. Kiaraa recollected she enjoyed this play because of the conversations she had with Song Ji Hun but after what just happened between her and Ian, she didn''t wish to spoil his mood. "I surprisingly did and no, I didn''t make fun of it at all" Kiaraa lied through thin teeth, which was obviously noticed by Song Ji Hwan, who legit walked away annoyed by her comments, during the play. "Awe, did you hear that Ji Hwan, she didn''t make of a romantic play? I am so shocked" Ian actually believed her and was happy. ''Seems like since I am the one, who played Romeo, she appreciated romance'' Ian''s heart concluded, improving his mood further. "Yeah, I heard her" Song Ji Hwan lightly smiled as if he believed her but he didn''t. "Shall we have lunch? I am very hungry" Kiaraa pouted rubbing her hand on her stomach. "Sure, let me get changed" Ian went back to the changing room to change into casual clothes. "Liar, liar pants on fire" Song Ji Hwan taunted Kiaraa after ensuring Ian left. "But my pants are not on fire so I am not a liar" Kiaraa retorted back. "Kiaraa, Ji Hun told me how much you two made fun of Ian and this play" Ji Hwan lied to her, perfectly hitting the bull''s eye in the darkness. "Okay, okay, but don''t tell Ian, he was in a bad mood already and if he knows I made fun of him with your brother, he will be more pissed and I do not have the energy to pacify him" Kiaraa joined her hands and begged him. "Cool but I still can''t believe you would make fun of Ian. He is your best friend" Song Ji Hwan flicked her forehead to punish her. "Not Ian, this play is what we made fun of, such a ridiculous story it is" Kiaraa was still unhappy to see Romeo and Juliet dying at the end. "Kiaraa, not one word against one of my favourite classics" Song Ji Hwan warned her as he was a movie buff and enjoys classics. "Yeah, fine" Kiaraa didn''t have the energy to deal with two upset guys in one day so she just gave up. Ian came out of the changing room, looking very happy, he then wrapped his arm around Kiaraa''s shoulder as if she was his and the three people went to have lunch. Kiaraa and Hwan didn''t find anything weird in Ian''s actions as they were used to it. Chapter 48 - Tame My Elder Brother It was again the gathering weekend and Songs were supposed to leave for Kim Mansion as this week the gathering was happening at Ian''s home. Song Ji Hun was waiting in the living room, checking the time on his watch, as his parents were taking too much time to come downstairs. Unknowingly he was shaking his leg waiting for them impatiently. Song Ji Hwan came downstairs and witnessed his brother''s state. "Hyung, where is your book?" Song Ji Hun came out of his daze and looked around, "What book?" "Don''t you always carry a book with you to such gatherings to avoid us?" Song Ji Hwan smiled looking amused as his brother was acting out of character. "Well, today I am planning to interact with everyone. Being an anti-social is not a good thing" Song Ji Hun knew his brother would question him so he was prepared with an answer. "Who says so? I rather find anti-social people very interesting" "It is not interesting at all and I should get out of my comfort zone and interact with more people" Song Ji Hun was not affected by his brother''s piercing gaze, which was trying to see through his lie. Song Ji Hwan kept staring at his brother trying to understand him but this time Song Ji Hun came prepared. "It is a good thing that you decided to interact with people. Aera, will be the happiest of all" Song Ji Hwan wanted to falter his brother and it worked. "Aera?" Song Ji Hun looked confused. "Aera, that nine-year-old, who roams around you calling you, "oppa", remember?" Song Ji Hwan smiled teasingly at his older brother. "That cute annoying kid? What about her?" Song Ji Hun looked clueless. "Hyung, are you serious? Can''t you see she is in love with you" Song Ji Hwan teased him. "Hwan, she is just a nine-year-old. In spite of being thirteen, I am too young to talk about love or fall in it with someone. So, she is obviously way too young to understand these things." Song Ji Hun truly believed what he said. "Hyung, I don''t know about you but that girl is crazy for you" Song Ji Hwan frankly said. Song Ji Hun helplessly shook his head, "She is a kid Hwan, please don''t judge her actions like that. It is demeaning. I have seen how you all treat her, so the least you can do is not insult or judge her like this" "I am sorry, Hyung, even I don''t like treating her like that but Kiaraa dislikes her a lot for some reason. To be honest, Kiaraa is hell scary so we just give in to her requests" Song Ji Hwan explained himself as he too sometimes feels bad for Aera. "Requests or orders?" A faint smile was painted on Song Ji Hun''s lips when Kiaraa''s name was mentioned. "Seriously? Out of everything I just said, this was your take away?" Song Ji Hwan looked at his brother in disbelief. "Where are mom and dad, we are getting late?" Song Ji Hun again checked his watch in frustration. "Oh my god, look at you acting desperate for the gathering, which you hated almost all your life" Song Ji Hwan smiled as if he was able to figure out the reason behind his brother''s actions. "Why are you smiling like an idiot?" Song Ji Hun got annoyed seeing the grin on his brother''s face. "Because it seems puberty has started hitting you at the age of thirteen itself" Song Ji Hwan commented. "Do you want to get beaten up?" "Try doing that, then I''ll go to Kiaraa and will ask her to save me from you" Song Ji Hwan directly teased him this time. Ji Hun was taken aback hearing Ji Hwan''s mention of Kiaraa, "Why would you go to her?" "Because I have a feeling, only she can tame my elder brother" Ji Hwan continued teasing him, enjoying Ji Hun''s shocking reactions. "Seems like you don''t like being able to walk properly, want to get your legs broken?" Song Ji Hun warned him. "My Hyung loves me so much, that he would never hurt me" Ji Hwan confidently smiled. "I am going to wipe away that smirk off your face" Song Ji Hun warned his brother but before he could approach him, their parents appeared there. ''I am so lucky'' Song Ji Hwan sighed in relief as he carelessly teased his brother not bothering about the consequences. He might have gotten a few whips from Ji Hun if not for his parents'' timely arrival. "Wow, you are already ready" Ji Seo Yun exclaimed looking at her elder son in surprise as every time she had to nag him to dress up for this gathering. "Where is grandpa?" Song Ji Hun was irritated as today his grandpa too was taking time to get ready. What he didn''t realize was everyone was getting ready at their regular pace while he was the one, who was ready before time. "Here, I am. What did I do to offend you?" Grandpa Song, who just stepped out his room saw his annoyed grandson. "Nothing, grandpa, let''s go" Song Ji Hun hurried everyone. "First tell me how handsome am I?" Grandpa Song asked Song Ji Hun. "Very handsome, let''s go" "No, describe me properly" Grandpa Song could see how desperate his grandson was to leave so he left no stone unturned in teasing him. "You are so handsome that even me, dad and Hwan look pale in front of you. Can we leave now?" Song Ji Hun headed towards the door. "Why is he so excited to go for this gathering?" Song Jae Ho asked his wife, who shrugged her shoulders saying she has no idea. Ji Seo Yun thought he is in a hurry to leave so that they can come back home soon. Except for Song Ji Hwan, no one from the Song family knew what was going on with Song Ji Hun''s. They were not even aware of what he kept hidden deep inside his heart for many years. The Songs didn''t know his true intentions until years later, when one day he suddenly showed up at the Song Mansion''s doorstep, married to Kiaraa. Chapter 49 - Mini-Theatre In less than twenty minutes, the five people reached the Kim Mansion. As usual grandpa went with his two friends to their usual hangout spot. Ji Seo Yun went to Sa Da-Hye''s room where she was joined by Chu Yu Ri and the kids were gathered in the lawn area. Song Ji Hun politely greeted all the kids, surprising one and all present there. ''What is going on with this guy?'' Ian wondered as this was so unlike Song Ji Hun to interact with them. But of course, they all greeted him back, though it felt awkward. "So, what''s the plan for today, what are we playing?" Song Ji Hwan excitedly asked Kiaraa and Ian as they make plans all the time and he goes along with it. Kiaraa and Ian looked at each other and naughtily smiled. "Okay, I am getting a bad feeling about this" Song Ji Hwan shared his thoughts. "Follow us" Kiaraa happily announced and they all followed her and Ian to one of the floors in the Kim Mansion. Ian then led them to a room and when he opened the door to it, all eyes widened in shock at what they saw. "Oh my goodness this is just awesome" Song Ji Hwan was the first one to enter and look around the room. "Didn''t I tell you Ji Hwan would be mesmerized seeing this room?" Kiaraa asked Ian, who smiled in agreement. "Obviously, as he too is a movie buff just like my parents" Ian added, "I at times feel he was born in the wrong household, he should have been my parents'' son" "No, it''s okay, my brother wouldn''t have been able to survive without me so I am born in the right household" Song Ji Hwan replied still admiring the mini-movie theatre. ''Why can''t I survive without you?'' Song Ji Hun wanted to ask his brother but he let him be and observed this mini-theatre. One side of the wall had a big screen that is found in movie multiplexes and there were multiple recliners opposite to it from where one could comfortably watch the screen. It was still 2004, so this setting looked very rich and amazing as building a mini theatre inside the home was a big deal. All kids admired this whole place as it gave them a movie multiplex vibe. "Today we planned to watch a movie in here" Ian announced their plan for today. "Amazing idea you guys, why are you two so awesome?" Song Ji Hwan was very excited as today they were doing something he likes. "I know right?" Kiaraa smiled and added, "The servants can prepare popcorn and drinks for us, so if anyone wants anything else, please tell them in advance, they will prepare it" "Oh my god, seems like all my dreams are coming alive" Song Ji Hwan was the most excited of all, he turned to Kiaraa and asked, "Which movie are we watching?" "The Grudge" Kiaraa had an evil smirk on her face when she announced the movie name. Song Ji Hwan''s eyes widened in surprise, "That horror movie?" Kiaraa nodded her head. "Kiaraa, I love you so much" Song Ji Hwan''s excitement could see no bounds as he was about to hug her but suddenly, he felt an icy glare on himself. Subconsciously he turned around and saw his brother, who looked calm and indifferent but still Song Ji Hwan could feel some weird vibe coming from him. "But like a si¡­ friend only" Song Ji Hwan immediately added looking at Kiaraa. He was planning to call her a sister but that might piss off his brother even more so he went with a safer option. "I know, cutie" Kiaraa pulled Song Ji Hwan''s cheeks, "Now, everyone can order whatever you want, the movie is going to start in ten minutes" she announced as Ian was already at the projector preparing to start this movie. Just then Aera and Kim Do-Yun joined them. "Why are you here?" Kiaraa rudely asked her sister clearly annoyed with her presence. "Everyone is here, so¡­" Aera feels intimidated around Kiaraa so she spoke in a voice which was almost inaudible. "So? You are not allowed here go and play alone by yourself" Kiaraa didn''t hide her strong dislike towards her sister while trying to shoo her off. Kim Do-Yun, Ian''s sister wanted Aera to be there as they were friends and she was closer to her given, they were almost of the same age but she was too scared of Kiaraa, so she couldn''t speak up even though this was her own home. Kim Do-Yun looked at Ian, begging him with her eyes to let Aera stay here but Ian ignored his sister''s plea. "Kiaraa, let her stay, why can''t she enjoy this movie with us?" Song Ji Hwan was not sure why but he couldn''t keep quiet and meddled between the two sisters. Everyone, present there got surprised. "Why are you so interested in keeping her here?" Kiaraa narrowed her eyes, folded her hands in the front and questioned him. "She is a part of us, if she wants to stay, she can, you can''t decide everything for her" Song Ji Hwan firmly said. He himself was not sure why he was suddenly being so vocal and supportive towards Aera. Hwan felt Song Ji Hun''s words from earlier of how they treat Aera stuck with him. Song Ji Hun has a huge influence on Song Ji Hwan and his words can affect him greatly. Kiaraa was speechless when she saw Ji Hwan insisting on letting Aera stay but she didn''t argue with him, "Fine, then she will sit next to you and you will be responsible for her" she declared confusing Song Ji Hwan. Aera is a nine-year-old, so she can take care of herself and he doesn''t need to bother himself or take her responsibility but he couldn''t go back from what he started. "Yeah fine" He just agreed still not understanding what responsibility he had to take. "Cool, you can watch the movie with us" Kiaraa informed her sister. Chapter 50 - Favour "Cool, you can watch the movie with us" Kiaraa informed her sister. Aera looked delighted with the news and so was Kim Do-Yun. Song Ji Hwan suddenly became a hero in their eyes, they looked at him thankfully and he shyly smiled, waving his hand at the two cute girls, "Not a big deal" Then all the kids informed the servants what they want to eat and Ian was done setting up the movie. There were two rows of individual recliner chairs, six in each line. Three on the left, three on the right with a small middle path separating them. In total there were twelve recliner chairs but since there were only six kids, they all occupied the first row, leaving the row behind them empty. Starting from left, Ian''s sister occupied the first recliner which was next to the wall, Ian was sitting on the recliner next to her, Kiaraa was sitting next to him. The middle path which separates the recliners is between the seat Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun were sitting on. Therefore, the first seat next to this path was occupied by Song Ji Hun, Song Ji Hwan was sitting next to him and Aera was sitting next to Ji Hwan. Aera''s seat was the last in the row, so she had a wall next to her. This was how the six people were seated: (wall) Kim Do Hyun, Ian, Kiaraa¡­ (middle ... path) ¡­Song Ji Hun, Song Ji Hwan, Aera (wall) Ian controlled the movie settings with the remote in his hand, and after checking with everyone if they are ready, he started the movie after turning off all the lights in the room making the whole room dark just like in the movie theatres. "Song Ji Hwan" A soft voice called his name, startling him. The voice was so soft that it was almost inaudible, therefore only he heard it and turned to his left, to see the cute girl looking at him with her big, round eyes. Song Ji Hwan raised his eyebrows to ask her what happened. Aera curled her four fingers and gestured him to lean down towards her. Confused at what happened, he leaned towards her. "Hmm?" "Thank you so much for helping me stay here, can you please do me another favour?" Aera politely asked him in a whisper. "What favour?" Hwan asked. "Can we exchange seats?" she shyly asked him. Song Ji Hwan turned to his right and noticed his brother, who was seriously watching the movie. "Why?" Song Ji Hwan knew why she wants to exchange seats with him but he wanted to tease her and see what she will reply. Aera hesitated for a second but decided to be honest, "I want to sit next to Song Ji Hun oppa." "Oppa? I am also two years older than you but you earlier called me by my name without any honorifics, why are you not calling me oppa?" Song Ji Hwan asked her in a whisper. "I only call Song Ji Hun oppa as oppa" she was now getting annoyed as he was asking her multiple questions. "Why? I am also older than you, call me oppa" he suggested. "No, I don''t want to" Aera countered "You have to" "But I don''t want to" Aera''s cheeks were turning red with anger as Hwan was getting on her nerves. ''Haha, so she knows how to get angry'' Song Ji Hwan thought. "Then why should I listen to you since you are not listening to me?" Song Ji Hwan retorted. "Pleaseeee" Aera rubbed her palms in front of him, requesting him cutely. ''Oh my god, she knows how to get her way, so cute'' Song Ji Hwan thought and gave in to her request. "Why do you want to sit next to him?" He asked in spite of knowing the reason. "I like him" she shyly confessed. ''Wow, she is bold'' he thought. "Fine, I''ll exchange seats with you but it is not for free." He informed her. Aera looked confused. "I mean, if I do this favour on you then you will also owe me something" Song Ji Hwan explained but she still didn''t understand as she was too young to understand the concept of owing each other. Understanding her state, Song Ji Hwan explained, "I will help you now but someday when I will need your help you too will help me, okay?" "Okay" Aera quickly nodded her head agreeing to it as this task felt very easy. Song Ji Hwan and Aera exchanged their seats. Song Ji Hun''s attention was on Kiaraa, who was just a foot away from him, so he didn''t bother about what was happening on the seat next to him. Aera was very happy sitting next to Song Ji Hun, her happiness couldn''t be hidden and it was clearly reflecting on her face. ''This kid is so lovestruck'' Song Ji Hwan smiled and looked at his brother, who was stealing glances, sneakily looking at Kiaraa. Song Ji Hwan already had an intuition that Song Ji Hun is developing a strong attraction towards Kiaraa and now seeing the way Aera looked at his brother, he got a bad intution. ''What if Aera falls for Song Ji Hun and he ends up falling for Kiaraa? Their lives will become so complicated. I hope I am just overthinking. Aera is just nine-years, Hyung is thirteen. Who knows once Aera grows up maybe she will like someone else or maybe Hyung is temporarily attracted to Kiaraa, which will be gone away in a few days? This peace-loving man can never fall for a drama queen like Kiaraa. I hope this is what happens and there are no complications in Hyung''s life. Don''t worry Hwan, Hyung''s life would be fine, you are just overthinking'' Song Ji Hwan was talking to himself, lost in his deep thoughts when suddenly he heard some loud gasps and soft screams, the next minute a soft hand tightly gripped his wrist, startling him further. Chapter 51 - Scared, Timid And Weak In reflex, Song Ji Hwan''s gaze travelled to the scene on the screen where he witnessed a gruesome murder happening. He then looked at his hand which was being tightly clutched by Aera, who had her eyes closed in fear. The woman on the screen was loudly shouting and with the increase in the intensity of her voice Aera''s hold on Song Ji Hwan''s hand tightened. He looked at the small girl, who tightly closed her eyes frightened by the scene they just witnessed. Song Ji Hwan tried to remove her hand which was wrapped around his wrist but she was stronger than he expected. "Hey" Ji Hwan leaned towards her, "Can you let go of my hand?" he whispered. Aera slowly opened her frightened eyes and looked at him. "If you are so scared go and hold my brother''s hand, this is a good opportunity to make your move on him" he sincerely advised signalling at Song Ji Hun. Aera slowly shook her head in no. "Why not?" "I don''t want him to see me like this" Aera whispered back. "Like what?" "Scared, timid and weak." Song Ji Hwan was not sure if he should laugh or roll his eyes hearing her reply. "Are you really a nine-year-old?" He asked only to get glared at by Aera. "Fine, so you don''t want to look weak so you''d rather hide your fear from him and take my help instead?" he asked and she nodded her head in confirmation. Song Ji Hwan chuckled, "You are weird" The gruesome scene was over so he asked her to let go of his hand which she did but again when another scary scene appeared, she again held his hand in reflex. "Hey, why do you keep holding my hand?" Song Ji Hwan asked in frustration as she even hurt him by piercing her nails into his skin when the scene got too scary. "Because I don''t care what you think of me" Aera honestly replied. Song Ji Hwan: "¡­" "You are hurting my hand" he finally said. "I am sorry" Aera apologized but didn''t let go of his hand, she just loosened her hold. Song Ji Hwan sighed giving up in front of her as he could see on her face how terrified she was. "Fine, I''ll let you hold my hand but remember now you owe me two favours. One for exchanging seats with you and another for letting you hold my hand." Aera nodded her head agreeing to it as she somewhat understood the concept of owing when Song Ji Hwan explained it to her earlier. Throughout the whole movie, she held Song Ji Hwan''s hand and if she was too scared, she kept hiding her face in his arm. On the other side, during every scene Kiaraa didn''t stop her condescending comments making fun of the movie. She was the only one there, who finds comical angle in a horror movie. When one of the characters killed his wife over a misunderstanding, Kiaraa said, "Killing his wife was fine, but why the hell did he had to kill his son and the cat? Poor son and the poor cat." "K, shhh, we are seriously watching the movie" Ian warned her while stroking his sister''s head, who was holding his hand as she was terrified of the gruesome scene they just witnessed. Kiaraa noticed Kim Do-Yun''s frightened expression and in reflex she turned to see in Aera''s direction and tried to check how her sister is doing as she is aware what Aera must have been going through. Seeing Aera and Song Ji Hwan seriously talking something and Aera holding Hwan''s hand, she sighed in relief. ''That''s why I didn''t allow her to watch this movie as she will be scared but good that Song Ji Hwan is taking her responsibility as promised or else¡­'' "What are you thinking?" Ian suddenly asked Kiaraa interrupting her thoughts as she was looking in the other direction. "I am just predicting the next scene" she lied and he believed. In the next scene another guy commits suicide, "Why does everyone keep dying in this movie? Can''t they scare us without killing people?" Kiaraa muttered loud enough for everyone to hear. "Can''t you watch a movie without your running commentary?" Song Ji Hwan questioned her shouting from his seat. "No, I can''t" Kiaraa answered him back. They all continued watching the movie. When the first part of the movie was over, they all took a small interval during which the servants served them the food they all ordered. "It is so difficult to watch a movie with Kiaraa" Ian exclaimed. "Yeah, she has a problem with every scene" Song Ji Hwan added agreeing with Ian. "Excuse me? I raise all logical questions. You all just want to watch whatever that is being shown to you, you people have no opinion." Kiaraa argued back. "Logical questions? Please, you just try to find fault with everything" Ian argued back. "At times even that is fun." Kiaraa justified herself making Ian smile. "No, it is not fun at all. While watching your Romeo and Juliet play, I walked away from her because of her unnecessary commentary" Song Ji Hwan casually informed Ian. "And by walking away you missed on a lot of fun, right Song Ji Hun, didn''t we enjoy making fun of¡­?" Kiaraa suddenly trailed off as she realized what she just did in the heat of this argument. "Making fun of what, Kiaraa?" Ian asked her as her words surprised him. He realized she lied to him when she said she genuinely enjoyed his play and didn''t make fun of it at all. Now, knowing that she made fun of his play and that too with Song Ji Hun, Ian got pissed. "We made fun of your play and we indeed had a lot of fun" Song Ji Hun who was clueless of the lie she said, honestly answered Ian as he could see how annoyed Ian was and he wished to push him off the edge. Chapter 52 - Jealousy "We made fun of your play and we indeed had a lot of fun" Song Ji Hun who was clueless of the lie she said, honestly answered Ian as he could see how annoyed Ian was and he wished to push him off the edge. ''Ahhhh this idiot, he just pushed me under the bus.'' Kiaraa cursed Song Ji Hun in her heart. "So, you made fun of my play?" Ian again questioned Kiaraa, his voice sounding cold as he was affected by what he heard. "We even made fun of you" Song Ji Hun added to again get glared at by Kiaraa, who was trying to signal him with her eyes to keep quiet. Song Ji Hun was still not sure what was going on but he understood the truth is affecting the friendship between Ian and Kiaraa. "Kiaraa, made some amazing comments on your costumes and acting, you want to know them?" Song Ji Hun controlled his smile and questioned Ian. "Will you stop talking?" Kiaraa finally shouted on Ji Hun and tried to console Ian but it was too late as he stormed off from there. "Why would you do this?" Kiaraa helplessly questioned Song Ji Hun and ran out to chase Ian. After catching up with him successfully, Kiaraa held his arm to stop him, "Ian, let me explain¡­" "So, you lied?" he questioned her, his voice sounded louder than usual. "I am sorry, Ian" Kiaraa looked guilty. Ian means a lot to her and she didn''t wish to upset him over silly things like these. "Kiaraa, making fun of me was fine as you always do that but doing so with Song Ji Hun¡­ how could you?" Ian didn''t hide how upset he was. "What difference does it make?" Kiaraa didn''t understand his problem. "Kiaraa, I don''t like that guy so obviously I won''t like it if my best friend joins hands with him to make fun of me" "Ian, you are overreacting, it was a very casual talk" Kiaraa tried to explain herself. "Kiaraa, you even lied to me about it on the day of the play" "That was because I didn''t wish to upset you. You were already very upset that day, so, I lied" Kiaraa confessed. Ian felt warmth spread through his heart knowing the reason behind her actions. "You lied because you didn''t wish to upset me?" Ian asked her. Kiaraa nodded her head unknown to the effect her words were having on him. A wide smiled was spread across Ian''s face, "Do you feel upset when I am upset?" he asked her. Kiaraa again nodded her head as it was indeed true. "Do you feel happy when I am happy?" he asked, this time confusing her. "Sure" Kiaraa answered him unsure of the purpose behind his questions. Ian was happy with her answers and hugged her, "Good, always prioritize me over everyone, okay?" Kiaraa rolled her eyes but for the time being to bring peace to their friendship she agreed to his request. "Kiaraa, please stay away from that Song Ji Hun" Ian again requested, still hugging her. "Ian, what exactly is the problem between you two?" Kiaraa never saw Ian act like this before and neither did she see these two guys fight or argue, so she couldn''t understand what exactly the problem is. She made fun of Ian multiple times with Song Ji Hwan but he never reacted the way he is reacting now. "There is no problem or anything but I just don''t like him" Ian only said this much as he didn''t wish to share the jealousy, he feels towards Song Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun and Kim Ian were in the same class and Song Ji Hun is better than him in academics, sports and in every activity they have. Ian was not sure why, but he didn''t like the thought of his best friend Kiaraa, thinking highly of Song Ji Hun. Ian still didn''t realize his feelings towards Kiaraa. "Fine, it is just like me and Aera I guess. There is no particular reason but I just don''t like her" Kiaraa tried to understand Ian''s perspective so she compared his situation with hers. "Hmm, you can think so" Ian said. "Understood. I won''t spend time with him at all, happy?" Kiaraa again assured Ian making him happier. The two people then went back to the mini-theatre and continued watching the rest of the film. Kiaraa kept commenting on the movie, annoying Ian and Song Ji Hwan while amusing Song Ji Hun as he enjoyed the different perspective she brought to this movie. He understood no matter what she says, he will enjoy it. While these people enjoyed the movie, there were two girls, who were hell scared of this frightening movie. One kept holding her brother''s arm and the other one Song Ji Hwan''s. After the movie was over, Song Ji Hwan realized why Kiaraa earlier told him to take Aera''s responsibility. ''Oh, she knew her sister would be scared. Is that why she didn''t let Aera join us earlier?'' He wondered. Later, Song Ji Hwan asked Kiaraa if that was the reason why she didn''t let Aera join them, which she confirmed. "Then why did you not directly say so?" Ji Hwan asked her. "Why should I?" Kiaraa looked indifferent. "Well¡­" "If I do this, then she would expect me to always protect her. I am not her nanny. She should learn to take care of herself and not rely on me or others" Kiaraa shared her opinion and left to join Ian. The rest of the day Song Ji Hun didn''t try to spend time with Kiaraa as he himself was not comfortable in approaching her without a reason. He just sat with this group where Ian shared stories from his play rehearsals, sharing all the school gossip with them. Kiaraa is not that interested in gossip but she acted like she enjoyed Ian''s stories for the sake of his happiness. Aera sat next to Song Ji Hun, stealing glances at him as she was happy to spend so much time around him today. Song Ji Hwan was observing his brother and Aera, both of whom looked lovestruck to him. ''I can smell complication'' He concluded worrying about his brother''s future. Chapter 53 - Developing Feelings Two more weeks passed away and it was again time for the weekend gathering and this time it was being hosted in the Song''s Mansion. In these two weeks, Song Ji Hun didn''t get any opportunity to interact with Kiaraa in school. Song Ji Hwan informed his brother that Ian asked Kiaraa to not talk to him as soon as he found out about the same. ''What is this Ian''s problem?'' Song Ji Hun got frustrated as he was interfering in his matters. Song Ji Hun was still in the initial stage of his feelings. Right now, all he wanted was to spend some time with Kiaraa and know her more. At times he regretted not interacting with her until now as he wasted all these years which were perfectly utilized by Ian and he formed a strong friendship with her unlike him, who stayed isolated. ''I am not going to give up so soon'' Song Ji Hun decided and in these two weeks he tried to find out about basic likes and dislikes of Kiaraa from his younger brother. Song Ji Hwan pretended like he had no idea why his brother was seeking information on Kiaraa and helped him understand her better. From his brother, Song Ji Hun was able to find some useful information, as he found out about Kiaraa''s interest in coin collection, especially the ones from the Korean history. As soon as he got to know, he tried to find some old coins and was able to find a few from his grandpa but they were still not enough to show it as a collection. Having no choice, he decided to involve his best friend, who has a similar hobby. Ji Hun was reluctant to involve his friend as he didn''t wish to share his new developing feelings on Kiaraa with anyone else so soon but having no other choice, he changed his plans. Song Ji Hun borrowed some old coins from his friend and had a plan for the gathering weekend which was all set. "Hwan, you remember what to do, right?" Song Ji Hun asked his younger brother as their guests are about to arrive soon. "Hmm, of course, I do. Hyung, can I ask you something?" "No, I am giving away my pocket money from this month to you for the help you did and are going to do. That is enough" Song Ji Hun knew his brother could predict what is going on but right now he was not ready to discuss about it. "Fine" Song Ji Hwan didn''t pester his brother. In a while the Kims arrived and they were the first guests to come there. Ian politely greeted the Song brothers while his sister was roaming around the place, waiting for Aera''s arrival. Song Ji Hwan greeted Ian but instead of his regular cheerful self, Song Ji Hwan looked lost and worried. "Ji Hwan, what happened?" Ian worriedly asked him. Song Ji Hwan looked around him and seeing Song Ji Hun was not paying much attention, he held Ian''s hand and took him away from there to a guest room. "Ji Hwan, what''s going on?" Ian was confused at his sudden actions. "Ian, I am going through some problem and I can''t share it with anyone except for you" Ji Hwan informed him worriedly and after reaching the guest room, he locked the door. "What problem?" Ian was genuinely worried for his friend. "A problem with a girl¡­" Song Ji Hwan cooked up some story to keep Ian busy. Song Ji Hun smiled to himself, as his brother successfully took away the hurdle in his love story. Now it depends on Ji Hun as to how he will utilize this opportunity in his favour. When the Lees arrived there, Song Ji Hun hid himself in the next room and after others left, he came out of his hiding and as expected he found Kiaraa asking Kim Do-Yun where Ian and Song Ji Hwan were. "No idea" Kim Do-Yun answered Kiaraa and left with Aera. "Where are they?" Kiaraa muttered to herself and just then Song Ji Hun appeared there, nonchalantly holding a book in his hand and sat on the couch across her as if he didn''t even notice her presence. At that time, these kids didn''t have phones with them so it was comparatively difficult to know one''s whereabouts. Kiaraa wondered should she just ask Song Ji Hun where the other two guys were or wait there. ''It''s okay, I can just ask him, there is nothing wrong with it and I would be asking him about Ian''s whereabouts so Ian should not get upset'' Kiaraa convinced herself before talking to Song Ji Hun. On the other end, although Song Ji Hun was acting indifferent, his attention was on Kiaraa and he was hoping for her to approach him first as he didn''t wish to look overbearing or desperate. "Song Ji Hun" Kiaraa softly called his name. As soon as he heard her calling his name so intimately, his heart fluttered and he wished to hear her call his name again and again. "Yes?" His outer appearance was the complete opposite to his inner-self. He hid his true emotions well. "Any idea where Ian and Ji Hwan are?" This question was expected from her as this was a part of the plan but when she called the other two guys'' name even more intimately than his, he felt anger building inside him. Song Ji Hun looked at Kiaraa, who was waiting for his reply. After composing himself, he answered her, "There is some man-to-man talk going on between them" "Man-to-man?" Kiaraa looked confused. "Just like how women have problems, men do too." Song Ji Hun looked back into his book while answering her. Kiaraa was a twelve-year-old so she can get her periods anytime starting from now. So, her mother educated her about basic menstrual education so that her daughter is not scared when she comes of age and sees blood. So, Kiaraa knew what problems Song Ji Hun referred to. ''Men too have such problems?'' she wondered and decided to not disturb Ian and Ji Hwan as it didn''t seem appropriate. Kiaraa was getting bored so she looked here and there wondering how to kill her time. "Bored?" Song Ji Hun''s voice was suddenly heard. Chapter 54 - Coin Museum "Bored?" Song Ji Hun''s voice was suddenly heard and when she turned around to see him, she realized he was still reading his book seriously not moving his sight from it. "Hmm, a bit" she answered him and kept looking around the Song Mansion, which she was already familiar with. "Would you like a tour of this house?" Song Ji Hun casually asked startling her. "Huh?" Kiaraa looked surprised but shook her head, "I know your house very well." "Hmm would you then like to see the movie collection Ji Hwan has?" Song Ji Hun was still looking into his book and not at her. "I am not a movie buff like him" Kiaraa politely declined. "I have a coin collection from ancient Korea, you''d like to see that?" He finally popped the question. "What? Coin collection?" The bored girl suddenly felt alive. "Hmm" Song Ji Hun casually nodded his head. "How old are they?" the question naturally came out of her mouth. "Around three hundred years old" Song Ji Hun kept his book aside and finally looked at her. "Wow" Kiaraa was genuinely interested in taking a tour but remembering Ian''s words of staying away from Song Ji Hun, she decided to decline again. "Thank you but I''ll pass" Kiaraa wished to see the coin collection but she didn''t wish to upset Ian. Song Ji Hun chuckled hearing her refusal as if he expected it. "I thought you are one strong, modern and independent girl, who makes her own decisions and doesn''t let a man decide for her" Song Ji Hun''s attention was again hooked to the book in his hand. "Excuse me?" Kiaraa was greatly affected by what he just said. It wasn''t wrong to say she felt borderline offended. "Huh, sorry, I was talking to the female protagonist of this book" Song Ji Hun waved the book in his hand and explained with a smile, "When I read books, I completely immerse myself in it and interact with these characters" "Oh" Kiaraa believed him and thought he was indeed a weird guy. "Yeah, the female protagonist of this book first portrayed herself as a strong, independent woman, who cannot be controlled by a man. But later, her childhood best friend starts controlling her actions and he keeps deciding for her, like what she can do, what she can''t, whom she can meet, whom she is not allowed to meet, how she should spend her time etc, etc." "This strong woman, then slowly starts becoming dependent on this childhood friend and even kills her wishes for his sake. Slowly, she starts losing her own happiness and eventually she loses herself. The strong woman is now replaced by a dumb, weak woman who is dependent on this guy and can''t imagine her life without him" Kiaraa was frozen at her spot still trying to process what Song Ji Hun just said. This was the first time she heard Song Ji Hun use so many words in one go. His words had a strong influence on her as all of this suddenly felt relatable. Although she still didn''t do so many things for Ian and tried to hold her own ground against him but Song Ji Hun''s words hit her very hard as if he gave her a sneak peek into her future. ''Is this how I''ll end up if I let Ian have his way over me?'' she wondered. After a few minutes, Kiaraa finally spoke up, "Song Ji Hun, can you show me the coin collection you just mentioned?" She decided she won''t let Ian control her life the way some man controlled that female protagonist''s life. She will do what she wishes to. Song Ji Hun hid his face behind his book as he couldn''t control the wide smile spread across his face. After composing himself, he indifferently agreed to her request and led her to the room where he neatly arranged all the coins for her. In a spare guest room, he professionally arranged the coins as if it is his own collection. It took him hours to neatly arrange them in small, flat, coin boxes. He purchased coin boxes for special coins and put a lot of effort in making it look like it is his own collection, which he values the most. Right now, walking next to Kiaraa, heading towards that coin room, Song Ji Hun felt like every second he invested in preparing all of this was worth it. "Did you tell me about that female protagonist because of what Ian is doing to me?" Kiaraa suddenly asked Song Ji Hun as she was still thinking about his words from earlier. "What are you talking about? What is Ian doing?" Song Ji Hun acted like he had no idea what is going on. Kiaraa looked at him and he looked honest. There was no trace of a liar on his face and neither did he flinch even once. Therefore, she believed him. "Nothing, don''t bother about what I just said, I was blabbering gibberish" "Hmm" Song Ji Hun then opened the door to the coin room for her and like a gentleman waited outside, signalling her to step in first. Kiaraa didn''t care about such gestures and was least affected. She walked in and stepped towards the long table in the centre of the room where all coins were neatly arranged. She stepped towards it, and observed the first coin neatly placed there. Surprisingly, there was a small card taped below this coin, which actually had the information on when was this coin manufactured, its history, till when was it in use and why it was stopped being in use. "This is amazing. It feels like I am in a coin museum, right now" Kiaraa excitedly exclaimed. Song Ji Hun took pride in himself as he personally wrote all this history to help her know more about the coins. "Yeah, that''s what I wanted to do, create a mini-personal coin museum for myself. I am interested in expanding my collection by including coins from other countries" Song Ji Hun just blabbered whatever that came into his mind to show-off. "Wow, that''s amazing" There was admiration in Kiaraa''s eyes which made him happy and it felt all his efforts were well paid. Chapter 55 - Where Were You Two? "Wow, that''s amazing" There was admiration in Kiaraa''s eyes which made him happy and he felt like all his efforts were well paid. "Hmm, I love coins and history" Song Ji Hun lied which she obviously believed. "I am so jealous of your collection" Kiaraa stated, while observing one of the coins. "What is there to be jealous about? If you want something from here just take it" In the moment of his happiness, Song Ji Hun forgot most of these coins doesn''t even belong to him but actually belongs to his friend. "What? Are you serious?" Kiaraa was shocked at his generous offering. "You took such a great care of them and you want to give it away these coins just like that? Don''t you love them?" Kiaraa couldn''t believe this guy, who lacked emotional attachment to his passion. Song Ji Hun realized he just stepped over the line, "Haha, I was kidding, what I actually wanted to say is if you ever wish to, you can just come to my home and spend some time here" "Wow, really? Can I?" Kiaraa felt honoured by this extended invitation to his personal coin museum as Ji Hun was a very private person. "Of course, I appreciate people who share similar passions as me" Song Ji Hun assured her. ''Maybe I should suggest Aera to build interest in collecting coins to win Song Ji Hun''s heart'' Kiaraa laughed to herself with a joke she cracked in her mind. "Thank you" she politely thanked him before completely immersing herself in this mini-museum. She read each and every line associated with every coin to enlighten herself with more knowledge. Song Ji Hun kept looking at her, observing how passionately she was studying those coin pieces. Seeing her like this, made him happy and he watched her beautiful, round face which had various expressions of shock, surprise, amusement and delight whenever she came across some interesting information. Her silky hair, which was left open, looked pretty adding to her charm. Overall, she looked very pretty for her age, and Song Ji Hun couldn''t move his gaze away from her as he continued looking at her, trying to capture every moment in his memory under the pretence of reading his book. This way two hours were passed. "Kiaraa, it is lunch time, we need to head downstairs." Song Ji Hun reminded the girl who was lost in her own world. "What? Already?" she sounded annoyed but her attention was still on the information she was reading. "It has been two hours since we came here" He informed her. "Oh okay" Kiaraa was still reading history of one of the coins. Song Ji Hun stepped towards her and stood to her right. "Kiaraa" he again called her name, startling her as she didn''t feel his presence around. On turning to her right, her eyes met his deep black eyes and for a second, she froze. "After lunch, you can come back here" His voice brought her out from the daze she was in. "Hmm, okay, five more minutes please" she waved her five fingers in front of him. "Cool" After she was done, they headed downstairs to the big dining room. It was all noisy and chaotic there as the three mothers were scolding their children and were asking them to eat lunch while the fathers were in their own world discussing work. Grandpas were enjoying seeing their grandchildren trouble their mothers. Aera, who had been trying to look for Song Ji Hun was a bit surprised seeing him come with her sister. Being too young was a bliss as she didn''t delve much about it and was just happy to see Song Ji Hun there. The dining table with chairs around it was big enough to accommodate twenty people, therefore the fifteen people comfortably sat around it. When Ian saw Kiaraa with Song Ji Hun, his anger shot up and he got very upset. Kiaraa immediately went to Song Ji Hwan and Ian''s side as soon as she spotted them and sat next to Ian. Song Ji Hun didn''t mind as he just spent more than two productive hours with her. He sat on the chair opposite to her to let himself enjoy watching the pretty girl from afar. "Hey guys" she greeted them and started serving food for herself. "Hey, Kiaraa" Song Ji Hwan greeted her back and looked at his brother, who was sitting there expressionlessly but Ji Hwan could feel his brother was in a good mood. "Where were you two?" she casually asked them. "We should be the one asking you that" Ian coldly answered her, not hiding his disappointment. Earlier, Song Ji Hwan managed to keep Ian busy for an hour but after that Ian kept looking for Kiaraa and even freaked out about her whereabouts. Song Ji Hwan casually said, maybe his brother and Kiaraa are together which pissed Ian even more. He looked all around the place but couldn''t find Kiaraa as Ji Hwan did not let Ian reach the section where the coin room is located. "Song Ji Hun has an amazing coin collection I was checking it out" Kiaraa answered him between her bites. Ian looked at Song Ji Hun, who was seriously having his lunch, "I had no idea coin collection is one of your hobbies" he directly talked to Song Ji Hun. "Why would you have any idea about it? Not like we are friends" Song Ji Hun retorted. "Even in general, I had no idea you like collecting coins" Ian still found this situation fishy. "You don''t know many of my other likes either" Song Ji Hun said and his gaze fell on Kiaraa, who was more focussed on the tasty food she was eating. Ian followed Song Ji Hun''s gaze and seeing where it fell on, it pissed him off. "Ji Hun" Ian suddenly shouted attracting everyone''s attention. Children were sitting at one end of the table, adults in the middle and grandpas at the other end so Ian''s voice was clearly heard even in the chaos. Chapter 56 - Only Your Friend "What?" Song Ji Hun was not affected and indifferently looked at him. "Don''t you dare covet what''s mine" Ian warned him not caring about others. "What''s yours?" Song Ji Hun asked with a faint smile on his lips. Ian was speechless as he didn''t know what to say. He was not sure why he was so angry, he wanted to say Kiaraa is his best friend and Song Ji Hun should not covet her but it didn''t feel appropriate to say so. "They must be talking about school" Sa Da-Hye, Ian''s mother assumed and so elders didn''t bother themselves. Kiaraa didn''t care about what''s going on as her attention was still on the food as she was very hungry. She is a big foodie and at times she immerses so much into it, she doesn''t care about other stuff. "What''s yours Ian that I am coveting?" Song Ji Hun again asked him. "Stay away from my people" Ian could only say this as he was not sure why he was so agitated. "What do you mean by your people?" Song Ji Hun pretended like he didn''t understand what Ian meant. Ian was not sure what he was feeling and what he should say to Song Ji Hun. "Excuse me" He left from there. "You killed his appetite" Song Ji Hwan complained looking at his brother, who clearly didn''t regret what he did. Song Ji Hun looked at Kiaraa only to see her savouring the dish she was eating giving no fucks about her surroundings. Kiaraa didn''t even realize Ian left from there. After they had lunch, Kiaraa was about to head back to the coin room with Song Ji Hun, when Ian stopped her. "Kiaraa, we need to talk" he seriously said. "Sure" Kiaraa agreed and looked at Song Ji Hun, "I''ll meet you in the coin room" she informed. Song Ji Hun just nodded his head and went straight to the coin room. He was sure Kiaraa is a strong girl who can handle Ian well and does not need him. "Yeah?" Kiaraa looked at Ian, after they entered a calm open space. "What is going on Kiaraa?" Ian didn''t hide his anger. "What do you mean?" she had some idea that Ian is upset seeing her with Song Ji Hun but she didn''t care about it. "I asked you to not spend time with Song Ji Hun, can''t you do one thing I asked for?" "Ian, what do you think I had been doing in that coin room?" Kiaraa questioned him instead. "Chit-chatting with Song Ji Hun, maybe" Ian gritted his teeth. "Ian, if that''s what I want to do then why would I stay in the coin room for two hours?" Kiaraa''s frustration was not hidden from him. "Kiaraa, I asked you to not spend time with Song Ji Hun, why are you still with him?" Ian ignored her question and shouted at her. "Who are you to tell me what I should or should not do?" Kiaraa was triggered by his high volume. "Didn''t we already go through this, Kiaraa? I too ignore Aera for you, so can''t you do the same for me?" Ian put this logic forward. "Ian, I was just checking his collection, we didn''t even talk much" Kiaraa explained and added, "Look Ian, I thought about what you said and I concluded, this is my life and I will do what I want to do. I like historical coins and he has an amazing collection, so when he offered, I went to see it. What''s the big deal about it?" "Kiaraa, his intentions are not good" "Ian, let me decide whose intentions are what, don''t decide for me" Kiaraa firmly said. "Kiaraa, what happened to you suddenly?" "Ian, I know you don''t like him and I too won''t be spending a lot of time with him but that doesn''t mean I won''t interact with him at all. We are all family friends and coming across one another is inevitable. I will talk to him when I feel like. As your friend, the least I can do for you is not be too close to him as I anyway am not interested in being his friend. Since, it is something I don''t mind, I''ll stay away from him. I won''t do stuff only for your sake if I don''t agree with it. Am I clear?" "Hmm, but you sound weird" Ian voiced his thought. "I am a strong and independent girl I will only do what I want to not what you want" Kiaraa was deeply affected by Song Ji Hun''s earlier words and repeated the same. "You are a strong girl, Kiaraa. Do whatever you want" Song Ji Hwan who just arrived there and heard her last statement agreed with her. "What happened to you suddenly?" Ian was still confused and kept looking at Kiaraa. "Ian, stop stretching it. Song Ji Hun''s coin collection is interesting, let''s check it out too." Song Ji Hwan suggested. Ian calmed down as he too would be with Kiaraa so he agreed and the three people went to the coin room. Song Ji Hun was not surprised to see others join them as he expected it. Ian couldn''t help but be impressed by the arrangement, it really looked like a mini-museum. "I had no idea you are really passionate about coins" Ian commented. "You don''t have any idea about my other passions, so it is understandable" Song Ji Hun coldly responded. ''Hyung, control'' Song Ji Hwan thought, wanting to stop his brother from talking. "Well, I would be interested in knowing what other things you are passionate about." Ian tried to see through this guy. "Not just things, human-beings too make me feel passionate about them" Song Ji Hun lifted one corner of his lips in a smile. ''HYUNG'' Song Ji Hwan shouted in his heart. Ian was a bit taken aback by what Song Ji Hun said. "Human-beings huh? Who are these people that you are passionate about?" "People?" Song Ji Hun chuckled, "It is just one person" "Hyung, I need your help with some homework, can you come with me?" Song Ji Hwan interrupted his brother, who was on the verge of losing his sanity. "Who is this one person?" Ian ignored Song Ji Hwan''s interference. "Guess" Song Ji Hun smiled devilishly annoying Ian. Ian stepped towards Song Ji Hun and warned him in a low volume, "Kiaraa is mine, don''t you dare have any ill intentions towards her" "Is she an object, who belongs to you?" Song Ji Hun didn''t lose that smile and looked into Ian''s eyes without any hesitation. "She is my friend" Ian wanted to let him know Kiaraa is closer to him. "She will always be your friend, only your friend" Song Ji Hun declared confusing his younger brother and Ian. "Good, you know that. Do remember this forever." Ian felt victorious. "I will and I hope you too would" Song Ji Hun replied. Ian smiled in victory, "Of course, I will" and walked away towards Kiaraa, who was at the other end of the room, reading about a new coin. As soon as she entered this place, she busied herself with coins. "Hyung, why did you accept your defeat?" Song Ji Hwan asked as he didn''t get the hidden meaning behind Song Ji Hun''s words. "You are still immature, grow up" Song Ji Hun smiled and sat on a couch, reading his book. Song Ji Hwan didn''t understand anything and he decided to let it be. Ian on the other side, happily looked at the coins collection with Kiaraa, as Song Ji Hun accepted his defeat. It was only after many years that Ian realized the true meaning behind Song Ji Hun''s words. His words actually meant, Kiaraa will only be Ian''s friend and nothing more will happen between them and later his words were proven to be right as she indeed became Song Ji Hun''s wife while she was only Ian''s friend. Chapter 57 - Dare To Do That It was time for the Lees and the Kims to leave. The four kids were still in the coin room as Kiaraa was still not done going through the collection. "Your collection is very impressive" Kiaraa spoke to Song Ji Hun after she was done, "Thank you for letting me see it" her words sounded polite. ''How can he not? He did all this hard work for your sake'' Song Ji Hwan thought and teasingly looked at his brother, who looked indifferent. "Songs are good hosts" Came his cold and indifferent reply. "If you add any new coins, may I be allowed to visit again?" Kiaraa asked him. "Sure, Lees are our friends so they can visit any time. Ji Hwan will let you know if I find new coins" Song Ji Hun replied. Kiaraa just bowed to him as a sign of thanking him before leaving, followed by Ian. Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan stayed in the room and after ensuring they left Ji Hwan glared at his brother, shotting all his questions at him. "Aren''t you supposed to return this coin collection back to Yang Nam-il?" "Do you actually intend to make this your new hobby even if you find it boring?" "And new coins that you just promised, were you serious about planning to add new coins to a hobby which is not even yours?" "Also, why the hell should I inform her when a new coin is added? Am I your personal servant?" "Shouldn''t you be the one taking advantage of it so that you can talk to her?" "Earlier why did you accept defeat in front of Ian?" "What is going on in your head?" Song Ji Hwan frustratedly asked his brother as he couldn''t understand what his brother was thinking. This was making him frustrated. Song Ji Hun heard all the questions raised by his brother but his attention was still in the book he was reading. "Hyung, can you hear me?" Ji Hwan''s tone was dripping with sarcasm. Song Ji Hun raised his eyes and looked at his brother, "Mind your own business" came his cold reply. Song Ji Hwan was more stubborn than his elder brother. He sat next to Ji Hun and kept pulling his arm until he got an answer. "Hyung, Hyung, Hyung, Hyung, Hyung¡­" He kept calling his brother moving his arm to and fro. "Hwan, don''t irritate me" Ji Hun coldly warned. "Fine, then even when you add a new coin, I am not going to be your messenger and neither I am going to inform Kiaraa anything." Song Ji Hwan folded his hands and seriously declared. "Oh also, I am going to tell Kiaraa this is not your hobby at all and these coins belongs to Yang Nam-il, your best friend." This threat actually worked as Song Ji Hun finally looked at his annoying brother, who had a smug smile on his face as he succeeded. "Dare to do that" Song Ji Hun looked scary but Ji Hwan is the only person in this world who can never be actually scared of Ji Hun as he knows how much his brother loves him. "Really? Are you challenging me?" He asked and chuckled, "You know me since the day I was born, I love challenges. Should I take it as a challenge?" Ji Hwan asked him. "I am supposed to return this coin collection back to Yang Nam-il but now I am not going to. I will convince him to sell this collection to me." "I do not intend to make it my hobby but I am going to keep these coins and maintain them exactly like this." "Yes, I am indeed serious about adding new coins." "You should inform her because you are closer to her. Every time a new coin is added, I am not going to approach her. I''ll look desperate, which I don''t want to." "No, I don''t take advantages of small things, I target bigger ones" "I never accepted defeat in front of Ian. I just told him the truth. Kiaraa is his friend and will only be a friend to him." "And to answer your last question, you don''t need to know what''s going on in my head. Although, I love you there are some things I don''t wish to discuss with you and I hope you will give me my space." Song Ji Hun answered all the questions Ji Hwan raised. "Wow, did you just answer all my questions in the exact same order I asked?" Song Ji Hwan was impressed at his brother''s memory. "Is it that surprising? Shouldn''t you be used to it by now?" "True. Thanks for answering all my questions but I just don''t understand one thing. How can you be so sure Kiaraa is only going to be Ian''s friend and something more won''t happen between them?" "I don''t know, I can''t see the future, I just said it in the heat of that moment. Also, I had an intuition, that''s it" Song Ji Hun surprised his brother by actually answering another question of his. "Hyung, do you like Kiaraa that much?" Song Ji Hwan never saw this kind of behaviour being shown by his brother. "Honestly, I don''t know" Song Ji Hun confessed. Ji Hwan tapped his brother''s shoulder, "You will figure it out soon" A butler entered there and informed Song Ji Hun, his friend is on the call and handed over the cordless phone to him. "Hello" "Ji Hun, when will you give me back my coins?" Yang Nam-il directly asked him from the other end. "Tomorrow morning?" "Great, I''ll come to the Song Mansion then?" Yang Nam-il suggested. "No need, I''ll come to your home" "Cool, have breakfast with us tomorrow then" Yang Nam-il was happy to host his friend. "Sure" Song Ji Hun handed the phone back to the butler, who then left the brothers alone. "Hyung, Nam-il loves this coin collection, how will you handle him?" Song Ji Hwan worriedly asked. Chapter 58 - Yang Nam-il "Hyung, Nam-il loves this coin collection, how will you handle him?" "I''ll manage" Song Ji Hun leaned back on the couch''s back rest and recollected Kiaraa''s presence around him and how it made him feel. Song Ji Hwan left his brother alone understanding his unsaid request. ¡­ Next day after breakfast Yang Nam-il and Song Ji Hun went to Nam-il''s room. "Where is my coin collection? You kept it in the car?" Yang Nam-il looked cheerful as his best friend came to his home and even had breakfast with his family. "I have got those coins assessed and they value around Five Million Won. I therefore offer you Ten Million Won to sold these coins to me" Song Ji Hun calmly shared his intention. Yang Nam-il was speechless for a second before he laughed louder. "You kidding me, right?" "Did you ever see me joke?" Song Ji Hun looked serious and this made Yang Nam-il believe he was not joking. "Why do you want to buy my coin collection?" Yang Nam-il first wished to understand his friend''s perspective as Song Ji Hun never says anything without a reason. Song Ji Hun hesitated in answering him. "If I am giving away my collection which I care for the most, I deserve to know the reason behind it" Yang Nam-il firmly made himself clear. This time Yang Nam-il was not going to let Song Ji Hun have his way. Song Ji Hun was still hesitating, "The truth is¡­ actually¡­" "Ji Hun, I am the last person in this world, who would judge your actions. Maybe, a day might come when everyone will question your intentions, even Hwan might question you but I promise you even in a situation like that I won''t judge you and will believe in you" Yang Nam-il just wanted to assure his friend that he can share anything with him but he had no idea how his randomly said sentence is actually going to prove to be true in the future. For now, it worked and Song Ji Hun decided to be honest with him. "The fortnight gatherings with Lees and the Kims always annoyed me as you know¡­" Song Ji Hun started and Yang Nam-il paid utmost attention, nodding his head in between. Song Ji Hun then shared how in one such gatherings he for the first time felt himself get attracted to a girl. "I was not sure why but Kiaraa''s attitude just pulled me towards her and she ignited my interest" Song Ji Hun concluded after sharing the story of Kiaraa butchering her soft toy. "So, after seeing what that sadist did, instead of getting scared, you liked her?" Yang Nam-il spoke after being silent for a few minutes. "Don''t call her a sadist" Song Ji Hun warned him. "Ji Hun, do you realize what your attraction to such actions prove?" Yang Nam-il asked him and added, "You are a sadist too" "Fine, so what?" Song Ji Hun was unaffected by being called names. Yang Nam-il chuckled, "So, you like Kiaraa and now explain how is that related to my coin collection?" Song Ji Hun then narrated the rest of the story. This time Yang Nam-il went silent for some more time. "Nam-il?" Song Ji Hun had to tap on his friend''s shoulder to bring him out of his daze. "Ji Hun, are you already in love with her?" Nam-il asked him. "We are too young to fall in love" Song Ji Hun reminded him. "No age is too young or too old for love" he countered. Song Ji Hun leaned back on the couch and closed his eyes, "I don''t know if I am in love with her or not" he honestly confessed. "And yet you are going out of your way to do all this stuff for her?" Nam-il asked. Song Ji Hun didn''t respond but his silence was a confirmation that he would do more things for her if needed. "So, you are ready to pay me Ten Million Won for something that is worth Five Million Won?" Yang Nam-il questioned Song Ji Hun. "Yes" "Do you have that kind of money right now?" They were still teenagers, so Yang Nam-il knew Song Ji Hun doesn''t have this much money. If he ever has any extra cash on him, he gives it away to Song Ji Hwan. "I don''t but within five years I will" Song Ji Hun confidently informed. "Then I don''t want Ten Million Won, I want Hundred Million Won" Yang Nam-il declared. "Done" Yang Nam-il raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really? You ready to pay me Hundred Million Won for something that is only worth of Five?" "You are giving away your hobby for me, this is the least I can do for you." Although Song Ji Hun''s words were coated with indifference, one could feel his sincerity. "Show me how you are maintaining my coin collection first, then I''ll decide what I want to do next" Yang Nam-il stood up and indicated he wishes to visit the Song Mansion right now. Yang Nam-il''s house is in the same area as Song Ji Hun''s so it took them only 10 minutes to reach the Song Mansion. When Song Ji Hun took his friend to the coin room, Yang Nam-il''s reaction was no less than the biggest shock he could have received. Yang Nam-il took twenty minutes to look around the whole coin museum and when he saw how every coin had a detailed history written next to it on a paper, his happiness had no bounds. "Ji Hun, even I didn''t have this much information with me" Yang Nam-il excitedly informed him. "You can read it all later, first tell me are you ready to sell your coins to me?" Song Ji Hun came directly on point. "Ji Hun, if I give you my coins are you going to maintain them exactly like this?" "Hmm" "You are maintaining them better than I ever did. It is actually like a coin museum, I am impressed" "So, can I have them?" Song Ji Hun looked hopeful. Chapter 59 - L.O.V.E "You are maintaining them better than I ever did. It is actually like a coin museum, I am impressed" Yang Nam-il looked very happy. "So, can I have them?" Song Ji Hun looked hopeful. Yang Nam-il smiled at him, "If you can do an amazing job at something that is not even your hobby, what will you do with something that is actually your hobby" "I understood you are impressed with me, but can you clearly say if I can keep your collection or not?" Song Ji Hun was turning impatient. "Of course, you can but please let me also visit this museum whenever I want" Yang Nam-il laughed at his own joke. "This is your collection, obviously you can come whenever you want" Song Ji Hun sighed in relief as one big hurdle got cleared. "Thank you" Just like Kiaraa, Yang Nam-il too started reading about the history of this coins with great interest. "Also, Nam-il, give me five years and I promise to pay you Hundred Million Won" Song Ji Hun added to assure him of the deal they made. "Ji Hun, you are maintaining this museum for me, rather I should pay you every month for this" Yang Nam-il joked while still reading the history of one coin. "I am serious Nam-il, I''ll pay you for this" "No need, earlier I was joking just to see till what extent you can go for that girl." Yang Nam-il finally looked at his friend, "I am your best friend, who will be there for you in every situation. I don''t expect any monetary value from it. In exchange, you can do the same for me, just have my back" Song Ji Hun rarely gets emotional but this was one of the moments, he felt emotional being in, "Thanks for sticking around even when I pushed you away" Song Ji Hun said these words from the heart. Song Ji Hun prefers to be alone and does not like being surrounded by friends but Yang Nam-il, who was one of his batchmates kept bothering him and forcefully declared himself as Song ji Hun''s friend. Song Ji Hun tried to avoid this guy but Yang Nam-il didn''t let him and always sticked on his side. Eventually, Ji Hun himself didn''t realize when he got attached to this clingy guy and he actually became his best friend. There are a few things Song Ji Hun doesn''t feel comfortable discussing with his own brother but shares it comfortably with Yang Nam-il. "Thanks for letting me stick around. Now, don''t disturb me I want to read history of my coins" Yang Nam-il waved his hand asking Ji Hun to leave him alone. Song Ji Hun smiled and left Yang Nam-il alone with his coins. Later, after looking at his coins to his heart''s content Yang Nam-il came out of his world and went to Song Ji Hun''s room. "Hyung, how are you?" Song Ji Hwan, who too was present there greeted Nam-il. "How do you think I am after parting away from my hobby which got stolen by your elder brother?" Yang Nam-il joined the two brothers and sat across them on another couch. "It was really ruthless of you Hyung, to steal his hobby for appeasing your crush" Song Ji Hwan knew how close Yang Nam-il is to his brother and Ji Hun won''t mind getting teased in his presence. "Are you sure it is just a crush?" Yang Nam-il teasingly smiled at Ji Hun, before adding, "Hwan did you go this far for any of your crushes?" "Never, the highest thing I did for my crush was to give her a pen when she didn''t have one" Both the men laughed at this while Song Ji Hun looked at them as if he was looking at two fools. "The highest I did was offer her water when she coughed" Nam-il informed them. "What''s your point?" Song Ji Hun glared at them. "Kiaraa is not just your crush, I feel L.O.V.E is what this feeling is called" Yang Nam-il teased him. "So?" Song Ji Hun was not flustered or neither he felt uncomfortable. "So, you accept it?" Song Ji Hwan excitedly asked him. "I don''t know what I am feeling but you two are anyway not going to listen, so what''s the point in explaining myself?" "Why is your brother so stubborn?" Yang Nam-il asked Hwan. "I think it is the influence of his friend" Hwan pushed the blame on Nam-il. Although Nam-il is a close friend of Ji Hun, Hwan too is friendlier with him. Unlike Song Ji Hun, Song Ji Hwan is a social butterfly, who does not have a limited number of friends. His circle of friends is wide. Out of all the kids in their generation, Song Ji Hwan has the highest number of close confidantes. "Oh please. If I was stubborn, I would have never let go of my precious coins for accelerating his love story" Yang Nam-il countered. "True" Song Ji Hwan agreed with him and saw at Song Ji Hun teasingly. "Are you two done?" Song Ji Hun glared at them. "Not yet. What will you do of Ian? He got a head start and is closer to Kiaraa." Song Ji Hwan joked to tease his brother as he just thought Ian is being possessive for Kiaraa as a friend. "Ian? Ian Kim?" Yang Nam-il asked, Hwan nodded in confirmation. "What about him?" Nam-il asked and next minute he raised his eyebrows in surprise, "Don''t tell me our boy already has a love rival?" "We are not sure, but mostly we do" Hwan joked. "You two should stop gossiping and use your time productively" Song Ji Hun warned them and after this Yang Nam-il and Ji Hwan decided to not pursue this topic. "Keep searching for new coins and if you find any give them to me" Song Ji Hun said to Yang Nam-il before he left. "Sure" Nam-il smiled seeing how Ji Hun want to continue this museum thing. Chapter 60 - Cinderellas Evil Sister 2006 Two years passed away. In these two years there were no major changes. Song Ji Hun continued having his secret feelings towards Kiaraa. Whenever Yang Nam-il found a coin, he gave it to Song Ji Hun as promised and after Ji Hun arranged it in the museum, Hwan used to inform Kiaraa, who used to check it during her visit to the Song Mansion. Kiaraa never specially came to the Song household for the coins and only checked them during their gatherings, she also kept her contact minimal with Song Ji Hun. Personally, she was not interested in Ji Hun so she didn''t interact with him much which in turn made Ian happy. Song Ji Hun didn''t bother himself with it. As long as he got to see her and enjoy her antics, he was fine with it. It was the weekend again so they were all gathered at the Lee Mansion for their fortnight gathering. "Aunt Sa Da-Hye, that movie you recommended to me was amazing. I didn''t go through so many emotions before watching any film." Song Ji Hwan was informing Ian''s mother how much he liked a movie and was discussing about it as she strongly recommended it to him. "Didn''t I tell you; you will be amazed and won''t stop thanking me" Sa Da-Hye, who is a movie buff like Song Ji Hwan proudly declared. "At times I feel my son was born in the wrong home. He should have been your son" Ji Seo Yun commented as her younger son''s taste matches a lot with her friend. "I agree and maybe Ian should have been born in your home" Sa Da-Hye casually joked. ''Hmm, then both the brothers would have fought for the same girl'' Ji Hwan thought to himself. "Aunt Da-Hye, please recommend more such movies to me" Ji Hwan requested her. "Of course, I will, next time when you will come to our home, I''ll show you my movie collection, now you are old enough to watch a few of my favourites" Sa Da-Hye winked at him. "He is just 13, he is still not old enough to watch your favourites" Ji Seo Yun warned her friend as she knows her friend''s choice of movies. Sa Da-Hye laughed hearing her warning, "Don''t worry, I''ll give him those movies after he turns 18" "Ahhh, I can''t wait to turn 18 and watch aunt Da-Hye''s favourites" Ji Hwan cheekily smiled. "She won''t be giving you porn" Ji Seo Yun informed her son and crushed his expectations. Ji Hwan looked dejected, "Aunt Da-Hye is that true?" Sa Da-Hye flicked his forehead, "You thought I am going to share porn with you?" "Ahhhh, aunt Da-Hye" Song Ji Hwan complained rubbing his forehead. "The movies I''ll give you are amazing but a bit violent therefore it falls under adult movies" she explained. "I can''t wait to be 18" Ji Hwan sadly pouted. "But honestly for a guy of 13, your taste in movies is commendable" Sa Da-Hye looked impressed and patted Hwan''s head. "Don''t be so impressed, movies are not going to take him anywhere. If you praise him, then he will continue watching movies only and won''t take over the Song Industries." Ji Seo Yun taunted her younger son. "Why not? In future, Ji Hun can take over your industries." Sa Da-Hye told her friend and added, "Hwan can take over our Entertainment company in the future. I anyway have no hopes from Ian and Do-Yun" "Aunt Sa Da-Hye, you serious? I can work with your entertainment company in the future?" Hwan excitedly asked. "Of course, Hwan. You don''t need my permission for that." Sa Da-Hye patted his head. "Don''t give him unnecessary hopes, he will actually quit on his studies and will start working for you" Ji Seo Yun warned her friend. "He won''t do that. He will study and work hard then he will join our company, right Hwan?" Sa Da-Hye asked. "Of course." He promised. "Are you crazy, Kiaraa? What is wrong with you?" Ian and Kiaraa entered where Song Ji Hwan, Sa Da-Hye and Ji Seo Yun were sitting. "Nothing is wrong with me" Kiaraa rolled her eyes and sat next to Ji Hwan, "Aunt Da-Hye where is my mom, I am very hungry" Kiaraa rubbed her stomach. "Wait, I''ll bring something for you" Sa Da-Hye was about to get up when Chu Yu Ri came there with Aera, "I''ll arrange lunch, you sit" Chu Yu Ri informed Sa Da-Hye and added, "Call the rest of the children as it is lunch time" In five minutes, the six children were sitting around the lunch table as the elders decided to have lunch later. Ian was glaring at Kiaraa, who conveniently ignored it and enjoyed the delicious lunch placed in front of her. "Why are you glaring at my baby?" Sa Da-Hye gently hit the back of Ian''s head for glaring at Kiaraa. "Ahh mom, I am not a kid, don''t beat me like this" Ian retorted as he was embarrassed to get hit by his mother at this age. "Then don''t glare at my baby" Sa Da-Hye warned her son. "If you will know what your baby did then you won''t be supportive like this" Ian angrily said. Song Ji Hun, who was silently eating his lunch, had his whole attention on what Ian is saying. "What did you do now, Kiaraa?" Chu Yu Ri worriedly asked her daughter as Kiaraa always created trouble for them. "For this year''s annual function, our school decided to enact the story of Cinderella" Ian informed them. "Hmm, we know that" Ji Hwan said in between his bites. "Yeah, but what you didn''t know is, Kiaraa was offered to play the role of Cinderella" Ian informed them. "What? That''s amazing. Our Kiaraa is the prettiest of all, no wonder they want her to play Cinderella." Sa Da-Hye clapped her hands in excitement. "Wow Kiaraa, why did you not tell us this?" Chu Yu Ri too was happy to know her daughter was offered the lead role. "Because she rejected this role" Ian informed them. "Fine, so what? Stop making a big deal out of it" Song Ji Hwan didn''t get why Ian was overreacting. "If she would have just rejected that role, it would have been fine but our amazing Kiaraa requested for some other role in exchange" Ian looked at all the curious faces before informing them, "She instead requested to play the role of Cinderella''s evil sister" Chapter 61 - Doesnt Deserve To Eat Everybody at the table were frozen in shock before laughing out louder. "What? You requested to play the evil sister instead of playing Cinderella?" Sa Da-Hye laughed the most. ''It will be the most perfect role for her'' Ji Seo Yun thought in her heart. "Yeah" Kiaraa confirmed the truth. "Did the school agree?" Chu Yu Ri too was surprised at this news and asked her daughter. "Yeah, she convinced them so now she would be playing the evil sister and they are again searching for a girl to play Cinderella" Ian informed Chu Yu Ri. "Why would you ask for the role of evil sister? Do you know it is almost every girl''s dream to play Cinderella?" Sa Da-Hye asked Kiaraa. "It might be other girls'' dream but not mine, I find the role of Cinderella''s evil sister more interesting" Kiaraa smirked and looked at Aera. "Baby sister, do you want to play Cinderella? You will be perfect for it and I will play the role of your evil sister" Kiaraa had an evil grin on her face imagining this scenario. Aera, who was silently observing Song Ji Hun and was lost in her own world, got startled by being called out and when she heard Kiaraa''s suggestion, she was no less then terrified. "N¡­No, I don''t want to play Cinderella" Aera, said out loud sounding clearly terrified. In real life she is already being tortured by her real evil sister, she didn''t have the energy to enact the same on stage. Kiaraa laughed loudly seeing how scared Aera was. "Look how frightened she is of me, isn''t she cute when she looks terrified?" Kiaraa laughed happily. Chu Yu Ri got scared hearing Kiaraa''s words and looked at Ji Seo Yun, whose expression read ¨C ''I told you so'' "Hey" Sa Da-Hye flicked Kiaraa''s forehead, "She is your younger sister, how can you feel so happy after scaring her?" "Ahhhh, it hurts" Kiaraa rubbed her forehead and pouted at her aunt. "Say sorry to your sister" Sa Da-Hye scolded her. "Why should I? I am asking her to play the dream role of almost every girl, Cinderella. If anything, she should rather thank me for recommending her name." Kiaraa refused to apologize and looked back at Aera. "Aera, do you want to play Cinderella?" Kiaraa again asked her. "No, please" Aera grabbed a glass of water to drink from it. "Awe, so cute, I want to pull your cheeks" Kiaraa evilly laughed. "You are perfect for the role of the evil sister you took a good decision" Ji Seo Yun commented seeing the evil smile painted on Kiaraa''s lips. "I know right?" Kiaraa looked proud and glared at Ian, "Did you hear that? I am perfect for that role" ''This girl can''t even sense sarcasm'' Ian didn''t like the way Ji Seo Yun talked to Kiaraa. "Why did you feel you were perfect for this role?" Sa Da-Hye asked Kiaraa. Chu Yu Ri shared her concern about Aera and Kiaraa''s relationship with both her friends so Sa Da-Hye could see how worried the mother was seeing Kiaraa''s attitude towards Aera. So, she decided to understand the problem first. "Because that evil sister is just like me, I feel relatable" "Relatable?" Sa Da-Hye tried to understand more. "Yeah, they feel real. Also, if I play Cinderella, I have to mop the floor and do all the household chores. Can you believe it? Me, Lee Kiaraa will do mopping?" Kiaraa rolled her eyes. "Why? What''s wrong with doing household chores?" Ji Seo Yun questioned Kiaraa, clearly offended by her attitude. "Why do you look offended as if you do household chores and I am insulting you? Don''t the servants at Song household do all the work?" Kiaraa questioned Ji Seo Yun. Song Ji Hwan chuckled hearing her words and looked at his elder brother, a smile was painted on Song Ji Hun''s lips too but it lasted only for a brief moment as he composed himself. One might even think they imagined it if they saw Ji Hun''s smile as it was gone as soon as it appeared. "What is so funny?" Ji Seo Yun scolded her younger son, who shamelessly laughed when Kiaraa insulted his mother. "Kiaraa, how dare you to talk to aunt Seo Yun like that? Apologize to her" Kiaraa''s mother scolded her, she was enraged and felt humiliated hearing Kiaraa''s opinion. "Did I say something wrong? She indeed doesn''t do any household chores and was reacting like I was insulting her" Kiaraa argued with her mom too. "Kiaraa, are you talking back to me?" Chu Yu Ri''s anger started building inside her. "I am just being honest; I don''t think I said anything wrong" Kiaraa didn''t look guilty at all which agitated her mother even more. "Go to your room" Kiaraa''s mother shouted at her. "I am in the middle of my lunch" Kiaraa loves food and didn''t hesitate in saying it out loud as she was very hungry. "You don''t deserve to eat this lunch, go to your room" Chu Yu Ri''s anger got the best of her. "Yu Ri, let her eat her food" Sa Da-Hye was shocked as Chu Yu Ri was always a gentle woman and didn''t expect her to treat Kiaraa like this. "No, Da-Hye, she doesn''t deserve to eat anything until she realizes her mistake" Chu Yu Ri didn''t quit her stand and insisted Kiaraa to leave. "What mistake? I don''t think I committed any mistake" Kiaraa argued back, clearly angry at her mom. "You did and only so that you could realize it, you won''t eat lunch today. Rather, you won''t eat anything until you realize your fault" Chu Yu Ri raised her voice surprising everyone. No one expected the situation to escalate this fast. Ji Seo Yun was the only person happy at this scene, as she too believed Kiaraa needed to be taught a lesson. "You have no right to take my food away from me" Kiaraa didn''t leave and argued back, adding fuel to her mother''s anger. Her love for food didn''t let her let go of it. "I have no right? What do you mean?" Chu Yu Ri shouted at Kiaraa. "This food came from my dad and grandpa''s money. They go to work and earn for the family.. You just sit at home and do nothing" Kiaraa hurt her mother. Chapter 62 - Hurt Light gasps were heard as everyone at the table, including the kids were shocked at what Kiaraa said. They were all old enough to understand that Kiaraa crossed the line and insulted her mother. Even Kim Do-Yun, the youngest one at the table understood what Kiaraa said was demeaning. Chu Yu Ri was the most shocked as she never expected this kind of an insult coming from her daughter for whose sake she actually gave up on her career. It was after Kiaraa''s birth she decided to stay home and take care of her as she didn''t wish to leave her daughter with nannies and caretakers. She personally wanted to care for her. Then Aera was born and Chu Yu Ri got busy with both her daughters. Eventually, they became her world and she didn''t have the heart to leave the girls alone at home. But never did she expect her sacrifice would be perceived like this by her own daughter. "Kiaraa, apologize to your mother" Sa Da-Hye immediately scolded Kiaraa as she knew how hurt Chu Yu Ri must have been after hearing to what her daughter said. "Why? Did I say something wrong?" Kiaraa was unaffected by the tears that were forming near her mom''s eyes. "Yes, you did." Sa Da-Hye, who always loved Kiaraa a lot for the first time scolded her but Kiaraa was indifferent towards it. Only a very few people can affect Kiaraa, not everyone has the ability to hurt her. "Which part of my sentence was wrong?" Kiaraa questioned Sa Da-Hye. "Your whole sentence itself was wrong. I thought you don''t know how to talk to outsiders but you don''t even know how to respect your own mother" Ji Seo Yun didn''t hold herself back in scolding Kiaraa. Kiaraa rolled her eyes, "You were the one who started it and now you are talking righteously" she muttered loudly and continued eating her food. "Shameless" Ji Seo Yun commented. Kiaraa glared at her, "Excuse me? How dare you call me shameless?" "Dare? Do I need to dare to be honest?" Ji Seo Yun argued with Kiaraa. "Seo Yun, she is a kid but you are not, what are you doing?" Sa Da-Hye scolded Ji Seo Yun, who was arguing with Kiaraa like she too is a kid. "Are you sure she is a kid?" Ji Seo Yun questioned her friend. "Seo Yun, you are not making this situation any easier" Sa Da-Hye signalled her to calm down and looked at Chu Yu Ri, who was still frozen at her spot as she went blank after hearing Kiaraa''s hurtful words. "Yu Ri" Sa Da-Hye touched her friend''s shoulder pulling her out from her daze. "Excuse me" Chu Yu Ri walked away from there wiping away her tears. Everyone looked at Kiaraa, who was unaffected by how hurt her mother was and focussed on her lunch. ''Shameless girl'' Ji Seo Yun cursed Kiaraa in her heart but didn''t say it out aloud as she has been warned by Sa Da-Hye to keep quiet. "Kiaraa, I think you should go and apologize to mom" A soft voice broke the intense silence in the room and everyone looked at Aera, who in spite of looking frightened, gathered all the courage inside her to preach Kiaraa. Kiaraa, who was enjoying her lunch, got irritated seeing Aera advise her, "Who the hell are you to tell me what I should do?" Aera shivered a bit with scare. "Don''t be rude to your sister, she is younger than you but still she knows what is right and what is wrong unlike you." Ji Seo Yun scolded Kiaraa as she was unable to control herself seeing how her Aera was being treated. "Doesn''t she have a mouth? Can''t she argue back with me? You have to do the honours?" Kiaraa questioned Ji Seo Yun. "Kiaraa enough! Today you are disrespecting everyone. Be quiet and finish your lunch" Sa Da-Hye firmly ordered Kiaraa. "I am not disrespecting anyone. I am just being honest" Kiaraa loudly muttered and continued eating her food but no one said anything. After all the kids were done with their lunch, they were planning to go and play but Sa Da-Hye stopped Kiaraa and informed her that they need to talk. If it would have been Ji Seo Yun, who would have made this request, Kiaraa would have blatantly rejected her but Sa Da-Hye was someone Kiaraa was comparatively closer to so out of respect for her she agreed to have a word as requested. Kiaraa knew what this ''talk'' is going to be about but she didn''t care as she still believed she didn''t say anything wrong. Sa Da-Hye and Kiaraa went to Kiaraa''s bedroom, after reaching there they locked the door from inside to not let anyone else disturb them. "Kiaraa, dear, what exactly is the problem? Why were you so rude to your mother?" "Aunt Da-Hye, I was just honest. What right she had to ask me not to eat my lunch? Don''t you think it is rude for a mother to ask her daughter to not eat her food in spite of knowing how much she loves it? She intentionally wanted to take away something that I like to punish me. Please explain, how was that fair?" Sa Da-Hye was a bit speechless hearing her logic. "Kiaraa, I know your mother was partially wrong to not let you have your food but at times parents tend to punish their kids when they are on the wrong path to bring them on the right one" she patiently explained. "I disagree with her method of parenting" Kiaraa spoke. Sa Da-Hye helplessly sighed, "You were rude to Ji Seo Yun too, she is elder than you¡­" "So, even when our elders are wrong and are being unnecessarily bitchy, we still need to keep quiet and suffer because we are young?" Kiaraa interrupted her. Sa Da-Hye was again not sure what to say as she didn''t intend to teach Kiaraa to be submissive in front of her elders and not stand for what is right. Chapter 63 - Insane Person With A Twisted Mind "Aunt Da-Hye, I am a strong and independent girl. I make my own decisions and I am my own voice. No one is allowed to control me, not even my own parents." A glint of confidence and pride was seen in Kiaraa''s eyes which added weight to her words. "Who taught you all of this?" Sa Da-Hye asked her after a deafening silence. Kiaraa''s subconscious mind remembered the day when Song Ji Hun said these words but she pushed away that thought, "No one did, this is who I already am" She was right, Kiaraa has indeed been a strong woman, Song Ji Hun''s words just helped her handle the situation with Ian at that time and did not influence her completely. "Kiaraa, but you hurt your mom deeply, can you please keep your ego aside and apologize to her?" Sa Da-Hye had no idea how to handle Kiaraa or how to make her understand that what she did was wrong as Kiaraa''s logical counters turned her quiet. So, she retorted to emotional blackmailing. "Your mother had a great career going on but she gave that up to take care of you. Instead of appreciating her, you are insulting her, dear. It is not fair, right?" "Even though she left her career to take care of me, I don''t think she did a great job at it" Kiaraa again surprised Sa Da-Hye. "She anyway pays more attention to Aera" Kiaraa frustratedly added. "That''s not true, Kiaraa. Your mom loves both of you equally¡­" "How can she love us equally? I was born first so shouldn''t I deserve more love?" Sa Da-Hye: "¡­" After a few minutes, Sa Da-Hye found her voice, "Parents are always more protective towards the weaker child. Between you and Aera, she is weak and as you just said, you are a very strong girl, who can take care of herself. That''s why your parents pay a bit more attention to Aera" She decided to make Kiaraa understand the problem in this style. This time Kiaraa actually thought for a while before nodding her head, "Hmm, Aera is weak as well as dumb" she rubbed her chin as if thinking deeply, "You are right aunt Sa Da-Hye, mom and dad needs to pay more attention to her as she is useless." Sa Da-Hye wanted to request Kiaraa to not use words like ¨C useless and dumb when referring to Aera but she decided to take one step at a time as it was already very difficult to deal with Kiaraa. "That is only the reason why your parents pay more attention to Aera, they don''t love you any less" "You are right, any person in their sane mind would obviously love me and not Aera" Kiaraa confidently said. ''No, only an insane person with a twisted mind would love you over Aera'' Sa Da-Hye couldn''t help but think and the next moment she scolded herself for thinking like this about a child. ''Ahhh why am I acting like Ji Seo Yun? Don''t I also love Kiaraa more than Aera? Am I insane, of course, I am not, so how can I think like that?'' Sa Da-Hye scolded herself and both of them stepped out of Kiaraa''s room. "Kiaraa, go and apologize to your mother" Sa Da-Hye patted her head. "Apologize? Seriously?" Kiaraa rolled her eyes. "Kiaraa at times even when we are not wrong, we apologize for our loved ones. You love your mom, right?" "Everyone love their moms" "Yes, and believe me there are many kids who in spite of not being at fault apologize to their mothers to maintain peace. Ian and Do-Yun too apologize to me many times even when it is my fault and not theirs" Sa Da-Hye tried to convince her while they were in the corridor, heading towards the second floor, where Kiaraa''s parents'' room is there. "Aunt Sa Da-Hye, in spite of knowing that you are at fault and not your children, you are making them apologize to you. That is really very immature of you, you should learn to be a good mother" Sa Da-Hye: "¡­" The woman stopped in her tracks as Kiaraa again made her speechless today. Kiaraa innocently looked at her and said, "Don''t worry, you will grow up soon" and patted on Sa Da-Hye''s hand. Kiaraa went to her parents'' room, while Sa Da-Hye stood there still, standing in shock, "I am trying to teach this girl how to be a good daughter and she is teaching me how to be a good mother" she chuckled as she saw the sincerity when Kiaraa said those words, she actually meant it and was not mocking her. ''This silly girl'' Sa Da-Hye didn''t take Kiaraa''s words to heart and went back to join Ji Seo Yun. After reaching the second floor, Kiaraa went ahead and knocked on her parents'' door. "Who it is?" Her father''s hoarse voice was heard from the inside. "It is me, dad" Kiaraa answered him. "Come in" Her dad''s voice was now coated with anger but Kiaraa was not afraid and she entered the master bedroom of their mansion. She saw her mother sitting on the couch, hugging her father and clearly crying in his arms, while her father was stroking her mother''s head. When Lee Myung Soo saw his daughter, he tried to control his anger. "Close the door" he ordered and Kiaraa did as instructed. "Kiaraa, did you insult your mom in front of everyone?" Myung Soo tried to sound as gentle as possible as he didn''t wish to scare his daughter either in spite of how agitated he was with her. "What? You don''t trust me?" Chu Yu Ri lifted her dad and shouted at her husband. "Yu Ri, I heard your side of the story, let me hear hers too." He calmly said. "But¡­" "Yu Ri" Lee Myung Soo signalled her to keep quiet and looked at his daughter, "Tell me what exactly happened" Kiaraa then narrated her side of the story. "You asked her to leave between her food?" Myung Soo questioned his wife. Chu Yu Ri earlier kept crying so much while narrating her side of the story that Lee Myung Soo didn''t understand anything except for the fact that Kiaraa said something hurtful to her. "Yes, to punish her, she is rude to elders" Chu Yu Ri wiped away her tears and glared at her husband, who instead of scolding Kiaraa was questioning her. "Kiaraa, even if you were angry, you should not disrespect your mother" Lee Myung Soo decided to scold his wife for her actions in Kiaraa''s absence. "I didn''t. I just asked her what right she had to take away my food?" "She is your mother, that''s enough right to take away anything from you" "But not my food" "She didn''t take away food from you, she tried to take you away from the food." Kiaraa: "¡­" Kiaraa was speechless for a moment as her dad was the only person in this world who can argue with her using her kind of logic. According to his logic although the food didn''t belong to Chu Yu Ri, Kiaraa belonged to her. So, she tried to separate her daughter from that food which was on the table. Kiaraa continued being speechless as she didn''t expect her dad to twist the situation. How can she argue saying she didn''t belong to her mother? Because she did as her mom gave birth to her. After thinking how to counter her dad, Kiaraa finally spoke, "Dad, you are coming up with ridiculous logic to prove your point" "Just like you?" Her dad''s three words again stunned her. Kiaraa and her dad glared at each other. "Dad, what''s your point?" "Don''t hurt your mother with your words. She did a lot for you and Aera. Her career was going great but to take care of you two, she left it all behind and¡­" "I never asked her to leave her career behind. Also, she cares more for Aera than me" Kiaraa felt like she was losing this argument so in spite of Sa Da-Hye''s explanation she put this same point forward. "No, she does not. You both are equ¡­" Lee Myung Soo paused suddenly before changing his words, "You both are our kids and yet we always loved you more" he said. Kiaraa narrowed her eyes at him, "But it seems like you were about to say something else earlier" "Hmm, earlier I was about to say you and Aera are equal for us but in the middle of the sentence I realized it is a lie and we love you more" Chu Yu Ri got surprised hearing her husband''s words. Shouldn''t a father say both kids are equal so when Myung Soo said such words, she frowned. "Really?" Kiaraa was very happy hearing she is more loved than her sister. "Of course, you are our first born, you are special, darling" Her dad gently smiled at her. "Then why do you people always care for Aera more?" Kiaraa asked and before her father''s reply, she added, "Oh yeah, because she is dumb" Chapter 64 - Future Daughter-in-law [Today, posting one long chap instead of two short chaps] "Then why do you people always care for Aera more?" Kiaraa asked and before her father''s reply, she added, "Oh yeah, because she is dumb" "Kiaraa, don''t call your sister dumb" Chu Yu Ri scolded her daughter but Lee Myung Soo squeezed her hand asking her to keep quiet. "You should never call dumb people dumb, it is hurtful and shows lack of basic manners" Lee Myung Soo tried to handle this situation in Kiaraa''s style. Kiaraa ran towards her dad and tightly hugged him, "Dad, you are the best" she was very happy right now after knowing his thoughts. Lee Myung Soo sat on his knees and looked at his daughter, "I will be proud of you, if you too become the best daughter to me and your mother." "Okay dad" Kiaraa grinned happily. "Now, apologize to your mother" "Sorry mom" Kiaraa next hugged Chu Yu Ri. Kiaraa was in a very good mood so she didn''t mind listening to her father. "Go to your room" Chu Yu Ri was not happy with the way Lee Myung Soo handled this situation. "Okay, bye" Kiaraa didn''t sense the sadness in her mom''s tone and left from there to join her friends. Chu Yu Ri glared at her husband after Kiaraa left, "Are you out of your mind? This is how you are handling Kiaraa?" "Yu Ri, Kiaraa entered her teen years, this is just an adolescent rebel phase. We need to handle her in her style." He then added, "Don''t you remember how she always fights saying we ought to love her more as she is the first born?" Chu Yu Ri nodded her head. "I just remembered that and therefore I only said what she wanted to hear. This way we can properly handle her" he explained. "No, Myung Soo, her behaviour is not just because of adolescence. It is deep rooted and we need to take it more seriously." Chu Yu Ri was still worried about her daughter, who she felt was on the wrong path. "Yu Ri, you are just overthinking. Weren''t we all like this too when we were teenagers?" "No, I wasn''t like her" she countered. "Oh, then Aera too won''t be like her" Lee Myung Soo sighed in relief. "What do you mean?" His wife glared at him. "Kiaraa took after me so she is rebellious and difficult to handle whereas Aera took after you, therefore, so sweet and cute she is" Myung Soo pulled his wife cheeks and said, "Thank you for being sweet, you made my life easier" Chu Yu Ri pushed his hands away and glared at him, "And you made my life difficult" Lee Myung Soo laughed, "Imagine the state of the man, who would end up marrying Kiaraa. His whole life is going to be more difficult than us." "I think Ian can handle her" Chu Yu Ri casually said but her words surprised Lee Myung Soo. Chuckling at her husband''s reaction, she clarified, "I have a feeling Kiaraa will end up with Ian in future" "I think I need to keep that guy away from my daughter" Lee Myung Soo didn''t like the thought of Kiaraa ending up with Ian. "Why are you sulking? Already possessive of your daughter?" Chu Yu Ri''s mood improved seeing her husband''s state. "No, it is just that¡­ let it be they are still kids, marriage is still a long way to go. This is a ridiculous discussion." He then hugged his wife and stroked her back, "Yu Ri, Kiaraa is not a difficult child to handle if you understand her well¡­" "Are you saying I don''t understand my own daughter?" Chu Yu Ri''s mood again turned sour and her angry voice was clearly heard in the room. "You understand her but you don''t know how to handle her. Don''t try to handle her the generic way. You know how much she loves food, instead of taking it away from her, you should have tried some other method." "I was angry and¡­" "It''s okay, next time be tactful instead of being emotional. Kiaraa can''t be handled by emotionally blackmailing her but only by smartly manipulating that girl." Yu Ri looked shocked, "Are you asking me to manipulate my own daughter" "Yes, if you want to control her. With Aera, we won''t have to resort to such methods but with Kiaraa we might have to" "Myung Soo, your parenting methods sucks" Chu Yu Ri didn''t like his suggestion at all and looked offended. Myung Soo helplessly sighed, "Yu Ri, I know my daughter very well because she is just like me. After she grows up, we won''t be even able to manipulate her because she will only get smarter and one day, she will outgrow us. Until then, we need to do what we can" "I don''t agree with you" "Okay fine, let it be" Lee Myung Soo didn''t wish to argue back with his wife so he just gave up. ¡­ Later, Kiaraa joined her friends and got busy with them. "Look how shameless she is, acting like nothing happened after hurting Chu Yu Ri" Ji Seo Yun commented seeing Kiaraa happily playing with other kids. "Seo Yun, why are you acting like a child? You compete with Kiaraa, as if you are of her age" Sa Da-Hye helplessly spoke. "Not compete, I am just annoyed with her. Yu Ri and Myung Soo spoiled that girl" "Don''t you worry, they will handle her. I am sure they sorted their differences and seeing Kiaraa''s mood it is obvious Lee Myung Soo handled her well" "Still, she is the most mannerless child in our circle" Ji Seo Yun didn''t hide her disappointment in Kiaraa. "Come on Seo Yun, instead of being disappointed in her, you should be proud of Ji Hun and Ji Hwan. Such good boys they are." Sa Da-Hye tried to distract her friend by trying to talk about her sons. "Hmm, I am, especially of Ji Hun. You know what he again topped this year" Ji Seo Yun''s mood improved when she was talking about her eldest son. "Yeah, I know. Ian was again sulking as he came second." Sa Da-Hye playfully smiled, not minding the competition between their children. "You should be proud of Ian, although he came second, overall he is better than Ji Hun" "How so?" "His socializing skills are very good. Ji Hun worries me a lot as he has only one friend and he rarely interacts with people." Ji Seo Yun expressed her worry. "One good, loyal friend is enough and better than having multiple fake friends" Sa Da-Hye consoled her. "True, Yang Nam-il is a nice child and a very good friend of Ji Hun" Ji Seo Yun agreed. Then the two women saw Aera, approaching Song Ji Hun with a juice glass in her hand. "By the way, I think I already know who your future daughter-in-law is going to be" Sa Da-Hye joked seeing Ji Hun accepting the juice from Aera. Ji Seo Yun smiled seeing them. "I won''t mind having Aera as my daughter-in-law" she then decided to tease her friend, "I am rather worrying about your future" "Why?" Sa Da-Hye looked confused. "You think you can handle a daughter-in-law like Kiaraa?" Sa Da-Hye laughed loudly hearing her question, "My son will handle her, I''ll just go on a world tour after getting them married" "So, you don''t mind it?" Ji Seo Yun was a bit surprised that Sa Da-Hye was cool about it. "Of course not, I am just hoping for them to grow up soon and relieve me from my responsibilities" "Haha, no wonder you are the coolest mother amongst we three" Ji Seo Yun commented. "That I am" Sa Da-Hye proudly winked. On the other side, when Aera offered Song Ji Hun the glass of juice, he accepted it as he didn''t wish to be rude towards her. "Thank you" he politely bowed to her. "You are welcome, oppa" Aera was very happy as he always accepts the food, she brings for him. "Aera, get me also a glass of juice" Song Ji Hwan shouted standing a few meters away from them. ''Am I, his servant?'' Aera glared at Ji Hwan and ignored him. "Aera, juice" Ji Hwan again shouted only to get ignored by Aera once again. "Here, have this" Song Ji Hun anyway didn''t wish to drink this juice so he offered it to his brother, who happily ran towards them. Ji Hun then left from there upsetting Aera as he only had a few sips. Ji Hwan didn''t mind drinking from his brother''s glass and finished the whole juice. Aera was about to walk away from there when he taunted her. "When you bring one glass of juice for him, can''t you use your other hand to bring another glass for me too?" Ji Hwan asked between his sips. Aera glared at him, "Do I look like your servant?" Ji Hwan almost spurted out the juice hearing her reply. He looked around his surroundings and saw everyone else was a few meters away from them, so no one heard her. "How can you be so sweet with him and so rude towards me?" he asked the girl who clearly looked annoyed with him. "Why are you comparing yourself to him?" Aera questioned him. "Because he is my brother" "Yet he is so amazing and you are so weird" Aera softly muttered and before she could walk away, Ji Hwan stopped her. "Weird? You think I am weird?" He pointed at himself. "Hmm" Aera nodded her head, not afraid of him. Ji Hwan chuckled, "I am the most amazing guy on this planet, you are the one, who is weird" "Okay" Aera didn''t mind his words. "Look at your arrogance" Ji Hwan was offended by her attitude towards him, "You do realize right, if you are successful in your mission of being my brother''s wife then I will be your brother-in-law?" he asked her. "So?" Aera was still not affected by his question and glared at this gut, whom she always found annoying. "So, you need to respect me, I am older than you" Aera deeply sighed, "My sister and her friends, they all like bullying me" she declared and left from there. "Bully? I bullied her?" Ji Hwan spoke to himself looking at her retreating back unbelievably. "If you are done drinking your juice, come back" Ian shouted from a few meters. Song Ji Hwan finished off his juice and went back to play with his friends. Chapter 65 - Rehearsals Five days later in school. After his classes got over Song Ji Hun went to the auditorium where some of the students were rehearsing for Cinderella''s play. Ian and Song Ji Hwan were already present there, sitting in the front row. These two guys come here every day after their classes get over to watch the rehearsals for some reason. Today was Friday and Song Ji Hun finally getting some time from his other activities came here to watch Kiaraa act. After their school hours are over, the students who are in the play were staying back extra hours for rehearsals. But Ji Hun couldn''t stay back as his schedule was busy but every day at night, Ji Hwan teases him and says he should attend the rehearsals if he wants some entertainment and see Kiaraa in a more interesting light. Ji Hwan didn''t give him any more information making Ji Hun curious as to what Kiaraa is doing that Ian and Song Ji Hwan stay back every day after school to watch her. So, today, he too decided to stay back. Song Ji Hun took a corner seat in the middle row away from Ian and Ji Hwan who were sitting in first row with some popcorn. Therefore, the two guys didn''t notice him. ''Where did these two manage to get popcorn from?'' Ji Hun thought and looked at the stage, where all the participants took their positions and were about to start the rehearsals. A tired looking Cinderella, in her rag looking clothes was working. After a few seconds, Kiaraa appeared on stage with some other girl, who was playing the role of another evil sister. The two girls look at Cinderella, who is doing chores and smirk at each other clearly harbouring some evil intentions towards the poor girl. "Hey Cinderella, get some water for me" Kiaraa ordered the sweet looking girl, who was tired after doing all the household chores. "My hands are busy¡­" Cinderella hesitatingly said as her hands were covered in foam, she was washing dishes. "Then free your hands, wash them properly and get me some water" Kiaraa rudely interrupted her. "O¡­Okay" Cinderella did as Kiaraa said and while walking towards her with the glass of water, the girl playing Cinderella tripped and the glass fell off her hand. "I knew you were dumb but didn''t expect you are so dumb that you can''t even walk properly" Kiaraa taunted the girl. The girl playing Cinderella glared at her as tripping and falling was not a part of the script, she genuinely fell down. Instead of helping her, Kiaraa was scolding her. "I genuinely tripped" The girl retorted not giving a damn about the play. Ian and Ji Hwan looked at each other and excitedly smiled. "Oh, is that so? I thought people intentionally trip." Kiaraa chuckled as if she heard a joke, "What a joke you are that you can''t even walk properly" "And what a joke you are, you can''t even talk properly" The girl playing Cinderella shouted back. "I can''t talk properly? Which part of my sentence did you not understand, dumbo?" Kiaraa made fun of her. "You¡­" "Just go and do your chores as you are not good enough to do anything else." Kiaraa interrupted her. "Why should I do the chores?" The girl got angry. "Because you are sweet, innocent Cinderella with unparalleled temper" Kiaraa said and added, "But I think you are the wrong person for this character, you are more suitable to play the evil sister role with me" "How dare you? I am perfect for the role of Cinderella not the evil sister" The girl again shouted. The louder this girl shouted, the more Ian and Hwan enjoyed. "Oh! you really believe you are perfect for Cinderella?" Kiaraa asked her. "Yes" "Then be a good Cinderella and get me another glass of water" Kiaraa smirked at her. That girl tightly clenched her fists as she had the urge to punch on Kiaraa''s face and to wipe away that smug smile. "Go, there is the water" Kiaraa pointed at the setting which had a kitchen. That girl looked at their teachers, who clearly looked worried and they signalled her to let go of Kiaraa and continue with rehearsals. Out of respect for her teachers, that girl decided to continue with the rehearsals and got water for Kiaraa. "Now, massage my legs, it is paining" Kiaraa comfortably sat on a chair and pointed at her legs. The girl playing Cinderella looked at the staff, "This scene is not in the script" she complained to them. One of the teachers decided to step up, "Kiaraa, this scene is not in the script." "I improvised based on the situation" Kiaraa answered. "What situation?" The teacher asked. "Today, I played sports the whole day so my legs are aching." Ji Hwan and Ian tried to control their laughter as Kiaraa was trying to change the script according to her convenience. "So?" The girl playing Cinderella glared at her. "So, massage them" "Is she serious?" The girl looked at her teacher, who was confused wondering how to handle this situation. "Kiaraa, dear, this is not funny" The teacher tried to politely make Kiaraa understand. If it would have been some other kid, the same teacher would have removed her from the play long ago. But Kiaraa is a special case as her grandpa is the biggest donor of this school. Every year he donates a huge amount for school''s welfare. The main auditorium of this school is named after him, as a sign of respect. Therefore, this teacher was a bit hesitant on being rude towards Kiaraa. "Kiaraa, dear, this is not funny" The teacher politely said. "What''s not funny?" Kiaraa asked. "I suggest let''s stick to the script, okay?" The teacher had enough experience with Kiaraa to know what not to do. "I was just improvising" Kiaraa muttered and went back to her initial position to continue the scene. The next scene they rehearsed was of receiving invitation for a royal ball where all girls were invited. "We got invitation to the royal ball. Let''s dress our best for it" The other evil sister said to Kiaraa. "No, I don''t want to go" Kiaraa rolled her eyes sitting on the couch. ''Ahhhh this girl'' The teacher frustratedly shouted in her head. "Why not?" The other step sister was confused as this was not in the script. "I just told you, my legs are aching, so I can''t go to the royal ball" Kiaraa said. This other evil step sister helplessly looked around, unknown of what to do as Kiaraa was not following the script. "What would make you go to the ball?" she asked Kiaraa itself. "Ask Cinderella to massage my legs, only then will I go to the royal ball" Kiaraa declared. ''What kind of a logic is that?'' The girl playing Cinderella got agitated as Kiaraa was intentionally trying to attack her. "Fine, then don''t go to the royal ball stay at home" Cinderella too didn''t budge. "Sure, I won''t and I''ll keep an eye on you to ensure you also don''t go to the royal ball" Kiaraa said and looked at her evil sister, "You go to the ball and get married to the prince. I''ll ensure Cinderella won''t be a hurdle to your dream" Everyone, present there: "¡­" "Is she changing the whole plot of Cinderella?" Ji Hwan asked Ian, trying to hold his laughter. "She obviously is. Thank goodness these people got to know her intentions in the rehearsals itself. Imagine what would have happened if this was the actual play day" Ian said. "Believe me it would have been more fun" Ji Hwan laughed. "Kiaraa, what are you doing?" Cinderella shouted at her. "Kiaraa? Who Kiaraa? My name is Drizella" Kiaraa corrected her. Cinderella frustratedly looked at her teacher, "If she is in this play, I''ll quit" she declared. "Fifth girl to quit this week." Ian helplessly shook his head. "I am not even surprised" Song Ji Hwan ate his popcorn. "Go quit, you are anyway too ugly to play Cinderella" Kiaraa rolled her eyes and looked at her teacher, "I am telling you, give this role to my younger sister Aera, she will be perfect for it" "Are you doing all of this so that you can have your sister play Cinderella?" Cinderella shouted at her. "Yeah, she is more perfect for this role and having her adds a true flavour to this play. We will look perfect as sisters" Kiaraa smiled with the thought of having Aera with her, who would never dare to argue with her like these other girls do. "Fine, then get your sister to play this role." The girl playing Cinderella lost her patience and stormed off. Kiaraa then looked at her teacher, "She is the fifth one to quit today. You are not doing a great job at selecting the female protagonist. Take my advice, have my sister play the lead, she will be a great choice, you won''t regret selecting her." "Kiaraa, taking your advice I did talk to Aera but she was terrified with the idea of playing your step-sister" She honestly informed her. "Terrified? How terrified? Did she cry?" Kiaraa looked excited. Her teacher deeply sighed, "Let''s halt the rehearsals for now, until we find a new Cinderella" she declared. Chapter 66 - Caught Making Out Her teacher deeply sighed, "Let''s halt the rehearsals for now, until we find a new Cinderella" she declared. "I think all our days are going to be wasted in finding a Cinderella" Kiaraa annoyedly muttered and joined her two friends off-stage, "How was my acting?" she excitedly asked them. "Very natural. It didn''t feel like you were acting at all" Ji Hwan sarcastically praised her only to get glared at by Ian. "K, you were awesome but don''t be so rude to Cinderellas, you are scaring them" Ian tried to make her understand nicely. Song Ji Hun, who was calmly sitting at the back decided to leave before others would notice him. A huge grin was painted on his lips when he saw Kiaraa''s actions. After a long time, Song Ji Hun laughed a lot today. He now understood why his brother said it is entertaining to watch the rehearsals and why Ian and Hwan were even missing their extracurricular classes to stay back. Ji Hwan turned back to see his brother leaving and the smile on Ji Hun''s face was enough confirmation for Hwan that he enjoyed this play. "I just hope Aera agrees to play Cinderella" Kiaraa sadly pouted. "Is it not enough that you torture her at home that now you even want to torture her in a play?" Song Ji Hwan playfully asked her. "Why are you being the prince charming to protect her?" Kiaraa taunted Hwan and just then she got a nice idea. "Hey Hwan, if your brother plays the role of the prince then Aera will happily play Cinderella, right?" Kiaraa looked like she just came across the most brilliant idea. "True, but my brother won''t play such cheesy roles. Remember two years ago he refused to play Romeo?" Hwan reminded her. "Oh yeah" Kiaraa looked disappointed but she was not the one to give up so soon. "Is he at your home?" she nevertheless asked Hwan. "No, he is at school, you will find him in the library" Hwan informed her as he and Ji Hun earlier decided to leave for home together. Now that Ji Hun left the auditorium, Hwan knew he would be in the library waiting for him. "Great" Kiaraa was about to go when Ian stopped her. "A guy has already been selected to play the prince" he reminded her. "I made five Cinderellas quit, you don''t think I can make one prince quit?" she proudly asked. "K, but Ji Hun won''t agree for sure, don''t waste your time" Ian didn''t like the thought of Kiaraa meeting Ji Hun. "Let me at least try" Kiaraa didn''t wait there for another second, and rushed towards their school library. Ian wanted to follow her but Hwan stopped him and tried to distract this guy. Kiaraa headed straight to the library and as expected she saw Ji Hun, who just settled down at a table with a book. "Hi Song Ji Hun, long time no see" Kiaraa cheerfully greeted the startled guy and sat across him, on the opposite chair. "Shhhhh" A woman behind the counter glared at Kiaraa with a finger on her lips asking the girl to not shout loudly as this is a library. Kiaraa pouted in annoyance and signalled Song Ji Hun to come to the area where lots of books are kept on racks. Song Ji Hun was confused to see her there and wondered if she saw him during her play and is here to talk about it. This made him slightly nervous. Nevertheless, he followed her towards the long corridor which had multiple racks on either side of the path filled with various books. If one takes a right or a left, they will enter another passage with again shelves with books on their either side. Kiaraa walked towards the last shelves with Song Ji Hun following her. When they reached the last racks, Kiaraa turned to her right to enter the passage where they can talk comfortably without being heard but the view in front shocked her. Song Ji Hun, who followed her, turned to the right to enter the passage when he too was shocked seeing two of their seniors making out there. The two people were so engrossed into each other, they didn''t notice Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun''s presence. They were busy exploring each other''s mouths. Song Ji Hun turned around to leave but the next second he froze on his spot when Kiaraa''s voice rang in there. "What the hell is going on here?" Kiaraa questioned the two people, startling them. The boy got annoyed and the girl panicked seeing Kiaraa. The girl immediately adjusted her skirt and her shirt. "Kiaraa, what are you doing?" Song Ji Hun felt embarrassed, interrupting these people and tried to take Kiaraa away with him. "This is a library not their home to act like this" Kiaraa glared back at her senior, who was annoyed at her righteous attitude. "Oh! Then may I know why did you two come here if not for making out?" The guy was older than them and was obviously not afraid of his juniors. Song Ji Hun blushed faintly as his mind imagined stuff after hearing his senior''s words. Kiaraa chuckled, "You think we are here to act like you two?" "Yes, why else would you two be here?" The boy asked her. "We are here to read books. The book we want is in this shelf" Kiaraa lied pointing at the shelf on which these two seniors were leaning on. The boy chuckled, "May I know why kids like you would need Biology books on reproduction?" Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun then looked at the shelves and realized the last section of the library was reserved for eleventh and twelfth graders only. This was the biology section and since there were books which were not appropriate for other kids, these books were kept at the end. "Actually, the librarian gave us the task to change the book cards on all the books in the last shelves as we volunteered to help her" Song Ji Hun cooked up a lie confidently. The senior looked a bit doubtful. "You can ask the librarian and verify with her if you want" Song Ji Hun confidently added. "No need for that just keep your mouths shut about what you two just saw. If this gossip spreads around the school, then I would know who the source is" The senior warned them as his girlfriend was still freaking out for being caught. "We are not the type to gossip" Kiaraa rolled her eyes. "Control your girl" The senior guy warned Song Ji Hun and left with his girlfriend. "I am not his girl" Kiaraa softly shouted as this was still a library but their seniors left and didn''t hear her. "Are you crazy? Why did you interrupt them?" Song Ji Hun asked Kiaraa after pulling her into the passage. "Because they are not supposed to act indecently in public" "Do you even know majority of our seniors only come to library to make out?" He asked her. Given the fact that Song Ji Hun spends most of his time in library when he is not attending classes, this was not the first time he came across such couples. "Is that why you too come here?" Kiaraa teasingly smiled and added, "Ahh, my poor sister" Song Ji Hun didn''t take her last remark seriously. "No, I come here because I like reading books" He explained himself. "I was kidding, I know how much you love books" Kiaraa face-palmed herself before muttering to herself, "My sister''s future is going to be very difficult; this guy is so clueless." "What?" Song Ji Hun didn''t hear what she said. "Nothing, so, the reason I called you here is because I have a request to make" "Okay?" "Can you play prince in the Cinderella play?" Kiaraa popped the question directly and hopefully looked at him. "Why?" Song Ji Hun was confused that she doesn''t want Ian or Hwan to play that role but him. "No reason. I think you would look charming playing the prince" Kiaraa winked at him. "Why? Don''t I look charming just like the way I am?" Song Ji Hun this time didn''t hold himself back seeing her act like this. Kiaraa was left speechless as she never saw this guy talking like this. "Ah¡­" Kiaraa was unsure what to say when Ian and Ji Hwan suddenly appeared there interrupting them. "K, the school counsellor is looking for you" Ian informed her. "What? Me? Why?" Kiaraa was confused. "We will know once you go and talk to her" Song Ji Hwan answered her as they too were not sure why she was looking for Kiaraa. "Oh okay" Kiaraa then looked at Ji Hun, "Our discussion is still pending" she meant she would again trouble him as she was not done talking to him. "Hmm, I''ll wait" Song Ji Hun assured her and she headed to the counsellor''s room. Chapter 67 - Counsellor Kiaraa headed to meet the counsellor. The school counsellor was a middle-aged woman, who gave out strong intellectual vibes. She was sitting in her office, accompanied by the teacher, who was in-charge of the school annual play. "Were you looking for me?" Kiaraa asked after seeking permission to enter the room. "Great you are here please, have a seat" The counsellor lovingly smiled at Kiaraa and pointed at a chair across her. Kiaraa sat next to her teacher and looked at the counsellor waiting for her to speak up. Counsellor and the teacher looked at each other meaningfully. Counsellor nodded her head slightly and smiled at Kiaraa. "Dear, I got to know you are acting in the school''s upcoming annual play" "Yes" "You were offered the role of Cinderella but you requested to play the role of evil sister instead, is that true?" The counsellor sounded very friendly while asking the question. "Yeah, it is true" Kiaraa accepted. "May I know why you rejected the dream role of every girl?" "It is not the dream role of every girl. It isn''t my dream to play Cinderella" "Then what is your dream?" "To take over my family business" Kiaraa confidently declared surprising the two women. ''Isn''t she just 13?'' The teacher thought. "Oh! That''s a very nice dream" The counsellor smiled and asked, "You know you need to be very smart to handle that kind of an empire" "I am very smart you can check my grades" Kiaraa proudly declared. The counsellor smiled back, "I know, I already did that''s why we called you here" Kiaraa frowned in confusion. "Kiaraa, did you know Cinderella''s evil sisters were actually dumb?" "They were fictional" Kiaraa countered. "Of course, but their creator made them dumb. Did you know that?" The counsellor asked her. "Hmm, I know that" "Don''t you think a smart girl like you should not be playing dumb roles like that?" "Are you suggesting I should play Cinderella instead?" Kiaraa looked annoyed with the thought of that. "No, no, I think even Cinderella is not good enough for you" The counsellor patiently explained. "Then?" Kiaraa didn''t get what she meant. "I think this play is too much of a time waste for a smart girl like you. This play is wasting your precious time and I personally feel it is interfering with your real dream of becoming a businesswoman" Kiaraa was still processing her words. "What do you suggest?" Kiaraa asked her. "I have nothing to suggest. I just wanted to know your opinion. Don''t you think this play is distracting you from your dreams? The real important dreams" Counsellor focussed more on the word ''real dreams'' "True, I feel tired after going home" Kiaraa agreed with her. "Therefore, I wanted to discuss this matter with your teacher, who is heading this play" Counsellor pointed at the woman, who was now impressed by the counsellor for handling Kiaraa well. "What do you want to discuss?" Kiaraa asked the counsellor, still looking confused. "Ma''am, I think you are wasting Kiaraa''s precious time. As this school''s counsellor, keeping the student''s interest at heart, I strongly suggest please free Kiaraa from this play''s burden and let her focus on more important things" Counsellor said to the teacher, who was trying to not smile. Kiaraa looked surprised, "You are trying to remove me from this play?" she asked the counsellor. "Yes, but for your own good. Kiaraa, you are not meant to do dumb things in life" The counsellor was not flustered by Kiaraa''s accusation and rather handled her well. "Wow, you truly think so?" Kiaraa was surprised that the counsellor was calling the play dumb in front of the person, who was investing all her time and energy in it. "Yes, I really think so" The counsellor answered in affirmative. "You are offending her" Kiaraa told the counsellor, pointing at her teacher. "No, No, I am not offended. She indeed has a point. You are meant to do bigger things in life, Kiaraa. My play is not worth your time" The teacher tried to convince Kiaraa based on the suggestion she earlier got from the counsellor. "Oh okay. Cool, I''ll resign from this play then." Kiaraa declared making the two women happy. "It is our loss but for your better future, we need to take this tough decision" Teacher tried to look sad but, in her heart, she sighed in relief. "Cool" Kiaraa looked indifferent as she was anyway not that interested in this play but then what she said next confused the two women, "Will you be giving my role to someone else?" "Yeah, I''ll take some auditions and¡­" "You are not allowed to" Kiaraa interrupted her teacher. "What do you mean I am not allowed to?" The teacher was turning flustered with this unexpected turn of events. "What''s mine is mine. I don''t like other people having what belongs to me" Kiaraa surprised the two women again. "What do you suggest dear?" The counsellor patiently asked her. "Drizella''s role will only be played by me but since I am quitting, that role is not supposed to be taken by anyone else" Kiaraa knew what position she holds in this school because of her grandpa so she didn''t hesitate speaking her mind. "Are you suggesting there would be only one evil sister in this play?" The teacher asked her. "Yes" "But that goes against the story" Counsellor tried to make Kiaraa understand the problem. "I don''t care" Kiaraa brightly smiled before adding, "Ma''am, do you know my IQ is very good and I have an eidetic memory?" she asked. The counsellor nodded her head. "Therefore, you can''t manipulate me" Kiaraa smiled at her, "Although I am just 13 and soon going to be 14, don''t underestimate me" "Kiaraa¡­" The counsellor wanted to say something but before that Kiaraa looked at her teacher, "If you didn''t wish for me to be in your play, you should have told me directly instead of pulling all these strings" "I didn''t wish to hurt you" The teacher defeatedly replied as she understood there was no point in denying the truth. She was aware how smart Kiaraa is. "You are not that important to be able to hurt me" Kiaraa''s words again shocked them. "Kiaraa, five girls quit this play because of you." The counsellor decided to be honest as she understood she can''t handle Kiaraa the way she handles other students. "Is it my fault that they are weak?" "Kiaraa, every person has different levels of patience and tolerance. As you just said, your IQ and memory are strong, thus, you are much smarter than your peers. Therefore, you can easily trouble them and they can''t withstand against it. So, is it their fault that they are not as smart as you?" The counsellor''s question this time actually triggered Kiaraa. "I like the point you made" Kiaraa looked proud and smirked in satisfaction. "So, we are requesting you, please quit this play and let someone else take over your role" The counsellor directly suggested. "Fine, I don''t mind that. Also, I don''t truly believe Drizella''s role is mine as Cinderella play happened multiple times across the world and a lot of girls played this character" Kiaraa''s assurance came as a huge relief for the two women. "Thank you for understanding" The counsellor genuinely smiled at Kiaraa. "You are good at your job" Kiaraa praised her before adding, "From next time, whenever I will have a problem, I am coming to you" she declared. "Sure, my doors are forever open for you" The woman was happy that her task successfully finished and Kiaraa too took this sportingly. After Kiaraa left from there, the teacher thanked the counsellor as her biggest hurdle got solved. Kiaraa then met with the three guys, who were in the library waiting for her. She was surprised to see Ian and Hwan too reading books with Ji Hun but on reaching closer, she saw Ian was reading some mystery novel and Hwan was checking the latest Korean Entertainment Magazine. "Guys" Kiaraa softly called them and the four people stepped out the library as they anyway were supposed to leave for home. "I am quitting the Cinderella play" She informed the three boys. "What?" "Why?" Ian and Hwan asked her together while Ji Hun tried to read her expression to see if she was sad about it. "Because I am too good and made five girls quit" Kiaraa laughed. "Oh god! Why are you laughing?" Hwan flicked her forehead. "Isn''t this situation too funny? Our teacher was scared of me, how cool am I?" she looked extremely proud of herself. "You are weird" Ian put his arm around her shoulder, which annoyed Ji Hun. Ian looked at Song Ji Hun but seeing him indifferent he thought, ''I guess he got over her seeing how close we are'' Two years ago, Ji Hun worried him but after that coin museum thing, Ji Hun didn''t do anything to separate Kiaraa from Ian and neither did he try to get closer to her. So, Ian thought two years ago he just over thought the situation. Chapter 68 - Only I Can Trouble My Sister "Song Ji Hun, earlier I made a request to you, which you can ignore now" Kiaraa informed Song Ji Hun, she was talking about the prince role she requested him to enact. "I would have anyway ignored it" Song Ji Hun coldly replied and left from there. "Did I offend him in some way?" Kiaraa asked Hwan, seeing the guy who waited for her for so long and then suddenly walked away. ''Not you but Ian''s hand which is around your shoulder did'' Hwan thought but cheekily smiled at them, "My brother is moodier than women during their periods" "Don''t talk about such topics so openly" She hit his arm and acted like she was feeling shy. "Overacting" Hwan flicked her forehead again and ran towards his brother. "Hyung, we are supposed to leave together" He shouted while catching up with his brother. "Why do you want to leave with me? Go with Ian" Song Ji Hun didn''t hide his sour mood from his brother. "Just calm down, we are close friends so hugging and putting arm around one''s shoulder is a common gesture amongst us. Don''t be so narrow minded" Song Ji Hun stopped walking and glared at his brother, "Are you crazy? What are you talking about?" "Can you at least not pretend in front of me?" "Why is she so close to Ian?" Song Ji Hun couldn''t pretend anymore like he was fine with the close friendship between Kiaraa and Ian. "Since she was born, he didn''t distance himself from her and was always there as her best friend" Ji Hun deeply sighed, "I need to make peace with the fact that she would end up with Ian in future" "Hey, don''t give up without even trying" Song Ji Hwan never saw Ji Hun like this, on the verge of giving up. "Forget it" Ji Hun walked towards the car which was waiting for them and Hwan silently followed him as he was sure, nothing is going to make his brother comfortable right now. ¡­ Monday After school hours, Kiaraa, Hwan and Ian went to the auditorium where the Cinderella play rehearsals were going on. Today morning, they got to know the play teacher convinced Aera to take up the role of Cinderella and since Kiaraa is not playing the evil sister role anymore, Aera accepted this opportunity. Kiaraa wanted to see who replaced her and also she wanted to check how her sister is doing as at the end of the day, that teacher took Kiaraa''s advice by selecting Aera. The three people comfortably settled themselves in the front row to watch the rehearsals. The other cast was still not here and some of the crew people were trying to set the props, preparing the stage. In a few minutes, Aera entered the auditorium but seeing Kiaraa there, she got a bit scared. "Elder sister, what are you doing here?" she nervously asked her. "Are you disappointed to see me?" Kiaraa questioned the small girl. Aera shook her head in no. She wasn''t disappointed, she was terrified. "Good, now go and get ready for the rehearsals, we are here to cheer you" No one believed Kiaraa''s words but nonetheless Aera just left from there to get ready for her first rehearsals. Later, the cast was here and after the woman in charge of direction explained Aera her role, the rehearsals began. One of the girls playing evil sister, the one who replaced Kiaraa, taunted Aera in the scene. "Maids are not invited for the royal ball, so you are supposed to stay home and do all the house chores. Also, clean my room" Aera nodded her head and was about to go back to do her chores when Kiaraa suddenly stood up and stopped Aera from leaving. "She is insulting you and instead of fighting back, you are just listening to her?" Kiaraa scolded her sister and looked at the new girl, "How dare you insult my sister?" "I didn''t, I was just following the script" The poor girl heard of what happened last week, so she too was a bit scared of Kiaraa. "What kind of a script is this? I don''t accept it" Kiaraa looked at her teacher, who was on the verge of crying in frustration. Since the moment she saw Kiaraa there, she kept having a bad premonition and now that her feeling was proven to be right, she was not sure how to react. "Kiaraa, why are you doing this?" The teacher helplessly asked her. "Because in this world, only I have the right to insult and trouble my sister. Outsiders are not allowed to do so" "So, what do you want? We change the script and show Cinderella rebellious?" Teacher questioned Kiaraa in frustration. "No, do whatever you want to do but my sister is not going to play such roles" Kiaraa looked at Aera and said, "Pack your bags, you are quitting this play" "Weren''t you the one, who suggested Aera is perfect for this role?" This teacher didn''t have the energy to find another Cinderella now. "Yes, but only when I play the evil sister, she is perfect to play Cinderella. Without me she is not allowed to play this role" Kiaraa turned to her sister, who didn''t pack her stuff yet. Sensing her gaze, Aera immediately went to pack her stuff and in the next five minutes, the two sisters walked away leaving the teacher infuriated. That day Kiaraa''s parents received a call from the school counsellor asking them to visit her. Cancelling his meetings which were scheduled for that day, Lee Myung Soo appeared at the school and met his wife at the entrance, who was waiting for him. "Any idea what happened at school?" Myung Soo worriedly asked his wife. "No but I am not surprised. Given Kiaraa''s behaviour this was expected to happen someday." Chu Yu Ri coldly replied. "Yu Ri, don''t be so pessimistic" He stroked her back and the two people headed inside. Chapter 69 - White Lotus "Yu Ri, don''t be so pessimistic" He stroked her back and the two people headed inside. After exchanging greetings with the counsellor, they worriedly sat across her. "You two must be aware that Kiaraa was chosen to play the role of Cinderella but she instead requested the evil sister role¡­" the counsellor started narrating all the events that happened until now. "Five girls quit the play because of Kiaraa?" Chu Yu Ri asked in shock after the counsellor was done. "Yes, and today as a revenge against us, she made Aera quit the play" The counsellor informed her. "Revenge? I respect you Ma''am, but that is a huge accusation against my daughter." Lee Myung Soo voiced his thoughts. "After Kiaraa walked away with Aera, the teacher in charge of the play chased her to ask Kiaraa why is she doing this. Then she said, she was offended that we made her quit and offered the lead role to Aera so this was her revenge against us. These are her words not ours." "You indeed made her quit the play?" Lee Myung Soo asked her. "Hmm but we didn''t force her, we nicely made her understand" The counsellor informed him. "Well, then I can''t blame her¡­" Lee Myung Soo answered. "So, what she did is right?" The counsellor interrupted Lee Myung Soo. "Are you crazy?" Chu Yu Ri glared at her husband, and looked at the counsellor, "I am so sorry, I apologize on her behalf" "Mrs Lee, I didn''t call you two to have you apologize on her behalf but because we can''t ignore a few signs she showed" The counsellor looked serious as she put her glasses away. "What do you mean?" Lee Myung Soo didn''t understand her point. "Last week, we had a proper discussion with Kiaraa and she didn''t mind giving up on that evil sister role but only because Aera later became a part of this play she did all of this." The counsellor explained. "Again Ma''am, with all due respect, it is a huge accusation against my daughter" Lee Myung Soo didn''t like hearing an outsider accusing Kiaraa. "Believe me Mr Lee, we called you for this discussion only after doing our own research. We got to know from a few friends of Aera, that she is always scared of her elder sister. Also, before calling you two here, I had a word with Kiaraa" ¡­ Few hours ago Kiaraa was again called to meet the counsellor. "Kiaraa, do you know why you are here?" The counsellor patiently asked her. "Because I just told Ms Mae that I made my sister quit this play to have my revenge against her" Kiaraa unhesitatingly declared. "We already discussed your quitting this play last week, then what was the need to take this revenge?" Counsellor calmly asked the girl arrogantly sitting across her. "I was fine with quitting but how dare she give the main role to my sister?" Kiaraa looked furious. "Weren''t you the one, who suggested to give the lead role to Aera?" Counsellor was aware of everything beforehand. "Yes, but I wanted Aera to play the lead only when I too would be a part of this play" "Why?" "Because I wanted to trouble her" Counsellor was a bit taken aback, "Kiaraa, why do you want to trouble your sister?" "Because she deserves it" "Why?" "She is dumb and a white lotus, I don''t like such weak people" Kiaraa didn''t hesitate voicing out her thoughts. "White lotus?" The counsellor looked confused. "In Chinese dramas, people who act all sweet and innocent are referred to like that" "You watch Chinese dramas?" "Yes, I watch Korean Dramas and American dramas too." "How about you try watching sitcoms instead?" The counsellor felt watching dramas is having a negative effect on her thought process. "Fine, recommend a few sitcoms to me then" Kiaraa rolled her eyes but not minding her actions, the counsellor indeed recommended a few shows. "Kiaraa, why do you think your sister is weak?" The counsellor tried to understand the relationship between these sisters to understand her better. "Because whenever I shout at her or taunt her, she gets scared and at times even cries" "So, what would you rather prefer she do?" "She can fight or argue back with me" Kiaraa indifferently said. "Will you like it if she fights back?" "I don''t know but at least I won''t dislike her as much as I do now if she answers back." "Kiaraa tell me what do you think about your sister" "Why?" "Just want to know more about your opinion" "She is weak, useless, idiot, I think she will be a huge failure in her future" Kiaraa confidently said. "Did you ever share your thoughts on your sister with your parents?" "No, they won''t understand especially my mom as she loves Aera the most." "Why do you think so?" "She spends more time with her, rarely scolds her and tries to give my stuff to Aera" "And what about your father?" "He loves me the most" A huge smile was painted on Kiaraa''s lips when her father was mentioned. "Understood. One last question Kiaraa" "Hmm?" "Did you make Aera quit today''s play just out of revenge?" Kiaraa smiled at the counsellor, "It seems you understand me better than everyone else" and shook her head, "It was not out of revenge but out of anger." "Anger?" "How dare Ms Mae take away my role from me and then make Aera the lead of this play? If I give up on something then Aera should never touch it" Kiaraa declared. At that moment, the counsellor saw a weird burning flame in Kiaraa''s eyes which worried her and she made a decision to have a word with her parents. "Dear, you may take your leave" "Thanks" Kiaraa smiled at her before leaving the room. The counsellor kept wondering if Kiaraa was genuinely smiling at her or was mocking her. The next minute she called her parents on an urgent basis. Chapter 70 - Aera Is More Dangerous "This is what happened" The counsellor seriously looked at the worried couple. "Myung Soo, I told you Kiaraa''s behaviour is not normal but you didn''t take me seriously" Chu Yu Ri complained. "Yu Ri, calm down." Lee Myung Soo then looked at the counsellor, "Kiaraa is just 13, aren''t we overthinking all of this. Maybe once she grows older and develops more maturity, she might not act like this" "Mr Lee, that is a possibility and the second possibility is as she grows up, her dislike towards her sister will only deepen." "Then what should I do? Ask Aera to fight with Kiaraa to make her happy?" Lee Myung Soo asked the counsellor in frustration. He had many other things to look after and he somewhere didn''t feel this problem was as huge as it was being portrayed as. Also, he didn''t like discussing his family matters with an outsider. "No, but we can give counselling to Kiaraa and make her realize that Aera is different in her own way and not every person is strong and bold, some women are weak and sensitive but that doesn''t mean something is wrong with them. Just like how the five fingers of our hands are different, similarly people too are very different" "I agree with her, Kiaraa needs counselling" Chu Yu Ri declared influenced by the counsellor''s words. "But¡­" "What''s wrong with that? After school once or twice a week, Ma''am will talk to Kiaraa. If she is willing to help us, why should we refuse?" Chu Yu Ri questioned her husband. "Yes, and also this counselling is a part of the school''s annual fees. I am paid a hefty amount for my job and what is the point of it if I am not helping my student in spite of seeing the problem?" The counsellor''s question made Myung Soo quiet. After a few minutes, he finally spoke, "Fine, you can provide her counselling but my only condition is this news should not get out. Nobody else should know that Kiaraa is taking counselling. If possible, even Kiaraa should not know" Lee Myung Soo declared surprising the two women with his weird request. "I hope Mr Lee understands that counselling is not a bad thing. If everyone goes through it, then it is only good for a person''s self-growth" "Hmm, whatever it is, I wish to keep it hidden, I have my own reasons" Lee Myung Soo didn''t waver from his stand. "Fine, this will be only kept between us and I won''t even let the school authorities know" The counsellor promised and added, "I hope if I ever get in trouble for this¡­" "We will take care of it" Chu Yu Ri assured as the Lees were the biggest donors of this school and they have power to make important decisions. "Thank you" The counsellor sighed in relief that at least Kiaraa''s parents agreed for counselling and therapy. "But where will this counselling would take place as we don''t wish for the school authorities to get any air about it?" Chu Yu Ri asked the counsellor. "If you two don''t mind I can take Kiaraa''s counselling sessions at my home" The woman suggested. "Tuesdays and Fridays after school hours you can take sessions if it is fine with you, she doesn''t have any activities those days" Yu Ri said. "Sure, I am fine with that" "Thank you so much" Chu Yu Ri felt relieved as she wished to send Kiaraa for counselling since a very long time but Lee Myung Soo didn''t let her. He believed Kiaraa would be taking over the Lee Conglomerate in the future and the fact that she went through counselling at a young age might be a hindrance to it when the time comes. Now that an outsider got involved in Kiaraa''s case, he had to agree with this counselling thing to ensure Kiaraa gets over these silly issues and would focus on important things. Also, he believed this counsellor would keep quiet if she gets to counsel Kiaraa. Thanking the counsellor, the couple left from there. After Chu Yu Ri and Lee Myung Soo sat in the car to head home, Lee Myung Soo shared his opinion, "Yu Ri, nobody is allowed to know about Kiaraa going through this counselling. Don''t even share this with Sa Da-Hye and Ji Seo Yun. Also, don''t even let my brother, sister and dad know about it. Not even your family should know" "Myung Soo, why are you being like this?" Chu Yu Ri looked confused knowing his request. "In future when Kiaraa will try to take over the Lee Conglomerate, Lee Min Seo will try to make Choi Hyuk take over the corporation whereas Man Sik might try to put Lee Gun in that position." "Myung Soo, they are your siblings what''s wrong if they wish for their children to take over the¡­" "Yu Ri, are you serious? Am I working my ass off so that Hyuk or Gun will take over my hard work? Obviously not. Also, Kiaraa is more capable than them" "Myung Soo, why are you prioritizing business over family?" "I am not, I am prioritizing my daughter here. If Min Seo or Man Sik will know Kiaraa is taking counselling, they will use this against her in the future and won''t hesitate in destroying her" "You are overthinking" Chu Yu Ri didn''t like Myung Soo''s opinion on his siblings. "Yu Ri, I know my siblings very well. After Min Seo leaving her in-law''s house and Man Sik''s recent blunder, they both are developing not so great intentions towards our family. We need to be careful of them" "Stop it, Myung Soo, they are your family" Chu Yu Ri shouted at him. "No. You, Kiaraa and Aera are my family" Lee Myung Soo countered turning her speechless. "Yu Ri, I have my reasons, please try to understand. Also, I trust Song Jae Ho more than my own siblings, that''s how serious it is" Lee Myung Soo added seeing his wife upset. Song Jae Ho is Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan''s father. "Fine, Kiaraa''s counselling thing will only remain between you and me but how can we ensure Kiaraa to not know that she is being counselled?" "I am sure that''s the counsellor''s job. She seems like an expert and I feel Kiaraa is in safe hands" Lee Myung Soo shared his thoughts. "Fine, if that''s what you think" "Eventually even after Kiaraa will find out, she would be a grown up and she will know to hide this news for her own good" "I hope Kiaraa doesn''t grow up to be like you" Chu Yu Ri suddenly said surprising Lee Myung Soo. "Why? What is wrong with me?" "I don''t want my daughter to be evil and cunning like you" Chu Yu Ri seriously said, looking outside the window. Lee Myung Soo chuckled, "Sorry dear, that''s not possible. Kiaraa is like me and I am sure she is going to be even more evil and cunning than me in the future." Chu Yu Ri deeply sighed, "I am glad at least Aera is like me" Lee Myung Soo hesitated a bit but he anyway said it out aloud, "Aera too is like me. Her evil side will be out someday. At times, I feel Aera is more dangerous than Kiaraa" Chu Yu Ri turned to look at her husband in shock, "Are you out of your mind? What the hell are you blabbering" "Kiaraa speaks her heart out. Whatever she feels and believes she says it out without caring about anyone and doesn''t keep it inside. So, we all know what''s going on in her mind. Aera is dangerous, she keeps everything to herself. At times, even I am not able to read her thoughts and that scares me" "Now that you said this, I have now started getting worried about Aera too. Ahhh, why would you put such thoughts in my mind?" "I am just sharing what I feel" "After listening to your words, I feel like in spite of spending so many hours with my daughters, I still don''t know them and you are always this busy yet you know them better" Lee Myung Soo smiled hearing her whining, "They carry Lee family''s genes, so it is not very hard to predict them" "They carry Chu family''s genes too" Chu Yu Ri reminded her contribution. Myung Soo chuckled, "Chu family is sweet. Thank goodness your genes are mixed with mine or else our daughters would be no less than a destruction to the world" "That''s a bit too much" Yu Ri loudly muttered only to hear Myung Soo laugh. "Thank you for marrying an evil man like me" Myung Soo joked and kissed the back of her palm. "Yeah, you should be thankful forever." "I am" The two people finally reached home and when they entered the mansion, what they saw shocked them. Grandpa Lee was scolding his daughter, Lee Min Seo. Chapter 71 - Changing Surname Grandpa Lee was scolding his daughter, Lee Min Seo. "Choi Chan Woo had been calling you and he even agreed to compromise to save your marriage and yet you are giving him a hard time. Go back to your husband." "But dad I don''t want to go back to him" Lee Min Seo argued back. "At least think about your son. Doesn''t he deserve to get his father''s love?" Grandpa Lee looked furious. "Dad, stop using Choi Hyuk to make your point. Once in a week he gets to meet his father and that''s enough. The truth is after my marriage you just don''t consider me as your daughter and you only love your sons, therefore you wish for me to leave." Lee Min Seo looked very upset, almost on the verge of crying. "Nonsense. It was you who ran away from home and married that guy against my wish and now, you again ran away from there too because of some silly argument" "Dad, it was not some silly argument, he¡­" "ENOUGH!" Grandpa Lee shouted at his daughter, "You and Choi Hyuk can no longer stay here. Get out of my home" "Dad, what are you doing?" Chu Yu Ri, who just witnessed this scene interrupted the old man''s decision. Kiaraa, who was enjoying this drama sitting on the couch pouted sadly as her mom ruined it all for her. Aera on the other side was holding her elder brother, Choi Hyuk''s hand to calm him down as he was sobbing because of this situation. Lee Man Sik and his wife were sitting next to Kiaraa and were worriedly watching at this scenario because grandpa Lee warned them to not interfere earlier. Lee Gun was too young so he didn''t understand what was going on. "Yu Ri, dear, don''t come in between" Grandpa politely warned his daughter-in-law. "Sister-in-law" Lee Min Seo tightly hugged Chu Yu Ri and started crying, "See, what dad is doing. He is asking me to leave the house. You tell me where will I go with Choi Hyuk?" Grandpa Lee has a soft corner for both his daughters-in-law, who are sweet, innocent people. That''s why he earlier asked Lee Man Sik''s wife to not interfere as he was sure he would give in to her request. "Min Seo, stop crying, calm down" Chu Yu Ri gently rubbed her back. "Dad, what are you doing? How can you ask Min Seo to leave this home?" Lee Myung Soo chimed in. Although was wary of his siblings, he would not support his dad''s extreme ways of dealing with a situation. "Years ago, I didn''t ask her to run away, she did and now she has to take responsibility for her actions instead of relying on us" "Dad, this is Min Seo''s home too" Lee Myung Soo firmly said. "No, this is my home" "You sure, dad?" Lee Myung Soo just said three words but it was enough to silence his father. If the old man says it is only his home, then he was sure Myung Soo would leave this mansion without a second thought with his wife and daughters as years ago Lee Myung Soo bought a lavish house for his family but only for his father''s sake he decided to live in this mansion. During weekends the family of four go to their other home sometimes but mostly they live here. Therefore, Grandpa Lee didn''t dare to utter a word and having no choice, he left from there. "Min Seo, go to your room and rest" Lee Myung Soo suggested to his sister. "Thank you, elder brother" Lee Min Seo looked emotional. Both her sisters-in-law took her to her room while Lee Myung Soo and Lee Man Sik went to Choi Hyuk. "Don''t cry and don''t take grandpa''s words to heart" Lee Myung Soo tried to console his nephew. Choi Hyuk tightly hugged Lee Myung Soo and cried, "Uncle, I want to change my surname from Choi to Lee" the kid, suddenly declared. Lee Myung Soo and Lee Man Sik got surprised and looked at each other. They both were communicating with their eyes wondering if he is just saying it because of how the old man treated them or he is already plotting for the future. "Hyuk, Choi is your family name. Your dad and paternal family will get hurt if you change your surname" "I don''t care, uncle. Mom too wishes for the same. I am my mom''s son too so why can''t I take her surname?" His uncles went speechless listening to his question but they didn''t have an answer to it. How can they explain a fourteen-year-old the complications of life? "We will look into it and talk about it later" Lee Man Sik said for the time being. "Do you want to go out?" Lee Myung Soo asked Choi Hyuk to cheer his mood. The boy nodded his head. Lee Myung Soo and Lee Man Sik took all the four children out to buy ice-cream for them then the six people went to Han River to hang out there. The kids were playing around while the two adults sat together. Lee Man Sik asked his elder brother how come he came home early today as he is always busy at work. "I felt I am not spending enough time with family so I cancelled all my meetings" Lee Myung Soo lied. "Oh, sister-in-law said a call came from the school and that''s why she is going there and would meet you there itself" Lee Man Sik said. ''Chu Yu Ri'' Lee Myung Soo got frustrated with his innocent wife but on the outside, he smiled sweetly, "Actually, I and Yu Ri are not getting our private time at home so she cooked a lie and we met outside, spent some time together but we were missing the two girls so we came back home" Lee Myung Soo lied so smoothly that Lee Man Sik couldn''t see through it and believed him. "Do you even want to know what I and Yu Ri did in this time?" Lee Myung Soo teasingly asked his brother. "Elder brother, you are so shameless" Lee Man Sik blushed and they didn''t discuss this topic further. The two brothers then spent the rest of the evening with their kids. Chapter 72 - Please Dont Marry Kiaraa Kim Mansion "And then Kiaraa walked away with Aera, declaring that Aera won''t act in this play" Ian updated his mother of the events that happened in his school today. "What? Why would she do that?" Kim Do-Yun clearly looked upset as Aera is her best friend and she was excited to see Aera playing the lead role in the upcoming annual drama. "To have her revenge as those people made her quit" Ian laughed happily while narrating the story. "She is ridiculous, I don''t like her at all" Kim Do-Yun declared, pouting sadly. She didn''t bother to hide her dislike towards Kiaraa. "Hey, she is your future sister-in-law. You have to like her" Ian patted on his younger sister''s head. "No, please don''t marry Kiaraa" Kim Do-Yun folded her hands in front of him and requested her brother. "Haha, sorry baby, your elder brother already lost his heart to her." Sa Da-Hye teasingly smiled at her son. "Why are you smiling like that? Didn''t you already know?" Ian slightly blushed feeling his mother''s gaze on him. "I knew but you never acknowledged this directly before" "Hmm" "Are you planning to ever tell her the truth?" Sa Da-Hye asked her son, who was flustered right now. "She is just 13, I am just 15, I''ll rather wait" Ian said. "Awe, my son is so thoughtful" "Elder brother, please no" Kim Do-Yun again tried to convince Ian. "Why not?" Sa Da-Hye asked her daughter to understand her opinion. "Kiaraa is so bad and she is so scary. I don''t like her at all. Do you people even know how much Aera is scared of her?" "Aera is scared because she is dumb¡­" "Ian, don''t talk ill about people, especially girls. No matter you like her or not, you have no right to insult her like this. Is this what I taught you?" Sa Da-Hye, who was in a cheerful mood until now got annoyed hearing Ian''s words. "Sorry mom, why are you getting so upset?" Ian looked sad as his mom rarely scolds him. He and his mother are more like friends and she never talks to him in this tone. "How can I not get upset when my son is being disrespectful towards women?" "Okay, I am sorry. I''ll never talk ill about Aera" "Good" "After all she is my future sister-in-law" Ian joked to lighten the mood and it worked. "No one takes me seriously" Kim Do-Yun left from there being upset as her opinion was not being take into consideration by the mother-son duo. "Tell me more about what Kiaraa did" Sa Da-Hye excitedly asked her son. Ian then updated her of all the details and after he was done, he went to his room. Sa Da-Hye was free for a while so she casually called her friend Ji Seo Yun. While talking about random topics, Seo Yun mentioned she called Chu Yu Ri earlier but she was busy. Then Sa Da-Hye informed her of what happened at school. "Maybe Yu Ri was scolding Kiaraa for what she did at school and was therefore busy" Sa Da-Hye looked sad thinking her Kiaraa is being scolded right now. "Well, if that''s the case then I am more than happy. That girl needs to learn some basic manners. How dare she ruin Aera''s opportunity like this." Ji Seo Yun was clearly agitated after knowing what happened today. "Chill, I thought you already knew about all of this" Sa Da-Hye regretted sharing this incident with Seo Yun. "How would I know?" "Ji Hun and Hwan too¡­" Sa Da-Hye clicked her tongue, ''Oh no, I need to stop talking'' she scolded herself. "They too were there at that time? And yet they didn''t tell me?" Ji Seo Yun was angry at her sons for not giving her all the updates from school. "Calm down, don''t overreact" Sa Da-Hye consoled her adding, "Your sons are not gossipy like mine¡­" "My sons are not closer to me like yours is" Ji Seo Yun corrected her before sadly asking, "Have I gone wrong as a mother?" "Seo Yun, you are a good mother¡­" "Then why do my sons avoid me like this?" "Sons are like that" "Ian is not like that." Ji Seo Yun countered. "Ian is different. Mostly boys are closer to their fathers" "You are saying the reverse. Boys are closer to mothers" Ji Seo Yun corrected her friend, who was now not sure what to say as somewhere Seo Yun was right. "It''s okay, Da-Hye. No need to console me. Anyway, how''s everything else, what''s the plan for next week?" She changed the topic and after her conversation with her friend, Seo Yun went to the room gallery and looked outside, seriously thinking about something. In a while, her husband, Song Jae Ho came home from office and when he entered his room, he saw his wife, who looked like she was worrying about something. He stepped towards the woman, and hugged her from behind, startling her. "Why are you so scared? You think anyone else would dare to touch you this way in your own home?" He laughed at her reaction to his actions. "Don''t joke, Jae" Seo Yun was still in a bad mood. "What happened?" He turned her around. "Jae, am I a good mother?" Ji Seo Yun suddenly asked him. "What happened to you?" Song Jae Ho was still smiling. "Jae, answer me" He held his shoulder and looked into her eyes, "You are the best mother in this world. I am always busy with work but you sacrificed your dreams to look after our sons. I can never do that, only you can" "Then why do they keep hiding stuff from me? They always act distant, especially Ji Hun" "Seo Yun, what are they hiding from you?" He patiently asked her. Then Seo Yun narrated the whole story of Kiaraa and Aera which Ian shared with his mother but her sons didn''t. Song Jae Ho laughed hearing her whole story. Chapter 73 - Promise Song Jae Ho laughed hearing her whole story. "Seo Yun, I thought you are a grown-up" After what he said, he obviously got glared at by his wife. "I mean, come on. Kiaraa and Aera are kids, why bother with such silly things? I am sure Hun and Hwan too might have found this incident childish and didn''t bother to talk about it." "But Ian did" "Hey, don''t compare our sons with Ian. Every person is different Seo Yun." Ji Seo Yun was not convinced so Song Jae Ho said, "Okay think like this Kim Hoon and Sa Da-Hye are playful, they tease everyone, they love gossiping but you and me are more of serious types. We prefer talking less. Therefore, our children too are like that" Although he wasn''t able to completely convince her, his words did bring a smile on Ji Seo Yun''s face. "Good, keep smiling like this. I hate it when you are upset" "Hmm, after knowing how that Kiaraa destroyed my Aera''s chance of being a Cinderella and my sons didn''t even tell me about it, I got upset" she said. "Seo Yun, you are a grown up, stop acting like a kid. I have seen you clashing with Kiaraa a few times during our gatherings. It is not healthy, love" He hugged her as a way of consoling his wife. Since they were on this topic, he shared his opinion with her, which he had been planning to talk about when the right time comes. "I just don''t like that girl" Ji Seo Yun didn''t hide her dislike. "She is our best friends'' daughter, come on, how can we not love her?" "I just don''t. I don''t know why but that girl boils my anger to an extent that¡­" "Calm down" Song Jae Ho tightened his arms around her to cool her down as Ji Seo Yun suddenly got agitated. "I can''t. Honestly, the fact that Hwan hangs out with her so much, worries me" Ji Seo Yun was hesitatingly biting her lips as she was sharing her deep fears with her husband, which she too was sometimes ashamed of. "Worries you?" Song Jae Ho got the underlying meaning of her words but he was not sure if what he is interpreting is right or not. He broke the hug and looked at her. "Yeah, I fear someday he will suddenly declare his love for Kiaraa" Ji Seo Yun was looking down at the floor, not daring to meet her husband''s eyes. Song Jae Ho was speechless for a few minutes, before smiling lightly. "You are overthinking and even if he falls for her, what is wrong with it?" "What is wrong with it?" She lifted her head and glared at her husband, who got a bit frightened. "Calm down, don''t scare me" "Then don''t spout nonsense" Song Jae Ho couldn''t control his laughter, "You are overreacting" "No, I am not. Although, we all feel Ian and Kiaraa might end up together, there is no guarantee about it. I mean come on, Hwan is obviously better looking than Ian, so¡­" "Oh god, please don''t complete that sentence. You are being ridiculous" Jae Ho was not sure how to make his wife understand that she is going crazy. "No, I am not" Ji Seo Yun suddenly stepped out the room and headed towards the living room where Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan were seriously discussing something. "Hwan" Ji Seo Yun suddenly called her younger son''s name angrily startling him. "Yeah mom?" He looked terrified wondering what did he do now to make his mom so angry. Song Jae Ho followed his wife to stop her but it was too late. Their two sons, who were sitting on the couch, next to each other glared at their parents in confusion. "Hwan, it is going to be my birthday in a few days, you remember that?" Ji Seo Yun suddenly asked him. "Yeah, I do. I and Hyung were just discussing what to gift you for your birthday" Hwan answered her hoping this news would calm her down. Ji Seo Yun looked at Song Ji Hun, who nodded his head confirming that Hwan is being honest. "I don''t want you to plan anything with Ji Hun as I decided what I want from you as my birthday gift" Ji Seo Yun declared. "What do you want mom?" Hwan got nervous as his mom was acting weird. "I want a promise from you" Ji Hun too kept his book aside and paid utmost attention as he too could feel something was not right. "What kind of a promise?" Ji Hwan turned nervous. "It is a very simple promise, it won''t be a big deal" Ji Seo Yun tried to calm herself down, seeing how her actions were panicking her son. "Oh no! Mom come on, Hyung will take care of the business in the future, please don''t bother me with such¡­" "It is not about that" His mother interrupted him and said, "I want you to promise me you will never fall for Kiaraa and will never date or marry her" Song Ji Hun was a bit taken aback hearing his mom''s request and the next minute a happy smile was spread across his face, which wasn''t noticed by his parents as they were paying their attention towards Song Ji Hwan. It took a moment for Ji Hwan to respond back. "What? Kiaraa? Where is that coming from?" he looked confused and gazed at his brother. Seeing how happy Ji Hun was right now, Ji Hwan turned speechless. "Don''t ask me all those questions just promise me you will never get involved with her in anyway" Ji Seo Yun reiterated. "But mom why would you suddenly have such wild thoughts? For me Kiaraa is just a friend and nothing more" Hwan defended himself but in vain. "Amazing then making this promise should not be difficult for you" Ji Seo Yun sighed in relief when she heard his assuring words but future is unpredictable so she didn''t back down from getting what she wants. Song Ji Hwan helplessly sighed and looked at his father, "Is she serious?" "Unfortunately, she is" Song Jae Ho helplessly confirmed. "Mom, believe me there is a guy out there who is so crazy for Kiaraa he might suddenly do anything, any day to make her his. I am not the one you need to worry about" Song Ji Hun glared at his brother, who might throw him under the bus but Hwan ignored the cold glares coming his way and smiled. "I don''t care about Ian. He is not my son" Ji Seo Yun misunderstood his words. "Oh, so it would bother you a lot if Kiaraa becomes your daughter-in-law?" Hwan asked her and teasingly smiled at his brother. "Of course, it would" "Fine mom, I promise you I will never get involved with Kiaraa now and neither in the future. She would never become the daughter-in-law of this house through me." Song Ji Hwan took an oath and asked his mother if she is happy now. "Very happy, this is the best gift ever" Ji Seo Yun sighed in relief and hugged her son happily. "Anything for you mom" Hwan looked over her shoulder and winked at his brother, who ignored him and went back to reading his book. Chapter 74 - Counselling Starts Tuesday "Mom where are we going?" Kiaraa asked her mother. "Kiaraa, your school counsellor invited you to her home, so I am dropping you there" Chu Yu Ri informed Kiaraa on the way. "Why did she invite me?" Kiaraa was sitting on the back seat of the car with her mother. "She found you interesting and wishes to know you better" Chu Yu Ri used the words the counsellor suggested. "Smart woman she is" Kiaraa''s words confused her mother. "Only smart people find me interesting" Kiaraa confidently said. ''This girl is epitome of narcissism'' Chu Yu Ri helplessly thought and after reaching the counsellor''s home, she met with the counsellor and dropped Kiaraa there. Kiaraa looked around the counsellor''s home in awe. The house was an amalgamation of traditional and modern Korean architecture. This counsellor''s house was clearly inspired by blending traditional elements with modern spaces and materials. The traditional Korean roof was abstracted into a more dynamic element. Although the roofs were traditional the house was modern just like Kiaraa''s. There was a Korean residential courtyard in the centre bringing the nature inside the home. There was no framing to what exists outside the walls. "Your house is so beautiful" Kiaraa admiringly looked around the place. "My husband designed it; he is an architect" The counsellor smiled as she could see Kiaraa has a very classy taste just like her husband. "Amazing" After Kiaraa satisfied her curiosity, the counsellor took Kiaraa to her counselling room and asked Kiaraa to have a seat on the couch opposite to her. "Kiaraa, do you know why you are here?" Kiaraa nodded her head, "You find me interesting that''s why" "True, I do. Therefore, I would be trying to know you better, is that fine?" "Sure" "For the beginners, I would wish to know what do you want to be when you grow up, Kiaraa?" "I want to be like my dad and handle the whole Lee Conglomerate" "Wow, doesn''t that involve a lot of responsibilities?" "Yes, it does" The counsellor smiled and said, "I believe you have a very high potential to be successful in the business world. That is the reason why I wished to talk to you and know you better" Kiaraa looked confused so the counsellor continued, "Kiaraa, I saw your grades and checked your academics records. You are amazing in it but your social skills are a setback in your life. In the business world, only being smart is not enough. You need to be tactful and well-mannered too. Even if you are not truly well-mannered that''s fine, as long as you can pretend." "So, this is going to be counselling with you to train me how to deceive people?" Kiaraa concluded. Counsellor: "¡­" After taking a sip from the glass of water next to her, the counsellor took a deep sigh, "No dear, it is more like you will learn how to deal with people in the nicest way possible." "That''s what I said too" Kiaraa pouted. "Yeah, but the way you said it was wrong. Why it is wrong and how you will correct is what you will learn after these sessions" ''Hopefully'' the counsellor added this word at the end to herself. "Okay" Kiaraa just nodded her head. "To introduce myself, my name is Baek Ma-Ri. I was born in Seoul, grew up here and married my best friend from college, who is an architect. I have two children, a boy and a girl, both are grownups and are now studying in USA." "I love understanding and helping people so I studied counselling in college. Until the last few years, I was a private counsellor but the principal of your school was my school friend and he requested me to take up a job there. He offered me a good amount and I only had to dedicate a few hours to school so I accepted this job, rest of the time I work as a private counsellor." Baek Ma-Ri shared her life story in short with Kiaraa. As a counsellor, she believed to share her own story with her clients so that they feel like they know her well. Only after the clients believe they know this person well, they too would be comfortable sharing their life facts with them, is what she believed. "Your life was boring" Kiaraa pouted. Baek Ma-Ri chuckled, "I agree, now tell me about yourself Kiaraa." "I am born in the Lee family, one of the richest ones in Seoul. My grandpa started his career with small businesses but my dad made them reach higher levels. He is my inspiration and I want to be like him." "Very nice, good career goal you have in life" "Thank you" "Tell me about your family" "It consists of mom, dad, grandpa, uncle, aunt, my uncle has one son, my aunt too has a son and my¡­" Kiaraa hesitated before saying, "And my sister" "Why did you hesitate before mentioning your sister?" "I don''t consider her as a part of my family" "Why not?" "I don''t like her" "Does she trouble you?" "No, it is more like I trouble her" Kiaraa was not sure why but she felt a bit guilty while saying this. "Why don''t you like her then?" Kiaraa thought for a while before saying, "She doesn''t feel real" "Can you elaborate on that?" Kiaraa hesitated before choosing her words, nevertheless she continued, "It feels like she is something else but portrays herself as someone else. She is not like me, she is different." Baek Ma-Ri smiled seeing the confusion on young Kiaraa''s face. "Kiaraa, do you have friends?" "Yes" "Can you share their names with me?" "Ian and Ji Hwan" "Are they just like you or are they different?" "They are different" "You like them?" "Of course." "Then why do you dislike your sister for being different?" This question forced Kiaraa to think deeply. "They behave just like the way they are but Aera acts so weirdly" "Weirdly?" "There is this boy, she is clearly into and she keeps roaming around him" "So?" Chapter 75 - Sorry "It is annoying. It feels like she has no other purpose in life except for wanting to be with him" "So what?" "She is going to be like my mom, sacrificing stuff for other people. I want her to be more like me." "More like you?" "Not caring about anything else but just about her own dreams and wishes" "How would you describe this in just one word?" Baek Ma-Ri asked her. "Selfish" "So, you are aware that you are selfish?" Ma-Ri didn''t expect Kiaraa to be so self-aware. "Not just selfish, I am rude, evil, straightforward and cruel too" "Why do you think so?" "Because these are the words people commonly use to refer me" At that moment, Baek Ma-Ri felt bad for her. "Who called you these names?" "My classmates, aunt Ji Seo Yun, Kim Do-Yun" Then Kiaraa told her who these people are. "Aunt Ji Seo Yun and Kim Do-Yun are the biggest supporters of Aera in this world" Kiaraa added at the end. "So, you dislike them?" "Kim Do-Yun is Ian''s sister, so I am not able to dislike her that much but I hate aunt Ji Seo Yun" "Why do you hate her?" "Because she doesn''t let go of any chance to put me down in front of others" "Does she succeed in doing so?" "No, she always fails" Kiaraa had a huge smile on her face recollecting how she answers back this woman, leaving her speechless. "Let''s talk about Aera first then we can discuss this aunt of yours" "Okay. What do you want to know about Aera?" "Everything that you want to talk about her" Kiaraa sighed and thought back to her first memory of Aera. "I was way too young when Aera was born, I don''t remember that day clearly." "It''s okay, tell me about what you remember" "Aera was always the sweet, docile daughter to my parents. I never saw her going against them or saying no to whatever they said. Like, for example, my mom wanted me to join piano class few years ago. I refused to do so. She asked Aera, who too was not interested in learning piano but she joined the class for my mom''s sake" "Isn''t it a good thing that children are doing things for their parents?" "Yeah, but why should she join those classes even if she is not interested in it just for my mom''s sake?" "Love Kiaraa. Love is the reason for that." "So, are you saying I don''t love my mother?" Kiaraa looked upset. "If it would have been your dad, who asked you to join this piano class, what would you have done?" This question encouraged Kiaraa to think deeper and she herself was surprised by her thoughts. "I would have joined it" Kiaraa truthfully answered her after a few minutes, being shocked at her own response. "Why are you so surprised?" Her reaction didn''t go unnoticed by Baek Ma-Ri. "I didn''t expect that I would actually join this piano class if my dad was the one who asked me instead" "Why is that so?" "I believed if I decided on something I would never change my decision for anyone" "But for your dad you would?" "Hmm" Kiaraa nodded her head, deeply thinking about it. Baek Ma-Ri gave her some time to sort her thoughts, she waited until Kiaraa herself was ready to talk about it. After a few minutes, Kiaraa indeed spoke, "If my dad would have been the one, who asked me to join the classes then I would believe it is worth my time and also it would benefit my future in some way." "Why would you think so?" "Because my dad doesn''t indulge in unnecessary activities" "But your mom does?" Kiaraa again went silent and nodded her head, "She spends her time slacking around in home, going shopping with her friends or being on call with them and her family" "Kiaraa, your mom does more than that. Don''t you think she also looks after you and Aera, she is always there for you whenever you need her" "Well, we don''t need her all the time. I got to know my mom used to work before my birth, I rather wish she continues that instead of sacrificing her dreams." "Why so?" "Did my dad sacrifice his job after my birth? No, right? Then why should she?" Baek Ma-Ri smiled, "You are very smart for your age, Kiaraa" "I know" "If your mom starts working again, then if she asks you to do something, will you do it?" "It depends, I''ll see. I am not sure" "It''s okay, we don''t have to be sure about everything." Baek Ma-Ri smiled at Kiaraa, who smiled back at her as she felt nice talking her thoughts out. "Now, coming back to Aera, don''t you think just like how you adore your father, maybe she too adores your mother and therefore does stuff for her. Which means she is not at fault or should be blamed for her choices?" Counsellor tried to make her understand Aera''s perception. "Hmm, true" Kiaraa indeed agreed with her counsellor. Baek Ma-Ri checked the time and it was already an hour, "Wow, time passed very quickly" she muttered to herself and looked at the young girl. "Kiaraa, did you ever talk about these things with anyone else before?" Counsellor could understand she didn''t and therefore her problems were never addressed but she wanted a confirmation of the same. Kiaraa shook her head in no. "How do you feel after talking out about all of this now?" "I feel better" she honestly said. "Glad to know that, hope you won''t mind talking to me about the deeper things in your heart?" "Yes, I won''t" Kiaraa smiled back at her. Just on time, Chu Yu Ri arrived there and entered the study room after being directed by the servant, where Kiaraa and Baek Ma-Ri were casually talking. Seeing Mrs Lee there, Baek Ma-Ri asked Kiaraa to look around the house as she had something to discuss with her mother. After Kiaraa left, Chu Yu Ri sat across the counsellor, looking nervous. "How did this session go?" she asked Baek Ma-Ri. "Better than I expected" Yu Ri sighed in relief, "Thank you so much" "Please don''t thank me, it''s my job" Baek Ma-Ri politely smiled and said, "Mrs Lee, if you don''t mind, may I ask you something?" "Sure" "Why did you quit your job?" Chu Yu Ri wondered if Kiaraa mentioned something about her job and had the urge to know what Kiaraa and Baek Ma-Ri talked about. "To take care of Kiaraa and Aera. I didn''t wish for some nanny to take over my place in their lives, so I quit my job to become a full-time mother." "Hmm" The counsellor nodded her head in understanding, "Now that they are grown up enough, would you like to go back to fulfil your passions?" "Why would you ask?" Chu Yu Ri expected the counsellor would talk about Kiaraa but something else was going on here. "Just wanted to know" The counsellor flashed a friendly smile, making Chu Yu Ri feel comfortable. "I didn''t think about it" Yu Ri replied honestly. "Mrs Lee, did Kiaraa ever raise the topic about your career before?" Chu Yu Ri was taken aback as she recollected how Kiaraa recently insulted her for being at home and not having a job. Baek Ma-Ri noticed the change in the woman but she kept quiet, waiting for her to gather her thoughts. After some time, Chu Yu Ri finally asked, "Did she mention something about it?" "I can''t discuss the details of our conversation but I would like to suggest Mrs Lee to think about going back to work. I am not advising as Kiaraa''s counsellor but as a woman. I too had two children and I know what you meant when not wanting an outsider replace your position in their lives. But now that they are grown up and can take care of themselves, it is time you fulfil your dreams too." "I''ll think about it" Chu Yu Ri wondered what Kiaraa must have said about her job but she didn''t dare ask her daughter either as she didn''t wish to interfere in these sessions. After exchanging some formal pleasantries with the counsellor, Chu Yu Ri bid her adieu. Kiaraa and Chu Yu Ri left for home and on the way, Yu Ri casually asked how it was talking to Ms Baek and Kiaraa responded positively, letting her mother feel relieved. "Would you like to continue meeting Ms Baek?" Yu Ri seriously asked her daughter. "Sure, it would be beneficial for my growth" Kiaraa replied. "Good" Chu Yu Ri stroked her daughter''s head lovingly still wondering what she must have said about her. "Also, I am sorry if I ever hurt you" Kiaraa suddenly said surprising Chu Yu Ri. This time Kiaraa''s apology sounded sincere. "What happened to you suddenly?" Yu Ri couldn''t help but ask as she didn''t expect to seem changes in Kiaraa after the first session itself. "Nothing, just felt like saying so" Kiaraa looked outside the window, unsure of why she was acting like this. Chu Yu Ri smiled and stroked Kiaraa''s head, "I can never be upset with you, don''t worry you never hurt me" Kiaraa turned to look at her mother and the next second, she leaned forward and hugged her mom tightly. Chu Yu Ri felt very happy and hugged Kiaraa closer. "Kiaraa, dear, don''t tell anyone about these counselling sessions, okay?" Chu Yu Ri said stroking her daughter''s head, not forgetting the promise she made to her husband. "Why mom?" "That''s what your dad wishes. Except for we three no one else should know about these sessions, not even Aera" "Okay" Kiaraa agreed to her request as this was what her dad wants. Chapter 76 - Not The Right One Saturday All families met again in Kim Mansion for their fortnightly gathering. "I have an announcement to make" Ji Seo Yun excitedly smiled at her two friends, who curiously looked at her. "I and Song Jae Ho had some discussion about me going back to work as both my useless sons are grown-ups." "Wow, so¡­?" Sa Da-Hye got excited. "So, I decided to join the Song Industries with Jae. I will work with him for a few months and after I get a hold on the work, I''ll take over one of the sectors" "That''s amazing, Seo Yun." Sa Da-Hye hugged and congratulated her. "You sure the boys can take care of themselves?" Chu Yu Ri worriedly asked. "Of course, these days they live in their own world anyway. They don''t need me at all" "Hmm" Chu Yu Ri again thought about Baek Ma-Ri''s suggestion where she asked Yu Ri to go back to work. It has been five days since she advised her and Chu Yu Ri couldn''t stop thinking about it. Although, she wished to discuss with Lee Myung Soo, she couldn''t. "Yu Ri, maybe it is time you too should seriously think about going back to work" Sa Da-Hye advised understanding what she must be thinking about. "Yeah, Yu Ri it is time now. Look at Sa Da-Hye, she never quit her work and kept working till date. To be honest, Ian and Kim Do-Yun grew up better than our children" Ji Seo Yun too tried to make her understand. "Hmm, I''ll talk to Lee Myung Soo about it" Chu Yu Ri was already triggered by Kiaraa''s actions and influenced by Baek Ma-Ri''s advice. Later, she talked to Lee Myung Soo about this and after a month, she joined the Lee Industries. ¡­ Summer, 2007 This weekend the kids decided to go out and have some fun. Therefore, Kids with their fathers went to the Han River as it was one of their favourite hangout spots. All the kids were here ¨C Song Ji Hun, Hwan, Ian, Kim Do-Yun, Kiaraa and Aera with their fathers ¨C Lee Myung Soo, Song Jae Ho and Kim Hoon. "It feels so good to bring our kids to our hang out spot" Kim Hoon said sipping from the bottle of soju. Years ago, these three friends used to usually hang out at this river, drinking soju and discussing depths of life. "I occasionally bring Kiaraa and Aera here, it indeed feels good" Lee Myung Soo added. "True, it feels like it has been just a few years since our own college days happened and now see, in the next two years Song Ji Hun and Ian would be going to college" Song Jae Ho said looking over at the Han River. "True, can''t believe our sons have grown up so fast" Kim Hoon smiled looking at his son, who was seriously discussing something with Kiaraa. "Your son should stay away from my daughter" Lee Myung Soo commented, as he too looked in the same direction as Kim Hoon. He clearly had a displeasured look painted on his face seeing Ian with Kiaraa. "Why? What happened so suddenly?" Kim Hoon got confused as he didn''t expect Myung Soo to react like this. It is a common topic at Kims household where Kim Hoon and Sa Da-Hye tease Ian with Kiaraa. Even grandpa Kim joins them in the teasing. They all are mentally prepared that soon Ian will start dating Kiaraa and in future they will get married. Therefore, Lee Myung Soo''s reaction came as a surprise to him. "You don''t like my son for your daughter?" Kim Hoon questioned his friend. "He is not the right one for her" Lee Myung Soo said. "Then who is the right one?" Kim Hoon sounded a bit upset. Lee Myung Soo looked at his friend and smiled, "That I don''t know" "They are still kids, don''t discuss such things now. Who knows after they grow up and go to college, they both might end up falling for different people or might even fall for each other? Don''t bother" Song Jae Ho chimed in to interrupt his two friends. "Hmm true. I hope Kiaraa falls for someone else" Lee Myung Soo again offended Kim Hoon with his words but Song Jae Ho signalled Hoon to let it go. Later, Song Jae Ho made Kim Hoon understand that fathers are possessive of their daughters so to not take Lee Myung Soo''s words to heart. On the other side, Ian and Kiaraa were discussing something. "These days you seem like you changed a bit" Ian commented. Kiaraa deeply sighed, "Ian, you have been saying the same thing for the past few months" "And yet you don''t answer me" Ian complained as he could feel there was something that Kiaraa had been hiding from him but what it is, that he didn''t know. Kiaraa avoided looking at him and looked over at the water waves. "These days, you are not being rude like you used to be, you are suppressing your feelings" Ian voiced out his thoughts. The truth was for the last few months Kiaraa had been taking regular counselling sessions from Ms. Baek Ma-Ri, so there were some positive changes in her. Although, the relationship between the two sisters didn''t improve much, there indeed was a visible change in Kiaraa''s attitude towards Aera. She wasn''t reckless like before, but neither did she change a lot. If she gets annoyed with anyone, she still says it out aloud. Ian was not the only one, who noticed those visible changes. Song Ji Hun and Hwan too did but they both didn''t have the liberty to ask Kiaraa about it. Also, they didn''t wish to ask her something she wasn''t willing to talk about. "K, you not going to tell me?" Ian again asked her. "Let it go, please" Kiaraa sat on a big rock and looked over at the cool waves of water. Ian didn''t pester her and silently sat next to her. "Aera, should we play around? This garden looks so pretty" Kim Do-Yun shook Aera''s shoulders asking her to play with her. "Can we just sit and enjoy this beautiful weather?" Aera politely requested her friend. Kim Do-Yun followed Aera''s gaze and it landed on Song Ji Hun, who was calmly sitting there enjoying the cool breeze. "God, this girl" Kim Do-Yun helplessly shook her head and joined her brother. Aera was observing Song Ji Hun, who was sitting a few meters away from her. A faint smile was painted on her lips as she observed the handsome guy. Song Ji Hun''s hair was moving due to the cold air, making him look more attractive. Aera was not able to take her eyes off him, as she silently observed, not daring to approach the cold guy. The fewer times when she dared to approach him, only she knew how much courage she had to gather to just talk to him. Aera doesn''t wish to be clingy and stick with him all the time, she is happy with even watching him from afar. She believed they are anyway going to end up in future together, so they have their whole lives to spend some time with each other, so she didn''t wish to interrupt him now. ''Why is he so good looking?'' Aera wondered. "What are you thinking?" A voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts and she turned to her left and saw Song Ji Hwan, who sat next to her. "Why are you here?" Aera questioned him and turned around to see her sister, Ian and Kim Do-Yun sitting a few meters behind enjoying the view of water. "Why? I can''t be here?" Song Ji Hwan countered her. "I mean, you always prefer being with them" Aera used her thumb finger and pointed over her shoulder at the other gang. "I do, today I wanted some change" He replied. Aera didn''t ask him anything else and wished to look at Song Ji Hun but with Hwan sitting next to her she couldn''t as it felt uncomfortable. She was wondering what to do, when the voice next to her offered her a solution. "You can continue looking at my brother, I won''t judge you and neither will I mention it to him or them" Song Ji Hwan teased her pointing at the Kiaraa and Ian. "Thank you" Aera again looked at Song Ji Hun. The smile of earlier which disappeared from her face was back. Song Ji Hwan wished to laugh seeing this lovestruck fool, but he controlled himself. "Favour number 95" Song Ji Hwan''s words again interrupted Aera. "Sorry?" "I did 94 favours on you in the last three years, today is favour number 95. Wow, we are soon going to hit 100" He happily declared. In the past three years, if ever Aera wanted to join them and Kiaraa didn''t let her, then Ji Hwan used to come as her saviour. There have been many small favours that he did on Aera like letting her know where Ji Hun is in case, she had no idea of his whereabouts during their gatherings, informing her of Ji Hun''s favourites etc. Song Ji Hwan knew this girl had no chance of being with his brother, but he always assumed this is going to be a minor crush from her side which will end eventually. He had no idea how their lives are going to be affected because of his wrong assumption. Chapter 77 - Following Song Ji Hun He had no idea how their lives are going to be affected because of his wrong assumption. Therefore, he kept helping Aera in small ways and for every help he did, he counted it as a favour he did on her which she was supposed to return back someday. "95 favours it is?" Aera asked him and he nodded his head as a response. "What''s the point of you keeping a track of these records? You anyway never ask me to return back a favour" It was true as Ji Hwan only helped her but he never asked her for anything in return. Song Ji Hwan chuckled, "Are you that interested in returning back my favours?" "Yeah, it is annoying to owe anyone anything" Aera''s words surprised her. "At times, I feel like I know you but then suddenly I realize I have no idea who you are" Ji Hwan commented. "You don''t need to know" Aera coldly replied but her eyes were calm and gentle, as they were looking at Song Ji Hun. "Why are you so into my brother?" Ji Hwan asked her, following her gaze. "He is the most amazing person I have ever come across" Aera didn''t hesitate in sharing her true feelings. "Wow, so bold" Ji Hwan chuckled and added, "Let me tell you a secret" He successfully attracted Aera''s attention as she turned to look at him, "My brother is not as amazing as you think he is. I am more amazing than him" he then winked at her only to get a cold glare from the cute girl. Aera ignored his words, looking disappointed as she expected he will indeed share some secret of Song Ji Hun. ''What was I thinking? Why will he share his brother''s secret with me? Not like their relationship is as bad as mine and Kiaraa'' she thought again looking at Song Ji Hun. "Lovestruck fool" Song Ji Hwan muttered softly and smiled to himself, as he too enjoyed the beautiful atmosphere surrounding him. Later, the kids and their fathers went for dinner to a high-end restaurant where Kim Hoon mentioned about an amusement park. "Remember Seoul Amusement Park where we used to go to?" He asked his friends in front of the kids. "Yes?" Song Jae Ho looked at him. "How about we take these kids there tomorrow?" Kim Hoon asked his friends, who looked at their children to know their opinion. "Ahhh, I just want to chill at home" Kiaraa complained. "Come on K, it will be fun" Ian tried to convince her. "Hyung, let''s go, you might get a chance to spend some time with Kiaraa" Ji Hwan whispered in his brother''s ears to convince him. After some discussing and convincing, the six children agreed to go to the amusement park the next day as it was anyway their summer vacation. Song Ji Hun too agreed as after this vacation, he would be entering 11th grade and the next two years are going to be very busy for him. The same was the case with Ian, so he wished to spend this summer vacation with Kiaraa. Next day the three men took their children to the Seoul Amusement Park, which is one of the oldest yet a very modern equipped park. There were so many options at this park, that the six children got excited after reaching there. There were two types of entry tickets, one that said general pass which only allowed entry and the second one was an unlimited pass, which allowed the ticket holder to go for any ride or to choose any activity without paying again and again. There were five different types of lands spread across this big amusement park with multiple activities ¨C World Plaza, Adventure Land, Fantasy Land, Future Land, Top-Hill. There was one big gate to enter the main amusement park and once they did, there were different small gates that open up to these five lands. "Wow, this park is so beautiful" Kiaraa looked at this place in admiration. "Now this girl is excited, yesterday who was the one who kept complaining she didn''t want to come?" Ian taunted her. "Why? My daughter is not allowed to complain?" Lee Myung Soo suddenly questioned Ian, hearing his taunt. ''Why does it feel like he hates me?'' Ian wondered as he noticed the displeasure on Lee Myung Soo''s face. "Haha, of course your daughter can complain" Song Jae Ho chimed in and subtly patted his friend''s shoulder asking him to not fight with a kid. Kim Hoon decided to let it be as he was sure if any boy ever tries to pursue Kim Do-Yun, he will be the same. The kids then decided to go ahead and have fun. "Kids, see this restaurant, no matter what gate you come out, this restaurant will always be in your view. At the end of the day, this is where we will all meet, okay?" Kim Hoon explained to the kids before parting ways with them as he was sure after a point it won''t be possible for them all to stick together. "Okay" All kids shouted in unison. "Also, please try to stick with at least one person from our group, so that you don''t get lost" Kim Hoon again suggested and the kids agreed. "Ian, please take care of Kim Do-Yun, she is the youngest of all" Kim Hoon warned his son, who sulked as he wished to be alone with Kiaraa, nevertheless he accepted it. "Tonight by 8 pm, everybody has to be back to this restaurant. If you all follow the instructions then we will again bring you here" Lee Myung Soo promised the kids. The kids agreed to all terms and conditions before going their own way as they all had different preferences and didn''t wish to stick together everywhere. There was a big board, which listed what activities are available inside which land. Kiaraa was reading it to plan what places she would wish to visit first. "Isn''t this place just awesome?" Ian asked, standing next to her. "Yeah, but there are literally hundreds of things to do here. How can I enjoy all these activities in one day?" Kiaraa complained. "Wow, first you didn''t wish to come here now you don''t wish to leave" Ian chuckled and suggested, "Let''s do whatever activities we can today and we will come again next week or some other time to enjoy rest of the activities" "Hmm" Kiaraa was selecting which of the activities she wants to do today. After she made a mental note, she was about to walk away when Ian followed her with Kim Do-Yun, "Why are you following me?" Kiaraa asked. "Dad just asked us to stay with at least one person from the group, remember?" "That is for kids, I can take care of myself" "K, I want to enjoy all these activities with you, so I am obviously going to tag along" Ian retorted. "Ian, what if the activities I want to do are not the same as the ones you wish to do?" Kiaraa questioned him, raising her eyebrows. "Well, I would want to do everything that you too want" Ian lovingly smiled at her. "Ian, only because we are friends, we don''t always have to stick together" Kiaraa said and looked around, "See, Hwan is not here, he already left to enjoy the activities he like." "That''s Hwan, don''t compare me with him. I am not Hwan and he is not Ian" Ian got annoyed when she compared him with Song Ji Hwan. "Chill, why are you overreacting?" Kiaraa rolled her eyes and decided to not argue with him. She first entered the fantasy world, where there were various types of rides ¨C Loop coaster, Larva Twister, Hi-Roller, Sky cycle etc. For the next two hours, Kiaraa, Ian and Kim Do-Yun had lot of fun on these rides. Kim Do-Yun was missing Aera but she was already informed by Aera that she would be going wherever Song Ji Hun is going, so Do-Yun had to stick with her brother. Whereas, when the kids went their ways Aera followed Song Ji Hun, who was unaware of being followed by her. Song Ji Hun wished to be with Kiaraa too but he also wished to enjoy a few activities that he liked. He knew Ian won''t leave them alone anyway even if he manages to be near Kiaraa, so he didn''t bother much about it. He first went to play the IQ-Arcade and ended up winning a prize. Aera, who was silently following him, got impressed seeing him win. After a while Song Ji Hun came across a haunted house and decided to try it as he saw a few kids crying after this adventurous experience. He was curious to see if this place was truly that scary and if so, why. Song Ji Hun completed the formalities and entered the Haunted house while Aera paused near the door. This haunted house was designed in a way that although there is one common entry, there are multiple exits. If she doesn''t follow Song Ji Hun right away then she might end up losing him and won''t be able to find him again in this extremely big amusement park. Chapter 78 - Haunted House If she doesn''t follow Song Ji Hun right away then she might end up losing him and won''t be able to find him again in this extremely big amusement park. Aera was frozen at the entrance as she wished to enter the haunted house and follow Song Ji Hun but she was scared of doing the same. ''Should I go and join oppa? But if I do, he will know I had been following him and that will be embarrassing. If I leave, I might not find him again.'' Aera worriedly thought, then she realized she would almost lose Ji Hun if she doesn''t take an action immediately, ''Aera, you can do this, just enter the place and only keep looking at oppa'' she tried to motivate herself. After deciding so, she tried to step in but as if her body had a mind of its own, she wasn''t able to move forward. ''Oh no, I am running out of time, I might lose oppa'' she was panicking inside when suddenly she felt a warm hand entangle with her tiny hand. Suddenly, she found herself walking straight and entering the haunted house. It all happened so fast that Aera didn''t even realize it. She looked to her right at the hand holding hers, slowly her eyes travelled north and she got surprised to see Song Ji Hwan. "What are you doing?" "If you keep delaying, you will lose Song Ji Hun and you are a bit too young so there is a chance that you might get lose in this park" Song Ji Hwan answered her and when he saw his brother''s back from a distance, he took long strands towards him tightly holding Aera''s hands. Aera was almost running to keep up with his long strands and once they were at a safe distance from Song Ji Hun, Hwan started walking slowly. "Why are you here?" Aera again asked him after catching her breath and suddenly a mummy came from her side and shouted, scaring her. "Ahhhhh" Aera loudly shouted in fear and wrapped her small arms around Song Ji Hwan''s waist hugging him. "Shh, calm down, it was a fake mummy not a real mummy?" Song Ji Hwan gently stroked her head as she only reached his chest. "But it was so scary" Aera still hugged him while walking slowly, her face hiding below his chest with her eyes closed. Song Ji Hwan guided and helped her walk ahead. He chuckled hearing her words, "This is a haunted house, if not scary what do you expect it to be?" "But still¡­" Aera was too scared to even lift her head. "Don''t worry" Ji Hwan tapped on her arm, which was wrapped around him using his one hand while he stroked her head using his other hand. "Is oppa in our sight?" Aera was too scared to lift her head because of the spooky noises around but was also worried if they lost Song Ji Hun. "Why don''t you open your eyes and see for yourself?" Song Ji Hwan teased her. "Please tell me" Aera begged him in her sweet voice. "Fine, it would be the 96th favour you owe me" he said and after she nodded her head, he confirmed that Song Ji Hun was still in their sight. Aera sighed in relief and continued tightening her hold on him whenever she heard the screams of other people. This way the two people managed to walk through the whole haunted house, before stepping out of it. Aera was still hugging Song Ji Hwan with her eyes closed, so she didn''t realize they were already out. Song Ji Hun went to play another quiz on another arcade and was therefore still in Hwan''s line of sight. Taking advantage of this situation, Hwan decided to pull a prank on Aera and he kept walking around the place in a circle with the girl making her believe they are still in the haunted house. Song Ji Hwan was having fun as whenever Aera heard the noise coming from the common crowd she used to think it is something scary and hugs him tightly. After a minute, Song Ji Hwan forgot to keep an eye on his brother and kept walking around the same place, enjoying his own actions. "Why is it taking so long?" Aera fearfully asked as she expected for this journey to end sooner. "The haunted house is big" He lied through thin teeth. "Really?" Aera was not sure why but she had some doubts. "If you don''t believe me, open your eyes and check for yourself" Hwan confidently answered. "No¡­ no, I believe you" Aera didn''t dare open her eyes. For another minute, Hwan had his fun with Aera which got interrupted. "What are you doing?" A deep voice was heard which made Aera''s heart flutter and she immediately opened her eyes to see Song Ji Hun standing in front of her but he was looking at his brother and not her. "We are playing" Song Ji Hwan cursed his brother in his heart for ruining his prank but he didn''t let go of Aera, who was hugging him and his hands were wrapped around hers. Aera realized the position she was in and tried to step away from Hwan but he suddenly tightened his hold on her delicate arms not letting her step away from him. "This is a weird game" Song Ji Hun casually commented as he didn''t understand what kind of a game is this where his brother was walking around hugging a girl two years younger than him. "Yeah, but we both like it. Right, Aera?" Song Ji Hwan smiled seeing his brother''s confused face. Aera wanted to say no but before that Song Ji Hun interrupted her as he didn''t care about her response. "It is going to be 2 pm soon, time for treasure hunt. You two want to join me?" Song Ji Hun asked them. He had been trying to kill some time before 2 pm, as he wished to play the treasure hunt game which is one of the most popular activities at this amusement park. For the treasure hunt, all people are supposed to report at the announced location before 2 pm, there the event organizers will divide them in multiple groups, a pair of two. These groups would be given clues to find the treasure. It is a complete three hours activity and once entering it, people can leave and quit in the middle of the game to enjoy other activities, so although a lot of people participate in it, only a few people end up going through the whole thing till the end. Song Ji Hun was excited about it as Yang Nam-il informed him of how tough and interesting the clues are. So, he decided even before coming here to participate in this game. "It is still 1:20 pm" Song Ji Hwan pointed at his watch. "We need to have lunch before going there as this event is three hours long" Ji Hun informed his younger brother. "What? Three hours? That''s a lot, I am not interested" Ji Hwan firmly refused to participate in it. "Cool, have fun" Song Ji Hun didn''t mind his brother and headed to a nearby caf¨¦ to have his lunch. This amusement park had multiple restaurants offering different cuisines all over the place as it was not practically feasible to have only one restaurant at such a crowd attracting spot. After Ji Hun left, Hwan felt a cold glare on himself and looked down to see Aera staring at him in anger. "What?" He questioned her. "For the first time in my life, he himself asked me if I would like to join him for the treasure hunt and you declined his offer on my behalf" The cute girl suddenly turned furious surprising Hwan. "Wait a minute. When did he ask you to join him?" "He asked both of us" Aera retorted. "Okay then I anyway refused on my behalf, you could have just said you want to join him in treasure hunt and should have tagged along" Song Ji Hwan said these words as casually as he breathes. Aera glared at him in anger, "Are you serious?" she softly shouted. "Yeah, don''t you always go to him ¨C ''Oppa water for you'', ''Oppa have some juice'', ''Oppa you want to sit here?'', ''Oppa this, oppa that''" He imitated her cute voice. "Yeah, but that is different. How can I just tag along now? It would be so weird" Aera voiced her displeasure. "I totally agree, so you should just give up and not blame me for your cowardness in approaching him" "Not coward, I am just scared of talking to him" Aera looked at the ground as she felt a bit weird sharing her feelings with her crush''s brother. "Why are you scared? Will he eat you up?" Song Ji Hwan questioned her and muttered to himself, "As if I will let him" "What?" Aera couldn''t clearly hear the latter part of the sentence. "Nothing" Ji Hwan looked over at the caf¨¦ where he earlier saw his brother entering. Chapter 79 - Treasure Hunt "As if I will let him" "What?" Aera couldn''t clearly hear the latter part of the sentence. "Nothing" Ji Hwan looked over at the caf¨¦ where he earlier saw his brother entering. "Can you please do me another favour?" Aera hesitatingly asked and Hwan already knew what it was going to be. "Fine it will be the 98th favour I am doing on you" He didn''t forget to remind her of his generosity. "Thank you" Aera was relieved but the next second something stuck her, "Wait this is favour number 97, not 98" she reminded him. "Remember that haunted house I entered for you earlier?" "Hmm" Aera nodded her head. "That was 97, this is 98" Hwan shamelessly corrected her. Aera pouted, looking at him as she could see he was taking advantage of her situation but being with Song Ji Hun was more important for her. "Okay" she agreed and didn''t argue. "God, do you like him so much that you will let anyone take advantage of you just so that you can stay closer to him?" Song Ji Hwan couldn''t believe she just gave in without a fight. "Yes, now let''s go and quickly have lunch with him, I am hungry" Aera held his hand and tried to drag him towards the caf¨¦. "You are so shy to talk to my brother but you don''t mind acting like this with me, why so?" Song Ji Hwan pointed at himself and raised his eyebrows. She never minds being around and showing her feelings to him, so he wondered why. "Because I don''t care what you think about me. Can we go now?" Aera looked worried as they were running out of time. If they don''t reach for the treasure hunt activity on time, they will be not allowed to participate. "Wow, your words hurt" Song Ji Hwan dramatically placed his hand on his chest and let her drag him to the caf¨¦. It was a self-service caf¨¦ so Hwan and Aera ordered fast food and joined Ji Hun, who was surprised to see them. "We changed our mind; we want to participate in treasure hunt" Song Ji Hwan grinned at his brother. "You will anyway give up in between" Song Ji Hun teased his brother who ignored the taunt and after having lunch they went to the area where this activity was being organized. After reaching there, the three people got surprised to see Kiaraa, Ian and Kim Do-Yun, who too were present there. It was evident, they too were keen on participating in this activity. At sharp 2 pm, the event started and all the people present there were asked to randomly get divided in group of six as the pairs for this treasure hunt would be chosen randomly. The six kids quickly formed a group among themselves as they wished to be paired internally with their own friends. Except for Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa, rest all took Kim Hoon''s warning of staying with at least one person from the group seriously. The six people were now standing together waiting for other people to form groups as unlike them, others were obviously taking time to cluster together. After a while it was time for the next announcement. "Wow, amazing that you all formed groups of six, excellent. Now, a person from our side would come to your groups with six neatly folded tickets placed in a bowl. These six tickets consist the pictures of ¨C Two Korean Magpies, Two Hibiscus Syriacus, Two Siberian Tigers." "One person will pick one ticket and from this group of six, whoever get the same pair of tickets, will team up for the treasure hunt" The emcee for this event announced. Song Ji Hun looked at Song Ji Hwan, who got the hint of his brother''s unsaid words. He lightly smiled at his brother as an assurance. The six people were standing in the following order in a straight line ¨C Kim Do-Yun, Ian, Kiaraa, Song Ji Hwan, Aera, Song Ji Hun with Kim Do-Yun being the first one in the line. After a minute, one of the people working at this amusement park came to their group with a notepad and a bowl. She asked Kim Do-Yun''s name, noted it and placed the bowl of tickets in front of her to pick from. Kim Do-Yun, picked a ticket and announced ¨C Hibiscus Syriacus. The employee noted that. It was Ian''s turn next and unfortunately, he too got the Hibiscus Syriacus and he couldn''t even lie about it as he was not sure what Kiaraa might get. "You two are a team" The employee pointed at Ian and Kim Do-Yun. Ian was disappointed but Kim Do-Yun was happy as she would get to spend more time with her elder brother. For the last few hours, Ian had been paying all his attention to Kiaraa and therefore his sister felt a bit left out and bored. The employee next went to Kiaraa who picked up a Korean Magpie. Next was Song Ji Hwan, when he opened his ticket, he saw it was a Korean Magpie too but he confidently lied that it is a Siberian Tiger. The employee noted it down and moved further to Aera while Ji Hwan winked at his brother, who understood Hwan lied for him and he too got the Magpie, which was same as Kiaraa. Aera picked her ticket in disappointment as she knew she would either be paired up with Kiaraa or Song Ji Hwan and already lost her chance to be with Ji Hun. In a dull voice, she announced ¨C Siberian Tiger. Kiaraa sighed in relief knowing that she doesn''t have to pair up with her sister. Since morning, she had been excited about this treasure hunt event and planned all other games and activities according to treasure hunt event''s timings. If she would have been paired with Aera, then this game would have been ruined for her. She was fine pairing with anyone but her sister. The employee then went to Song Ji Hun and waved the bowl in front of him, "No need for me to open that ticket, it is obviously Korean Magpie" He declared. "Oh right" The employee awkwardly chuckled and noted it down. The other five people neatly folded the tickets and placed them back in the bowl as this employee will now go to some other group to help them pair up. Three such employees were going to groups, to help the contestants pair up and every pair was being noted by them. One of the employees gave two red bands to Ian and Kim Do-Yun, two yellow bands to Ji Hun and Kiaraa and two blue bands to Hwan and Aera. "Wear them on your wrists" she instructed. "Song Ji Hun, let''s exchange our partners" Ian suddenly suggested annoying Ji Hun. "What? No, elder brother please play with me" Kim Do-Yun pouted and made a sad face. "I am sorry but it is against the rules, you can''t team up the way you want. We put so much efforts in doing this process because this hunt will only be fun when you will play with someone you are not that familiar with" One of the employees standing near them informed Ian. "If you still want to exchange then obviously, I won''t stop you but you would be ruining the tradition of this game" He added and gave a judgemental look to Ian. "Ian don''t behave like a child, please" Kiaraa rolled her eyes at his childishness. Somewhere she was glad she is not paired with Ian as he kept clinging on to her the whole day and she wanted some space from him. "But K¡­" "Please Ian, don''t prolong it" Kiaraa was trying to control her frustration. Ian was a bit disappointed as he hoped Kiaraa to share the same thoughts as him, while on the other hand, Song Ji Hun''s happiness had no bounds as in the last few years, he didn''t get much opportunities to spend alone time with Kiaraa but today he did. Ian was always around her not letting him approach the girl and even Ji Hun didn''t wish of doing more extreme things like setting up a coin museum to have her visit him as it took a lot of efforts already to build that museum. Also, he didn''t wish to be clingy or push his way around her. He wished to get noticed by her and not make her feel like he was some creepy guy. Song Ji Hun was therefore happy as he finally got a chance to spend some time with his crush. In the last few years, he at least realized that he likes Kiaraa a lot and has a huge crush on her. But years ago, he decided to let time be the judge of how his life would shape up, so he stopped putting any efforts. After all the other people were teamed up, the team organizing treasure hunt, read out the rules aloud: Chapter 80 - Rules After all the other people were teamed up, the team organizing treasure hunt, read out the rules aloud: 1) Every participant will be given a small kit bag which might or might not be useful while solving the clues. You people can keep this kit bag with you and there is no need to return it back. 2) There are limited clues which are placed all over the amusement park but none of the clues are outside the main gate, so whoever steps out will automatically get disqualified as the bands on their hand will notify the employees. 3) The pair should always be together and not go looking for the clues individually. 4) There can be some secret activities that one needs to do to find their clues. 5) After finding a clue, the pair needs to show the clue to any of the employees wearing the black uniform, who would make a note of which clue they found as every clue has a unique number written on it. 6) All clues are unique and different but they are planned in a way that it will take one of the pairs towards the treasure for sure and it depends on the pairs if they are able to solve these tough puzzles or not. 7) The main event will start at 3 pm and will end at sharp 6 pm. If none of the pairs make it to the final treasure before 6 pm, then they need not bother continue as the event will be declared complete. 8) The winner who finishes all clues successfully will get a big prize which will be declared at the end, and this prize would be worth all your efforts. At sharp 3 pm, all the pairs were given different clues and the treasure hunt event officially started. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa received a small scroll with an orange ribbon neatly tied around it. "Let''s go somewhere else and open it" Song Ji Hun declared and Kiaraa agreed with him as she too doesn''t wish for their competitors to eavesdrop on them. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun went to a small garden and saw a small bench. They sat on their knees touching the grass on either side of the bench facing each other. Kiaraa carefully untied the ribbon and neatly placed the scroll on the bench. The two people leaned down to read the puzzle only to get confused. 5-7-14-1-18 7-14-9-20-15-15-8-19 "What the¡­" Kiaraa almost cursed before clicking on her tongue, realizing she is with Song Ji Hun and not Ian. Song Ji Hun didn''t mind her and narrowed his eyes seriously studying the piece of good quality paper to understand the meaning behind this puzzle. "5 + 7 is 12 and not 14 and 14 + 1 is 15 not 18. Is there some mistake with this puzzle?" Kiaraa voiced her thoughts. "No, it can''t be addition as that won''t take us anywhere. What if we get coordinates of the location to our next clue if we somehow rearrange these numbers?" Song Ji Hun tried to break this clue. "No, it can''t be coordinates. We don''t have a map" Kiaraa countered. "Yeah, but at the middle of the amusement park there is a huge map with coordinates on it, so if we crack this code, we can search the location using that billboard map" Song Ji Hun informed her. "Oh yeah, there was a map but I didn''t notice the coordinates" Kiaraa said. "Hmm, it''s okay" Both the people were again seriously studying the puzzle to make some sense out of it. "Oh wait. None of these numbers are more than 20, what if each number corresponds to an alphabet?" Kiaraa suddenly thought of this and took out a pen and a notepad from the small kit. Given her habit, she wrote the Korean alphabets corresponding to the number but the word formed out of it didn''t make any sense to her. "Let''s try English alphabets" Song Ji Hun suggested. "I don''t think they would make it so tough that they will use English language" Kiaraa believed so as English was not very commonly spoken in Korea. "Yeah, but if you have noticed there are many foreign tourists here. So, they won''t make the puzzles Korean based as it would be too difficult for the tourists. Let''s try English language" Song Ji Hun started writing English alphabet corresponding to the numbers on the puzzle. "That would be so unfair to people who don''t know English" Kiaraa muttered but Song Ji Hun ignored her. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa''s elite school gives options to children from a young age to register themselves in additional classes to learn other languages and therefore these two and the other kids who studied there, know multiple languages. EGNAR GNITOOHS was the word that was formed after Song Ji Hun wrote the corresponding alphabet to the number in the puzzle. Number 5 became E as E is the 5th alphabet in the English Alphabets, similarly number 7 became G and so on. "This does not make any sense" Song Ji Hun looked disappointed that he failed. "Wait" Kiaraa, who was sitting facing him read the letters in reverse and excitedly exclaimed, "Read it backwards, it says ¨C SHOOTING RANGE" Song Ji Hun then noticed it and a wide smile was spread across his face. "Let''s go" He forwarded his hand towards Kiaraa, who didn''t hesitate in holding it and the two people with the help of basic maps placed at every corner of the park, reached the shooting range. The shooting range was a big area with a shooting range, surrounded by three temporary walls and a big slab stopping one from entering the place. Two big rifles were placed on this slab. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun were confused as to where to go as they couldn''t see their next clue anywhere. "Want to try shooting?" An employee asked the two kids. "No, we are playing treasure hunt game and shooting range is our first clue" Kiaraa informed the employee and kept looking around her surroundings to find the clue. "Oh, you guys figured out the clue very fast, seems like you two are smart" The employee smiled at them but these two kids were busy looking for clues and didn''t respond to the praise. Chapter 81 - What Was Going On With Her? "You two really think you will just come to shooting range and will find your next clue?" The employee smiled seeing how anxious these two were for just a game and he finally succeeded in grabbing their attention. "What else do we need to do?" Kiaraa asked the employee, who smiled and pointed at the two rifles in front of them implying they need to finish this shooting task to get their next clue. As they were already instructed about this in the rules earlier, the two people understood they have to finish this task. "Are you serious?" Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows. The employee just nodded his head, not losing the smile on his face. Song Ji Hun looked at Kiaraa, "Do you know how to shoot?" Kiaraa glared at him, "You think I would know how to use a gun?" she questioned looking offended. "You two just need to hit anywhere on that target, need not be the centre" He informed the two kids. "How many chances will we get?" Song Ji Hun asked him. "Three" He and Kiaraa looked at each other, "Do you want to go first?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "Yeah, I''d prefer that" Kiaraa lifted the gun and the next moment she almost dropped it as it was very heavy but Song Ji Hun was quicker as he held the stock part of the gun saving Kiaraa''s leg, which would have been hurt if the gun fell down. "Be careful" He instructed before letting go of the gun but it was difficult for Kiaraa to hold it. "You do it, I don''t think I can" Kiaraa was about to give away the gun to him but Song Ji Hun suddenly wrapped his arms around hers and made her hold the forestock part of the gun with her left hand and made her right hand to hold the grip. He arranged her elbow positions, while instructing her to keep her finger off the trigger until she is ready to fire. "It seems like you are an expert in it" Kiaraa said seeing his expertise. Song Ji Hun couldn''t determine she was mocking him or praising him. "I know the basics" He calmly responded hiding how confused he was by her words. "Now you are ready to shoot" he said but he could see Kiaraa was still struggling to hold the gun and the elbow position he just adjusted was gone. "Please take over, I can''t do this" Kiaraa complained. "You can do it" Song Ji Hun held both her hands to support her from behind and aimed at the target. "Does this look right?" He asked for her opinion. "Hmm, I think so" Kiaraa tried to concentrate on the target and not on the guy who was suddenly standing too closer to her making her heart beat at a bit faster rate than usual. ''It is my first time being around a boy that''s why I am nervous'' Kiaraa told herself ignoring the fact that she is always surrounded by Ian and Song Ji Hwan. "Ready?" Song Ji Hun almost whispered in her ears, turning her more nervous but she managed to nod her head. Song Ji Hun waited for her to pull the trigger but Kiaraa was not doing so as she was still feeling nervous. Every time she felt his hot breath on her neck, she wished to close her eyes and the next second she realizes what she is thinking and again she felt his hot breath on her neck and wished to close her eyes. Her mind was currently not on the game and she too had no idea what was going on with her. The next second she heard the sound of a fake bullet and came back to her senses. As soon as this happened, the hot breath on her neck was gone and she turned to look at Song Ji Hun, who was smiling at her. ''Why is he smiling? Oh no, did he realize what I was doing just now? Ahh so embarrassing. Is he going to tease me for acting like this? What the hell is wrong with me, what was I doing just now?'' Kiaraa started cursing herself. "What happened? Why do you look upset? We hit the target" Song Ji Hun excitedly pointed at the target board. Kiaraa then saw a big dart sticking on the target. "Woah, we did it and that too in the first attempt" Kiaraa forgot the momentary embarrassing distraction she just had seeing they completed the first task. "I am amazed that you two were able to hit the target in the first attempt. Good team work you two have" The employee praised them and took out a scroll, which was wrapped in a blue ribbon and handed it to the two people. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa respectfully bowed to the employee and accepted the next puzzle. This employee too was a part of treasure hunt team. Since, all the members organizing treasure hunt event can''t be all over the place so they always take help from their peers, who are in charge of other events at this amusing park. These external employees are aware of all the rules and work in coordination with the treasure hunt team. "By the way, how can you use English language in the puzzle? Won''t it be unfair to others?" Kiaraa questioned the employee making Song Ji Hun smile. ''If, anything unfair is happening around her, she can''t just ignore it like others do no matter how small that thing might seem'' Song Ji Hun thought to himself and looked at the employee waiting for his response. The employee chuckled hearing her question, "All the puzzles that need the knowledge of English are wrapped in orange coloured ribbon to differentiate it. We handle those puzzles only to foreigners and to Koreans if we notice them using the English language" he patiently explained. That''s when Kiaraa realized she casually used a few English words earlier, nodding her head, she and Song Ji Hun again thanked the employee and left from there. The employee made a note of the unique number on the puzzle in his diary as these records matter. He hoped for these two kids to win today. Chapter 82 - Lying On Her Lap "Elder brother what do you think this puzzle means?" Kim Do-Yun had still been struggling with the first clue and couldn''t crack it. "I don''t care" Ian replied in a bad mood, sleeping on a bench with both his hands placed under his head. "Elder brother, this puzzle¡­" "Do-Yun, I am not interested" Ian said in an irritated tone. His mind was right now busy thinking what Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun were up to. This time even Kim Do-Yun got annoyed, "If you were not interested then why the hell did you drag me to play this game?" Ian turned to look at his sister in shock as this was the first time she cursed. Just like Aera, Kim Do-Yun was a calm and gentle person, who hates violence or even cursing. So, he didn''t expect his sister to talk back to him. "Do-Yun, you are cursing" "Don''t tell me what I already know" Ian sat up straight, looking amused at his sister, "Wow, seems like you are pissed" "Of course, I am. The whole day you kept taking me to play those games which Kiaraa liked. Not for once you let me play what I want. You wasted my whole day" Kim Do-Yun broke down and started crying. "You even brought me to play treasure hunt for three hours although I was not interested in it. If I would have been paired up with anyone else except for you or Aera, then it would have been uncomfortable for me as I am not close to other people. But as an elder brother, you didn''t even care about it" she said between her sobs in a broken voice. Ian was calmly listening to her accusations. "I was so happy that I teamed up with you, I hoped at least now we can have some fun but no, you are lying here like this instead of playing with me" she concluded. "Are you done?" Ian calmly asked her. "Yes" "Do-Yun, you know how much I like Kiaraa, so I just wanted to spend some time with her but dad warned me to take care of you, so¡­" "So, you kept doing what she likes and ignored me?" Kim Do-Yun''s heart didn''t move by Ian''s words. "Do-Yun, I''ll bring you here again, okay? Right now, please don''t irritate me, I am already in a bad mood" "Wow! You are in a bad mood? And what about me? My mood doesn''t matter?" Kim Do-Yun got even more annoyed. "Do-Yun, we can just come to this amusement park again, so stop making a big deal out of it." He requested her and muttered to himself, "I am worried thinking what Ji Hun and Kiaraa are doing right now" "Do-Yun, how about we go and search for Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun? If we find them, I''ll take Kiaraa with me and you can volunteer to help Song Ji Hun¡­" "Are you for real?" Kim Do-Yun wiped away her tears and glared at her brother, "I just said, except for you and Aera, I am not close to anyone." "Do-Yun, relax" "Take me to dad" Kim Do-Yun declared glaring at her elder brother. "Do-Yun¡­" "Fine, I''ll go by myself" Kim Do-Yun started walking towards the first restaurant which her dad showed to them earlier as she was sure her dad and his friends must be hanging out there." "This girl" Ian frustratedly followed her as he didn''t have the heart to leave her alone. After reaching the restaurant, the two kids successfully found their father, who was having a good time with his friends. Leaving his sister with his father, Ian went to search for Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun all over the place, as he didn''t wish for them to spend so much alone time together. ¡­ Aera was reading the puzzle and looked at Song Ji Hwan, "You understand what''s written on it?" "You interested in this game?" Song Ji Hwan got surprised and raised his eyebrows. "Well, since we are here, why not solve it?" Aera looked confused wondering, why he doesn''t want to play. "Why do you look confused?" "You not interested in playing this game?" Aera asked. "Remember, I came here with you as a favour?" He reminded her. Aera slapped her head as she indeed forgot that. "Sorry" she apologized. "Don''t be, you owe me a favour anyway. So, it is your loss" Song Ji Hwan looked around the amusement park wondering where to go. After seeing something, he held Aera''s hand and dragged her with him. "You solved the clue?" Aera hopefully asked him but he didn''t respond. Then he brought her to a nice lawn, with a beautiful fountain in between. Unlike other lawn areas which were clearly visible to the visitors, this lawn was more of a private place. Ji Hwan saw a nice path, and curiously followed it discovering one of the best secret spots of this amusement park. There was no crowd here as people were busy indulging themselves in other fun activities. A big tree was there on one side of the park which cast a long shadow on the ground. The atmosphere was very pleasant and this shadow was like a cherry on the cake. "Come with me" Song Ji Hwan took her to this spot and was about to happily lie on the ground. "What are you doing?" Aera looked annoyed seeing him lie down on the lawn grass, "It is dirty" she complained. "Oh yeah, it is a bit muddy" Song Ji Hwan seriously nodded his head as if he agreed with her, "You don''t want to lie on the ground?" he asked the young girl. "Of course, I don''t" Aera still looked a bit annoyed. "Great, sit down then" Song Ji Hwan pointed at the clean part. "Isn''t it the same as lying on the ground?" Aera complained as she didn''t even wish to sit on this dirty ground. "It isn''t, come sit down" Song Ji Hwan made her sit with her legs folded. The next second, he suddenly lied on her lap comfortably surprising her as she didn''t see this coming. "What are you doing?" Aera softly shouted. "You made me realize the ground is dirty, I love my hair and don''t wish to spoil it" Song Ji Hwan looked up at her annoyed face and winked. "But¡­" "What? You won''t let me lie comfortably after spending the whole day with you for your sake?" "You didn''t spend the whole day, just during the haunted house and treasure hunt time you were with me" Aera complained softly murmuring. "That haunted house and treasure hunt took away half my time. What an ungrateful brat you are. After using me for your gains, you are now abandoning me?" Ji Hwan shamelessly took her on a guilt trip. "Sorry" Aera was not sure if he was being serious or playing her but he definitely sounded serious. "Good, if you are sorry, let me rest my head on your lap" Song Ji Hwan adjusted himself comfortably. "Okay, it can anyway be considered as one of the 98 favours which I owe to you" Aera suggested as till date Song Ji Hwan did 98 favours on her but never asked for anything in return. "Woah, how cruel are you?" Song Ji Hwan opened his eyes and glared at her. Aera tilted her head a little and looked at him in confusion, "Cruel?" "Yeah, I did so much for you and you can''t just let me sleep on your lap without expecting anything in return. Cruel girl" Song Ji Hwan glared at her angrily but didn''t move himself even an inch. ''Expecting? But didn''t I say I am returning a favour?'' Aera still looked confused. "Fine Aera, just tell me to get up and sleep somewhere else. That''s what you want to say, right? Then just say it, just say it Aera, just say it" Song Ji Hwan pestered her. "No, just sleep here" Aera felt guilty and held his shoulders worrying he might get offended and leave. She can''t deny the fact that in the last few years, Song Ji Hwan constantly helped her a lot and was always there for her, so when it was her turn to help him, she felt she should. "Thanks, Aera" Song Ji Hwan anyway didn''t have any intention to leave her lap so he continued to comfortably sleep there. Song Ji Hwan closed his eyes and relaxed for a few minutes. Then he wondered what Aera must be doing right now so he opened his eyes and looked at her face. Aera was looking somewhere at the lawn, her eyes clearly looking sad. "Why do you look so sad?" Song Ji Hwan''s question startled her and she looked down at him. "What?" "You look sad, what happened?" Ji Hwan adjusted his head a bit to look at her face more clearly. "Nothing" Aera didn''t wish to talk about it. "It''s okay, you can tell me" Ji Hwan didn''t give up and successfully pursued her. Chapter 83 - Surprised You Observed Me "It''s okay, you can tell me" Ji Hwan didn''t give up and successfully pursued her. "I was just thinking how lucky Kiaraa is to get a chance to pair up with Song Ji Hun oppa." For a moment Song Ji Hwan felt guilty as according to the tickets chosen by them, Aera was originally paired up with Song Ji Hun and he meddled in messing it all. ''Hyung is not interested in her. I am rather saving her from future heart break by keeping her away from Hyung'' He tried to console himself to make himself feel less guilty. "Hmm, maybe somethings are just meant to be and some are not" Song Ji Hwan didn''t wish to sound rude but he wanted to give reality check to her. "What do you mean?" Aera didn''t get the meaning behind his deep words. "You should be thankful you didn''t pair up with Song Ji Hun" "What? Why?" Aera looked upset with what he said. "Hyung is very competitive about these kinds of games and takes them seriously. You are always so shy around him that you barely utter a few words properly. In this treasure hunt, you wouldn''t have been of any help to him and the first impression he would have of yours wouldn''t have been so great" Song Ji Hwan couldn''t help but try to make her feel better as he didn''t wish to hurt her with any rude words. "Hmm, you are right" Aera nodded her head as she too felt Hwan made a good point. "Glad you understood" Hwan patted on her head and closed his eyes. After a few minutes, Song Ji Hwan felt the legs under his head flinching. He opened his eyes and saw Aera making painful expressions on her face by tightly closing her eyes and he realized, sitting in this position with his head on her lap for so long started hurting her legs. After all, she was still a kid. "Oh no, is it paining a lot?" Song Ji Hwan immediately sat up, pulled out her legs to stretch and gently massaged it. "It''s okay" Aera nervously tried to pull back her legs but Song Ji Hwan firmly held her ankle. "Don''t worry the pain will be gone soon" He worriedly assured her and continued massaging her legs. "Why did you not tell me immediately when your legs were in pain?" Song Ji Hwan scolded her but his words were covered with concern. "You never asked me for anything in return, so¡­" Aera looked down as she felt a bit weird getting her legs massaged by Hwan. Not that she felt bad touch from him but except for her parents, no one ever showed this kind of gentleness towards her, so this foreign feeling was new to her. "Aera, when you are in pain you should just say it and not hide it, okay?" He gently scolded her and when she nodded her head, as an appreciation he again patted on her head and smiled. After she felt better, he again laid back on the grass but this time he placed his left hand under his head for support. Song Ji Hwan and Aera kept looking at the scenery ahead of them, when Aera suddenly asked him, "Are you not bored?" "Bored?" Song Ji Hwan chuckled. "Yeah, we are doing nothing and just sitting here. Instead, we can go and play something else" Song Ji Hwan understood Aera was bored. "Are you finding my company boring?" Song Ji Hwan glared at her, clearly offended by her words. "Well, I''d rather prefer spending my time with Kim Do-Yun" Aera hesitatingly confessed. "Why?" Song Ji Hwan''s question made her feel awkward as she frankly told him that she is bored sitting on this lawn with him. If Song Ji Hun would have been here then she wouldn''t have minded spending her time doing nothing but only watching him. "I just told you" Aera hesitatingly said. Song Ji Hwan helplessly shook his head, "You people just don''t know how to enjoy nature and the beauty of it. All of you just want to keep running in this competing world or try everything that you can. At times, it is nice to slow down and do nothing" Aera didn''t get his words but still she nodded her head as if she agreed with him, not wanting to offend this apparently sensitive guy. After a few minutes, Song Ji Hwan sat up. Sitting next to her, he looked at the nature ahead as if he was in some deep thoughts, "Although, I and Hyung are born to same parents, we both are very different." "Hmm, I can see that" Aera didn''t deny as she too agreed with him. Song Ji Hwan turned to look at her and smiled, "How are we different according to you?" "You talk a lot and he rarely talks. You interact with everyone but he does not. You watch a lot of movies while he prefers reading. You are jovial, he is serious." Sensing his gaze on her, Aera stopped talking and turned to see him. "Did I say something wrong?" she worriedly asked. Song Ji Hwan was still smiling and shook his head in no, "I am just surprised you observed me too. I thought your eyes can''t see anyone else except for my elder brother" "You are Kiaraa''s friend and always around, so I couldn''t help but notice" "Don''t explain yourself, I am glad you noticed me" Song Ji Hwan patted on her head. "What is to be glad about it?" she muttered. "I don''t know" He honestly replied and again went calm. "I and Kiaraa are different too in spite of having same parents" Aera shared with him. "Hmm, we all can see that" Hwan teased her. "I sometimes wish I am more like Kiaraa" Aera suddenly said surprising the guy next to her. "What?" He laughed as if he heard some joke but seeing how serious Aera was he stopped laughing, "Why the hell do you want to be like that wild girl? Kiaraa is the last person in this world one should be inspired from" "I thought you two were friends" Aera glared at him as she didn''t expect him to make fun of her sister. "We are, that''s exactly why I am saying this" he was unaffected by Aera''s reaction. "Don''t talk about my sister like that" Aera pouted not liking Hwan''s opinion on Kiaraa. "Woah, are you serious?" Song Ji Hwan didn''t expect Aera to get upset. He believed the relationship between this sisters wasn''t that great. After not getting a reply from her, he again asked, "Doesn''t Kiaraa always trouble you? Aren''t you scared of her?" "I am scared of her but that doesn''t mean I like it when an outsider is talking against my sister" Aera still didn''t look at him, pouting angrily. "Outsider? Are you seriously calling me an outsider?" Song Ji Hwan ignored everything that she said and was stuck at the word ''outsider'' "You are not a ''Lee''" Aera avoided looking at him and looked down at the ground. "Oh, so I am an outsider?" Hwan again asked her and Aera nodded her head not willing to take back what she said. ''How dare he insult my elder sister in front of me?'' Aera thought in her heart, not regretting her words. "Cool, if I am an outsider, it implies my elder brother is an outsider too." Song Ji Hwan loudly declared and muttered clearly, "Today, I will tell Hyung that Aera considers him an outsider" Without turning to look at Aera, from the corner of his eyes he saw the frown lines on her forehead, "Why wait? I''ll go and find Hyung right away to tell him what Aera thinks of us Songs" Song Ji Hwan was about to stand up when Aera tightly held his hands, "I am sorry, please don''t tell Song Ji Hun oppa about all of this, please" Aera was still a child at heart and didn''t know he was just teasing her. The thought of Song Ji Hun misunderstanding her scared the hell out of her and she continued begging Hwan, "I am sorry, in anger I called you an outsider, you are not at all an outsider" she started pacifying him. Hwan wanted to laugh at this girl, ''Kiaraa is right, she is so dumb'' he smiled to himself. "Oh, I am not an outsider?" He again asked for confirmation. "Not at all" Aera quickly answered still holding his one arm with both her hands as she was afraid, he would run away and she won''t be able to catch him. "Then who am I?" Hwan asked her, turning her speechless as she was not sure what to say. "Ummm¡­ you¡­ umm" she was figuring out the perfect reply. "I am Song Ji Hwan oppa" He answered on her behalf, only to get glared at by her. "What? Why do you look angry?" "Only Song Ji Hun oppa is my oppa" Aera complained. Chapter 84 - Song Ji Hwan Oppa "What? Why do you look angry?" Song Ji Hwan noticed it and directly asked her. "Only Song Ji Hun oppa is my oppa" Aera complained looking very serious. "I am his younger brother and older than you, so even I am your oppa" Ji Hwan countered. "But¡­" Aera was still hesitating in following his orders. "Call me oppa" Ji Hwan interrupted her, trying to hide his smile as he was having a lot of fun teasing this girl and cornering her like this. Aera pouted while going through a lot of emotions right now - anger, helplessness, confusion, irritation etc. "Stop pouting and call me oppa" he pinched her soft cheeks enjoying every moment of it. "O¡­oppa" With difficulty Aera addressed him this way. "Not just oppa, call me by my whole name and add the word oppa to it" Song Ji Hwan was smiling looking amused. Seeing her still hesitating he tried to stand up as a way of blackmailing her, "Song Ji Hwan oppa" Aera tightly held his hand and addressed him the way he wants. "Song Ji Hwan Oppa" she called his name. "Good girl, it was not that difficult, was it?" Song Ji Hwan had a huge grin on his face, which was spread from one end of his face to another as he pinched her cheeks. He was very happy being addressed like this. "It hurts, stop it" Aera rubbed her cheeks which turned red due to his actions as she pouted angrily. "Awe, it hurts? I am sorry" Song Ji Hwan then caressed her cheeks with his thumb, trying to reduce the pain. "It''s okay" Aera pushed his hand away but Song Ji Hwan didn''t mind it as he was very happy after being referred to as oppa. "Now you won''t tell Song Ji Hun oppa about it right?" Aera worriedly asked him. "About what?" Song Ji Hwan completely forgot what exactly happened earlier which led to all of this. "About¡­" Now even Aera didn''t recollect properly, "You said you will tell something to Song Ji Hun oppa, what was it?" "Don''t worry I won''t tell Ji Hun anything as long as you continue calling me oppa, okay?" Song Ji Hwan happily patted on her head and declared everything on her behalf too and Aera just nodded her head still confused. "Why do you keep helping me and then troubling me?" Aera asked Hwan. "I help you because I pity you and I trouble you because I have fun in doing so" Song Ji Hwan answered her without any hesitation. "I don''t need your pity" Aera muttered. "Well, you do, that''s the harsh truth of life" Hwan stroked her head. Then he again lied down on the ground while Aera kept pouting sadly as she now has to call him as oppa and she didn''t wish to, she only wanted to address Ji Hun like that and no one else. He turned to look at the pouter, "Aera, come here and lie next to me" he happily patted on the grass beside him. "Huh, what?" Aera widened her eyes in shock. "Come sleep here, this grass is very comfortable" He again patted on the ground. "It is dirty" Aera refused wondering why this weird guy wants her to sleep next to him. She was worried if Ji Hun passes by this place and sees him lying next to her brother, her love story would end even before starting. "Don''t worry it is not that dirty, come here" Song Ji Hwan insisted not being able to see through her. "I don''t want to" Aera kept looking around her surroundings worrying if Song Ji Hun is anywhere near when the next moment something happened that shocked her. Song Ji Hwan pulled her and made the small girl lie next to him. "Hwan" Aera shouted at him as his actions scared her. "Doesn''t it feel good" Song Ji Hwan ignored her anger and smiled at her, there was some distance between them so Aera, felt a bit comfortable and nodded her head but she lifted her body a bit and lied on her two elbows, not letting her head touch the ground. "If you will lie like this, your arms will hurt" Song Ji Hwan seriously commented seeing the weird position she was sleeping in. "My hair might get dirty" Aera complained. "God, this girl" Song Ji Hwan loudly muttered and spread his arm, signalling her to sleep on it. Looking the hesitation on Aera''s face, he added, "Don''t worry there is a lot of space between us, my arm is quite long" Aera saw that he was telling the truth. Even if she lies on his arm, there will be a lot of space between them. ''Song Ji Hun oppa won''t be so irrational to misunderstand me. Maybe he might not even pass from here. Lying on this grass actually feels good'' Aera finally slept on his arm after arranging her hair, to stop it from getting dirty. "Feels better?" Song Ji Hwan asked the girl, who was comfortably lying on the ground now resting her head on his arm. "Hmm, thank you" The two people looked at the pleasant blue sky. "It would be so amazing right, if we are able to take out time from our schedules and enjoy the nature like this?" Song Ji Hwan asked Aera but he didn''t get any response. "Aera" He called her name and still there was no response. Wondering what happened, he turned to look at her and was surprised to see her sleeping already. Aera was sleeping peacefully, clearly looking tired. Her breathing was even, while a part of her hair covered her forehead. She looked very cute. Song Ji Hwan chuckled as he didn''t expect her to fall asleep as soon as her head touched his arm. ''Poor girl must have been extremely tired'' Song Ji Hwan thought and he too fell asleep after a while but keeping his promise sincerely, he didn''t close the distance between them. Chapter 85 - Log Flume Ride Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun successfully solved many clues and just found the next clue. Song Ji Hun checked the time on his watch and said, "It is just 4:25 pm, we are going good" "We are a good team" Kiaraa happily declared as today she was impressed with this guy, who matched her intelligence and smartly navigated through this game. At first, she thought she would be doing majority of the work but surprisingly Song Ji Hun was as passionate about this game as her and he too was competitive. Not once he slacked around or suggested they take a break, or rest for a few minutes or go for a snack. He was completely invested in it and hunted for clues, as if his life depends on it. Kiaraa hanged out with guys like Ian and Song Ji Hwan, who always keep slacking around and never take anything seriously. When she acts serious about a certain thing, the best these two guys do is make fun of her or demotivate her. Song Ji Hun was different, he perfectly blended with her choices and took this game seriously instead of enjoying it like a fun event. For others, it must be an annoying quality as people tend to enjoy games the way it is but for Kiaraa these things matter a lot. Song Ji Hun opened the scroll they just found and read the clue aloud ¨C [I come from the tree and with me on the channel that is used for transportation, you will end up having fun] "These clues keep getting tougher" Kiaraa looked excited instead of being upset. "That''s the beauty of this game" Song Ji Hun too smiled as harder the clue was, the more fun these two had. "Let''s break this clue ¨C I come from the tree ¨C A channel that is used for transportation ¨C Having fun" Kiaraa made notes. "Having fun is just a part of the amusement park event, so only the first two things should be a part of our clue" Song Ji Hun voiced his thoughts impressing Kiaraa as she too was thinking on the similar lines. "I come from the tree, leaves, stem, roots¡­" Kiaraa was thinking when Song Ji Hun smiled at her, "This puzzle looks tough but it is easy" he informed her. "How?" Kiaraa felt this was the toughest puzzle they got till now. Instead of answering her question, he wished to show it to her, so he held her hand and they headed to the biggest map in the amusement park which has all the events listed on it. By now, they both kept running all over this place so many times that Song Ji Hun holding her hand felt casual to Kiaraa and it also felt nice and protective. After reaching the big life-sized map, which listed around 100 activities, Song Ji Hun said, "We just need to find an activity from here whose name is related to a part of tree and transportation." Kiaraa turned to look at Song Ji Hun, impressed by his smartness. Hard work is good but at times what people need to learn is how to get things done through smart work. "You are extremely smart" Kiaraa couldn''t control herself from praising him as this guy kept turning her speechless and awed her with his intelligence at every point. "You are no less" Song Ji Hun praised her back as many of the times when he was stuck, her intelligence was what came as a rescue helping them move forward in the game. Kiaraa was happy being acknowledged by him as she knows how much she too contributed in this game. If Song Ji Hun would have only accepted all the credits without sharing the same with her, she would have been pissed and loathed him but this guy didn''t mind praising her when she deserved it. Song Ji Hun didn''t overdo the praises and neither he undermined her, it was done in the perfect proportion. The two people then divided the big map amongst themselves. Kiaraa decided to check the left-half while Song Ji Hun right-half, then they went through all the names quickly. After three minutes, Kiaraa excitedly shouted and held Ji Hun''s arm and pulled him towards her, "See this, Log Flume Ride. Log is a part of a tree and I am honestly not sure what Flume means" "Log Flume rides are the ones where we sit on a big log placed on the slider, that descents before splashing into a pool of water" Song Ji Hun explained what Log Flume rides does. "Which means this slider acts like a transportation and takes people into water?" Kiaraa just wanted to confirm with him and after Song Ji Hun nodded his head in confirmation, she jumped in joy. "This is it, we got this clue too" "Yeah, seems like you are a fast reader" He commented with a light smile on his lips. Kiaraa awkwardly smiled, "I dislike reading so I skim through faster" "Well, whatever that works in our favour is amazing" Song Ji Hun said, while they headed towards the Log Flume Ride. After reaching there, the two people looked around all the logs placed there and checked below it, hoping to find a clue sticked to it. "I don''t think they will stick the clue here, as any visitor can use a log and the clue will be lost" Kiaraa realized this while seeing how randomly the logs were chosen by the customers. "Maybe they would want us to do some task" Song Ji Hun predicted as until now they found scrolls directly at the clue location or they were asked to do a few fun tasks after which they were handed over the clue. "I hope not" Kiaraa pouted as she hated doing tasks. "Let''s check" Song Ji Hun approached one of the staff in black dress and showed them the clue that they cracked. "Yes, you are at the right place" The staff member confirmed. Chapter 86 - Gentleman "We are not able to find the next clue" Kiaraa spoke. "You two need to sit on this log and go inside the water, inside the pool you will find the next clue" The staff member informed her. Since, tasks too were involved, after confirming the players properly cracked the clue, the staff tells them what needs to be done next. It was all a well-planned, fun event. "Are you kidding me?" Kiaraa almost shouted at the staff after knowing she has to get into the water to find the next clue. "You didn''t think we will make the clues easier, did you?" The staff person joked in a friendly way. "Can you believe it?" Kiaraa got annoyed and complained about this game to Song Ji Hun, who was trying to hide his smile as he could see she now felt closer to him. "Is it possible that I do the task and she stays here, we anyway cracked the clue together" Song Ji Hun requested the staff as he too didn''t wish Kiaraa to do something that she doesn''t want to. "No dear, rules are very strict, both of you have to do this task together and only then the next clue you found would be valid" The staff informed Song Ji Hun and went to attend other customers. "What the hell, I didn''t bring extra clothes" Kiaraa looked upset and the next moment she turned furious, "These people intentionally made such rules so that they won''t let us win. No wonder people rarely won this treasure hunt" "Calm down" Song Ji Hun patted her shoulders as he was not sure what else to do. "What to do now?" Kiaraa asked him. "We both came till here together and what needs to be done next should be a decision taken by both of us" He clearly implied, he alone won''t decide, which again made Kiaraa happy. "So, if I say let''s not continue this game any further and stop here, what would you say?" Kiaraa questioned him. "I''d say, when my partner is not comfortable in doing a task then I''d rather prefer leaving this game than forcing her to finish this task with me" "And if I say I will do this task?" "Then I''d say sure, I will ensure this task doesn''t make you feel uncomfortable" Kiaraa couldn''t hide the smile that spread across her face, as she was impressed with this guy. "If we give up on this task you won''t mind?" she again asked. "It''s okay, what''s the point of winning at the cost of one''s discomfort. We won''t be able to be happy about it later" "Do you mean everything you just said or you are just trying to impress me?" Kiaraa asked him narrowing her eyes at him but there was a faint smile painted on her lips. "Why would I try to impress you?" Song Ji Hun''s counter question made Kiaraa realize, he never did anything till date to impress her and if he wished to, he had many opportunities before to do so. ''Aera, of course, he too might like her'' Kiaraa always teased her sister with Song Ji Hun so this realization didn''t surprise her a lot but it did make her a bit upset. ''Such an intelligent guy fell for Aera? What is wrong with him?'' On the other hand, Song Ji Hun was unaffected when she asked him if he was saying all of this to impress her as he was not. He genuinely doesn''t wish for her to go through any discomfort for a game. Since she directly asked him, he had to clear the air as he didn''t wish for her to know about his feelings so soon. "What do you want to do?" Song Ji Hun pulled her from the few distracted thoughts she was having. "Let''s finish the task. We are not some losers to get scared of water" Kiaraa tied up her hair while Song Ji Hun removed his coat, "Will you mind if I remove my t-shirt too?" he asked her. "No, I won''t. There are anyway many naked guys around" Kiaraa casually said as this was a water activity and people roaming around them, semi-naked was common. "Great" The next moment Song Ji Hun removed his t-shirt and Kiaraa couldn''t help but gape at his body. He was just sixteen and didn''t have any abs but his body was lean and attractive. Kiaraa couldn''t move her eyes off him. Although, she could see many semi-naked bodies around her, this one particularly attracted her a lot. Suddenly, she felt breathless and had difficulty in breathing. She turned around facing the other side and scolded herself, ''Think about all those other hot guys you see in movies, stop thinking about this one'' "Kiaraa, shall we?" Song Ji Hun left his watch and clothes in a tray assigned for customers before they enter the pool. "Yes, let''s go" Kiaraa tried avoiding look at his body which was making her drool over him. ''What is wrong with me?'' she kept asking this question to herself, again and again as she saw greater bodies in her life on television and in movies, yet she was not sure why this one was more attractive. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun then sat on one of the logs which descended down to the water pool. "Oh no, I didn''t think this through" Kiaraa tightly held the edges of the log but Song Ji Hun pulled her hands and held them in his. "Don''t ever hold the edges of logs while sliding, it might be dangerous" Song Ji Hun managed to tell her while they rapidly descended into the water. "Okay" Kiaraa nodded her head and let him hold her hands. Within a few seconds they were in the pool. "Where will we find the clue?" Kiaraa asked him as she looked around water everywhere. "Let''s swim and search underwater" Song Ji Hun suggested and the two people dived in looking for any possible clues. Whenever they needed oxygen, they came up floating in the water and after feeling better, they again dived in. At the end of the pool side, Kiaraa saw something shining, she swam towards it and found a golden glittery box. "Ji Hun, see what I found" Kiaraa waved the box while being half inside the water and half outside. Song Ji Hun''s heart fluttered when he heard her call his name. This was the first time she directly addressed him using his first name without any honorifics. "Ji Hun see" Kiaraa again waved the box in her hand to grab his attention. Song Ji Hun signalled her to get out of this water and in a minute the two people swam out. Kiaraa opened the box and found another scroll. "Wow we did it" Kiaraa excitedly hugged Song Ji Hun in the moment of excitement again messing with this man''s heart, who had been controlling his feelings for more than an hour now. The moment she felt the touch of his skin under her palms, she realized what she did, Kiaraa casually moved back as if this hug didn''t mean anything to her. She didn''t wish for him to see through the foreign feelings she was going weirdly developing. "Wow, you people cracked this clue?" One of the staff members arrived there, clearly looking impressed and handed over two towels, one each to Ji Hun and Kiaraa. "Yeah" Kiaraa accepted the towel and untied her hair, to dry it. "Very less people reach till here, good job" The staff member patted Song Ji Hun''s shoulder and noted down the unique number on the puzzle before wishing them luck. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa collected the tray which had his clothes. He wore his t-shirt, which was dry but his pants were wet. Song Ji Hun then saw Kiaraa''s state and realized she was wet from top to bottom as her shirt and pants both were wet. Kiaraa luckily wore a thick t-shirt of a bright colour therefore in spite of her clothes being wet, they were not see-through. "Kiaraa, where this coat, it would be more comfortable" Song Ji Hun handed his jacket to her. "Would you mind if I remove my t-shirt and wear your jacket?" Kiaraa asked him. Song Ji Hun''s jacket was like a semi-hoodie so she could properly cover herself even without wearing anything beneath it. "What? You will change your clothes here? There are a lot of people around here, Kiaraa. Please find a more private place" Song Ji Hun panicked assuming she would change her clothes in public. Kiaraa laughed hearing his words. "Are you crazy? Why would I give a free, hot show to everyone?" She then headed to a female washroom and changed into his hoodie and tied her wet t-shirt around her waist. "I''d prefer to roam more in the sunlight" Kiaraa informed Song Ji Hun after coming out of the changing room. "Yeah, me too" He pointed at his wet pants making her laugh. "Thanks for the jacket" Kiaraa didn''t expect him to be a gentleman to understand her condition without she mentioning it. "Anyone would have done the same" Song Ji Hun tried to not blush or show how happy he was right now. Kiaraa just nodded her head wondering if Ian and Hwan would have done the same for her or not. Chapter 87 - Body Turning Hot The two people then found a good spot in the hot sun, and opened their next clue while Kiaraa kept running her hand through her hair to get it dry soon, unknowingly affecting Song Ji Hun, who was not able to pay attention on their next clue due to her actions. "What happened, you alright?" Kiaraa suddenly asked him as he was facing the other side muttering something to himself. "Yeah, I am just¡­ umm¡­ nothing" Song Ji Hun kept telling himself to not get affected by Kiaraa''s actions when she suddenly called him out. Seeing her in his clothes was a different kind of feeling which made him want to keep looking at her and suddenly he was having the urge to hug her closer. Song Ji Hun was in his adolescent years so his hormones were acting up and he was trying to control himself as he didn''t wish to do anything to scare this girl. "Maybe we should take a break and get some hot drink?" Kiaraa suggested seeing Song Ji Hun''s state which didn''t look that well. "Hot? Let''s get a cold drink" Song Ji Hun blurted out without thinking as his body was already turning a bit hot. "Song Ji Hun, we are still wet, look at our clothes" Kiaraa laughed at his suggestion but seeing this guy, who seemed to have difficulty in breathing, her smile froze. Kiaraa stepped towards him and turned Song Ji Hun to face her and the next moment she placed her hand on his forehead. As if she was a heat generating machine, his forehead turned hotter, at the spot where she touched and this teenager had even more difficulty when he saw the concern in her eyes towards him. Although, these two knew each other since their childhood, they rarely interacted. Today was the first time they spent so much time together. When she visited the coin museum he made for her years ago, she spent her time checking the coins and not with him but today the two people were together for a long time away from everyone else. Therefore, seeing how she was concerned and worried for him, made Song Ji Hun happy. "Song Ji Hun, it seems you are having a fever, your forehead is hot" Kiaraa stated looking guilty as she blamed herself for going into that water assuming that being the reason for his state. But she was unaware that it was indeed because of her his state was like this, though for a different reason. Kiaraa''s pretty face with her wet hair was not helping him any further, with whatever last bit of restrain was left in him, Song Ji Hun used it to hold her wrist and gently moved it away, "I am fine, we were in water so¡­" "I am sorry, I shouldn''t have insisted¡­" "Not your fault. If I wouldn''t have wished to go through something then no one could make me" He clearly meant it was his choice too and she shouldn''t blame herself. "Hmm but your body is still burning" Kiaraa was thinking of giving up on this treasure hunt. Song Ji Hun checked the time on his watch, "It is still 4:50 pm, we have some time, let''s take a ten minutes break and go to that caf¨¦" He pointed to one nearby eatery place. "Okay" Kiaraa ordered a hot chocolate for herself and Song Ji Hun ordered cold coffee to calm down the heat in his body. "You sure you fine?" Kiaraa again asked him. She wished to touch his forehead and check for herself but she was aware of the distance between them and the boundaries they shared. "Yes, thank you" Song Ji Hun avoided looking at her face painted with worry. He was trying hard to control his emotions which were ready to burst any moment. After having their drinks, in the caf¨¦ itself, Kiaraa untied the scroll and opened the next puzzle, there was a silver star at the end of the scroll which surprised them as no clue before this had this star. "What does this silver star might mean?" Kiaraa voiced her doubt. "Are we reaching the end of the game? Is this like the second-last clue?" Song Ji Hun wondered. "Wow, that would be great if true" Kiaraa excitedly read the next puzzle. [Setting Sun, Starry Night, Silvery Light of the moon Snow covered mountains, scented flowers and fragrance of the noon] "This puzzle is the weirdest puzzle we got until now" Kiaraa looked confused as she didn''t understand what location it is" "It doesn''t feel like an amusement park ride" Song Ji Hun shared his thoughts too. "There are mountains outside this amusement park, right?" Ji Hun asked her for confirmation. "Yes, but the rules state we can''t leave this place as no clue is outside" Kiaraa reminded him. "But there can be some spot here from where we can see those mountains?" It was more like Song Ji Hun was thinking to himself. "Garden?" Kiaraa asked and again read the puzzle, "If we are standing in a garden we can see the setting sun in the evening, starry night and silvery light of the moon at night, snow covered mountains during the snow season, scented flowers are what fills a garden. Garden is the answer" "Hmm but why does it say fragrance of the noon? Noon is gone, it is evening now and don''t you think the words ''fragrance of the noon'' sounds weird? Like, noon has no fragrance" Song Ji Hun commented. "This clue looks like the easiest one but it is rather the weirdest one" Kiaraa pouted annoyedly. "This amusement park has multiple number of gardens; it is going to be difficult to find the one this clue is talking about" "We can check the gardens from where the mountains are visible" Kiaraa said. "Hmm but one big problem is, the brochures and maps have all the locations of fantasy lands and the activities offered but none of the maps have the list of gardens." Song Ji Hun informed her from what the observations he made till now. "Finding the right garden is going to be very tough" "Hmm, let''s go" Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa then left that caf¨¦ and started looking for the gardens. They began their search from the main gate, they kept running all over the place as they didn''t come across any garden from where they could see the mountains. After twenty minutes, they reached the last garden in the amusement park. They were on their toes and only these two knew how fast they ran today. Panting heavily, they reached the last garden, which had the most beautiful scenery amongst all the gardens they visited until now. "What the hell" Kiaraa exclaimed after they reached. "Wh¡­ what happened?" Song Ji Hun was leaning a bit, his hands on his thighs as he panted, trying to catch his breath. "See, somebody is sleeping there" Kiaraa pointed and headed straight towards two people, who were sleeping on the ground, under the shadow of a tree with no care in this world. Assuming it is something related to their game, Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa stepped towards those two people and got surprised when they clearly saw, who it was. They saw Song Ji Hwan and Aera, peacefully sleeping. "Hahaha, oh god, I wish I had a camera. They look so cute" Kiaraa joked seeing the two people and the next minute Song Ji Hun took out a buttoned mobile phone, which had 2 MP camera and a small screen display on it. He handed it over to her. "Wow, you have a phone" Kiaraa looked impressed and after taking that phone from him she clicked the picture of Song Ji Hwan sleeping straight on his back while Aera was sleeping on one side of her body, closer to Hwan, her head on his shoulder and her arm wrapped around him. Earlier, unknowingly in her sleep Aera moved closer to Hwan and slept comfortably wrapping her arm around him just like how she sleeps next to her teddy bear. Aera has a habit of hugging her teddy while sleeping, so subconsciously she ended up hugging the guy next to her. "Don''t they look cute?" Kiaraa smiled seeing the sleepyheads, who clearly had no care for the world and didn''t even wake up because of these two people''s presence. "Hmm, they do" Song Ji Hun agreed with her surprising Kiaraa. ''Wow, I never thought this cold guy finds anything cute'' Kiaraa thought to herself and after clicking a few embarrassing pictures of her sister to her heart''s content, she gave Song Ji Hun his phone back. "Can you please share these photos with me?" "Sure, but how will I?" "Save them in your computer, I''ll give you my pen drive later" "Okay" Kiaraa didn''t wish to leave from there and wanted to keep looking at Hwan and Aera. "I wish I could sleep like them" Kiaraa pouted as her sleep is always a bit disturbed, she keeps having dreams every night. "Hwan loves nature, this is where he finds true peace. That''s why whenever he sleeps on the terrace or in such places, he sleeps more peacefully" Song Ji Hun informed her. "Oh, don''t know what Aera finds peaceful to sleep like this?" Kiaraa wondered as she doesn''t know her sister so well. "Maybe my brother''s presence" Song Ji Hun commented surprising her. Chapter 88 - Kiss "What? No. She rather has a crush on you" Kiaraa slipped her tongue and the next minute her eyes widened in shock. Although, she teases Aera about it, she doesn''t wish to meddle between her sister''s personal life as she herself would hate it if Aera meddled in hers. Song Ji Hun was a bit taken aback when he heard Kiaraa''s words but the next second he composed himself, "We are running out of time" he informed her as they still didn''t solve the clue. "Y¡­yeah" Song Ji Hun looked around this park and he found mountains which could be seen from here. "This is the third park from where we can see the mountains" He informed her. "Hmm, so there are only three such parks as these were the last ones in this place" Before coming here, in two other gardens they saw the same mountains. "Setting Sun, Starry Night, Silvery Light of the moon and scented flowers can be seen from all these gardens" Song Ji Hun commented. "Hmm, my doubt is why did it say snowy mountains? It is summer right now" Kiaraa mentioned the thing that bothered her. "Let''s check this garden properly like those other two" Song Ji Hun started walking around the garden while observing the mountains and suddenly he stopped in his tracks. "Kiaraa, come here" He called her from behind the big tree, under which Hwan and Aera are sleeping. On one side of the tree these two kids were sleeping while on the other side, Song Ji Hun seriously stood observing something. "What?" Kiaraa joined him behind the tree. Moving to one side, Song Ji Hun said, "Look at those mountains from between these branches, this angle makes those clouds look like a snow on the mountains" "Wow! Where?" Kiaraa tried to stand on her toes but still couldn''t see it as she was still a bit short unlike Song Ji Hun who was already 5''8. Seeing her struggle, Song Ji Hun hesitatingly asked her, "You mind if I lift you?" Kiaraa''s heart which she was able to calm down long ago again started beating faster. "Okay" she ignored her fast-pounding heart and agreed as she didn''t wish to miss this view. Holding her waist from behind, Song Ji Hun easily lifted the light-weighted girl. Kiaraa held a thin branch for support to not put her whole weight on Song Ji Hun and exclaimed in awe when she indeed saw the beautiful view ahead of her. "It indeed looks like snowy mountains" Kiaraa agreed with Song Ji Hun. In the other two gardens when they checked around the place, they didn''t find any such view, only this garden had it. "Yeah, this is the location in our clue" Song Ji Hun concluded. Kiaraa hummed and the next second the thin branch she was holding broke due to her weight and Song Ji Hun, who was just supporting her waist didn''t see this coming. Kiaraa, therefore ended up suddenly jumping on his feet hurting it. Song Ji Hun slightly groaned in pain, "Oh no, I am so sorry, does it hurt?" Kiaraa turned around and worriedly looked at Song Ji Hun. "It is fine" Song Ji Hun was able to bear with the pain. "No, it is not, my shoes have sharp soles" Kiaraa tried to sit on the ground to check his foot but Song Ji Hun held her arms, stopping her from bending, "It''s okay, I can bear with this pain" "But let me see if your leg is bleeding" Kiaraa was still worried as she knows how hard she jumped on his foot. "My shoes are not bad enough to not protect me, don''t worry" Subconsciously Song Ji Hun tugged a strand of her hair which kept falling on her face, as she was looking down at his feet. Kiaraa was surprised at this action of his and her eyes widened a bit in shock. That was when Song Ji Hun realized what he just did. ''Shit, why did I do that? I was able to control myself till now and¡­ shit'' Song Ji Hun cursed in his heart and moved his hand away as he now ruined their almost bond. Kiaraa continued looking at Song Ji Hun in surprise waiting for him to explain his actions while Ji Hun was thinking how to do so. They were standing a bit too close looking into each other''s eyes. To increase the distance between them Kiaraa took a step behind and her back was about to hit the big tree trunk which had rough patches on it that could hurt her back. But instead of feeling the rough trunk behind her, she felt a soft hand as Song Ji Hun immediately placed a hand between her back and the tree to not let her get hurt. Kiaraa was again surprised at his actions, "It would hurt" he explained himself. "Why do you care?" Kiaraa asked him almost in a whisper. Song Ji Hun didn''t reply to her, unsure of the right answer. Kiaraa could feel some intensity in his eyes and subconsciously moved closer to him, still looking into his deep eyes. Song Ji Hun for the first time saw something unexplainable in her eyes, which pulled him towards her. As if he wanted to break the walls, he built around him. Unsure of what got into him, Song Ji Hun too leaned closer to her, his face near hers closing the distance between them. He suddenly wished to answer her question in his actions instead of in words. Kiaraa''s heart almost jumped out seeing Song Ji Hun lean closer to her as if he was about to kiss her but instead of pushing him away, she closed her eyes in reflex. Song Ji Hun was surprised to see this, motivated by her response, he leaned closer with the intention of leaving a peck on her beautiful lips. Kiaraa felt him coming closer to her as she felt his hot breath on her face, which reminded her of their close intimacy from earlier and she equally anticipated this kiss. Song Ji Hun''s eyes were open and he observed her even more closely before touching his lips with her. Just before his thin lips were supposed to touch her plump ones, a loud voice interrupted them. "Kiaraa is that you?" Kiaraa opened her eyes in a jolt and gently pushed back Song Ji Hun, who himself was startled by the annoying voice that rang around them. Ian headed towards the other side of the tree, by the time he reached Song Ji Hun already moved back a few steps creating an appropriate gap between him and Kiaraa. "Finally, I found you" Ian happily stepped towards Kiaraa and hugged her tightly while Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun awkwardly looked at each other. Ian had been roaming all over this amusement park to find Kiaraa and now after reaching the last zone of the park, he finally saw two people sleeping on the ground below a tree. Ian''s gaze noticed some movement from behind the tree and spotted a part of someone''s dress, hoping it was Kiaraa he called her name and headed there. When he reached there, he finally saw Kiaraa. Seeing her, calmed his heart down. He didn''t sense the tension in the air and neither did he notice the awkwardness between Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun. "It was so difficult to find you" Ian again said hugging the girl, who still looked at Song Ji Hun as she was confused about what just happened between them. This was not normal. She never acted like this before. It was awkward. Seeing Ian there and Kiaraa not uttering a word, Song Ji Hun stepped away and continued reading the clue again to distract himself. He was not actually reading it but he didn''t like Ian hugging Kiaraa, to hide the jealousy in his eyes he wished to pay attention to something else. "K?" Ian called her as she didn''t respond and continued looking at Song Ji Hun, who was reading the clue as if nothing almost happened between them. "K?" "Hmm" Kiaraa was finally pulled from her thoughts and responded. "Why are you wearing this men''s hoodie?" Ian got annoyed as he realized this belonged to Song Ji Hun. "We were doing a task and my clothes got wet" Kiaraa mechanically answered him, her mind still thinking about why she closed her eyes and gave silent consent to the kiss. Then her mind wondered why did Song Ji Hun attempt to kiss her, doesn''t he like her sister? "Still, is your t-shirt dry now?" Ian touched the shirt wrapped around her waist but it was still partially wet. "Should we complete this clue?" Song Ji Hun didn''t like Ian touching Kiaraa and decided to interrupt them. "Hmm" Kiaraa nodded her head. "It is for sure that the clue is in this garden but the fragrance of the noon is still a puzzle" Song Ji Hun tried his best to focus on this puzzle. Chapter 89 - Let’s Talk About What Happened "It is for sure that the clue is in this garden but the fragrance of the noon is still a puzzle" Song Ji Hun tried his best to focus on this puzzle. ''How can he act like nothing happened between us?'' Kiaraa wondered glaring at Song Ji Hun, ''Although nothing happened but that kiss would have happened if Ian didn''t interrupt us. Am I the only one overthinking? Did he just randomly try to kiss me? Ahhh, how could I let this guy take advantage of the situation? What was wrong with me?'' Kiaraa''s state of mind changed from confusion to annoyance to anger. After not getting a response from Kiaraa, Song Ji Hun himself stepped towards the garden area where different kinds of flowers were blooming. "Fragrance can only come from flowers" he stated, loud enough for Kiaraa to hear but she didn''t react. Right now, her mind was a mess and unlike Song Ji Hun, she couldn''t pretend well. Song Ji Hun observed the flowers in the garden. He was pretending like he was seriously observing them but right now his mind too was a mess. Song Ji Hun kept wondering why Kiaraa closed her eyes when he was about to kiss her, encouraging him instead of pushing him away. He was not sure what to think about it and neither he wished to make any wrong assumptions. Song Ji Hun casually looked at the mud where these flowers were planted and found the scroll lying there. "Found the next clue" Song Ji Hun turned around and waved the scroll at Kiaraa. Kiaraa couldn''t feel the excitement she felt before but she didn''t wish to look like this, she suddenly felt vulnerable. Composing herself, Kiaraa went to Song Ji Hun, "Great, let''s check the next clue" her voice sounded indifferent and plain. Song Ji Hun could sense the coldness in her voice. He regretted what happened between them, he felt like he ruined their good friendship that was developing today due to one moment of weakness. Just then a staff member arrived there and seeing the clue in Kiaraa''s hand they exclaimed in surprise, "Wow, you people were able to reach till here?" The staff guy then noted the unique ID. "I didn''t get one thing why did we find the next clue among these flowers and what was meant by fragrance of noon?" Song Ji Hun wished to distract himself so he asked the staff member about it. The staff person pointed at red flowers that bloomed freshly and said, "These flowers are called Pentapetes and are also known as noon flowers. The other clues implied it is a garden, the snowy mountains were added to confirm this is the garden to find the clue and the noon fragrance was added to find the scroll" The staff person explained the significance of the clue, "Seems you got lucky to find the scroll without knowing about Pentapetes" "Hmm, we just followed the word fragrance" Song Ji Hun said. "Not we, just him. I wasn''t even thinking about this clue" Kiaraa corrected Song Ji Hun in her indifferent tone. She didn''t wish to take credits for something she doesn''t think she deserves. "Kiaraa, it was a team effort" Song Ji Hun didn''t like the fact that she suddenly turned against him. "No, it wasn''t" Kiaraa coldly declared. "Anyway, it is fine if one of you finds the clue. Activities are something that is compulsory for both to do. You were present here when he found the clue, so the rule is not broken" The staff member said. "Also, all the best, this is the last puzzle and you have only 15 minutes left" The staff member left from there after informing them of the running time. Kiaraa opened the scroll and saw a golden star at the bottom of the puzzle. Now, it was confirmed the silver star implied second-last puzzle and the golden one implied the last one. Kiaraa read the puzzle, but her mind was not processing it. As if right now, she didn''t wish to do anything and neither spend time with others, she just wanted to be alone. But she was not ready to give up. Song Ji Hun patiently waited for Kiaraa to show him the puzzle and didn''t ask for it. He was only observing her face, trying to understand what''s going on in her mind. Kiaraa looked serious, her face deprived of any emotions. Her eyes lacked sentiments while they kept looking at the clue. Song Ji Hwan opened his eyes after completing his sleep and sensing something on his shoulder he turned to see Aera, who was peacefully sleeping there. Then he realized she was even hugging him. ''This weird girl'' He thought and was about to remove her hand when Ian suddenly appeared there and started teasing him. "Hwan, I had no idea your interest lies in this area" "Shut up bro" Song Ji Hwan looked annoyed but when he tried to wake Aera up, his voice turned gentle. "Hey Aera, it is breakfast time wake up" He joked and continued calling her name until she slowly opened her eyes. When Song Ji Hwan''s close face came into her view she was stunned and immediately moved back. Her eyes then fell on the shoulder part of his t-shirt which was wet. Aera touched her chin and found it was slightly wet too. She realized she drooled over his t-shirt while sleeping. Embarrassed by what happened, she quickly stood up and bowed to him, apologizing, "I am so sorry for ruining your t-shirt" "Sorry? Just a sorry? Shouldn''t you offer to buy him a new t-shirt?" Ian, who was enjoying this scenario questioned Aera. "Ian, mind your own business" Song Ji Hwan warned him and patted Aera''s head, "Don''t worry I''ll just count it as favour number 99, okay?" Aera rolled her eyes and turned around only to get another shock, Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa were standing a few meters away from them. Kiaraa was reading a paper while Song Ji Hun was looking at Kiaraa. Aera was not sure why but at that moment, it felt like her heart just stinged when she saw Song Ji Hun looking at her sister with an intense gaze. Till date, he never spared a glance to her and right now he was not moving his sight away from her sister. Aera wished to brush it off like nothing happened but something in her didn''t let her. By now, more than fifteen minutes passed away. "What are you two doing here?" Song Ji Hwan approached Kiaraa and his brother after noticing their presence. Both the people didn''t answer him. Kiaraa was still pretending to read the clue while Song Ji Hun didn''t move his gaze away from her. Song Ji Hwan checked the time and declared, "The time''s up. You guys lost" He snatched away the clue from Kiaraa''s hand, read it and threw it away. "Why are you wearing my Hyung''s hoodie?" Hwan asked Kiaraa but she didn''t bother answering him. "Shall we go?" Kiaraa asked Ian, who happily nodded his head. These two then headed back to the restaurant where their fathers are waiting for them. "Take Aera with you" Song Ji Hwan reminded Kiaraa, "I and Hyung have a few places to visit, we will come soon" "Okay" Ian just nodded his head and the three people left together. "Hyung, is everything alright?" Song Ji Hwan worriedly asked his brother, after the three people left. "I screwed up big time" Song Ji Hun sat on a bench and covered his face with his hands. "Why? What happened?" Song Ji Hwan sat next to his brother and put his arm around his shoulder. "Hwan, can you leave me alone for a while, please?" Song Ji Hun calmly requested him as he wished to be alone for some time. "Hyung, I can''t. I''ll not say a word but please let me sit here next to you" Hwan didn''t wish to leave him alone as he could see something happened. Song Ji Hun agreed to his request and the two brothers calmly sat there, not uttering a word. After some time, Song Ji Hun received a call from his father, asking him and Hwan to come back as it was time to leave. The two brothers then directly met everyone else at the exit. "All of you kids had fun?" Kim Hoon asked the kids but no one responded to him. "They must be tired" Song Jae Ho consoled his disappointed friend and asked his sons to follow him to their car. While heading towards the parking, Kiaraa realized her shirt got dried and she doesn''t need Song Ji Hun''s hoodie. Kiaraa turned around and saw Song Ji Hun and Hwan walking together behind her, she went to Ji Hun and stood in front of him blocking his way. Hwan didn''t stop walking and left from there, giving them some privacy. Other kids and their fathers were ahead of them, almost reaching the parking area, so no one was there to interrupt these two. "Thanks for this hoodie" Kiaraa''s hand went to the zipper to unzip it when Song Ji Hun held her fist stopping her. "Are you crazy? We are in public" He didn''t forget that she wasn''t wearing other clothes beneath it. "I don''t care" Kiaraa''s mind was not in the right state but Song Ji Hun didn''t let go of her hand. "Kiaraa, please." He requested her looking into her eyes. Kiaraa calmed down but she was still not fine. "Let''s talk about what happened" Song Ji Hun suggested acknowledging the elephant in the room as he could see Kiaraa was as affected as him. Kiaraa was not sure why but she felt relieved that Song Ji Hun at least acknowledged something happened between them and didn''t continue pretending. She had been furious until now because he was acting like nothing happened between them. For a moment, she even wondered if whatever happened was her imagination. Kiaraa felt like a fool for giving in to that weak moment which infuriated her further. But now she calmed down. "When should we?" she asked him. "This Saturday we are meeting at your home, how about then?" "Fine. Collect your hoodie too at that time" she said and left from there with Song Ji Hun closely following her behind. After bidding adieu to each other, everyone left for their homes. Chapter 90 - She Likes You? That night Kiaraa had difficulty falling asleep as she kept recollecting the moments, she spent with Song Ji Hun. Kiaraa made a decision to see her counsellor the next day as all of this was messing with her mind and she is not able to handle her emotions. It felt like she wanted to burst out. Similarly, on the other side of the city Song Ji Hun was feeling no better. He was sitting on the bean bag in his room, recollecting the events of today when there was a knock on his room door. Assuming it to be his mother, Song Ji Hun opened the door looking annoyed but when he saw Yang Nam-il standing there with a huge grin painted on his face, he got surprised. "Are you not going to welcome me?" Yang Nam-il entered the room and comfortably settled on Ji Hun''s big bed. "You are already in the room" Song Ji Hun calmly said and closed the door. "What a comfortable bed" Yang Nam-il slept on it, rolling from one corner to another. "Why are you here?" Song Ji Hun had made no plans of meeting with Yang Nam-il and right now it was too late at night. They already had dinner and came to room to sleep. He wasn''t expecting him. "I came for a night out. Tonight, I am going to sleep here" Yang Nam-il informed him. "Why suddenly?" Song Ji Hun narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "You need to tell me that. What happened suddenly that Hwan had to beg me on the phone to come here and be with you?" Yang Nam-il sat up straight on the bed, his back touching the back rest of the bed. "This guy, why does he keep meddling in my life?" Song Ji Hun cursed his brother. "Because he cares and loves his Hyung the most" Yang Nam-il could hear his murmurs. "Still¡­" "Do you want me to leave? If you do, I''ll leave" Yang Nam-il was about to step down. "Please leave" Song Ji Hun pointed at the door. "Hahaha, I was kidding. I am not going to leave" Yang Nam-il stuck his tongue out, teasing him and comfortably sat back. Somewhere Song Ji Hun too didn''t wish for him to leave. Song Ji Hun stepped towards the big gallery in his room and sat on one of the bean bags and looked over at the night sky outside. Understanding his friend''s unsaid words, Yang Nam-il followed him outside and sat on another bean bag, next to Ji Hun''s. For a while, there was silence between them, no one uttered a word. Yang Nam-il was giving time to Song Ji Hun before he is ready to speak while Song Ji Hun was organizing his thoughts. "I ruined my chances with Kiaraa" Song Ji Hun broke the long silence between them with this one sentence. Yang Nam-il didn''t ask him anything and let Song Ji Hun speak his heart out. Song Ji Hun then narrated the events of today to his friend to give him the context. Yang Nam-il was taken aback knowing this guy almost kissed Kiaraa but he tried to not show it on his face as he didn''t wish to make Song Ji Hun more conscious of what happened. "The first time when I held her hands at that shooting range, I tried my best to not let my focus shift anywhere else. The faint smell of her body messed with me. Her hands were so soft" Yang Nam-il blushed and wanted to stop Song Ji Hun from talking but this was the first time his friend was being this explicit, so he let him be. "I didn''t wish to let her go but I knew the relationship we share, so I didn''t let my mind wander anywhere else. I focussed on the shooting target, hit it and immediately let go of her. Yang Nam-il these hormones suck, I was having all kinds of thoughts that were not appropriate" ''Oh no, is he now going to share all these thoughts'' Yang Nam-il got scared but Song Ji Hun knew his boundaries and didn''t share them. "The whole day, I tried my best to not have any perverted thoughts and to an extent I succeeded but since that log flume activity my calm mind again got messed. Seeing her in my clothes was already ruining my inner feelings but then suddenly she started showing concern for me, Nam-il" Song Ji Hun deeply sighed recollecting those innocent eyes, which were filled with worry towards him. "I have known Kiaraa for years, she doesn''t care about anyone except for a few. At that moment, she cared for me. It didn''t feel like she was faking it or was asking about me just out of formality. She did care. I couldn''t understand why did she suddenly care?" Song Ji Hun wondered and looked at Yang Nam-il waiting to hear his opinion. "Maybe this concern came out of the fact that you are a family friend, her close friend Hwan''s brother, or just out of the familiarity you two share" "I too kept telling myself the same but I felt something else" Song Ji Hun shared something which he was even scared of admitting to himself. "Ji Hun, you think she likes you?" Yang Nam-il could understand what Ji Hun was trying to imply. "I know it sounds so stupid. How can she like me within a day? I do know my existence doesn''t make any difference to her. So, assuming she too developed something for me is more of a wishful thinking from my end, but I swear Nam-il I felt something mutual" "Is that why you think she gave you her consent when you tried to kiss her?" "I am not sure what happened at that moment but I felt like even she wanted it, that was why my body gave up and I made a move on her" That moment was clearly painted in his mind, he could recollect her expressions, her face, her lips in detail. "Are you sure she too wanted it?" Yang Nam-il again asked him for confirmation. Chapter 91 - You Like Her "Are you sure she too wanted it?" Yang Nam-il again asked him for confirmation. "Hmm, I gave her enough time to push me away but instead she closed her eyes" "Was she scared? Did she close her eyes because she was helpless and feared you?" Yang Nam-il wanted to check all possibilities. "Are you asking me if Lee Kiaraa is so scared of someone that she would let him kiss her?" Song Ji Hun sarcastically countered him making Yang Nam-il laugh. "I am just trying to eliminate all possibilities" "What else can you think of?" "Let me think" Yang Nam-il deeply thought while rubbing his chin. "Before that kiss you two developed a good bond, right?" "I guess so" "Maybe her hormones too were acting up and she was attracted to you maybe for a moment" Yang Nam-il concluded after thinking of all possibilities and immediately added, "But this is just my assumption" "Of course, I am more worried about her reaction post that incident" Song Ji Hun shared his true worry. "Why was she angry?" Yang Nam-il asked him. "No idea. That''s what I had been wondering for long. Was she upset because I tried to kiss her?" "If that was the case then she would have stopped you immediately" Yang Nam-il countered. "Earlier, she mentioned her younger sister having a crush on me. I am not sure if she was kidding or she was serious, has that got anything to do with her reaction?" Song Ji Hun was recollecting every single detail to understand Kiaraa''s reaction. "Ji Hun, if it is indeed true, then you need to end her sister''s crush. We don''t want future complications in your relationship" "I don''t think it is serious" Song Ji Hun didn''t bother himself with Aera. "Still, we don''t know what might trigger whom. Let me call Song Ji Hwan over" Yang Nam-il suggested as between both these brothers, Hwan always has more information on such topics. Song Ji Hun nodded his head, so Yang Nam-il called Hwan, who joined them in the gallery. "Hwan, does Kiaraa''s younger sister have a crush on Ji Hun?" Yang Nam-il asked him as Ji Hun didn''t feel comfortable talking about it. Song Ji Hwan didn''t expect this question when he was asked to join them, he was clearly a bit taken aback. "Hwan?" Yang Nam-il patted on his shoulder. "Well, yeah. She has a huge crush on Hyung" Hwan didn''t lie. "Huge?" Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Hmm, did you not notice how she keeps bringing juice and water for you when you sit in heat?" "I thought she was just being nice" Song Ji Hun felt very awkward now. "Hyung, she keeps calling you oppa" Hwan reminded him. "Yes, because I am older, she calls everyone like that" Ji Hun countered. "No, not everyone, just you. Everyone is aware of her crush. Mom even wishes to have Aera as her daughter-in-law" Song Ji Hwan was not sure why but he was a bit annoyed with his brother for not seeing what all of them saw. Yang Nam-il laughed loudly hearing that, "Ji Hun, maybe you should just focus on the younger one" The next moment Nam-il got cold stares from his best friend, and the smile on his face froze. "Don''t you ever dare suggest this again" Song Ji Hun warned him. "Sorry" Yang Nam-il felt a bit scared of his own friend. "If you knew all of this, why did you never mention it to me before?" Song Ji Hun questioned his brother. "I thought you knew about it, and you chose to ignore it" This is what Hwan truly believed. "I need to put a stop to her feelings" Song Ji Hun commented. "She is just a twelve-year old, how can you take her seriously?" Song Ji Hwan asked his brother. "So, you want me to just let it be and encourage her?" Song Ji Hun got irritated with Hwan''s suggestion. "What exactly are you trying to do here Hwan? You knew about her feelings and you never told him or me. Now that, Ji Hun wishes to put an end to it, you are indirectly stopping him" Yang Nam-il too got confused and questioned Hwan. "Look, Aera is always treated unfairly. Kiaraa, me and Ian we keep bullying her. The only solace she found is in this crush, which makes her happy. So, can we just let her be instead of breaking a twelve-year old''s heart? When she will grow up her crush will fade away" Song Ji Hwan explained himself as he feels pity for Aera. "Hwan, it might just complicate everything" Yang Nam-il had different point of view in regards to this topic. "I agree with Nam-il" Song Ji Hun added. "Okay, how about we let her be for two or three years. If she is fifteen, sixteen and still harbours feelings for Hyung, then she can be told to not have any feelings and you can talk to her" Hwan suggested. "Do you hate her so much that you wish for her to go through more pain?" Song Ji Hun asked his younger brother, as he couldn''t understand his logic. "No, I just feel bad for her. You are the only thing she likes, if we take that too away from her, she might feel upset and lost" Hwan explained. "Hwan, the older she will get, the deeper will be her feelings" Yang Nam-il reminded him. "Guys, you are just taking Aera''s minor crush way too seriously." Song Ji Hwan laughed and looked at his brother, "Hyung, you are not that awesome that Aera will fall in love with you. Stop thinking too highly of yourself" "It was you, who told us about her feelings" Song Ji Hun reminded him how this discussion started in the first place. "Yeah, only after you asked me. I am telling you Aera''s crush is very minor and it would just go away. You know what, I''ll try to get her over this, cool?" Song Ji Hwan asked them. "I don''t know what the hell is going on in your mind" Yang Nam-il said. "I just don''t want her to get hurt, that''s it" Song Ji Hwan calmly said but his voice sounded serious. "You like her?" Song Ji Hun suddenly asked his brother. Chapter 92 - Freak Out "You like her?" Song Ji Hun suddenly asked his brother only to hear him laugh as if he just heard a joke. "What''s so funny about it?" Yang Nam-il questioned Hwan, who couldn''t stop laughing. "Hahaha, guys, one minute, hahahaha, I can''t stop laughing." Song Ji Hwan managed to say between his laughter. Song Ji Hun and Yang Nam-il patiently waited for Hwan to complete his laughter, which went on for at least three more minutes. Once Song Ji Hwan calmed down, he asked, "Are you serious?" Song Ji Hun calmly took out his phone and opened the gallery on his phone. "See this" Ji Hun handed his phone to Yang Nam-il, who was surprised at what he saw. "Wow, this is new" He commented. "Hmm, it was clicked today at the amusement park" Song Ji Hun informed his friend. "Let me first send this to myself" Yang Nam-il sent the picture to his phone before showing it to a confused looking Hwan, who was wondering what these two were talking about. The next minute, when he saw the photo of Aera sleeping on his shoulders, hugging him in the park this afternoon, Hwan face-palmed himself. "How narrow-minded are you two? We were just tired and slept. There was distance between us and I think in her sleep she moved closer. Maybe sleeping habits" Song Ji Hwan explained himself. "Why are you explaining so much?" Yang Nam-il had a teasing smile on his face. "Excuse me! Let me make one thing very clear to the two of you. I will never like this dumb girl who is into my brother" Song Ji Hwan declared furiously as he didn''t like the direction in which this discussion was heading in. "Don''t get furious, we are just trying to understand why you don''t want me to reject her" Song Ji Hun rarely saw his brother angry so he tried to calm him down. "Hyung, if I like her, I would have asked you to reject her immediately and not do the opposite. I pity that girl and that''s why I am asking you to not break her heart. Also, she is young, even if you reject her, she won''t understand." "Also, tell me one thing, how are you planning to reject her? She never confessed to you directly. Will you just randomly approach her and say ¨C ''Hey Aera, I got to know you like me but I don''t like you so please get over me. Is that what you will say?" Song Ji Hwan questioned Ji Hun. "I feel you are over reacting" Song Ji Hun calmly replied. "Just wait for a few years, if she doesn''t get over you, you can reject her" Song Ji Hwan suggested. "Fine, this Sunday, I''ll at least make it clear to Kiaraa that I am not a bit interested in her sister" Song Ji Hun declared. "What is going on with you and Kiaraa?" Song Ji Hwan had no context and his curious mind was not letting him stay at peace. "Nothing" Song Ji Hun didn''t wish to talk to Hwan about the stuff between him and Kiaraa. Although he loves his younger brother a lot, there are a few things he doesn''t feel comfortable talking about. "At times I feel my brother loves you more than he loves me" Song Ji Hwan got annoyed with Yang Nam-il. "The bond between friends is different, at the end of the day, he loves you the most" Yang Nam-il consoled the guy, who he too considers as a younger brother. "Anyway, I hope we are clear on Aera?" Song Ji Hwan asked. "Hmm, I am still not sure if it is indeed out of pity you are acting like this or not but since you keep insisting, I am not going to reject her but remember Hwan, if in future Aera creates trouble for me, then it is your responsibility to handle her" Song Ji Hun declared and for the time being Hwan agreed with it. "You may go now" Yang Nam-il teasingly smiled at Hwan, who rolled his eyes but left from there to give the two friends their privacy. "You should clearly tell Kiaraa you are not interested in her sister, even a bit" Yang Nam-il said. "Hmm, but I still don''t understand why was she angry" "Maybe she felt embarrassed and hid it with her anger" Yang Nam-il guessed. "Hmm, possible" "Ji Hun, what are you going to talk to her on Sunday? How are you going to explain yourself?" Yang Nam-il addressed the most important question. "That''s what I have been thinking too. Should I just confess my feelings?" Song Ji Hun asked him. Yang Nam-il was shocked and immediately shook his head, "Are you crazy? She will freak out if you will suddenly tell her, you had a crush on her for a few years now" "Freak out?" Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows in doubt. "Obviously. If a guy, she didn''t interact much with, if suddenly claims he likes her, then she will definitely feel awkward. She might even think you are lying to cover up the awkward encounter or worse, she will think the quality time you spent today was all fake and you did everything to impress her" Yang Nam-il had a bad feeling about this confession. He felt this was not the right time. "I was honest today, didn''t pretend to impress her" "I know that, but she doesn''t know. Since, you told me about your crush I observed her more keenly and believe me Ji Hun, your Kiaraa is not like other girls" Yang Nam-il said. "Hmm, I know that" "Therefore, I would suggest be very careful with what you say to her" Yang Nam-il suggested. "Like?" Yang Nam-il thought for a while before suggesting something to Ji Hun and after some discussion Song Ji Hun liked this idea. "Hmm, this seems more practical and convincing" Song Ji Hun concluded at the end and looked relieved. "Yeah, thank goodness you are fine now" Yang Nam-il was glad he was of some help to his friend, who now looked much better than earlier. "Thanks for always being there for me, Nam-il" "Save it, you will always need me, how many times you will keep thanking?" Yang Nam-il joked to which Song Ji Hun agreed. The two guys then talked about other stuff and went to sleep at early dawn. Chapter 93 - Infuriated Next day, Kiaraa informed her parents that she wishes to meet Baek Ma-Ri, her counsellor so her mom dropped her at Ma-Ri''s house after fixing an appointment. Lee Myung Soo was used to Kiaraa visiting her counsellor frequently, so as long as no one else knew about it, he was fine with it. Kiaraa''s parents were able to see some positive changes in her personality since she started her counselling so they too were supportive of it. Kiaraa reached Baek Ma-Ri''s house and straight away went to the big room which was meant to be used for her counselling. This room was pleasantly decorated with light colours. There were couches, bean bags and different types of comfortable chairs for one to sit. Kiaraa sat on a couch across Baek Ma-Ri, who was sitting on a big comfortable chair opposite to the couch. Baek Ma-Ri was wearing a long light pink dress and her hair was left open. She smiled seeing Kiaraa and was about to greet her but before she could, Kiaraa burst out. "I am so furious right now, only I know how I had been controlling myself from bursting out since last evening" Kiaraa finally said the words she had been supressing inside her. "Okay, calm down. Do you want some water?" Baek Ma-Ri tried to reach the jug of water and a glass kept on the table between them. She was confused as she never saw Kiaraa this infuriated before. "No, I rather want a knife" Kiaraa shouted. "Knife? Why?" "Yes, I am going to slit that stupid Song Ji Hun''s throat using it." Kiaraa snatched a pillow lying next to her and tried to smash it using her nails, imagining Ji Hun''s face. Baek Ma-Ri''s eyes widened in shock, "Kiaraa, what are you saying? You want to kill someone?" "Not just someone, I want to kill that bastard Song Ji Hun" Kiaraa clutched on her hair in frustration recollecting Song Ji Hun''s face. "Okay, first tell me who is Song Ji Hun?" This was the first time Baek Ma-Ri heard Kiaraa mention this name. At times, Kiaraa did mention a similar name but it was Song Ji Hwan and not Song Ji Hun. But Baek Ma-Ri understood Ji Hun is somehow related to Ji Hwan, who is a close friend of Kiaraa. "Song Ji Hun is a bastard, who almost kissed me yesterday" Kiaraa declared angrily surprising the woman across her even more. "Kissed you? Kiaraa, were you sexually assaulted or something? Did you talk to your parents about it and who is this guy, what is his age?" Baek Ma-Ri was genuinely worried after what Kiaraa said, she forgot being a counsellor and reacted like an adult, who truly cares for Kiaraa. Over the time, Kiaraa and Baek Ma-Ri developed a close bond which went past the doctor-patient relationship. Yet, Baek Ma-Ri always stayed a professional when dealing with Kiaraa''s problems. The two grew quite closer meanwhile and that was the reason why Kiaraa wished to talk to Baek Ma-Ri about the incident from yesterday, as she feels a different kind of comfort around this woman. Kiaraa believes she can share anything with Baek Ma-Ri without the fear of being judged. Although she has friends ¨C Ian and Song Ji Hwan, there were still a few things she doesn''t feel comfortable in talking to these two boys especially about the incident with Song Ji Hun. Kiaraa was no stranger to Ian''s jealousy towards Ji Hun and the issue he has if she ever talks to Ji Hun. Hwan is Ji Hun''s brother, so discussing with him was out of question too. She can''t talk to her parents about it and definitely not Aera, so her last resort was Ms Baek Ma-Ri. "What sexually assaulted? No, no he didn''t assault me" Kiaraa calmed down seeing the worry on Baek Ma-Ri''s face. The realization hit her, that she scared this woman with her words and over reaction. "Kiaraa, you just told me a guy tried to kiss you and now you are saying you were not sexually assaulted. Can you please be clearer?" Baek Ma-Ri was freaking out a bit. "I am sorry, I should have been more specific." "Yes, please. First tell me were you sexually assaulted or harassed?" "No" "Kiaraa, you sure? If you were please don''t hesitate in sharing with me" Baek Ma-Ri tried to make herself sound as calm and soothing as possible. "I wanted him to kiss me and he didn''t" Kiaraa pouted sadly and the anger on her face was immediately replaced by sadness and frustration. "What?" Baek Ma-Ri was even more confused, then she shook her head trying to calm herself down before again asking Kiaraa, "Who is Song Ji Hun? Tell me that first." "He is a family friend''s son, Song Ji Hwan''s elder brother and¡­" Kiaraa hesitated in saying her next words. "And?" Baek Ma-Ri asked and after not getting any reply from Kiaraa, she added, "This is a safe space Kiaraa, you can say whatever you want here. No one will judge you" Her words worked like a medicine and Kiaraa closed her eyes tightly before saying, "And the man my sister is head over heels in love with" The most uncomfortable part for Kiaraa was Aera''s feelings towards Song Ji Hun. "Oh Okay. What is that guy''s age?" "He is two years older than me. His birthday falls in May, so he is 16 now." "Understood" Baek Ma-Ri noted in her diary. "Now tell me Kiaraa, what happened yesterday and what led to your anger?" Baek Ma-Ri wanted Kiaraa to talk out everything instead of keeping it all inside. "Yesterday, dad and his friends took us all out to an amusement park¡­" Kiaraa gave her a brief update of the events. "Now, I was paired with Song Ji Hun and I thought, it was cool as I didn''t wish to pair with Ian, Aera or Kim Do-Yun" "Aera and Kim Do-Yun, I understand. But why not Ian? Is he not your best friend?" Chapter 94 - Sapiosexual "Aera and Kim Do-Yun, I understand. But why not Ian? Is he not your best friend?" Baek Ma-Ri heard all their names coming up at one or the other session of Kiaraa so she was aware of who was who. The only name she heard today for the first time was Song Ji Hun. "Ian is my best friend but he is very clingy. He kept roaming around me since we entered the amusement park. Wherever I went, he followed me. Intentionally to get rid of him, I even participated in a few games which he is scared of but he still didn''t leave my side. I therefore, wanted some space from him" Kiaraa shared her thoughts with Baek Ma-Ri, who kind of predicted Ian''s feelings towards her but she kept it to herself as it was not her job to inform Kiaraa about Ian''s growing romantic feelings. This was something Ian and Kiaraa have to deal with among themselves, is what Baek Ma-Ri believed and as a true professional she sticked to her job without getting personal. "Okay, please continue" "So, when Song Ji Hun became my partner, I didn''t mind. He was anyway better than Hwan as he is the smartest kid in our group." Baek Ma-Ri just nodded her head, motivating Kiaraa to talk more. "When we were solving the puzzle, I realized he is smarter than I thought and I was getting impressed with him as well as his intelligence" Here, Kiaraa turned a bit hesitant. "Impressed?" Baek Ma-Ri caught on the key word, which kind of sounded wrong. "Fine, attracted not impressed" Kiaraa covered her face in her palms, embarrassed that Baek Ma-Ri saw through her. "Hmm, there is nothing to feel ashamed of. At your age, it is natural to feel attracted to people of opposite sex and at times of same sex" Baek Ma-Ri casually stated. Kiaraa nodded her head as she was not a child and had some basic knowledge on these things. "We were solving puzzles, at one point he stood behind me and held a gun as we were supposed to shoot a target and I was not able to hold the gun. At that time, I went through multiple emotions" Kiaraa informed her why they were supposed to shoot a target and gave some basic details. "Okay, what kind of emotions? Can you talk more about it?" This is what Kiaraa wanted too, talk out all her feelings. "When I couldn''t hold the gun and asked him to do the task, I did mean it but when he refused and said we both should do it together and the way he thought of a method to include me and make me an equal part of this game. I felt overwhelmed." "He could have just used his strength and take over the whole task on himself but he rather helped me achieve it instead of snatching it away from me" Baek Ma-Ri nodded her head, understanding what must have impressed Kiaraa. Any girl would have felt the same as Kiaraa in this kind of situation. "Then when he wrapped his arms around mine, I¡­" Kiaraa hesitatingly looked at the counsellor, who nodded her head as a signal to keep talking. "I liked it. His arms felt good and protective. Then, I felt his hot breath on my skin, which drove me crazy. So much that I didn''t even pay attention on the target and all I could think of was his hot breath and how nice it was" Kiaraa again covered her face in her palms. "Kiaraa, there is nothing to feel ashamed of. You are growing up now and started having your periods two months ago. Therefore, having such feelings are natural" "Yeah, but why do I have to feel all these things for the guy Aera likes?" Kiaraa frustratedly questioned Ma-Ri. "Kiaraa, what exactly is your problem? The fact that Aera liking him is making you feel guilty or you are frustrated that you like a guy who is liked by your sister as according to you, your sister''s taste is not good" Kiaraa was calm for a few minutes as Baek Ma-Ri perfectly caught on her problem. "It is kind of both. Also, I can''t believe Aera''s choice in guys is so good. She used to like him for way long." Kiaraa deeply sighed feeling a bit annoyed. "How does that make you feel?" "Frustrated" "Why?" "How can my sister notice such a nice guy so early and I couldn''t?" Baek Ma-Ri slightly chuckled, "Okay, now tell me what happened after that?" "We perfectly hit the target and after that we solved many puzzles. Unlike Ian and Hwan, who don''t take such tasks seriously, Song Ji Hun was a total opposite. He dedicated himself just like me to this game" "He didn''t dominate me but perfectly matched me and my intelligence. I kept liking him more and more every time he spoke something intelligent" "I think you are sapiosexual, Kiaraa" Baek Ma-Ri declared and understanding that the confused girl sitting opposite her didn''t get the meaning, she explained. "Sapiosexuals are those people, who are attracted to a person''s intelligence more than their appearance or any other characteristic" "Hold that thought" Kiaraa again felt awkward recollecting something else. "Yes?" "In one of the tasks, he removed his shirt. Believe me Ms Baek, I have seen a lot of hot male bodies in movies with abs and all but this guy''s normal lean body, made my mind dizzy. I had the urge to touch him" Kiaraa realized what she just said and took a pillow to again cover her face. Baek Ma-Ri gently laughed and assured her, "Kiaraa, it is very normal. Again, you have nothing to feel ashamed of" "Yeah, but I was checking him out carefully, without being caught" "It is normal" "Then he gave me his hoodie as my top turned wet, I was impressed of his thoughtfulness. He didn''t take advantage of checking me out in my wet clothes like I did. Which I am sure Ian would have done but Ji Hun didn''t. He was the perfect gentleman" Baek Ma-Ri nodded her head. "Then the final task happened" The anger which was dissipated until now was back on Kiaraa''s face. Chapter 95 - Momentary Thing "Then the final task happened" The anger which was dissipated until now was back on Kiaraa''s face. "And that angered you because?" Kiaraa gave a brief information on the task before taking out her anger, "That bastard suddenly leaned towards me to kiss me" "You should have punched him then" Baek Ma-Ri was teasing her as she could feel Kiaraa''s frustration. "Don''t smile" Kiaraa got angry. "Sorry, that was very unprofessional of me" Baek Ma-Ri apologized and turned serious. "For the first time in my life, I felt attracted to a guy who is not inside the television or on the big-screen or inside a webtoon or some manga or an anime. Which means for the very first time I liked a real human being" Kiaraa agitatedly said and grabbed one pillow, which she started crushing. "Kiaraa, calm down" "No, I can''t. I was waiting for him to kiss me and then he suddenly moved away" The pitch of Kiaraa''s voice increased. "Why did he move away?" "That stupid Ian interrupted us" Kiaraa crushed her pillow imagining Ian this time. Baek Ma-Ri chuckled, "Then how is it Song Ji Hun''s fault? You two were interrupted so he moved back" "No, I am not agitated because he moved back. I am furious because after that he acted all cool and pretended like nothing happened" Kiaraa almost shouted. "What did you wish he did instead?" Baek Ma-Ri calmly asked her. "He could have said, ''Let''s continue later''" Baek Ma-Ri couldn''t help but smile, "Do you think that would be appropriate?" "Why not?" Kiaraa frowned at her counsellor. "Why would that be appropriate?" Baek Ma-Ri asked her instead. "We both wanted to kiss each other so we should" "Okay, after that what he did?" "He kept acting all normal. That bastard even went ahead and solved the clue. That made me so angry" "Why did it make you angry? You too were serious about the game, right?" "Because¡­" Kiaraa hesitated in saying so but she eventually did, "Because I felt that almost kiss affected me more than it affected him. I was more into it than he was and I made a fool out of myself" "Kiaraa, can I share something with you? Not as a counsellor but as a friend?" Baek Ma-Ri calmly asked the girl. "Hmm" "Speaking from my experience, men and women are so different that even the way they handle a few emotions varies. Just because he focussed on something else does not imply, he was not affected. We can''t be sure what''s going on in his mind" "I don''t care" Kiaraa was not ready to listen to anything, she was very embarrassed of what happened. "Then what happened?" "I ignored him and I intentionally ruined our treasure hunt by killing some time until we cross the deadline." "He didn''t get angry? Given what you told me, he too is competitive like you. Right?" "I don''t know, I didn''t bother myself" Kiaraa was not ready to accept that Song Ji Hun was calm in spite of her attitude. "Then?" "Then, we went our ways and at the end while leaving he told me he wishes to talk about what happened between us" "Oh, he did?" Baek Ma-Ri was surprised as Kiaraa''s anger made her feel that guy ignored everything. "Yeah" "How did that make you feel?" Kiaraa took a deep breath, "Honestly? I felt relieved. Until then, I was questioning myself if what happened was a dream or what? I wondered if all of this was just in my mind and he didn''t even try to kiss me. So, when he acknowledged it, I felt relieved that I am not crazy and didn''t imagine all of this" "So did you two, talk about it?" "No. This Sunday we will" "What will you say to him?" Baek Ma-Ri asked her. "I''ll say it was just a stupid momentary thing and I don''t care about it." "Is that true?" Kiaraa went calm thinking deeply for a while before nodding her head, "Hmm, I was attracted to him only for a minute and it was a momentary thing. I am not like Aera, who is crazy about him. I''ll rather check out my favourite anime characters" "Kiaraa, do you mean it?" Baek Ma-Ri again asked her. "Yeah, I don''t want to eye a guy my sister is so crazy about" Kiaraa seriously replied. "So, you are sacrificing for your sister?" Baek Ma-Ri was a bit surprised as this was the first time Kiaraa was taking Aera''s feelings into consideration. Kiaraa laughed as if she just heard a joke. "If I like and want him then the point of sacrificing would come. I don''t care about that guy even a bit. Yes, I was attracted to his intelligence but come on there are much smarter guys in this world. I''ll leave this one for my sister, I am anyway not that interested in him" Baek Ma-Ri could see Kiaraa indeed meant these words and was not lying or faking it. So, she didn''t pursue Kiaraa to do otherwise. These sessions that are being conducted are for Kiaraa to learn everything by herself and to know how to make her own decisions in the right way. "Are you feeling better now, Kiaraa?" Baek Ma-Ri asked her as Kiaraa calmed down and stopped torturing the poor pillow. "Did he really stop because of Ian?" Kiaraa''s question sounded more like she was trying to recollect that moment and was asking herself. So, Baek Ma-Ri didn''t utter a word and let Kiaraa compose her thoughts. "Or did he look at Aera, who was sleeping behind that tree and realized his feelings for her and stopped? Does he think I am easy just because I silently gave consent to that kiss? Does he now think of me as some lowly person?" Kiaraa shot some back-to-back questions which made Baek Ma-Ri smile as Kiaraa, was acting just like any teenager. After Kiaraa muttered a few questions to herself, she looked at Baek Ma-Ri, "I will get over this guy, right? I mean it was just a one-day attraction. It is not a big deal" "Hmm, you will have such minor crushes on many guys in the future" Baek Ma-Ri casually assured her. Kiaraa sighed in relief, "Thank goodness, I don''t wish to involve myself with someone like Song Ji Hun" "You never have to do anything that you don''t want to, Kiaraa" "Thank you" Kiaraa finally smiled as she felt much better after talking out all her feelings. Chapter 96 - Too Soon? On Sunday, as planned all the three families were gathered at the Lee mansion. "Congratulations Lee Byung Ho, you people cracked such a big deal" Grandpa Song congratulated his friend as soon as he entered their home. "Haha, don''t praise me, all credits go to Myung Soo. He handled the clients very well and impressed them" Lee Byung Ho declared looking at his eldest son with pride. "It was based on everything that you taught me dad" Myung Soo feels uncomfortable with such praises, so he awkwardly smiled. "I taught everything to someone else too but they didn''t do such a good job in handling business" Lee Byung Ho commented looking at his youngest son Lee Man Sik, who was politely greeting all the guests. Hearing his dad''s words, Lee Man Sik got hurt. It wasn''t new for him to listen to his father''s taunts but it always happened in these four walls amongst their family members and not in front of all the guests. Lee Man Sik''s wife too felt embarrassed but she tried to not show it on her face. She tried to stand there with her head held high. "Dad, let''s not talk about business when we are attending this gathering." Lee Myung Soo felt bad for his younger brother and tried to divert the topic. "Yeah, I was thinking should we all go to some nice destination for a holiday?" Understanding the situation Song Jae Ho tried to divert everyone''s attention. "It would be difficult Song Jae Ho, so many things need to be planned for a holiday and we do not have enough time." Chu Yu Ri rejected the idea. "Okay but next year we should go somewhere, let''s plan it nicely" Song Jae Ho suggested. "No, next year is impossible. Ji Hun would be entering the twelfth grade and would need to focus on that. Forget partying and holidaying for the next two years" Ji Seo Yun strictly warned her husband. "Oh right" Song Jae Ho forgot all about it. "Why are you worrying about Ji Hun? I am sure he is only going to top again. Rest assured" Sa Da-Hye chimed in before adding, "Ian is someone one should worry about" "Enough, you just underestimate your smart son" Ji Seo Yun smiled. "No, we don''t. You people underestimate Song Ji Hun. That guy has a lot of potential in him. I can see he will be a big successful businessman just like his father" Kim Hoon added and proudly looked at his friend. "Yeah, if I ever have to bet all my money on someone, it would be Song Ji Hun" Lee Myung Soo too said in support of his friend Kim Hoon. "Really? Shouldn''t you bet all your money on your daughter Kiaraa? She is clearly going to be the future CEO of Lee Conglomerate" Song Jae Ho casually commented with a huge smile on his face. "Why just Kiaraa? Choi Hyuk too is good enough to take over the Lee Conglomerate" Lee Min Seo, who had been silently sitting there with the guests spoke up when she heard what Song Jae Ho said. She didn''t like how everything was being pre-decided without taking them into consideration. "Even Lee Gun is a good candidate" Lee Man Sik, too spoke up as he didn''t wish for his son to lack anything that he deserves. The other guests could feel the pleasant atmosphere turning cold. "We will decide that based on their talents but for now I feel Kiaraa is the most talented of all" Lee Byung Ho declared annoyed by his son and daughter''s words. "Dad, why are we discussing all of this now? There is a lot of time for such stuff" Lee Myung Soo chimed in to stop his father from saying something offensive that could end up hurting his siblings. "What lot of time? Kiaraa is almost 14, she needs to start her training when she will turn 18." Lee Byung Ho declared worsening the atmosphere. "Dad, but we don''t know what Kiaraa wants" Chu Yu Ri chimed in to maintain the peace in her family. "I know what she wants. I asked her already and she expressed her interest in ruling our business. Also, she is not just words but even in her actions she proved she is capable of taking over the entire business world someday" Grandpa Lee declared, pride evident in his tone. "I thought you like Aera more" Ji Seo Yun couldn''t help but comment only to get glared at by her husband. ''This woman needs to grow up'' Song Jae Ho helplessly looked at his loving wife, who sometimes can''t control her tongue. "Of course, I love Aera the most. She is my most obedient and sweet child but she is too sweet for the ruthless world of business. Whereas Kiaraa, is capable of being more ruthless than the worst people out there" Lee Byung Ho didn''t mind Ji Seo Yun''s question and sincerely answered her. "I am not sure if you are praising my daughter or taunting her" Lee Myung Soo laughed trying to lighten the situation. "I am obviously praising her. She is my smartest grandchild" Lee Byung Ho proudly declared. "True, Kiaraa is the smartest of all. That''s why we Kims are already eying her to make her the daughter-in-law of our house" Grandpa Kim, Kim Dong-il suddenly declared surprising everyone in the room. No one expected the discussion to escalate in this direction. "Isn''t it too soon?" Lee Myung Soo tried to hide his displeasure as Kim Dong-il is of his father''s age and he didn''t wish to be disrespectful towards him. Few days ago, when his friend Kim Hoon mentioned the same thing, Lee Myung Soo didn''t mind in sharing his opinion but now he had to be polite. "No, it is not too soon. This is the age teenagers fall in love" Kim Dong-il smiled with the thought of having Kiaraa as his grand daughter-in-law. ''Nice, this will ensure my Hwan would be away from that girl'' Ji Seo Yun sighed in relief seeing how keen Kims were to make Kiaraa theirs. Chapter 97 - Guilt Trip ''Nice, this will ensure my Hwan would be away from that girl'' Ji Seo Yun sighed in relief seeing how keen Kims were to make Kiaraa theirs. "Still uncle Dong-il, I feel it is too early we have such kind of a discussion" Lee Myung Soo tried to sound as polite as he can while his wife held his hand, caressing it, reminding him to keep his cool. "Lee Byung Ho, why does it feel like your son is unhappy having my grandson as his son-in-law?" Kim Dong-il directly asked his friend. "Hmm, I think he is just being possessive of his daughter. Don''t worry Dong-il, you have my word, Kiaraa is going to be the daughter-in-law of your house" Lee Byung Ho declared pissing his son off. "Can we have the word too that Aera will be daughter-in-law of my home?" Ji Seo Yun decided to take advantage of old man''s happy mood to get a promise for her household too. "My daughter-in-law is smart" Grandpa Song proudly looked at Ji Seo Yun, appreciating her smartness. "Why are you all eying my daughters? Are there no other girls in this world?" Lee Myung Soo tried a lot to hide his displeasure. "What is your problem?" Lee Byung Ho questioned his son. "Aera is not correct for Song Ji Hun and neither Kiaraa is right for Ian" "You are overreacting" Lee Byung Ho didn''t take his son''s words seriously and laughed at his statement. "Byung Ho, you gave me your word, don''t you forget it" Grandpa Kim reminded him. "Byung Ho, I too want your word" Grandpa Song said as he didn''t wish to miss out on such a good opportunity. "Yeah, yeah, you too have my word. Aera will be your household''s grand daughter-in-law, happy?" Grandpa Lee laughed proudly as he was delighted to see his granddaughters being in such great demand. Lee Myung Soo wanted to chime in but his wife, Chu Yu Ri signalled him to keep quiet assuring him that these things don''t matter and it is not necessary for future to unfold exactly like this. Due to his wife''s assuring eyes he calmed down but he didn''t like this discussion even a bit. On the other hand, kids were busy in their own world unknown of the discussion happening among their parents. Kiaraa went to get the hoodie which was neatly washed and kept in her room. She searched for Song Ji Hun and got to know from Hwan that he was sitting in the lawn area, reading his book as usual. "Hwan, can you do me a favour?" Kiaraa seriously requested him. "Sure" "Can you keep Ian busy for a while and ensure he doesn''t follow me where I go?" Kiaraa was used to Ian always tagging along with her. At times, it annoyed her as he was always in her personal space. Today, she wished to talk to Song Ji Hun in private so she requested for Hwan''s help. "Yeah, sure" Hwan didn''t question her the reason behind this request and quietly agreed. He was sure Kiaraa is going to meet Ji Hun. After getting assurance from Hwan, Kiaraa went to meet Song Ji Hun. Although it looked like Song Ji Hun was reading a book, his mind was somewhere else. Right now, he was nervous to face Kiaraa, he was aware that it is inevitable for them to talk about what happened at the amusement park but he couldn''t help feeling anxious. He was already prepared for it as he and Yang Nam-il decided what to say but now that he was actually in this moment, he felt uneasy. "Song Ji Hun" Just then a cold voice called his name, freezing him at the spot as he recognized who this voice belongs to. Hearing his name coming from her mouth was something he always craved for but now that he could feel the coldness in her voice, it pained him. Closing his book, he calmly turned around to look at Kiaraa, who was holding his hoodie. Her eyes were emotionless and he couldn''t predict what was going inside her mind. She looked like a statue with no feelings or emotions. "Thanks for this, it is neatly washed and ironed" Kiaraa''s voice sounded plain, it didn''t carry the feeling of thankfulness she was claiming she felt. Song Ji Hun calmly accepted his hoodie. "Do you wish to talk about¡­" "Obviously, I do. That''s why I am here" Kiaraa interrupted him. "You want to go first?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "No. You go first, explain yourself" Kiaraa declared surprising Song Ji Hun as he didn''t expect this. He thought Kiaraa would take the lead to spurt out her feelings. Clearing his throat, he started explaining himself. "While doing all those activities with you, I found your intelligence attractive. You are the smartest girl I ever came across and I felt dragged towards you. Then there was that moment when I was so close to you, that it felt like everything stopped, including time. I suddenly wished to kiss you and because you gave me your silent consent, I decided to go with it but Ian interrupted us" Song Ji Hun tried to be as honest as he could without scaring her. He and Yang Nam-il decided to not reveal his long crush towards Kiaraa that had been lingering for years as he didn''t wish to freak her out. But he intends to be at least honest about how he felt towards her during the treasure hunt activity. Unknown to Kiaraa, her anger slowly dissipated when she heard his reasoning. At least, he didn''t say it was a mistake or just a momentary thing, and how he now regrets it, etc, etc. He honestly shared his feelings from that day. "After that, why did you pretend like nothing happened between us?" Kiaraa didn''t show on her face how relieved she was and rather questioned him back. "I didn''t wish to embarrass you in front of your ''best friend''" Unintentionally Song Ji Hun focused on the word best friend, while describing Ian. Kiaraa could understand his point as she definitely would have felt awkward if Song Ji Hun openly mentioned what happened between them in front of Ian, not to forget how much Ian dislikes him. "So, that was it?" Kiaraa asked him. "Hmm" "Cool" Kiaraa turned around to leave when Song Ji Hun''s next words stopped her. "Are you not supposed to explain yourself too?" "What''s there to explain?" "Why did you allow me to kiss you?" Song Ji Hun was really curious to know what was going on in her mind at that moment. If he had a superpower, he would have jumped inside her brain, opened that moment''s memory and would have read her thoughts. "When did I allow you?" Kiaraa countered him. Understanding there won''t be a straight reply from this stubborn girl, Song Ji Hun kept his book aside. "When I leaned closer, you closed your eyes" "I closed my eyes in disgust, it didn''t mean I allowed you" Kiaraa didn''t wish to share what she truly felt. "Oh, really?" Song Ji Hun was not sure what superpower he developed but he could see through Kiaraa''s lie. She had a straight face, but he was able to see through it and could even sense nervousness inside her. ''Am I overthinking this?'' he wondered. "Yes, really. Don''t think too highly of yourself. At that moment, I rather wished to punch you in the face" Kiaraa declared and now he could feel the sincerity in her words. But he had no idea that she wanted to punch him for leaving her hanging. ''I was definitely overthinking this, maybe she did not even give me her consent and I misread her intentions'' Song Ji Hun thought. "I am sorry if I made you feel unsafe" Song Ji Hun quickly apologized surprising Kiaraa. She could see the guilt painted all over his face. "You should be. Don''t you ever dare make a move on any girl; it would only be inappropriate." Kiaraa advised him. "I would never" Song Ji Hun was on a guilt trip so he agreed to her order without thinking much about it. "Good" Kiaraa turned away to leave and saw Aera, who was standing there holding a glass of juice. "Thanks" Kiaraa was about to snatch that glass but Aera took a step back, "It is for Song Ji Hun oppa" she seriously declared, looking a bit angry. "Fine, fine, no need to get furious over it" Kiaraa rolled her eyes and walked away not bothering about the fact that her sister might have heard their conversation. Aera did hear a part of their conversation but she didn''t understand a thing. As if her body was frozen, she continued standing there trying to understand what Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa were seriously discussing. After Kiaraa left, she approached Song Ji Hun, who was clearly in a bad mood. "Oppa" She sweetly called him. Chapter 98 - Silly Deal After Kiaraa left, she approached Song Ji Hun, who was clearly in a bad mood. "Oppa" She sweetly called him. No matter how annoyed Song Ji Hun was with himself, he didn''t believe in taking it out on other people, so he calmed himself and looked at the innocent girl. "Juice" she handed him the glass. Song Ji Hun recollected the discussion he had with Yang Nam-il and Song Ji Hwan about Aera''s crush, he wished to reject her there itself but he promised Hwan he won''t. ''At times it feels understanding Hwan is more difficult than understanding Kiaraa.'' Song Ji Hun helplessly sighed but accepted the juice from Aera. He does not have anything against this young girl, so he doesn''t believe in being unnecessarily rude or cold towards her. "Thank you" He slightly bowed his head. "What were you and Kiaraa talking about?" For the first time Aera couldn''t hide her curiosity and talked to Song Ji Hun. Between Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun, Aera was less scared of Ji Hun. "Just general stuff" Song Ji Hun gulped the whole glass of juice in one go and gave the empty glass back to her. Aera took the glass and left from there still lost in some thoughts as she was not sure why but she didn''t like Kiaraa talking to Song Ji Hun in private. A bad feeling was creeping inside her and she didn''t wish to think in that direction at all but her mind couldn''t stop her from doing so. Kiaraa went back to join the two guys not at all feeling remorse for making Song Ji Hun feel guilty for something he didn''t do as she believed he deserved it for not kissing her. Song Ji Hwan successfully kept Ian so busy that he didn''t even realize Kiaraa''s presence. After Kiaraa joined them, Hwan went to check on his brother''s state and when he reached there, he saw Song Ji Hun in some deep thoughts. "Hyung, is everything alright?" Hwan worriedly approached him. "I committed a huge mistake" Song Ji Hun lightly muttered. "What happened Hyung?" Hwan never saw his brother like this. Song Ji Hun suddenly stood up and grabbed his book, "Tell mom and dad I went to Nam-il''s home" Ji Hun declared and left from there. The Song family''s driver was waiting outside, hanging out with his other driver friends when Song Ji Hun requested him to drop him at Yang Nam-il''s house. Hwan informed his parents about the same, who didn''t bother much as Song Ji Hun is now growing up and they know he won''t listen to them like he used to years ago. The day went by just the way it used to and at night Kiaraa was heading to her room after having dinner and bidding adieu to their family friends. When she reached her room, she was surprised to see Aera standing near her room door as if she was waiting for her. "What are you doing here?" Kiaraa got a bit annoyed as Aera''s presence alone was enough to irritate her. "I wish to talk to you about something" Aera looked down at the floor, afraid of even looking Kiaraa in the eye. "Can it wait?" Kiaraa yawned looking sleepy. "Please" Aera requested her as she won''t be able to fall asleep unless she talks to Kiaraa about what was going on in her head. Kiaraa helplessly sighed and opened her room door, "Come in" Aera followed her and sat on the couch. Due to counselling, Kiaraa was not as worse towards Aera as she used to be. "Hmm, tell me" Kiaraa looked disinterested hoping for Aera to get done quickly and leave her room. "Do you like Song Ji Hun oppa?" Aera directly asked looking at Kiaraa''s face, trying to gauge her reaction. Kiaraa was startled as she didn''t expect her sister to ask her something so absurd. "What the hell Aera? What kind of an idiotic question is that?" Kiaraa freaked out a bit as she didn''t wish for anyone to find out that even for a second, she felt attracted to that man. "Can you please answer me?" Aera didn''t back away, gathering all her courage, she questioned Kiaraa. "No, I am not interested in him" Kiaraa truthfully answered as what she felt was a momentary thing, not something that is long lasting. Aera sighed in relief after getting the confirmation. "Why would you come up with something so outrageous?" Kiaraa wished to know what happened that Aera shocked her suddenly like this. "Today for the first time I saw you talk to Song Ji Hun oppa. He used many words while talking to you, more than he ever used with me" Kiaraa could sense the disappointment in Aera''s tone. If she was not wrong there was also a tinge of jealousy that she felt. "Aera, are you jealous of me?" Kiaraa directly asked her sister, who nodded her head not denying the fact that she was indeed envious of her. Kiaraa laughed after the confirmation, "Out of all my amazing characteristics that you can be jealous of, you chose this one?" Kiaraa''s voice sounded condescending but Aera didn''t mind it, she was used to this tone. "I really like oppa. I never saw him talk to any girl before. Today, I saw" Aera sounded very sad. Kiaraa wondered what would happen to Aera if she ever found out that she and Song Ji Hun almost kissed each other just a few meters away from Aera, while she was happily sleeping in the park. "Look, baby sis, I will never be interested in Song Ji Hun, I will never eye him. Okay?" Kiaraa wished for Aera to leave her room as soon as possible so she said what this young girl wanted to hear. "Really? Promise?" Aera seriously looked at her sister, hope filled in her eyes. Kiaraa wanted to smack her sister''s head, who had such low priorities in life. "Yes, I will never eye your man and in exchange for it you will never eye our Lee Conglomerate. Deal?" Kiaraa suddenly declared and forwarded her hand towards Aera. Aera looked confused, "Why would I eye dad''s companies?" she innocently asked. "I don''t know, since I am offering something to you, I wish for you to offer something to me in return. That''s it. You like Song Ji Hun, I like business. Also, given the situation at our home, it won''t be surprising to see you eyeing our conglomerate someday" Aera shook hands with Kiaraa, "Deal. You won''t eye Song Ji Hun; I won''t eye the family business" "Good girl, happy now?" Kiaraa sarcastically asked Aera. "Yes, thank you Kiaraa" Aera was indeed very happy, not being able to sense the sarcasm in her sister''s tone. "Now, go to your room" Kiaraa showed her the door and not minding her rudeness, Aera left from there, happy about this ''silly'' deal the two sisters made unknown of their future. Chapter 99 - Surprise Party 2 Years Later, 2009 There was a surprise party at the Song Mansion to celebrate Song Ji Hun''s success in the CSAT exam. He achieved very high scores in it and a good rank. It is a piece of cake for him to get admission in whatever Korean University he wants and that too in any field. Song Ji Hun also gave SATs to apply for colleges in The United States. He still didn''t make up his mind if he wants to stay in Korea and learn business management here or he should leave the country. The last two years were very hectic for him, as they were crucial years of his life and he too didn''t let himself get distracted with other things. He tried not to think a lot about Kiaraa as she was the biggest distraction in his life. Song Ji Hun managed to do so as Ian too was busy with his own studies. He and Ian were in the same class and they both had CSAT and SATs to prepare for. So, he had nothing to worry about Ian and Kiaraa growing closer. Also, Hwan was there to keep an eye on Kiaraa and Ian, so Ji Hun didn''t bother himself about them. Ian too got great scores in CSAT. His parents Sa Da-Hye and Kim Hoon are planning a surprise for him too. Song Ji Hun and Yang Nam-il entered the Song Mansion after attending a small gathering with their other friends when suddenly the dark place turned bright and a lot of people present there shouted in unison. SURPRISE!!! Song Ji Hun was taken aback to see all these people. "This surprise party is for you, in your honour as you got great scores" Yang Nam-il, who too was involved in planning this party with the Songs whispered to Song Ji Hun. "You know I hate such things, then why would you let them¡­" Ji Hun annoyedly whispered back to his friend. "Because I wanted to annoy you, now smile and thank your parents, they put a lot of efforts in making these arrangements." Yang Nam-il cut-off Ji Hun in the mid-sentence and asked him to act along. "I am so proud of you, Ji Hun" Song Jae Ho stepped forward to congratulate his son. "Dad, you could have said the same when we are alone. Why to do all of this in front of all these people?" Song Ji Hun slowly whispered to his father when he came forward to hug him. "Your mom planned all of this, I am truly sorry" Song Jae Ho could understand his son as Ji Hun was just like him but in front of Ji Seo Yun''s stubbornness, he couldn''t do anything else. "Why did you let her?" Song Ji Hun complained clearly annoyed by this party. "Because I love her" Song Jae Ho silenced his son with his one reply and moved away. Song Ji Hun wondered in future will he too would do anything for Kiaraa, even if he is not comfortable with it and the answer surprised him. He was finally able to understand his father and a few of his decisions which he never agreed with. "I am so glad you did well" Ji Seo Yun came forward and hugged her eighteen-year-old son, who was now taller than her. "Thanks mom" Song Ji Hun smiled back not wishing to hurt her. "Hyung" Song Ji Hwan came forward next making Ji Hun wonder why his family is wishing him again as all these hugs and congratulations already happened as soon as the result was out. But for his family''s sake he kept up with their overacting. "Mom and dad''s overacting I can understand, but why are you doing this?" Song Ji Hun questioned his younger brother, who was now almost as tall as him. "Because it is fun putting you on a spot like this and irritating you" Song Ji Hwan then pecked on Song Ji Hun''s left cheek, embarrassing him even more in front of all the guests. "Why would you¡­" "Ji Hun, we are all so proud of you dear" Lee Myung Soo stepped forward to congratulate him so Song Ji Hun stopped scolding his brother and went ahead to politely greet his uncle. "This bastard is already trying to win brownie points with his future father-in-law" Song Ji Hwan whispered to Yang Nam-il as these two were standing a bit far from other guests. "Hey, don''t call your elder brother a bastard" Yang Nam-il surprised Song Ji Hwan but the next minute he said, "Call him a manipulative asshole instead" Song Ji Hwan tried to control his laughter, "Hmm, a better tag it is" "Thank you" Then one by one many guests greeted and congratulated Song Ji Hun, annoying him but he politely accepted their wishes and bowed to his elders. "Mom, dad, please don''t throw such weird parties for me, this is super embarrassing" Ian requested his parents in a low volume seeing Song Ji Hun''s condition. "Don''t worry, our surprise is much happening and cool. Don''t forget we are the coolest parents here" Sa Da-Hye proudly exclaimed. "Haha, such a narcissist woman your mom is" Kim Hoon smiled looking at his wife with adoration. "You two are so cute, I wish I and Kiaraa can be like this someday" Ian voiced his thoughts frankly with his parents as he doesn''t hide his feelings from them. "We wish the same for you" Sa Da-Hye happily declared. "Are you two already dating?" Kim Hoon curiously asked his son. "Seriously dad? If I had been dating her, wouldn''t I tell you?" Ian narrowed eyes at his father for asking him a silly question. "Exactly, don''t you think it is high time you confess your feelings for her? I think she is waiting for your confession" Kim Hoon tried to motivate his son. "Ian, please plan a wonderful proposal. You should beat your dad''s proposal" Sa Da-Hye motivated her son. "Let me first get into a good college, settle down well and then I''ll think about it" Ian shared his plans. Chapter 100 - Internship "Let me first get into a good college, settle down well and then I''ll think about it" Ian shared his plans. "Are you scared of confessing to her?" Sa Da-Hye perfectly caught on her son''s fear. "What? Really?" Kim Hoon too got surprised and looked at his son. Ian looked guilty and couldn''t meet his parents'' eyes. "Ian, son, you can share anything with us" Kim Hoon patted his son''s shoulder to motivate him to talk. Ian deeply sighed before saying, "Kiaraa treats me like a best friend and I never felt like she has any other feelings towards me. I am scared that I am already friend zoned" "Ian, girls don''t show their feelings openly¡­" Sa Da-Hye was about to console her son but he interrupted her. "Aera is so obvious towards her feelings for Song Ji Hun" "Aera and Kiaraa are different" Sa Da-Hye reminded her son. "No mom, when we watch some movie or series and a hot guy appears on the screen, Kiaraa openly drools over him" Ian informed his mother, making his parents laugh. "So cute she is" Sa Da-Hye said. "It is not cute it is very annoying" Ian looked irritated recollecting such incidents. His parents again laughed, "Ian, propose to her soon, I am sure she will accept you, don''t overthink" his father assured him. "I''ll think about it" Ian promised his parents. He then went to join Kiaraa, who was seriously selecting the starters she would love to have. "Hey, enjoying the party?" Ian greeted her while grabbing a plate for himself. "Of course, I am. Such lavish and amazing food they have. I am even planning to steal some desserts and take home with me to have it at late night." Kiaraa shared her plans. "Why?" "Because I won''t be able to eat desserts after eating starters and main course" Kiaraa excitedly served food on her plate. "K, you are acting like this is the first time you are seeing such extravagant food" Ian rolled his eyes at her. "Hey, you know how much I love free food, so save your sarcasm to yourself and let me have fun" Ian chuckled seeing her priorities, "You are cute" "Cute? That''s disappointing, I want to be called hot" Kiaraa winked at Ian making his heart flutter. ''Does she want me to see her as someone who is hot and not cute?'' He questioned himself, his heart almost beating at a faster rate. "Let''s sit there" Kiaraa pointed at a nice table and headed there straight followed by Ian. "Hey guys" Song Ji Hwan joined them at the table and deeply sighed as if he was extremely tired. "Why are you acting like you are the one, who planned this whole party?" Ian taunted him. "Because I did. My mom kept nagging me to get everything perfect and I did, it was so exhausting" Song Ji Hwan complained and had a sip of water from Kiaraa''s glass, which was untouched by her. "Hey, if you want water drink from mine" Ian pointed at his own glass, annoyed by Hwan''s actions. "You already drank from your glass, Kiaraa''s is untouched, so I drank from it" Hwan explained himself in spite of being tired. "Awe, it''s okay baby" Kiaraa lovingly patted on Hwan''s head and glared at Ian, "Don''t scold my baby for silly things, he can drink from my glass" "Thanks, Kiaraa you are the best" Song Ji Hwan rested his head on her shoulder, and closed his eyes to rest for a while. "Hey, sleep on my shoulder, Kiaraa''s shoulders are delicate and it might be painful for her to bear with your big head" Ian sounded very irritated seeing the closeness between Hwan and Kiaraa. "Kiaraa, ask him to shut up, he is annoying me" Hwan complained still keeping his eyes closed. "Ian, don''t annoy my baby" Kiaraa warned him and stroked Hwan''s head as if he is her son. In the last two years, Ian too was very busy with his studies so compared to the previous few years, he spent lesser time with Kiaraa. Being in the same class, Kiaraa and Hwan therefore spent more time together and seemed to have grown closer than before. Ian didn''t like this closeness but they gave a very brother-sister vibe so he tried not to let his mind go haywire. "My baby is so tired" Kiaraa again exclaimed looking sad seeing Hwan''s state. "What did he even do to get tired? Song Ji Hun worked hard for two years and he just threw a party." Ian looked upset seeing this bond. "Throwing this party was a lot of hard work" Hwan again complained. "If you will get tired by just this much then what will you do for the next two years? Hope you remember now your time starts" Ian reminded Song Ji Hwan, who now has completed his tenth grade and now would be entering eleventh grade. "Ahhh why would you remind us that? I am tired hearing of the same thing from my parents" Kiaraa complained as she too is in the same class as Hwan and the next two years are going to be crucial for her. "Because it is the truth. Anyway, you have nothing to worry about, you are good at academics, but this Hwan needs to be worried about himself" Ian taunted Song Ji Hwan, who is more interested in watching movies than studying. "Don''t worry about me, my life is all sorted" Song Ji Hwan moved back to his seat leaning on it. "Oh! please explain, how it is sorted? You will just work in Song Industries under your brother?" Ian sarcastically asked him. ''What''s up with this guy? Why the hell does it feel like he is targeting me?'' Hwan wondered but he had a response ready for Ian. "No, I would be working in your Entertainment company" Song Ji Hwan declared surprising Ian. "What?" "I am starting my internship there in a week. I would be interning during my vacation and later after I graduate, I''ll be working there" Song Ji Hwan informed Ian. "Internship? You took my mom and dad''s help to get into it?" Ian was aware of how close his mother and Hwan were as they share similar tastes in movies and stuff. "No, there is an annual internship program there, I am sure you are aware of it. I applied for it and after those extensive rounds of screening and exams, I cleared it" Song Ji Hwan informed the two shocked people. "Why did you not tell me?" Kiaraa slapped his arm for keeping her in the dark. "I wanted to tell you all after I actually make it to the internship program." "When did the result come?" Kiaraa asked him. "Two days ago, but Hyung''s results came around the same time, so I didn''t wish to steal his thunder. Tonight, after party I will inform my family about this internship as they still don''t know" "Wow, I am proud of you, my baby" Kiaraa pulled his cheeks and asked him for how long this internship is going to last for. "It is a ten weeks program but in future if I ever want to work in this industry, this internship will be very helpful" Hwan informed her. "Yeah, I know. Aunty Da-Hye prepared very tough rounds to select best interns from the country" Kiaraa shared her knowledge with him. "Are you sure mom didn''t intentionally select you based on nepotism as you are her favourite?" Ian asked Hwan as he didn''t like the fact that Kiaraa was impressed with Song Ji Hwan''s success. "She doesn''t even know I applied for it as there is another management team to handle this process. The applications are not discussed with the higher-ups as they have more important things to do" "Yeah, but your name alone is enough for our company to favour you ¨C Mr Song Ji Hwan" Ian reminded him of how he is already a known name in his office. Song Ji Hwan chuckled in victory confusing Kiaraa and Ian. "What''s so funny, Hwan?" Ian got a bit annoyed seeing his attitude. "I applied using a pen name, my real identity wasn''t disclosed" Song Ji Hwan informed them. "Wait, is that even possible? I mean don''t they do background verification and other stuff?" Kiaraa questioned him. "Would you like to answer her instead?" Song Ji Hwan asked Ian. "Actually, in the entertainment industry, some people prefer hiding their real identities. So, we made it optional for an applicant to hide their identity. If they make it till the final and are selected, only then we verify details about them but that verification is done discreetly and no information is shared outside the verification team" Ian explained understanding that Hwan indeed made it to the internship program with his own abilities and neither his parents are aware of it. "Wow, but when you would be interning, your identity will be known to all, right?" Kiaraa asked Hwan. Chapter 101 - Revelation "Wow, but when you would be interning, your identity will be known to all, right?" Kiaraa asked Hwan. "Yes, the other interns and people involved in the program would be aware of it, but we all will be signing non-disclosure agreement to not reveal our identities to anyone else outside the program. If in future, we end up working in other entertainment companies, then also we need to keep each other''s identities a secret. The other people working in the company, who won''t be associated with the management team too will never be aware of our real identities" Song Ji Hwan explained in detail. "So, wait, the kpop artists, others actors working in that company too won''t be aware of your identity?" Kiaraa looked surprised as well as excited. "Yeah, they won''t know. They will only know us by our pen names." Song Ji Hwan confirmed. "That is so exciting" Kiaraa almost jumped in her seat. "Why is that exciting? I find it ridiculous that so much is being done to keep a few identities under wraps. Like why do you have to go through so much to hide yourself?" Ian questioned Hwan, being clearly annoyed. "Because I don''t want someone like you saying, I got this success due to my ''family name''" Song Ji Hwan politely smiled. Ian understood this guy nicely gave him a reply to all the assumptions he made. "I am happy for you, Hwan. Congratulations" Ian finally said, defeated as he was also happy for his friend. "Thanks, Ian. It means a lot" Song Ji Hwan smiled tiredly and again leaned on Kiaraa''s shoulder annoying Ian. "Come and sleep on mine" Ian patted on his own shoulder. "Why?" "Because I love you and I want to pamper you" Ian answered making the other two laugh, "Awe" Song Ji Hwan went to sit next to Ian and rested his head on his shoulder instead making Ian feel relieved. "Hwan, now that you told us about this secret identity thing, will that be fine?" Kiaraa asked him. "Hmm, I trust you two. I hope you will not reveal whatever I shared just now, with anyone else" "Of course, we won''t" Kiaraa and Ian promised him. "So, I guess even my parents are still not aware that you made it into our internship program?" Ian asked Hwan. "Hmm, you two are the first people I am sharing this with. Even my Hyung doesn''t know" Song Ji Hwan informed them emphasizing on the fact how much these two people mean to him. Ian felt a bit guilty for trying to show Song Ji Hwan down in front of Kiaraa out of his jealousy after knowing he was the first one Hwan shared such a big good news with. "I am sorry, Hwan. Earlier, I didn''t mean to demean you¡­" "Hey chill, I didn''t feel like that at all, I know you were teasing me and are worried about my future. Although, I am not a topper like my Hyung, I at least score decent marks so don''t worry a lot" Song Ji Hwan assured Ian as he genuinely thought Ian was being strict with him like an elder brother as he was worried about his future. Ian now felt even more guilty and hugged Song Ji Hwan. Patting his shoulder, he said, "I am sure you will do better than all of us career-wise" "Nah, I am going to do better than all of you" Kiaraa confidently declared making the two guys laugh. "So competent she is" Hwan commented. "Seconded" Ian agreed. "I''ll go and get more starters" Kiaraa declared as the food on her plate was over and she left to get more food. "Hwan, I need to tell you something" Ian declared as soon as Kiaraa left. Hwan moved back from Ian''s shoulder to his seat and seriously looked at his friend, waiting to know what he has to tell. Ian took a few deep breaths and looked around his surroundings to check no one was around them. "Hwan, I am so sorry, earlier I intentionally tried to insult you" Ian confessed to his friend. "Oh, really?" Hwan was surprised at this revelation. Ian nodded his head. "Why would you do that?" Song Ji Hwan calmly asked him as he doesn''t react or get affected by such things easily. "Please promise me, this would stay only between you and me" Ian requested him making Hwan feel very suspicious. "I won''t make such promises, sorry" Song Ji Hwan made his stand clear as he knows himself way too well. "Hwan, please" Ian looked like he couldn''t keep this information hidden for very long and wants to reveal it soon. "First tell me what is it, then I''ll decide" Song Ji Hwan could see the desperation in Ian''s eyes to share whatever that he had in his mind. "You might already know this, as I tend to act obvious at times" Ian started sharing by giving some context before dropping the huge bomb on Hwan, "I am crazily in love with Kiaraa" "What?" Hwan shouted and stood up from his seat. All these years he saw how close Ian and Kiaraa were, but he always thought they were just friends and Ian''s possessiveness towards her was only out of the close bond they share. He didn''t expect or rather he didn''t wish to ever think in this direction as for years he had been aware of the fact that his elder brother too is crazy about Kiaraa. Although, Hwan used to tease his brother about Ian it was more like a friendly teasing or to just trouble Ji Hun but he didn''t expect Ian to actually seriously be in love with her. Ian pulled Hwan back to his seat and made him sit. "Don''t tell Kiaraa, she might freak out" Ian warned Hwan. "Like I am freaking out now?" Song Ji Hwan felt breathless as he could see things getting complicated for his brother. "Hwan, it was not easy for me to share my feelings with you like this. I mustered up a lot of courage to talk to you. Can you please not make me regret it?" Ian requested him. Song Ji Hwan calmed down and decided to be Ian''s friend for a moment instead of being Song Ji Hun''s brother. "Sorry, I always heard your parents mention they want Kiaraa as their daughter-in-law but I thought they were just teasing you casually. I never thought you like her, I believed it was only platonic" "No, I am crazy about this girl" A wide smile spread across Ian''s lips when he said these words. Song Ji Hwan felt his heart hurt seeing that smile on Ian''s face. He was not sure how to feel about all of this as one of the two most important people in his life are surely going to get hurt some day. In spite of knowing this, he can''t do anything to stop it from happening in the future. Song Ji Hwan was not sure if his brother''s heart is going to be broken or Ian''s but no matter who it would be, his heart will ache seeing either of them in pain. They were not kids, anymore, they were grownups now. "Hwan" Ian called his name, pulling him back from his deep thoughts. "Yeah, sorry I am still processing this information" Song Ji Hwan drank some more water from the glass, emptying it. Ian looked over at the food counter and saw Kiaraa busy with other guests as one after another people were approaching her, engaging her in conversations. Sighing in relief that she won''t be back so soon, Ian looked back at Hwan, "I am thinking of asking her out to date me. Will it be too soon?" "No, I mean yes, maybe" Hwan received another blow and he couldn''t help but worry about his own brother, who was way too far in making his move on Kiaraa. "Hwan, you have a girlfriend" Ian reminded him implying he is younger than him and already dating then why can''t Ian do the same. "Yeah, but I am not in love with her, I like her and she is not my childhood friend, my case is different" Song Ji Hwan honestly said. "Different?" Ian raised his eyebrows in confusion. "Yes, I don''t see any future with her. I am dating her because she is pretty and I get to make out with her" "Asshole" Ian laughed smacking Hwan''s shoulders. "That''s why my case is different. Even if my parents ever find out about my girlfriend they won''t bother much. But if you and Kiaraa start dating each other then both your families will get involved in it. You two won''t be able to break up in peace if you ever want to" "Why would we ever break up? I am going to marry Kiaraa" Ian declared turning Song Ji Hwan speechless as he didn''t wish to hear this. ''Fuck, Ian is so serious about her'' Song Ji Hwan tried his best to not think about Song Ji Hun and be a good friend to Ian. Chapter 102 - Smoking ''Fuck, Ian is so serious about her'' Song Ji Hwan tried his best to not think about Song Ji Hun and be a good friend to Ian. "Ian, does Kiaraa like you too?" subconsciously Hwan was hoping to hear she doesn''t. Ian looked a bit upset with this question, "That''s the problem, Hwan. I don''t know. She doesn''t act like how Aera does in front of your brother. It is so difficult to read that girl''s mind" Hwan was not sure if he should be relieved or still worried. ''Stop it Hwan, please stop it, stop being so biased, please support Ian and be his best friend for once and not Hyung''s brother. Ahhhh my lovely Hyung, if Kiaraa dates Ian, my Hyung''s heart would be broken, ahhhhhh, what kind of a situation is this?'' Hwan''s mind was shouting in frustration. "Can you find out for me?" Ian hopefully asked Song Ji Hwan. "What? Me?" Hwan again shouted in surprise. "Yes, she seems closer to you, can you find out what she feels for me, please?" Ian requested him. Hwan felt like he was in a tight spot now. "Please Hwan, please, only you can do this for me, please" "Okay, okay, calm down" Song Ji Hwan took a deep breath and agreed to help Ian in finding out Kiaraa''s thoughts. ''If Kiaraa indeed likes Ian, then there is nothing wrong with them being together. Hyung might get hurt but he just needs to accept it if that is indeed the truth. Hyung will move on, he has to.'' Song Ji Hwan consoled himself before finding out the truth. "I will talk to Kiaraa strategically to find out what she feels" Song Ji Hwan reiterated making Ian very happy. "Thank you so much, Hwan, you are the best" Ian happily hugged him as Hwan found out the biggest solution to his problem. "Don''t be so happy, I want to make a few things clear before I approach Kiaraa" Hwan seriously said. "Hmm?" "I will not let her know about your feelings and will find out what she truly feels. I will honestly share the truth with you, so no matter what the truth is, you will try to remain sane and understand her perspective" "You think she doesn''t like me?" Ian looked dejected hearing Hwan''s request. "No, I am just saying be prepared no matter what she says. Hope for the best and prepare for the worst" Song Ji Hwan gave this advise like a true friend. "Fine" Ian agreed and again looked around to find Kiaraa but this time she was not at the food counter. "Where is this girl?" Ian muttered looking around. "Relax, she must be interacting with guests, don''t act like she is a one-year-old, who will get lost" Song Ji Hwan teased him. "Let''s look for her" Ian didn''t mind Hwan''s teasing and ran from one place to another looking for Kiaraa. ¡­ Kiaraa went to the backside lawn of this bungalow, there was a patio where she stepped on and sighed in relief. So many guests approached her and they all had only one thing to say, ''You need to work hard as the next two years are very crucial for you. Take inspiration from Song Ji Hun and Kim Ian, and do well like them'' Kiaraa was tired of hearing the same thing again and again which kind of made her feel more pressured and worried about the coming two years. So, on finding the right opportunity she sneaked away to a place where there was no one and she could be alone for a while. "Cough! Cough!" Kiaraa smelt smoke coming from a cigarette and coughed loudly. Realizing someone was smoking there, Kiaraa stepped down the patio and took a step forward only to see Song Ji Hun standing on the other side of the patio smoking. This big patio was separated by a stylish wall, therefore Kiaraa didn''t realize someone was standing at the other side of the wall. Similarly, Song Ji Hun was not aware of Kiaraa''s presence as she came there from the opposite side. He intentionally stood on this side of the patio, which won''t be visible to people coming here as he needed some privacy. When he heard someone coughing, he too was startled and before he could check, Kiaraa stepped in his line of sight. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun were surprised seeing each other there. After that talk about their almost kiss, two years ago they never interacted privately with each other. Song Ji Hun was busy with his studies and Kiaraa didn''t bother herself with him as she was over that momentary crush, she developed that day. "What are you doing here?" Song Ji Hun''s hoarse voice could be clearly heard. Kiaraa noticed his voice deepened in these two years as she was now looking at an eighteen-year-old adult. "All those guests are very annoying" Kiaraa explained in one sentence. Song Ji Hun nodded his head in agreement, "They should learn to mind their own business" Then he took another puff from his cigarette not minding her presence. "Exactly" Kiaraa felt good as they always have similar thoughts, then she saw him taking a puff from his cigarette, "You smoke?" "What else do you think I am doing?" Song Ji Hun slightly smiled seeing the shocked expression on her face but that didn''t stop him from smoking. Kiaraa joined him on the patio where he was standing. "Why would you smoke? Aren''t you too young for this?" Kiaraa asked him one question but her eyes curiously looked at the cigarette in his hand, as if she was attracted to this piece. Kiaraa''s dad never smoked and no one from the Lee household smokes, so this was the first time to see someone so close smoke. "I am an adult, I am not too young to smoke" Song Ji Hun answered her taking another puff and releasing the smoke, while observing Kiaraa''s eye movements which were following his actions. "Why do you smoke? It tastes good?" She asked him. "To relieve from stress. During my exams and studies in the last two years, I retorted to smoking as it helped me handle stress better" Song Ji Hun truthfully answered her. "You have been smoking for two years?" Kiaraa''s eyes widened in shock. Song Ji Hun chuckled at her cute expression and nodded his head. "Does your parents know?" "Obviously they don''t" "Hwan?" "Hmm, he knows" "Should I go and tell your parents, that you smoke?" Kiaraa teased him. Song Ji Hun didn''t panic and calmly asked her why would she do that. "To show your parents that you are not as perfect as they think you are" Kiaraa stated trying to blackmail him. "Please go ahead and tell them, you will save me from all their future expectations" Song Ji Hun calmly said not bothering even if his parents find out about his habit. "Is it a lot of pressure to keep up with their hopes and expectations?" Kiaraa worriedly asked him. Ian used to at least nag and complain to her if there was ever any pressure while studying but she had no idea what Song Ji Hun went through. Sometimes, Hwan used to say he pities his brother''s state but she never asked him more so he too never elaborated. "It was fine but sometimes it got stressful that''s why I retorted to smoking" Song Ji Hun pointed at his cigarette. "Oh, is it that helpful?" Kiaraa curiously asked as she always found smoking very hot. Even when she watches movies and a smoking scene appears, she used to find the guy smoking very hot. "You want to try?" Song Ji Hun finally asked offering his cigarette to her. He could see in her eyes that she wanted to try it. "I don''t know how to smoke" Kiaraa confessed honestly. "Place the cigarette like this between your lips. Inhale the smoke this way but don''t let it fill your mouth. Suck the smoke down into your lungs." Song Ji Hun said while doing the same. "Then remove it and without releasing the smoke, take a quick breath drawing in a little clean air into your lungs." He visually did what he said. "Hold it for a second and then slowly release the smoke and air from your lungs." The smoke was released from his mouth and for a second it looked like he felt pleasure. "Wow" Kiaraa said finding Song Ji Hun very hot at that moment. "Hmm, smoking is fun" Song Ji Hun thought she loved the act of smoking. "May I try?" Kiaraa asked for the cigarette. Song Ji Hun gave it to her and she placed the cigarette between her lips, he again gave the same instructions as earlier which Kiaraa perfectly followed and released smoke without coughing. "Wow, that''s impressive. First time smokers always end up coughing" Song Ji Hun informed her while Kiaraa was feeling euphoric from her first puff. "You coughed too?" Kiaraa took another puff. Chapter 103 - Alex Kwon "You coughed too?" Kiaraa took another puff. "No, it came naturally to me" Song Ji Hun said the truth. "Like me?" Kiaraa took her third puff and released the smoke. "Enough now" Song Ji Hun took back the cigarette which almost extinguished and crushed it under his shoe. "Why did you throw it away?" Kiaraa glared at him. "It was extinguished" Song Ji Hun chuckled and took out a new cigarette, "Only one is left, want to share?" he asked her. "Yes please" He lighted the cigarette and the two people took turns while smoking it and looked straight ahead at the lawn without saying a word, enjoying this silence. "Kiaraa, Kiaraa" Ian called her name worriedly startling Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun. Kiaraa immediately handed over her cigarette to Song Ji Hun and said, "Mr Song, can you please not smoke? I have issues with it" Ian just then reached them and heard what Kiaraa said. "Sorry for bothering you, Ms. Lee" Song Ji Hun understood Kiaraa was embarrassed of getting caught by Ian so he didn''t reveal the truth. "Thank you" Kiaraa stepped down the patio and started walking towards the party followed by Ian without explaining anything. "K, what were you doing with him?" Ian asked her after ensuring only they two were present there. "I was annoyed by all these guests so I went to the backyard and ran into Mr Song, who was smoking. So, I scolded him." Kiaraa explained trying to hide her face from him as she was scared, he would smell the smoke residual from her mouth. "Oh, I had no idea Song Ji Hun smokes" Ian said. "Hmm, I hate smokers, smoking is very bad" Kiaraa too was not sure why she was saying all of this but it was somewhere because she didn''t wish for anyone to know she liked smoking. "True, even I dislike smokers" Ian added just to show himself desirable. Personally, he has nothing against smokers. "Okay" The two then met Hwan, who was relieved seeing Kiaraa, "Don''t go away like this, do you know how worried Ian was?" Song Ji Hwan teased them only to get strong glares from Ian. "I am not a child to get lost and this is the Song Mansion, the place I had been frequently visiting since my childhood, how can I get lost here?" Kiaraa annoyedly asked as these people never give her the space she wants. Song Ji Hwan sniffed something and leaned closer to Kiaraa and sniffed her, "Kiaraa, you smoked?" he suddenly asked her. "What?" Kiaraa almost shouted in panic. "You smell like you smoked" Hwan exclaimed again. "Not her, your Hyung was smoking and she was with him, that''s how she must have caught the smell" Ian explained. "What were you doing with Hyung?" Hwan asked her. "Just ran into him coincidentally." Kiaraa hurriedly explained. "But it still smells like you actually smoked" Hwan commented. "Will you stop it? Kiaraa hates smokers" Ian answered on her behalf and Kiaraa nodded in agreement. "I hate cigarettes and its smell" Kiaraa confirmed. "Okay, whatever, let''s go and have dinner" Hwan suggested and the three people went to the big food section that offered multiple varieties of cuisines. At the other side of the party, Aera and Kim Do-Yun were sitting at one of the tables having dinner. Kim Do-Yun was happily eating the tasty food while Aera was just moving her chopsticks in the food playing with it. "What are you so deeply thinking about?" Kim Do-Yun nudged Aera, who was lost in her own world. "Song Ji Hun oppa might leave us and go to USA" Aera revealed to her friend, pouting sadly. "What? Who told you?" Kim Do-Yun got surprised but she didn''t stop eating her precious food. "Aunt Ji Seo Yun told me that he would be leaving for States" Aera looked dejected. "That''s a good thing, right? Why are you sad?" Kim Do-Yun didn''t understand Aera. "I am also very happy for his success but imagine it, once he leaves for US, I won''t be able to see him as frequently as now" Aera shared her thoughts. "Come on, it is for your future he is going there. Once he is back you two can just get married and after that for the rest of your life you can look at him as much as you want" Kim Do-Yun consoled her. It was successful as Aera felt a bit better but her worries were still not gone. "What if he falls in love with someone else, there?" Aera voiced her second worry. "Oh please, Song Ji Hun is so boring, I don''t see him falling or pursuing a woman. He will come to you only" Kim Do-Yun assured Aera making the young girl smile. "I hope so" Aera said and the two girls continued their dinner. ¡­ "Where the hell were you?" Yang Nam-il asked Song Ji Hun after finally meeting him in the lawn. "I was away from all these annoying people" Song Ji Hun casually answered. "Stop being such an anti-social and don''t leave me alone like this" Yang Nam-il complained. "Sorry" "Wow, Mr Song knows how to apologize?" Yang Nam-il sarcastically asked him. "When did I not apologize to you if I did something wrong?" Song Ji Hun questioned him back. "Whatever. Did you decide to tell your family that you don''t wish to leave Korea?" Yang Nam-il asked his friend. "Hmm, tonight I am planning to announce my decision." "I wish we both can go to the same college then." Yang Nam-il excitedly said as he too has Yang Industries to take care of so he would be studying business management just like Ji Hun. "That''s my plan too" Song Ji Hun said. "It would be difficult to convince your parents, especially your mom" "Hmm" Song Ji Hun was silent. "What happened? You don''t seem to be in a good mood" Yang Nam-il caught on his friend''s sour mood. "I think I should make peace with the fact that Kiaraa and Ian belong together" Song Ji Hun suddenly said surprising Yang Nam-il, who witnessed Song Ji Hun''s strong growing feelings towards Kiaraa all these years. "Why? What happened so suddenly? Isn''t Kiaraa one of the reasons you wish to stay in Korea?" Yang Nam-il softly asked him. "Hmm but I feel she is only going to be my desire which will never get fulfilled" Yang Nam-il was surprised seeing Ji Hun''s state, "What happened Ji Hun? Why are you acting like this so suddenly?" "Forget it" Song Ji Hun tried to smile but the pain in his eyes was evident, "We should celebrate your success too, I am impressed with your scores" Yang Nam-il understood Song Ji Hun was changing the topic, so he went along with it not wishing to insist on something that Ji Hun is not willing to talk about. "What do you mean by you were impressed? Did you not expect me to do well?" "Honestly, I didn''t" "Sorry to disappoint you" "It was a good disappointment. I hope you disappoint me like this forever" Song Ji Hun stated and the two friends hugged each other. "Hmm, I will" Yang Nam-il assured him but he was wondering why Song Ji Hun suddenly got upset about Kiaraa. He then looked around and saw Kiaraa, Hwan and Ian having dinner together. Somewhere it was enough for him to understand, Ian had got something to do with it but he didn''t pester Ji Hun. Eventually it was late and the party was over, so all the families again congratulated Song Ji Hun before taking off. Song Ji Hwan assured Ian that some time during this vacation he will try to find out Kiaraa''s feelings towards Ian. Later, someone entered the party surprising the Songs, who were the only people present there with Yang Nam-il as he decided to stay for the night so his parents left the party without him. A man in his mid-twenties, wearing a stylish yellow suit paired with yellow pants and a white shirt inside it, entered there, surprising the Songs. Although, he was wearing a bright coloured suit like Yellow, he perfectly carried it and looked extremely handsome. "Ji Hun, your talented cousin is here" Yang Nam-il pointed at this new guest. Song Ji Hun had a faint smile on his face when he saw his favourite cousin appear there and the two men hugged each other. "You did make it" Song Ji Hun said carrying a pleasant smile on his face. "How can I not? My favourite cousin did so well in all his exams, so I had to come to personally congratulate him" Alex Kwon declared. "Then you should have appeared on time and not so late" Ji Seo Yun lovingly scolded her nephew. Alex Kwon is Ji Seo Yun''s elder sister''s son. "I am really sorry aunt Seo Yun, a fashion competition is coming up soon and it is keeping me very busy" He apologetically smiled at his aunt. Chapter 104 - Handkerchief "I am really sorry aunt Seo Yun, a fashion competition is coming up soon and it is keeping me very busy" He apologetically smiled at his aunt. "Your fashion competitions always come, please prioritize your family over work. After marriage too if you will behave like this then your wife will run away." "That''s why I decided I will never get married only. Problem solved" Alex Kwon joked only to get glared at by his aunt. Ji Seo Yun was about to hit her nephew when her husband stopped her, "What are you doing he is older now, not that kid Alex anymore, whose ears you used to twist" "Thank you, uncle" Alex smiled looking at his saviour. "He is not any older, for me he will always be my first child, the one I took care of like a mother, when his mom was busy with work" Ji Seo Yun pulled Alex''s cheeks. "True, aunt will always be very special to me for the same reason. I used to trouble her a lot as a child" Alex surrounded his hand around his aunt''s shoulder. "Good you remember" Ji Seo Yun lovingly caressed his cheeks. "That''s why I am so jealous of you, elder brother, at times I feel mom loves you more than she loves us" Song Ji Hwan approached them and complained looking at his strict mom, who turns loving only towards Alex. "Just make peace with the fact that he is her first child" Song Ji Hun teased his younger brother. "Ji Hun is really smart, he accepted the truth, learn from him Hwan" Alex Kwon too joined in the teasing. "I am not a child anymore to cry now" Hwan too laughed as during his childhood it used to affect him a lot that his mother loves her nephew more but now, he was old enough to understand their bond. "Good you have grown up" Alex then looked at his aunt, "I brought a gift for you, to make up for being late" "I hope it is a designer dress" Ji Seo Yun looked excited. "Of course, what else can this fashion designer gift you" Alex said and the whole family entered the home, where all the gifts brought by Alex were neatly placed inside. Earlier, the servants brought inside all the gifts that Alex got for them. Alex gifted a beautiful designer party wear dress to his aunt, who loved it. He gave his uncle and his cousins designer suits. "Advantage of having such a renowned fashion designer in the family, we get to wear expensive suits for free" Song Jae Ho joked with Alex. "Come on uncle, you showered me with so many expensive gifts all these years, this is nothing in front of that" Alex politely replied to his uncle. "Hey, you are our child, don''t talk like that" Song Jae Ho patted his back. After spending some time with the Songs, Alex Kwon and Song Ji Hun went to Song Ji Hun''s room. "I am so proud of you, Ji Hun" Alex Kwon again said. "I am so bored of hearing the same thing again and again" Song Ji Hun slouched on the couch tired after today''s party. "Haha, I understand" Alex Kwon sat next to him and took out a small box from his suit''s pocket, "I specially made this for you" "What is this?" Song Ji Hun was surprised as he didn''t expect to receive a second gift from his cousin brother. "Open it and see for yourself" Alex Kwon had a faint smile painted on his lips. Song Ji Hun opened the stylishly packed box and when he opened its lid, he was surprised to see a black handkerchief there. He took out the handkerchief made of high-quality material from the box and closely observed it. There was a golden logo at the corner of it, and rest of the handkerchief was plain with no other design on it. "What is this?" Song Ji Hun continued looking at the handkerchief. "What do you think it is?" Alex faintly smiled as he could see Song Ji Hun liked it. "Why would you design a handkerchief? This is so funny" Song Ji Hun laughed. "I wanted to do something for you that I don''t usually do. I couldn''t think outside my world of designing so I prepared this handkerchief for you but let me tell you something interesting about it." Alex Kwon took that piece of cloth in his hand and explained, "This material is water proof, which means if you ever clean your sweat it would dry up immediately. I know about your OCD, so keeping it in mind I used this material" "Wow" Song Ji Hun exclaimed looking impressed. "And do you see this golden logo here?" Alex pointed at the only design on this piece of cloth. "Hmm" "This is a Greek logo that symbolizes wisdom and merit which is also the meaning of your name" Alex Kwon explained. "Wow, seems like you have put a lot of efforts on this small piece of cloth" Song Ji Hun smiled at his elder brother. "Hmm, although it is a daily utility we don''t value much, it is essential for hygiene and keeping in mind how much it matters to you, I just designed it" "Very thoughtful of you" "Also, don''t worry. If you ever lose it, you can just let me know, I''ll immediately send a copy of it" Alex Kwon informed him and added, "By the way, there is one more speciality about this small piece of cloth" "And that is?" "No one can replicate it completely" Alex Kwon then showed him his own initials which were printed in black, making it extremely difficult for one''s naked eye to find. Song Ji Hun therefore couldn''t see it too, but when he ran his finger across the cloth, he did feel the English initials AK on it. "Wow, thank you so much" Song Ji Hwan accepted this gift and safely stored it. "I am glad you liked it" "I like it more than the suit you designed for me" Song Ji Hun honestly said. Chapter 105 - Proud Of Sons "I am glad you liked it" "I like it more than the suit you designed for me" Song Ji Hun honestly said. "Good to know" Alex and Song Ji Hun then went back downstairs to join the other family members. When they reached there, they saw Song Ji Hwan seriously requesting his parents to sit there as he has something important to share. Seeing Alex and Ji Hun, Hwan asked them to join too. Yang Nam-il headed to Song Ji Hun''s room to give the Songs some privacy in spite of Hwan requesting him too to stay back. "I have something very important to tell you all" Hwan said looking at his grandpa, mom, dad, elder brother and cousin. "Oh no, you indeed ended up making your girlfriend pregnant?" Ji Seo Yun suddenly voiced out her worry seeing the seriousness on Hwan''s face. "What? Mom, you know about my girlfriend?" Hwan was surprised as he thought no one was aware of it. "Obviously, I do" "I am only sixteen mom I didn''t get her pregnant." Song Ji Hwan shouted at his mother, surprised by her weird assumption. "Thank goodness, you realize that" Ji Seo Yun had been worried about hearing something like this since Hwan started dating a girl from his class. They always have a few bodyguards around their children so it was not difficult for her to get this information as Hwan openly roams around the city with his girlfriend. Since she found out about this, Ji Seo Yun was always on her toes worrying about what her son would do to bring shame to their family. "Of course, I realize that, also I still didn''t sleep with her" Song Ji Hwan assured his mother. "So, you plan to?" His grandpa suddenly asked him making him more nervous than he already was. "What? Why would you say that?" Hwan questioned his grandpa. "Because you ''still'' didn''t sleep with her" Alex Kwon air-quoted the word still to remind the guy what he just blurted out. "Guys, can we please focus on the important news that I want to share?" Song Ji Hwan was getting frustrated. It wasn''t going to be easy to convince his family of him joining the entertainment industry and that too in Kim''s office. Therefore, he was already feeling anxious about it and on top of that his family was asking him all weird questions. "Fine, share your important news" Song Jae Ho, his father tried to support him. Song Ji Hwan took a deep breath and said, "Few weeks ago, I applied for an internship which would last for ten weeks starting from next Monday. There were many rounds of qualifications which I cleared and landed an internship with them" "Wow, that''s amazing Hwan" Song Jae Ho proudly patted his son''s back. "Both my sons are so capable, I guess I saved a whole village in my last life to have you two." He joked hugging his son. "I agree, such nice grandsons I have" Grandpa Song too looked proud. "Seems like I need to prepare a special gift for my other cousin brother too" Alex Kwon whispered to Song Ji Hun, who agreed with him. Song Ji Hun and Alex too took turns to congratulate Hwan. After congratulating her son, Ji Seo Yun asked, "Which company and field are you interning in?" Song Ji Hwan hesitated in answering her, "Mom, it is a good reputed company. I don''t want to disclose anything else. Just trust me, I am not doing anything wrong" "Then why not share with us?" "I will when I feel comfortable about it" Song Ji Hwan was not comfortable sharing his dreams and all with his family, the way he felt comfortable with Kiaraa and Ian. He knew those two won''t judge his dreams but his parents might, as sometimes his parents make fun of the Kims for owning an entertainment company. Somewhere he believed they won''t understand his dreams as Songs are majorly into serious industries like real estate, fashion, cosmetics and FMCG. "But¡­" "Seo Yun, let''s trust him" Song Jae Ho interrupted his wife. "But what''s the need to hide?" She complained, muttering to herself. "Let them be, dear. Boys are like that." Grandpa Song too tried to console his daughter-in-law. "That''s why I sometimes wish I had a daughter instead. A daughter like Aera" Ji Seo Yun''s eyes shined in excitement while mentioning Aera''s name. "Is it too late to try again?" Song Jae Ho questioned his wife, who blushed immediately as everyone was still present there. "Oh god, please don''t talk like that" Song Ji Hwan covered his face in shame. "At least not in front of us, please" Song Ji Hun too looked annoyed with his father. "Why are you two over-reacting? Is it wrong to have another baby with my own wife?" Song Jae Ho questioned his sons, making Alex and grandpa Song laugh loudly. "I am going to my room" Song Ji Hun declared not being able to handle such questions. "I''ll join you" Song Ji Hwan chased his elder brother. "Why are my sons so shy?" Song Jae Ho asked Alex, who was still smiling at his uncle''s unique antics to trouble his sons. "They both took after my aunt" Alex Kwon declared and after spending some time with the three elders, he bid his adieu as it was too late already. Song Ji Hun showed-off his classy handkerchief to Yang Nam-il and Song Ji Hwan. The three then spent some time together, during which Hwan informed them about his internship and shared all the details which he hesitated sharing earlier. "Don''t worry, Hwan. No matter what you wish to do, I''ll always support you" Song Ji Hun assured his brother, making him happy. Song Ji Hun didn''t show it on his face, but he was very proud of his younger brother. "Thanks, Hyung" Hwan felt relieved getting his brother''s support as long as he has Ji Hun''s support, convincing his parents in the future won''t be hard. Chapter 106 - Discussion On Future Next day, Ian kept insisting Song Ji Hwan to have a word with Kiaraa and to find out about what she feels towards him. Feeling bad for Ian''s desperate state, Hwan agreed to talk to her on that same day itself. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hwan made plans to go to a new caf¨¦ that was opened in the city. "It is sometimes so nice to just hang out by ourselves, right?" Song Ji Hwan asked Kiaraa after they settled at a corner table. "Hmm, but I don''t understand why would you not go out on a date with your girlfriend and ask me out instead?" Kiaraa doubtfully asked him while checking the menu. Hwan awkwardly laughed, "Girlfriends come and go, friends are to stay forever" "Cut that bullshit and come on point" Kiaraa''s attention was still in the menu. "As you know, next week I am starting my internship at the Kim''s entertainment company" "Hmm, I know" "I was feeling a bit nervous and just wanted to talk to you about it" Song Ji Hwan immediately made up whatever lie he could come up with. "What about it?" "Do you think I am doing the right thing?" "Hwan, you should do whatever you want to do and not care about other people''s opinion. Everyone feels entitled to share their opinion on our lives but if we ever encounter a problem, these people just sit back and enjoy. So, don''t give a damn about this world" Kiaraa decided her order and signalled the waiter to come. The two people placed their orders and Hwan admiringly looked at Kiaraa, "Thank you for your words, I am feeling better already" "You wasted a lot of your money; I could have said these words on phone too." Kiaraa implied he unnecessarily brought her to this caf¨¦. "Come on Kiaraa, isn''t it nice to hang out by ourselves without Ian?" Song Ji Hwan planned to slowly bring Ian in their conversation and find out what she feels towards him. "Why without Ian? You have a problem with him?" Kiaraa looked suspicious. "No, not exactly but sometimes he is annoying" "How so?" "Don''t you think he is a bit clingy sometimes?" Song Ji Hwan tried to read her expressions. Kiaraa got annoyed with his question, "I think it is you who is annoyingly clingy sometimes" "Woah, I spend most of my time with my girlfriend, when was I clingy?" Song Ji Hwan was clearly offended by her accusation. "Exactly, in the similar way my Ian is also just friendly not clingy. Don''t talk ill about him behind his back" Kiaraa warned him surprising Hwan as he didn''t expect this. "Hmm, seems like someone has a crush on Ian" Song Ji Hwan teased her to again see her reaction. Kiaraa rolled her eyes at him, "You need to seriously grow up" "Hey, there is nothing wrong on having a crush on someone, it is common at our age." Song Ji Hwan was trying his best to get more information from this girl. "I know there is nothing wrong, my current crush is Taylor Lautner" Kiaraa informed him. "Oh, but you must like Ian too, after all you two are so close" Song Ji Hwan tried to pursue her. Kiaraa glared at him and deeply sighed, "Hwan, why are you acting like Aera and Kim Do-Yun? If I like Ian, why would I deny or hide it? I would have proposed him myself" Song Ji Hwan could see she was being honest and was not shyly trying to hide her feelings. "Oh" "You look disappointed" Kiaraa commented. Song Ji Hwan shook his head, "Why would I be disappointed?" ''Rather this was a win-win situation for me, if you like Ian, then Ian will be happy. If not, my Hyung will be happy.'' Hwan thought to himself. "Anyway, forget I asked you such weird questions" Song Ji Hwan said not wishing to prolong this topic as Kiaraa is smart enough to figure out things if he is on the same topic for a long time. "Already forgotten" Kiaraa flashed a friendly smile and the two friends spent some time together before heading back to their homes. ¡­ That day Hwan narrated the whole conversation that took place between him and Kiaraa to Ian, who got a bit upset after finding out his feelings are not yet mutually involved. "Sorry dude" Song Ji Hwan felt bad for his friend. "Not your fault man." "So, what''s next? Are you going to give up on her?" Hwan was curious to know what would be Ian''s next step. "She is my future Hwan. How can I give up on her?" "So¡­" "I''ll just wait for two years. Once she is done with her twelfth grade, I''ll confess my feelings to her and will ask her to date me" Ian shared his future plans. "Hmm okay" Hwan didn''t bother much as Ian shared something he wishes to do after two years. Soon, Ian would be starting his college and Hwan thought he or Song Ji Hun might just meet some other girl in college and move on from Kiaraa. He knew the chances of this happening in Song Ji Hun''s case is almost zero but he still hoped for either of Ji Hun or Ian to move on from Kiaraa to avoid future complications. ¡­ Song Mansion The family of five were sitting around the dinner table having their dinner. After they were done Ji Seo Yun started one discussion she had been meaning to bring up for quite some time. "Ji Hun, let''s go for shopping tomorrow and let''s buy you some more winter clothes as I heard winters in USA is unbearable" Song Ji Hun''s heart started beating faster but he calmly looked at his mother. "Mom, I decided to stay back in Seoul. I wish to study business management from Seoul National University and not go anywhere else." Song Ji Hun announced his decision. "Hmm, that would be great. I would love to have my grandson right in front of my eyes" Grandpa Song immediately said as he was in favour of Ji Hun''s decision but same was not the case with Ji Seo Yun. "Ji Hun, you have been accepted into Harvard. Do you realize no one rejects an admission in Harvard?" Only Seo Yun knew how difficult it was for her to control herself from beating up her son right now. "Hmm, I do. I made this decision after weighing all the pros and cons. Our SNU is no less than Harvard. If I stay here then I can even work with dad and learn about our business from him which can''t be done from there." Song Ji Hun calmly put his point forward. "You can visit Seoul during your holidays and train under Jae Ho. Just for this reason you don''t need to stay back" Ji Seo Yun countered her son''s logic. Song Jae Ho calmly poured water in a glass and handed it over to his agitated wife. "Ji Hun, did you think through your decision?" Song Jae Ho asked his son. "Yes dad" Song Ji Hun confidently responded. "Cool, since he made a decision¡­" "What decision? He is just eighteen Jae Ho. He is still not old enough to make decisions for himself. He is committing a mistake and as his parents it is our responsibility to stop him" Ji Seo Yun couldn''t believe her husband was so calm about it and is even supporting their son over her. "Seo Yun, we can''t force him to do something he doesn''t wish to. Also, graduating from SNU is a big deal." "But not as big a deal as graduating from Harvard" His wife countered. "Our child will be in front of us, dear. Think about this" Grandpa Song too tried to convince his daughter-in-law. "I understand your point father, but when he has all the best options, why go for second or third best?" Ji Seo Yun quietly explained herself as it was her father-in-law she is talking to. Grandpa Song didn''t say anything else and decided to let them solve this problem amongst themselves. Song Ji Hwan expected this drama, so he sat through everything quietly wondering if Song Ji Hun is indeed making the right decision. He was aware Song Ji Hun wishes to stay back for Kiaraa but he was not sure how beneficial is that going to be anyway. "Because he should do what he wishes to do as he has that luxury" Song Jae Ho answered his wife. "Jae Ho, what is wrong with you?" Ji Seo Yun helplessly questioned her husband as she expected him to be on her side in this discussion. "He worked hard for two years and did extremely well in his academics. Shouldn''t he have the right to make a decision about his own life?" "What if he regrets it in future?" "Then he will learn from it and would know what not to do" Song Jae Ho said as a matter-of-fact. Chapter 107 - Internship "Then he will learn from it and would know what not to do" Song Jae Ho said as a matter-of-fact. "You are just being an idealist" Ji Seo Yun didn''t like what her husband said. "Seo Yun, Ji Hun is smart, I am sure he thought this through before announcing his decision to us. Let''s trust our son" "You people never understand me" Ji Seo Yun got upset and left the table. Song Jae Ho was about to follow his wife when Song Ji Hun stopped his father and followed his mom to the lawn where she stepped out for some fresh air. "Mom" He called her from behind. Ji Seo Yun stopped in her footsteps but didn''t turn around to face her son. "I know you have a lot of expectations and dreams for me, I am sorry if I offended you but I don''t wish to stay away from you all in a new country. I wish to stay here, mom" Song Ji Hun patiently explained himself. Ji Seo Yun had tears when she heard he doesn''t want to go away from them but she still didn''t turn back. "What if I suddenly miss your cooking and wish to have the seaweed soup you cook for my birthday every year? What if I suddenly wish to sleep on my mother''s lap but you are not on my side?" Song Ji Hun asked her. Ji Seo Yun couldn''t help but chuckle hearing his last question and turned around. "It has been more than ten years since you slept on my lap. Are you seriously going to use that as an excuse?" Ji Seo Yun wiped her tears away and smiled, "At least use some convincing examples to manipulate me" Song Ji Hun too smiled as his mother saw through him. "I can say anything to stay back. Now you see how desperate I am to not leave?" He asked her. Ji Seo Yun nodded her head as she was indeed able to see through his desperation, "I hope you thought this through?" "Thoroughly" "Fine, if this is what you want" Ji Seo Yun couldn''t argue anymore and just wished to give in to her son''s demand. "Thanks mom" Song Ji Hun lightly smiled as his biggest hurdle was cleared. "Can I at least get a hug for giving in to your stubbornness so easily?" Song Ji Hun hesitated for a second but the next moment he gently hugged his mom as that was the least he could do for her. Ji Seo Yun felt happy and decided to be a supportive mother to her son as he rarely demands anything like this. The Songs were happy with Song Ji Hun''s decision to stay back in Korea and announced the good news to their friends. Kims too informed everyone that Ian too decided to stay back and coincidentally he too decided to join Seoul National University but instead of business management he is pursuing a degree in medicine. ... Monday Song Ji Hwan was feeling nervous as it was his day one to the new internship he is starting. KH Entertainment Company was one of the dream companies Song Ji Hwan wished to work in. He was currently sitting in the back seat of the car, nervously looking outside the window, at the beautiful city, Seoul. He informed the driver to drop him at a cafe which was a two minutes walk from the KH Entertainment Company. "Mr Song, we reached" The driver''s voice pulled Hwan from his thoughts. "Oh okay" Song Ji Hwan was about to open the door, the driver stopped him. "If you want, young master, I can drop you to your actual destination. I won''t share with anyone at your home, where I dropped you." The driver knew this was not the destination and Hwan would be walking from here. "No need driver uncle, even if you don''t wish to tell anyone, my mother will find a way to get the information out of you. So, let it be. I can manage from here" Hwan declared and stepped down the car. Then he turned to the driver and asked him to leave first. After ensuring the driver left and now there was no way he could follow him, Hwan headed towards KH Entertainment Company and reached in not more than two minutes. Taking a long deep breath, he entered the premises. ¡­ When the driver reached the Song Mansion, Ji Seo Yun immediately checked with him to know where Hwan is interning but the driver narrated what happened. ''Ah, why is he so adamant on hiding the truth? Should I try some other way to find out where he is interning?'' Ji Seo Yun wondered to herself and disappointedly went to her workplace. ¡­ Feeling nervous, Song Ji Hwan entered the big premises and showed his internship letter at the reception. He was familiar with this building as he visited KH Entertainment Company multiple times but every time he only appeared as a friend of Kim''s. This was the first time he was here as a part of this organization. "Congratulations on securing this internship. Here is your staff ID card and other important things that you would need" The cheerful receptionist handed him a brief folder with some stuff in it. Song Ji Hwan couldn''t see what''s inside it but it was heavy enough to understand that this is some important stuff. "This ID card needs to be carried with you everyday as you will swipe it before entering the insides. This ID swiping will note your time of arrival and departure. Without this ID you won''t get any entry. Please note that, it is very important." The receptionist explained and Song Ji Hwan seriously nodded making a mental note to always carry this ID on him. "Thank you" Song Ji Hwan respectfully bowed to her. "Now head to the fifth floor, third conference room. That''s where meeting with the interns will start. All the best" The receptionist cheered for him which made Song Ji Hwan''s nervousness to calm down. He again bowed to her and headed in the direction she pointed. After reaching the third conference room on the fifth floor, Song Ji Hwan took a deep breath before knocking on the door. "Come in" A female voice was heard from inside the room. The voice sounded stern and magnificent. Song Ji Hwan felt a bit nervous but nevertheless he opened the door and entered the conference room. He saw two girls and three boys already seated around the long table. "You are?" The lady, who earlier gave him the permission to enter the room, asked. "Spyro" Song Ji Hwan mentioned his secret name through which he applied. The lady checked the list she had in her hand and nodded her head, "Take a seat" she instructed and Hwan did so. After a while when it was the actual time of reporting, the lady locked the door and made a phone call to the reception. "The reporting time is over, the rest of the interns who will appear from here on, tell them their internship has been cancelled and we don''t need them anymore" Song Ji Hwan and six others present there were taken aback hearing what this lady just said. 10 interns were supposed to be chosen for this program and right now only 7 of them were here which meant she fired three interns. No one present there had the audacity to question this lady as she was one intimidating woman. After speaking on the phone, the lady turned to the seven interns present there. "I value time the most, it is one thing that never comes back once gone. Every second is precious in this entertainment world. Although, money looks like the biggest asset of this industry, even that money is controlled by time. Lots of deals are made and broken within seconds. So, if ever I come across someone, who doesn''t value time, the person will meet the same end as those three others. Am I clear?" The seven people immediately nodded their heads in affirmation. "Good" The lady then walked to the center of the room and introduced herself. "I am Jessica Oh, you can call me Jess or Jessica. I am the main head of all the managers, who manage our artists. I am familiar with every artist and without my knowledge no contract can be signed. I am in-charge of looking after our managers and guide them. Don''t expect me to spoon-feed you all, that''s not happening. If you are capable and get lost sometimes, I show the direction. If you get lost all the time, I show the exit. Am I clear?" The seven interns excitedly nodded their heads as they didn''t expect someone from such a high position would be mentoring them. "Now introduce yourselves" The woman declared and sat on the biggest chair in the center of the table and looked at the seven interns, who were clearly nervous and intimidated by her. Chapter 108 - Singing A Song The seven interns looked at each other wondering who would take the initiative to introduce themselves. Given Ms Jessica''s attitude and personality, they were hesitating to go first as they were not sure what they would be getting into. Sensing his peers'' nervousness, Song Ji Hwan decided to take advantage of this situation and form an impression on Ms. Jessica, may it be good or bad. "May I go first, or anyone else wishes to introduce themselves?" Song Ji Hwan asked his peers, his eyes travelling over every one of them to get their permission. Every other intern nodded their heads as they were relieved. Song Ji Hwan stood up from his seat and bowed them to all. "I am a movie buff and entertainment industry were something that always intrigued me, so much so that I wished to make a career in it. I do not wish to be in front of the camera but work from behind it. Therefore, on getting an opportunity at this internship, I applied for it. I do not wish to disclose my real identity, so I applied through the secret program. You all can call me Spyro. This name has been originated from Greek which means ''spirit''. I believe I have the spirit to achieve whatever I wish to and I can dedicate myself completely towards my goal. Thus, this name. I hope we have productive weeks during our internship. Thank you" Song Ji Hwan concluded his introduction by bowing again. The six other interns were impressed by his confidence and felt more nervous wondering if they can keep up with the new bar this guy has set. Song Ji Hwan looked at Jessica from the corner of his eye to gauge her reaction but she was sitting there with a straight face and one could not see through her thoughts. "Next" Jessica''s voice rang out in the conference room. Three people stood up from their seats at the same time and awkwardly looked at one another, after a bit chaos they took chances. This way all other six interns introduced themselves. The one surprising thing that came out of these introductions was the fact that all the seven interns present there were using secret aliases, no one used their real identities. After the introductions, Jessica took them on an induction and explained them the whole schedule of their internship. The day passed by quickly and it was already the end of the day. Bidding adieu to his peers, Song Ji Hwan walked to the caf¨¦ where he was dropped earlier and saw the driver already waiting for him. On the way to his home, he fell asleep as the first day tired him out but there was a faint smile painted on his lips, signifying what a productive day he had. ¡­ Weekend It was again the time for fortnightly gathering, this time at the Lee''s personal family house. Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri got their personal bungalow renovated, so this week they hosted their gathering here instead of the Lee Mansion. So, only the four core members of Lee family was present here. "Wow, your house looks even better than before" Song Ji Hwan commented while touring around the big home with Ian and Kiaraa. "Yeah, my mom was an interior designer and since she started working again, she is doing an even better job at it" Kiaraa said. "I heard she even did interior designing for a famous sport celeb" Ian commented. "Yes, that celeb was so happy with mom''s work, they even gave us free VIP tickets to their match. Mom and dad attended it" Kiaraa proudly said. "You must be so proud of your mother" Song Ji Hwan asked. "Of course, I am. She is doing so well" There was a tinge of pride in Kiaraa''s tone. After the touring, Kiaraa and Ian were about to turn around to head downstairs as they were on the top floor when Hwan interrupted them. "You guys carry on, the air is very fresh in here, I''d like to stay in the gallery longer" The top floor was still very empty, the rooms were filled with furniture but they just belonged to future guests. There was a big gallery on this floor from one end of the house to another, letting one enjoy the nature outside. Song Ji Hwan being a nature lover, made this request as he wished to spend more time on the gallery, which was furnished with couches, garden chairs, swings. "Fine, but don''t stay outside longer, you might catch a cold" Kiaraa warned him and left with Ian. "Yes boss" Song Ji Hwan went to the big gallery outside and observed the beautiful arrangement. There was a small garden too on one side of the gallery, which impressed Song Ji Hwan as there were some plants planted there. It was not overdone; it was very minimalist arrangement but soothing to one''s eyes. ''Kiaraa is right, her mom is a great interior designer and knows her job well'' Song Ji Hwan impressively thought and sat on one of the comfort chairs to observe the whole gallery. This gallery was so big that it went beyond his sight as the gallery didn''t end from one corner to another but surrounded the whole home. One can take a walk around the gallery and complete a full round of the house at the same time. Song Ji Hwan decided to slowly explore this gallery and for now just sat at one spot enjoying the atmosphere. A breeze of fresh air touched his face and in reflex he closed his eyes, enjoying the nature. After a few seconds, he heard a faint voice, someone was singing a song. Assuming it to be his imagination, he ignored it but the song continued and the voice only turned sweeter. Song Ji Hwan finally opened his eyes and looked around but there was no one present there. ''Are my ears ringing?'' He wondered. The melodious voice continued singing the song. ''Is it coming from this gallery?'' He asked himself and stood up from his seat. Curiosity got the best out of him and he followed the voice. With every step he took to head towards the source of this voice, the music became louder and clearer. When Song Ji Hwan finally reached the person, who was singing this sweet song, he was taken aback. Aera was sitting near the gallery''s railing, with her left hand, from her fingers to her elbow, placed on the railing and the right hand similarly placed on the left. Her chin was resting on her right hand as she looked ahead at the nature. She continued singing her song unaware of Song Ji Hwan''s presence as her back was facing him and when he headed here, he didn''t make any noise. Song Ji Hwan was surprised hearing her sing as all these years, he had no idea a great singer was hidden inside Aera. She was always calm and interacted more with Kim Do Hyun, their interactions were rare and it always involved them just talking to each other. ''What an amazing talent this girl holds. I wonder does anyone is aware of it?'' Song Ji Hwan wondered as he never even heard his mother mention this talent of Aera, which was rare as his mother never leaves a chance in praising her. Song Ji Hwan didn''t disturb her and slowly took back a few steps to hide himself and continued listening to her singing. He didn''t wish for her to know that he heard her as he was sure she would be embarrassed and will stop singing. For the next half an hour, Aera continued singing in her own world while Song Ji Hwan enjoyed every minute of it. After a while, Aera realized she spent way too much time here, so she headed back downstairs while Song Ji Hwan perfectly hid himself, not revealing the fact that he heard her. Aera, therefore never knew Song Ji Hwan heard her that day and changed her life for better. After Aera left, Song Ji Hwan intentionally waited there for a few minutes before heading down. Once he reached downstairs, he straight ahead went to Sa Da Hye, who was chit-chatting with the other two women. "Aunt Da Hye, can I have a word with you, it is very urgent" Song Ji Hwan rushed to her. "What happened suddenly?" His mother asked, seeing him a bit anxious. "Nothing" Song Ji Hwan answered her but his eyes were begging Sa Da Hye, to come with him. "But¡­" Ji Seo Yun was about to speak when Sa Da Hye interrupted her, "It''s okay, it must be about some movie or series." Sa Da Hye then went to a more isolated spot with Song Ji Hwan, who was very anxious to share what he just witnessed with her. "Yeah, tell me what happened that you look so riled up?" Sa Da Hye folded her hands across her chest and seriously looked at Song Ji Hwan. Chapter 109 - Melodious Voice "Yeah, tell me what happened that you look so riled up?" Sa Da Hye folded her hands across her chest and seriously looked at Song Ji Hwan. "Today, I discovered a talent and I want you to sign it" Song Ji Hwan declared. "I am sorry, what?" Sa Da Hye looked confused as she didn''t get the context of what he was talking about. "Aunt Da Hye, I was on the gallery until now and guess what I came across?" Song Ji Hwan tried to create some suspense. "Hwan, I have a lot of other work, can you please come on point?" Sa Da Hye was losing her patience. "Okay, okay. So, when I was on the gallery above, I heard Aera sing a song. Believe me aunt Da Hye, I didn''t hear anyone sing with such a melodious voice for a very long time. She has a hidden talent, none of are aware of." Song Ji Hwan excitedly informed her. "Okay, so?" Sa Da Hye still didn''t know how to react. "I think you should sign her as an artist in your entertainment company and train her to be a k-pop star." "What?" Sa Da Hye laughed as if she just heard some joke. Song Ji Hwan frowned at her reaction but he patiently waited for her to be done. Once she laughed her heart out, she looked at Song Ji Hwan, who was seriously staring at her. She realized he was not joking and was actually serious. "Are you serious?" "Why would I waste my time in talking all of this, if I am not. You know me well" Song Ji Hwan retorted. "Hwan, even if she is a good singer, a k-pop star needs to dance and have many more talents." "You can train Aera, that''s exactly what you people do, right?" "But are you sure, she is that good? What if she sings well and sucks at other things?" Sa Da Hye asked him. Song Ji Hwan rolled his eyes at her, "Obviously then fire her but believe me my intuition can never go wrong. If you sign her, you would be coming across an amazing raw talent before anyone else" Sa Da Hye was in deep thoughts, still thinking about this proposition as she was not sure if she should take a 16-year-old seriously. Although, they were close, what Song Ji Hwan is asking of her is something very huge. Signing Aera as an artist with KH Entertainment Company is not a small thing. Their friends will now get involved professionally. Also, in future if there are any issues with Aera then it might not be very easy to terminate the contract with her given their close family relations. Sensing Sa Da Hye''s hesitation, Song Ji Hwan put another proposition in front of her. "I understand your problem, I have another solution" Song Ji Hwan interrupted her thoughts. "And that is?" "I''ll somehow show you her talent first, without even knowing it, you can''t make a decision. But once you''ll hear her, you will love her voice so much that you would be the first one to jump in this opportunity to sign her." "What if I don''t wish to sign her even after listening to her singing?" Sa Da Hye asked him. "No worries, I''ll take her to some other entertainment company. Her talent is enough to get her signed" Song Ji Hwan confidently declared. Sa Da Hye chuckled hearing his statement, "Hwan, you are still very young. You don''t know how this industry works" Song Ji Hwan was not offended and politely smiled at Sa Da Hye. She was unaware of the fact that he already got an internship in her own company. From here, Hwan can actually build some contacts and at least showcase Aera''s talent to many influential people. He already had a back-up plan set in his mind in case Sa Da Hye refuses to sign Aera. So, he was confident he will achieve what he wishes to. "Why are you smiling?" Sa Da Hye looked confused. "Don''t bother. Can you come with me? We will ask Aera to sing a song and you can see her amazing talent with your own eyes and hear her melodious voice with your ears" "Okay, okay, let''s do that" Sa Da Hye decided to give Song Ji Hwan a chance as he was clearly very excited. She decided to listen Aera sing and will say she has to check with Kim Hoon and then slowly she will refuse Song Ji Hwan. Sa Da Hye and Song Ji Hwan went to the lawn area and saw Aera playing some board game with Kim Do Hyun. "Aera dear, can you come here for a minute?" Sa Da Hye gently called her and a confused Aera headed towards Hwan and Sa Da Hye. "Don''t tell her about me listening to her singing in secret" Song Ji Hwan whispered to Sa Da Hye, who just nodded her head. "Yes, aunt Sa Da Hye?" Aera looked at the two people. "Aera dear, actually there is a small event happening in my company, we wanted a child singer of your age for it. Your voice sounds sweet, so I am assuming your voice is fit for singing too. So, can you sing a small song for me?" Sa Da Hye cooked up whatever lie she could think of. Aera was still confused, "Can''t you ask Kim Do Hyun?" "No, your voice is better than hers" Song Ji Hwan answered her only to get glared at by Sa Da Hye. "I don''t know how to sing" Aera answered. "What is there to not know? Just like how you talk, you sing" Song Ji Hwan was getting frustrated seeing her reluctance. "But I don''t like it" Aera refused to give in to his request. "Fine" Sa Da Hye was about to give up as she was relieved with the turn of events. "Wait" Song Ji Hwan seriously looked at Aera, "Aera, how many favours do you owe me?" he suddenly asked. "Two Hundred and thirty-four" Aera answered him, as he always reminds her the number of favours, she owes him. Sa Da Hye didn''t get the context but she patiently waited to see what he will do. "So, as a part of my favour, can you please sing a song?" Song Ji Hwan nicely requested her. This time Aera couldn''t refuse and nodded her head. She looked at her surroundings and made a request, "Can we please go somewhere else?" "Sure" The three people then went to the backside of the lawn where no one was present. Aera nervously looked at Sa Da Hye and Song Ji Hwan. After being pestered by them, she tried to sing but her voice was breaking and she was unable to sing. Sa Da Hye looked at Song Ji Hwan and shook her head saying no. Aera stopped singing her broken song. Song Ji Hwan took a deep breath and stepped towards Aera. He held both her shoulders and looked into her eyes, "Aera, do one thing. Close your eyes, imagine you are alone here and sing a song. Please, I beg you" "Why are you doing this?" Aera asked in confusion. "Because just like you needed my help many times all these years, today I need yours. Can you please be considerate of my request and do me this favour? I never asked you for anything before and this is the first time. Please, Aera, if you will sing you would be doing me a huge favour" Song Ji Hwan looked very emotional as if his life depended on her singing. Sa Da Hye and Aera, both were confused seeing his extreme reaction but his words worked like magic on Aera and she seriously nodded her head. Song Ji Hwan let go of her and took a step back. Aera turned around, facing her back to Sa Da Hye and Song Ji Hwan. She slowly closed her eyes and recollected every moment when Song Ji Hwan truly helped her. Taking a deep breath, she imagined herself alone on the gallery like earlier and sang the same song she sang earlier as that was the only song, she was perfect at. Imagining herself alone, actually worked and although she picked on a low note, she slowly got immersed in the song and forgot her surroundings. Aera sang the song even better than when she did on the gallery earlier. When Sa Da Hye, heard the changing notes in Aera''s voice once she started singing properly, she was totally taken aback and her mouth was left open in a gape. Song Ji Hwan didn''t hype or exaggerate what he said earlier about Aera, he was being honest. Aera''s voice was so melodious that even Sa Da Hye, who comes across fresh talent every day didn''t listen to something like this since a very long time. By the time Aera was done singing the whole song, Sa Da Hye and Song Ji Hwan were totally lost in this song and forgot the purpose of all this. Chapter 110 - Propose To Her When Aera opened her eyes, the view of a shocked Sa Da Hye and a smiling Song Ji Hwan came in front of her. She didn''t understand why her aunt looked so surprised and why Hwan was so happy. "Can I go back to play?" Aera calmly asked them. "Yeah, go. Thank you so much, Aera. Now you only owe me Two Hundred and thirty-three favours, remember that" Song Ji Hwan reiterated. Nodding her head, Aera happily left, glad that she completed at least one favour she owed Song Ji Hwan. After Aera left, Hwan turned to Sa Da Hye, who was still in a daze after listening to that song. "So, what do you think now?" Song Ji Hwan confidently smiled at her. "How did we never know Aera had this kind of beautiful voice?" Sa Da Hye commented. "We never bother ourselves with her" Song Ji Hwan spoke the harsh truth. "True" Sa Da Hye agreed with him. "So, aunt Da Hye, should we sign Aera?" Song Ji Hwan asked her. "Hwan, it is still a big decision. I need to discuss about this with Hoon and then with the Lees. But don''t you worry, I''ll make this happen. Aera is a kind of rare talent I am not going to lose." Sa Da Hye declared. "Hmm, she will definitely mine a lot of money for KH Entertainment" Song Ji Hwan spoke the unsaid words. Sa Da Hye looked at him before commenting, "You have an eye for talent" "Thank you" Song Ji Hwan dramatically bowed to her and left from there as he was sure after listening to Aera''s voice, there would be no way Sa Da Hye would give up on her. By hook or by crook she will make it happen. Therefore, his work was done here. ¡­ In the next few days, Sa Da Hye indeed tried her best in signing Aera. Initially, Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri were shocked too as they had no idea their daughter was so good at singing. They were aware she is a good pianist as she took professional classes but singing was something they too were unaware of. Aera was made to sing in front of her parents and Kim Hoon multiple times, she reluctantly did so but after receiving appreciation from them, her confidence level increased and she sang even better. Within two months, Aera was signed as an artist under KH Entertainment company with assurance from the Kims to take good care of her. Aera had no idea her life would be changing from here; she just went along with what her parents and family friends suggested to her. Eventually her life became busy from here on as her training began. The Lees talked to the school authorities and hired a personal tutor for Aera, who gives her school lessons during her break time from the rehearsals and practice. On the day of her exams, she appears in the school and gives exams with her peers. This way, Aera''s life changed and she became busy at a very young age. Kiaraa was happy for her sister, as she was doing something productive with her life instead of spending all her time thinking about Song Ji Hun. This way two years passed away and in these two years, Song Ji Hun completed two years of his graduation and was already being trained under his father in understanding their business. Ian completed two years in medicine and he tried his best to control himself from confessing his feelings to Kiaraa as she was going through the most important two years of her life. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hwan''s lives became very busy in these two years with all the study pressure but they two successfully completed their twelfth grades with flying colours. Kiaraa decided to walk in the same footsteps as Song Ji Hun as she too wished to take over the Lee Conglomerate some day and took admission in Seoul National University, thus becoming a super junior of Song Ji Hun. Song Ji Hwan too took admission in the same university but he opted for Media Arts. Overall, all the four children were studying in Seoul National University but in different courses except for Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun, who were in the same department. The parents were very happy with their children''s progress and couldn''t be prouder. Now that Kiaraa was settled in her career and was about to start her college soon in a month, Ian decided it is time to confess his feelings for her. He had been waiting to do so for two years now but he didn''t wish to affect Kiaraa''s studies. Now that she was enjoying her vacation break before starting college, Ian made an elaborated plan to confess his feelings for her. ¡­ "Hwan, come and meet me urgently, I have something important to tell you" Ian made a call to Song Ji Hwan on a Friday evening. Song Ji Hwan was at a caf¨¦ hanging out with his girlfriend when he received this call. After spending some time with her he leisurely went to the Kim Mansion to meet Ian. He was sure whatever urgent work Ian mentioned can wait, so he didn''t rush himself. When Hwan visited the Kim Mansion, he was surprised to see the current atmosphere. Kim Hoon, Sa Da Hye and Ian were seriously discussing something, Kim Hoon and Sa Da Hye were giving him some suggestions while Ian was seriously nodding his head. "Am I disturbing your family time?" Song Ji Hwan joked and joined the three people. "Why are you so late?" Ian glared at his friend. "Traffic" Hwan lied through thin teeth and asked, "What serious discussion is going on that you people needed my participation too?" "After me, you are the closest to Kiaraa, so I wanted your advice, that''s why I called you" Ian informed him the purpose behind rushing him so urgently. "Advice in what?" "In proposing to her" A huge smile was spread across Ian''s face with the thought of what he is planning to do. Song Ji Hwan''s jaw dropped when he heard Ian''s words and in reflex, he looked at Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon, who too looked excited. "Propose as in?" Song Ji Hwan again asked although he understood what Ian meant. "Propose as in, confess my feelings to Kiaraa, informing her how much I loved her all these years and how I wish to date her from now on" Ian confidently answered him. "And you two are fine with it?" Song Ji Hwan asked Ian''s parents hoping for them to stop him. "We are the ones, who encouraged him to take this step as finally Kiaraa is done with school and is going to enter college" Sa Da Hye answered him. "Yeah, but why are you rushing it? I mean just wait and see¡­" "Why do you look so terrified? Please don''t tell me you are also in love with Kiaraa?" Kim Hoon asked Song Ji Hwan as this guy was suddenly sweating. Song Ji Hwan awkwardly chuckled and shook his head, "I already have a girlfriend and I see Kiaraa only as a friend. It is just that, two years ago she told me she sees Ian only as a friend. So, I am a bit worried" "Just chill, it was two years ago and I have a whole plan ready. Kiaraa will definitely say yes and we will begin dating from tomorrow" Ian confidently declared. "Tomorrow? What do you mean by tomorrow?" Song Ji Hwan was confused. "I am going to propose to her tomorrow evening" "Where?" Song Ji Hwan didn''t expect things to happen so fast. Ian, Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon looked at each other and smiled happily. "Seoul Amusement Park" The three people declared together. "That Park where we went years ago during vacation?" Song Ji Hwan recollected the time when all the six children and their fathers went to the amusement park during one of their summer breaks. "Yes, we all played treasure hunt, remember but none of us took it seriously?" Ian added. "Yeah, but why there?" "That''s where I proposed to Sa Da Hye years ago. So, we are kind of continuing the tradition. It can become a part of our family legacy" Kim Hoon proudly informed Song Ji Hwan. "Yeah, my and Kiaraa''s son will propose to his girl at the same amusement park" Ian joked. ''Don''t go way ahead of yourself'' Song Ji Hwan thought to himself but didn''t dare say it out aloud. "It would be so cute" Sa Da Hye happily declared already imagining her future grandchildren. "So, you will just take her there and confess?" Song Ji Hwan asked Ian. "No, it won''t be that simple. I booked one part of the amusement park, I''ll lavishly and extravagantly propose to her there." "It seems you spent a lot of money on it" Song Ji Hwan concluded. "Kiaraa is totally worth it" Ian dreamily declared and got teased by his parents. Song Ji Hwan looked at this family in confusion as he was not sure how else to react. Chapter 111 - Amusement Park It was late night by the time Song Ji Hwan came back to the Song Mansion, looking exhausted. He was slowly heading towards his room as other members in the house were already fast asleep. "Does your girlfriend tire you out so much?" A voice suddenly startled Song Ji Hwan and he almost tripped. "Hyung, you are still awake?" Song Ji Hwan almost shouted seeing Song Ji Hun enter the mansion. "I wasn''t able to fall asleep so was taking a walk in the garden. Seeing you back home, I just thought of greeting you" Song Ji Hun calmly explained. "Good that you are awake, I need to tell you something very important" Song Ji Hwan, who spent hours with the Kims knowing their whole plan on how to propose to Kiaraa was anxious to share every bit of information with his elder brother. Earlier, he assumed Song Ji Hun must have slept so he planned to share everything the next day while worrying of how he will fall asleep until then but now his problem was solved. "Hmm, what is it?" Song Ji Hun casually asked. Song Ji Hwan held his brother''s arm and pulled him back to the garden and informed him of everything that happened at the Kim Mansion. Song Ji Hun calmly listened to everything, there was no change in his expression no matter what Song Ji Hwan said. After a point Hwan wondered if Song Ji Hun is even listening to him or not. Then another wild thought came into his mind - ''Did he move on from Kiaraa?'' Nevertheless, Song Ji Hwan shared Ian''s whole plan with Song Ji Hun. "Is that why you were late?" Song Ji Hun asked. "Hmm, the Kims are mad, they made me sit through their whole plan and even took my opinion and inputs" Song Ji Hwan frustratedly informed his brother. Song Ji Hun slightly smiled, "Hope you gave them some good inputs" "Hyung, what happened to you? Are you not upset?" Hwan asked him surprisingly. "Why will I be upset?" Song Ji Hwan took out a cigarette to smoke. "Your love rival is going to ask out the girl you are in love with. How can you not be upset?" Song Ji Hun took a puff from his cigarette and coolly answered, "Even if I don''t like it, I can''t do anything about it. What can I do? Stop them? How?" Song Ji Hun took another puff and after a few seconds he said, "I expected Ian to confess his feelings long back, I am rather surprised he waited until now" "Are you not in love with Kiaraa anymore? You moved on?" Song Ji Hwan asked his brother. "I still like her and I''ll always will but that doesn''t mean I can control her feelings. If she too likes Ian and if there are chances of Ian''s proposal being successful tomorrow, what can I do?" Song Ji Hun asked his brother. "Are you giving up without trying?" Song Ji Hwan felt his heart wrench in pain seeing his brother talking like this. Song Ji Hun took a deep breath and threw away his cigarette, "Honestly Hwan, I too don''t know what I am going to do. It would be painful to see Kiaraa with some other man but I can''t force her to be with me, right? At the end of the day what she wants and her happiness is what matters to me. If she wants to be with Ian, I won''t come in her way" Song Ji Hwan was not sure what to say or feel hearing the matured words coming from his brother. After a long pause, he said, "Hyung, you are a nice man" Song Ji Hun lightly smiled, "I am not as good as you think I am" Song Ji Hwan didn''t say a word and tightly hugged his brother. He then suddenly said, "Although Ian is my best friend and I wish him all the happiness in the world, I truly hope Kiaraa crushes his heart tomorrow" Song Ji Hun laughed hearing his brother''s wish. "Let''s see what happens" ¡­ Next day Song Ji Hun couldn''t concentrate on anything. His mind kept drifting to the upcoming proposal by Ian and he couldn''t stop wondering what would be Kiaraa''s reaction and what will happen tonight. No matter how hard he tried to not think about it, his heart kept feeling anxious. By evening he was so frustrated that he took the car and drove to the amusement park by himself. Song Ji Hwan saw his brother leave in the car from his room gallery and smiled to himself. ¡­ Dressed in a white shirt, black pants and a black casual coat, Ian looked extremely handsome. He checked himself out in the mirror for umpteenth time and applied gel in his hair in the right amount and used the most expensive perfume he specially bought for tonight. "You can do it, Ian. Everything will be great, don''t worry" He cheerfully told himself. "Are you going to stay here forever?" Sa Da Hye, who suddenly entered her son''s room mocked him teasingly. "I am just checking myself out for the last time before leaving" Ian smiled at his mother and nervously rubbed his palms against each other. "Kiaraa must be waiting for you, don''t make her wait any longer" Sa Da Hye said. "Yeah, I won''t. Wish me luck mom" Ian kissed his mother''s cheek. "Best of luck my son, now go and start the process of making Kiaraa my future daughter-in-law" Sa Da Hye cheerfully teased him before adding, "Today, after she says yes, go to some secure place to make out with her and don''t get caught" Sa Da Hye teased him even more, making Ian blush. "Stop it, mom" Ian face-palmed himself and left in the car for Lee Mansion. ¡­ Kiaraa was dressed in a casual red shirt and black jeans, she was waiting in the living room for Ian''s arrival. "I still don''t understand why are you two going out so late at night?" Lee Myung Soo complained for the fifteenth time, not hiding his displeasure about Ian taking out Kiaraa at this hour. "Dad, I already told you, he is treating me for scoring such amazing marks in my CSAT. It is like a small party." Kiaraa explained. "Then why are only you two attending it? Why is Song Ji Hwan not attending? He too got good scores on his CSAT. Shouldn''t he be treated too? Why such special treatment only for you?" Lee Myung Soo threw back-to-back questions at his daughter, who was speechless as she too was not sure why Ian was only treating her. After thinking for a few minutes, she tries to reason out, "Maybe the boys have a separate party for themselves and to not make me feel left out, Ian is treating me in advance" "Is that really the case or is this your assumption?" Lee Myung Soo suspiciously raised his eyebrows at his daughter as he was not convinced by this explanation. "That is indeed the case" Kiaraa confidently said to get her dad off her back. "If so, then fine but if not¡­" "Dad, I am not going out with some stranger. I am going out with Ian, Kim Ian, my best friend. You should really chill and stop overthinking. I am not going on a date" Kiaraa frustratedly interrupted her father. "Good you know that. Look Kiaraa, I am very serious about one thing, you are not allowed to date Ian, at all" Lee Myung Soo reiterated. "Dad, I am not interested in him, chill" Kiaraa rolled her eyes at her father and just then a car entered the Lee Mansion premises. Sighing in relief that Ian has finally arrived, Kiaraa kissed her father goodbye and rushed outside. As soon as Ian''s car stopped in front of her, she hopped in the front passenger seat next to him, fastened her seat belt and ordered, "Let''s go fast before my dad starts troubling you" Ian chuckled at her reaction and quickly turned the car around and the two people left for their destination. "Why does your dad hate me so much?" Ian playfully asked her. "You are not the only one, he hates every guy who roams around me and Aera. Just a typical father thing" Kiaraa truly believed this. "Hmm, I hope he starts liking me" Ian muttered to himself but they were the only ones in the car, so Kiaraa heard him clearly. "Why does it even matter?" Kiaraa casually said and played rock music in the car. ''It matters as he is going to be my future father-in-law" Ian thought, controlling himself from saying it out aloud. The drive lasted for around forty minutes before the two people reached the amusement park. "Amusement Park, at this hour?" Kiaraa looked surprised seeing where Ian brought her as in some time it would be the closing time of this amusement park. Earlier, he told her he is going to give her a surprise so she was unaware of where they were going. "Yeah, here is the surprise I told you about" Ian winked at Kiaraa and like a gentleman opened the car door for her to get down. Although, confused at the situation, Kiaraa decided to trust him and the two people entered the amusement park. Chapter 112 - Confession Kiaraa looked around the amusement park in astonishment, her eyebrows furrowed when she realized that this place was familiar. "Ian, if I am not wrong, we once visited this place, right?" Kiaraa asked him, still looking at her surroundings. Ian lightly smiled and nodded his head, "Yeah, around four years ago we did come here" "If I remember correctly, we visited this park in the morning so that we can enjoy as many rides as possible." She turned to face him, "Then why the hell did you bring me at this hour? This amusement park is going to be closed soon, what are you thinking Ian?" Kiaraa asked him, looking annoyed. Ian just smiled and held her hand, he pulled her closer and wrapped his right hand around her shoulder, "Do you trust me?" he asked looking into her eyes. Kiaraa rolled her eyes and didn''t answer him. Ian pulled her more closer closing the distance between them, "Answer me" He seriously said still looking into her eyes. Kiaraa didn''t feel the change or intensity in his actions, she just casually nodded her head, looking indifferent, "Obviously I trust you, Ian. I literally grew up with you" "Then don''t worry and keep following me. I have the most beautiful surprise for you" Ian smiled happily as he was satisfied with her response. Then Ian took Kiaraa to one side of the amusement park, which was away from the crowd. With every step they took towards their destination, the lights were turning dim as they were entering darkness and the people around them were lesser. Kiaraa was not scared or afraid as she indeed trusts Ian. She was looking forward to the surprise he planned for her, unknown to her of how their relationship is going to change post seeing what he planned. After walking a certain distance, Ian and Kiaraa reached a very isolated, dark place. There was literally so much darkness ahead of them that nothing was visible to one''s naked eye, even the road ahead couldn''t be seen. "Are you sure we are at the right place?" Kiaraa doubtfully asked Ian. "Hmm" Ian just hummed and turned to stand face-to-face with Kiaraa. "Kiaraa, I want you to close your eyes" Ian seriously informed her. Kiaraa again rolled her eyes, "Ian, you know I am not into cheesy stuff like this" Kiaraa was slowly losing her patience. "Kiaraa, please" Ian patiently requested her, not annoyed by her actions. "Whatever" Kiaraa then closed her eyes. Ian smiled and stepped away from her. After a few seconds, Kiaraa heard a voice, coming from a mic, calling her name ¨C Kiaraa, and she slowly opened her eyes. There was still the same darkness ahead of her and she couldn''t understand a thing. "Kiaraa, I don''t remember the day I exactly met you but for as long as I remember my life, I always see you with me" The voice spoke in the mic and Kiaraa frowned her eyebrows as she didn''t understand why Ian was using a mic to say all this. Nevertheless, her eyes were searching for him in the darkness as she couldn''t see him, only could hear him. "Even when I think of my future or imagine it, you are always there. It is like I can never imagine my past, present or my future without you" Ian continued expressing his feelings while Kiaraa stood rooted in her spot, confused at this scenario. "I don''t know the exact moment when I realized this, but I know I am nothing without you and I am everything with you. It won''t be too much to say, you are in my every heart beat and in every particle of air I breathe." At this moment, Kiaraa narrowed her eyes and thought, "What the hell is he talking about? Is he drunk?" "Lee Kiaraa, I waited for this moment for many years now and today I wish to tell you, not just you but to this world, I wish to say ¨C I LOVE YOU, KIARAA" Ian shouted the last four words very loudly as if declaring his love to the world. Exactly at this moment the lights were turned on and the effect was so strong that it hurt Kiaraa''s eyes and she immediately covered them with her elbow by bending to one side. With the sudden effect of these lights mixed with Ian''s confession, Kiaraa''s mind suddenly went blank and it took her a few seconds to register her surroundings. After adjusting her eyes to the bright lights, Kiaraa slowly moved her elbow away and looked ahead of her. What greeted her eyes was the view of a big tree decorated with beautiful fairy lights, there was a big four columned structure decorated with exquisite, expensive flowers. There was a bottle of champagne on the table with a red ribbon tied around it. Two chairs were around the table on the opposite sides. There was enough space next to the table, where a couple can dance freely if they wish to. The decorations was so beautiful that it looked dreamy and would make one feel romantic. Kiaraa then looked at the man, who was sitting on one of his knees in the signature style of a man proposing, holding a big bouquet of flowers in his hand and a big wide smile painted on his lips. Kiaraa recollected his love confession and again looked at the romantic setting behind him before looking back at Ian. Clearing her voice, she seriously asked, "Ian, what kind of a prank is this?" Ian kind of expected this reaction from her as he could understand how affected she would be after suddenly finding out about his deep feelings for her. It was normal. So, he calmly answered her, "Kiaraa, I had been wanting to confess my feelings for you for a while now. The last two years were crucial for you and I didn''t wish for you to have any distractions especially from my end, so I waited for the right time." "Ian, this is a prank, right? Song Ji Hwan are you hiding somewhere?" Kiaraa ignored everything he said and looked at her surroundings. Ian was confused at her reaction and called her name but Kiaraa started checking her surroundings as if she was searching for their other friend. "I am sure it is some prank; Hwan will now suddenly jump in and will say busted." Kiaraa declared. Kiaraa was clearly freaking out and seeing her reaction, Ian stood up from the ground and held her hand, stopping her from moving from one place to another. Ian too turned serious. "Kiaraa, this is not a prank. You think I will put so much efforts to just prank you? Did I ever do anything like that?" Ian seriously questioned her but Kiaraa avoided looking into his eyes. "K, look at me" Ian ordered seeing her head lowered down. Kiaraa shook her head in no, refusing to lift her head. Ian got worried seeing the sudden change in her. Till date, Kiaraa never acted like this. If she didn''t like something she just said that out aloud, not caring about anyone in this world. This was the first time she suddenly went silent like this and refused to respond. "Kiaraa, please look at me" Ian again requested her as softly as possible but Kiaraa again shook her head, still looking at the ground below. Having no choice, Ian held her chin and gently lifted her face, only to get the shock of his life. There were tears in Kiaraa''s eyes. The moment Kiaraa and Ian''s eyes met each other''s, Kiaraa pushed him and his hand away and ran away from there with as fast as she could. By the time, Ian balanced himself from the force Kiaraa pushed him with, the girl was gone. Worriedly, Ian ran his fingers through his hair as he was not sure how to react. This was literally the first time in his life, he saw Kiaraa cry. The image of tears surrounding the beautiful eyes of the woman he has always been in love with, was already very heart wrenching to allow him to think straight. On top of that, she suddenly pushed him away, embarrassed that he saw tears in her eyes and ran away from there, in this amusement park which was still fairly crowded and extremely big. By now, she could be anywhere, in or out of this amusement park. Ian got worried as it was late night and if she is lost somewhere and he is not able to find her, it would be a big mess. Kiaraa was his responsibility and he is supposed to safely drop her back at her home. This sudden turn of events therefore worried him and he regretted forcing her to look at him, leading to all of this. Ian quickly started searching for Kiaraa, running all over the place unknown of the fact that since the moment he and Kiaraa entered the amusement park, there was someone who followed them inside and witnessed everything that took place until now. This person, managed to follow Kiaraa and was currently with her. Chapter 113 - Song Ji Huns Advice Kiaraa mindlessly ran in a random direction as if she was dizzy and needed to get away from Ian as soon as possible. Tears were now flowing from her eyes as she was crying terribly. Song Ji Hun followed her but he was keeping a safe distance from her to ensure she is not aware of his presence. Earlier, Song Ji Hun reached the amusement park even before Ian and Kiaraa. He parked his car near the entrance and waited for them. When Ian and Kiaraa were about to enter the premises of the park, Song Ji Hun noticed them and followed the two people by keeping a safe distance. He felt like a stalker following them like this but he threw away the feeling of righteousness as he wished to witness this proposal. He wanted to see how Kiaraa will react to Ian''s confession. Even if she happily accepts it, he wished to witness it as he felt he would be able to move on with his life only after witnessing everything first hand. After following them to the proposal destination, Song Ji Hun was able to hide himself easily due to the darkness. He then witnessed the lavish proposal of Ian and made up his mind that Kiaraa will accept it but when he saw Kiaraa''s reaction and how she freaked out, Song Ji Hun got worried and stayed alert. The moment Kiaraa pushed Ian and ran away, Song Ji Hun was able to follow her without being noticed by Ian as he was hiding near the starting point of this place. He kept up with Kiaraa''s speed and followed her to a fountain where she ran towards to. Kiaraa got tired from running and sat on a bench in front of the fountain. She covered her face with her hands and sobbed continuously, tears were not ready to stop from falling down from her eyes. This was the first time Song Ji Hun saw Kiaraa crying and his heart wrenched in pain. No matter what Kiaraa went through all these years, no matter the fights or arguments she faced, she never cried. Even academically if she came across any hurdle, she faced it like a champ and crossed it but not once she broke down like this. Song Ji Hun couldn''t stand afar and just watch the love of his life cry like this. He therefore, went ahead and sat next to her. Even if Kiaraa sees him and wonders what he is doing here, he decided to explain himself and not bother about such things. Kiaraa was still crying covering her face in her palms. He could hear her light cries and it was enough for Song Ji Hun to conclude how affected she was. Song Ji Hun took out a black handkerchief that he always carries on him, as it was gifted to him by his cousin Alex Kwon. He forwarded the handkerchief to Kiaraa, "Here, take this" he said to the girl crying continuously. Kiaraa was still crying when she heard a deep voice of a man. She knew it was not Ian and some stranger as she recognizes Ian''s voice very well. She slowly opened her eyes and there was a hand in front of her offering her a black handkerchief. Her eyes was dazy and her mind was not functioning, in reflex, she took the handkerchief and wiped her tears. Her head was lowered as she didn''t wish for the person next to her to witness her state, so she avoided looking at that person altogether. "Thankyou" she softly muttered and focused on wiping her tears. Song Ji Hun didn''t say a word and just sat next to her. No matter how many times Kiaraa wiped her tears, they were not stopping. "I am sorry for ruining your kerchief" Kiaraa said in a broken voice. "It''s okay, as long as you stop crying" Song Ji Hun said. Kiaraa was surprised when she heard this man''s words which felt familiar but she didn''t turn around to see the man''s face as she was still not ready for anyone to see her cry. The foremost thing Kiaraa hates the most in her life is crying and the second thing is someone witnessing it. Kiaraa believes crying is an action only for weak people and she is too strong for this. Showing this weakness of hers to anyone is a much bigger deal for her and therefore she rather hide her face and avoid looking at people then show herself crying. But when she heard Song Ji Hun say as long as she stops crying, it is fine even if handkerchief is ruined, she had the urge to look at the person next to her. Only if not for her stubbornness, she definitely would have checked who this person is. "Do I know you?" Kiaraa suddenly asked the guy next to her. She couldn''t stop herself from asking this. Song Ji Hun was taken aback by her question but he chose to lie, "No, we are strangers" "Then why are you here? Why do you care if I cry?" Kiaraa asked him, still sobbing uncontrollably. Seeing her state, Song Ji Hun had the urge to hug her but he knows he shouldn''t. "For the sake of humanity" He answered her and added, "At times, in situations like these, having a stranger''s presence around is better than being with our own people" His casually said words to justify his own presence hit the right chord with Kiaraa and she felt he was right. Kiaraa was not sure it was his magnificent voice or his deep rooted words that were affecting her, but she agreed with everything he was saying and his voice was comforting her. They both sat there in silence for a while. Kiaraa was still crying, while Song Ji Hun helplessly looked at her state. After a few minutes, Kiaraa suddenly spoke up, "My childhood bestfriend, who means a lot to me, suddenly confessed that he has been in love with me all these years" Kiaraa was not sure why she was sharing this with a stranger but she really wished to talk about what she was feeling right now. Her heart felt heavy and it can get lighter only after she speaks her heart out. Her voice was choking as she was still sobbing and her head was lowered down. Song Ji Hun was surprised when she suddenly started sharing her thoughts but he didn''t interrupt her and neither did he pester her to speak further. Satisfied with not getting any response from the man next to her, Kiaraa continued, "I am not interested in things like love and relationships. I have bigger goals in life to achieve. I don''t believe in wasting my time in other distractions." She took a deep breath before saying, "But when Ian confessed his feelings to me, I felt like I lost my bestfriend forever. Things are never going to be the same again between us now. I was therefore hoping he was joking about his feelings but I could see in his eyes and feel in his voice how much he truly loves me. The thought of breaking someone''s heart, who always meant so much to me, turned me weak and I started crying imagining my fallen friendship with him." Kiaraa spoke everything that came to her mind and Song Ji Hun was understanding her perception. "I am even thinking of just saying yes to his proposal to not lose him but I don''t want this. I don''t want a boyfriend or a relationship. I am going to start a new phase in my life and I want to focus on shaping my career but I also don''t want to lose my bestfriend. I don''t even know what I should do? Kiaraa frustratedly said and held her head between her handa and lowered it down, almost notching her hair. "Why the fuck did Ian fall for me out of all the girls in this world? Why the hell did he complicate everything? What is wrong with him?" Kiaraa shouted in frustration still holding her head and bending slightly downwards. Song Ji Hun slightly smiled and patted her back, "The solution to your problem is not very complicated" he assured her. "Oh really? Then please tell me what''s the solution?" Kiaraa asked him still hiding her face. "Just talk it out and explain your points to your friend. Tell him your priorities are set and being in love is not something you ever look forward to. If he is truly your friend and genuinely loves you then he will respect your decision and will go back to being your bestfriend like he always has been but if he choses to ignore your opinion and continues to pursue you then you are smart enough to cut him off from your life" Song Ji Hun honestly shared his opinion and the next minute he saw Ian appear there, he was at a distance searching for Kiaraa around. Song Ji Hun immediately stood up from there and left the place before Ian could spot him. Kiaraa, who had her head lowered down and was still processing Song Ji Hun''s advice didn''t even realise he already left from there. Chapter 114 - Support System "Kiaraa" Ian worriedly called her name and that''s when Kiaraa finally lifted her head. She then checked her surroundings and realized the guy, who was here until now was gone. For a moment, she got confused and wondered if there indeed was someone here or she was imagining it but the black handkerchief in her hand was proof enough that there indeed was someone with her, who actually gave her some advice. Kiaraa cleaned her face using the black cloth but again hid her face from Ian by looking down. "K, why did you run away like this? Do you have any idea how worried I was? It is night time and therefore not safe for you to run around like this" Ian scolded her while Kiaraa kept her head lowered trying to stop her tears, which again started flowing. Ian didn''t mention anything about the proposal or his confession, he only expressed his worry for Kiaraa which made her feel even more guilty for her actions. "K, I am asking you something. How could you act so recklessly?" Ian was not sure what else to say so he chose to scold her for being careless. Kiaraa didn''t respond and silently cried. Her shoulders were slightly moving as she was crying which was clearly noticed by Ian. He couldn''t understand how to handle Kiaraa or what to say to make her feel better. Sighing helplessly, he sat next to her. Neither of the two people said a word for a long time, they both sat there silently wondering what the other person is thinking. After some time, Ian ran out of his patience and broke the silence, "Did my confession hurt you so much?" He calmly asked. Kiaraa''s tears dried away by now and she was done with all the crying. "I am sorry, Ian" Kiaraa was not sure what else to say to him. Ian smiled hearing her apology but that smile didn''t reach his eyes, rather it was a very painful smile. Kiaraa looked at him and when she saw him smile like this, her heart ached. "Why did you had to fall for a bitch like me? You deserve so much better" Kiaraa couldn''t help but say this as she truly believed it. "I don''t think anyone is better than you" Ian avoided looking at Kiaraa and looked straight ahead as he was already controlling himself from crying. If he looks into Kiaraa''s eyes then he will surely breakdown. "You don''t think so because you never met anyone else, you were always around me. Meet other girls, I am sure you will find a better person" Kiaraa tried to help him move on but little did she know how deep his feelings were making it next to impossible for him to move on easily. Ian just nodded his head and said, "Okay, I''ll try to move on" He himself didn''t believe his words but he does not want Kiaraa to feel guilty or bad for his state. He loves her way too much to hurt her. "Thank you for understanding" Kiaraa didn''t know what else to say. Again for some time, the two people went silent, looking ahead at the park, not uttering a word. "K, to help me move on, I need a closure. Can you please give me one" Only Ian knew how much will power it took for him to say these words and break the silence between them. Kiaraa turned to her left and looked at Ian, who was clearly serious about what he just said. Kiaraa cleared her throat and asked, "How should I give you this closure?" "Tell me the reason why you were so upset after my confession that you actually cried." This was the most painful part for Ian as just like Song Ji Hun, he too never saw Kiaraa cry till date. "I have known you since you were born and I never saw you cry like this. The girl who makes others cry, today she broke down because of me. I want to know why?" Kiaraa didn''t expect he would ask her this but she decided to be honest with him as earlier the guy she met, gave her the right advice. To be honest and she decided to go with it. "I was scared I''ll lose you forever that''s why I cried" Kiaraa confessed. "Lose me?" Ian got confused hearing her choice of words. "I got worried thinking, if I reject you then you will be so heart broken that you will avoid me and will not be my best friend anymore." Kiaraa expressed herself and took a deep breath before continuing. "Ian, although I don''t have any romantic feelings for you, you mean the world to me. I love more than I love some of my family members. Only because I can''t reciprocate your feelings doesn''t mean you are not important" Ian smiled hearing what she had to say. "I am glad to know, I mean a lot to you" "Of course, you do. I can''t imagine my life without you." Kiaraa said. There was again silence for a few seconds before Ian asked his next question. "K, tell me one thing very honestly" "Hmm?" "Is there someone that you like?" Ian wondered what could be the reason behind Kiaraa''s rejection as clearly he too meant a lot to her just like how she means everything to him. This wild thought was disturbing, but he wanted to know if there was some other guy. Kiaraa chuckled at his question, "Except for actors, manga and anime characters, I don''t have crush on anyone" "Then, may I know why you do not have any romantic feelings for me? Like did you not feel attracted to me even for a second in all these years?" Ian asked directly. Kiaraa could feel his anxiousness and felt bad for him. She decided to choose her words carefully so that they don''t come out to be harsh. "Ian, the truth is, love and relationship is something I don''t want in my life at all. Taking over Lee Conglomerate is my dream and I don''t want any distractions on my way to achieve this dream" Kiaraa rubbed her palms against each other as it was getting cold now. "Let''s talk on the way" Ian suggested seeing her state. Although she was wearing a coat, the weather was too cold to bear with. "Will we be going to my home?" Kiaraa hopefully asked. "Hmm, I planned for us to have dinner here at the place where I made all those arrangements but let''s not go there now. If you want, we can stop at a restaurant on the way." "No, I am not very hungry and I''ll rather go home" Kiaraa honestly said. Ian was understanding and he didn''t pester her, he just nodded his head and the two people exited the amusement park in Ian''s car. Song Ji Hun came out of his hiding and he too headed back to his home, happy about the fact that Kiaraa said no to Ian. On the way home, Kiaraa continued her explanation, "It is not about you, Ian. It is about every man. I just don''t want to be with anyone else. I''ll rather prefer being alone and achieve my dreams than be with someone. Relationships only bring down a person''s calibre and is only a hurdle to one''s success. This is what I truly believe and I hope you will respect my thoughts and perspective." "So, to get this straight, it is not just me but you will reject every guy in your life?" "Yeah, if every guy falls for me and confesses his feelings, I will reject him" Kiaraa confirmed. Ian felt comfortable when he got to know of this. The thought of Kiaraa not being with other guys was enough for now. In that moment, Ian decided to respect her feelings and be her best friend for now, till she achieves her dreams and once she does then there would be no excuse for her to not have a relationship. Ian believed some day Kiaraa''s thoughts will change as she is now just 18 and there are lot of years ahead of her. When she would be truly ready for love and relationship, Ian will make himself available and will be with her is what he decided. This assurance that he gave himself kept him going and made him feel better even after this rejection. "Kiaraa, I want to assure you, you will never lose me as a friend and I will always be your bestfriend, Ian. I''ll be your support system throughout your journey in achieving your dreams. You need not be worried of losing me" Ian assured her. Kiaraa felt warmth spread through her heart and thanked Ian for this assurance. Then she turned to her right and looked out at the car window and thought, ''I don''t know who you are but if not for your advice, I wouldn''t have been able to handle this situation like this.. I wish I could meet you again'' she softly clutched on the black handkerchief in her hand and thought about the stranger she met at the amusement park. Chapter 115 - Finding Stranger After Song Ji Hun came back home, he straight away went to his room and was surprised to see Yang Nam-il and Song Ji Hwan waiting for him. "What happened at the amusement park?" Song Ji Hwan immediately asked as soon as he saw his elder brother. His voice sounded worried. Yang Nam-il too curiously waited for Song Ji Hun''s reply. "First you two tell me, what are you doing in my room?" Song Ji Hun wanted to delay the information to tease these two guys as he was currently in a very good mood. "Isn''t it obvious?" Song Ji Hwan frustratedly asked. "No, it isn''t" Song Ji Hun too tried to sound annoyed and intentionally turned his face sad. Song Ji Hwan was about to argue back when Yang Nam-il signalled him to keep quiet. "Ji Hun, we were worried about Ian''s proposal and your reaction to what happened so we were waiting for you" Yang Nam-il patiently explained himself. Song Ji Hun took a deep breath and said, "Don''t remind me of it" he said and slept on his bed, covering his face with his right-hand elbow. Song Ji Hwan and Yang Nam-il worriedly looked at each other. "They are just in a relationship, Hyung. It might mean nothing in the future. Maybe things won''t work out between them and they will end up breaking up" Song Ji Hwan tried to make Song Ji Hun feel better as he assumed Kiaraa accepted Ian''s proposal and this love scene which was witnessed by his brother broke him down. "Yeah, dating is common these days, it doesn''t mean anything. Not like they got married. So, don''t be upset" Yang Nam-il too tried to cheer Song Ji Hun. "Can you two leave me alone for a while? I want to be with myself right now" Song Ji Hun politely requested the two guys. Song Ji Hwan and Yang Nam-il decided to respect Song Ji Hun''s wish and give him some privacy. After the two guys left, Song Ji Hun smiled to himself and locked his room door. He then recollected everything that happened at the amusement park and there was a faint smile on his lips. He heard a part of Kiaraa and Ian''s conversation and he understood Kiaraa took his advice and rejected Ian. Although they left after a point he could predict what must have happened and he was satisfied with the result. The other thing he was happy about was of the fact that Kiaraa is not interested in relationships and love, so he was sure he doesn''t have to worry about other guys who might try to court her in future. With all these happy thoughts, Song Ji Hun had a peaceful sleep that night. ¡­ After Ian dropped Kiaraa home, she bid him adieu and ran back to her room. That night she didn''t have any dinner as she wasn''t hungry and her appetite died. Kiaraa went to have a bath first and in the shower, she recollected everything that happened until now. Although she was glad about the conversation she had with Ian and sorted everything, she still decided to maintain some distance from Ian. ''Soon college will start so I can just start going to office and train under dad. Even during weekends I can go to office and avoid Ian. It would look natural and he might not know I am intentionally avoiding him. I need to plan this properly." Then Kiaraa made a decision to meet her counsellor Baek Ma-Ri the next day and take her advice on how to deal with Ian from here on. All these years, Kiaraa built a strong relationship with her counsellor, who now knows her inside out. There was a huge change in Kiaraa''s personality from how she used to be as a kid. Sometimes, she still taunts people and is arrogant but her ways of dealing with situations changed tremendously. In spite of this change in her, except for her mom and dad, no one knows about the counselling sessions she has with Baek Ma-Ri. Lee Myung Soo is still afraid of Kiaraa''s future at Lee Conglomerate being affected if this truth ever comes out. Choi Hyuk has already started training under his uncle and his mother, Lee Min Seo, managed to secure a seat in the board of members. Lee Man Sik too is a member of the board so Lee Myung Soo is beware of his siblings and is trying to protect his family from any future wrath. Therefore, hiding Kiaraa''s counseling was very important for him in spite of the positive changes it brought in her. After finishing her bath and changing into her comfortable clothes, Kiaraa stepped towards the table in her room where she kept that black handkerchief the stranger from earlier gave to her. ''How can I be so ridiculous that I didn''t even look at that stranger and took his handkerchief.'' Kiaraa thought looking at the piece of cloth in her hand. ''His voice was nice and he gave me some good advice. Will I ever meet him again so that I could thank him? Even if I meet, how will I recognise him?'' she seriously wondered. Then she closely observed the handkerchief and the golden logo at the bottom of it. ''This cloth feels so expensive and why does it look like this is some custome-made handkerchief? Do people really customize a basic necessity like handkerchief? He must have been very rich to do so'' Kiaraa concluded and turned on the study lamp lying on the table. She kept the black handkerchief under the light and observed every bit of it clearly. After spending a lot of time observing it, she noticed the initials AK written on the handkerchief. ''AK? Is the name of that guy has these initials?'' Kiaraa wondered. Then she observed the stylish way in which the initials AK was written. Kiaraa opened her laptop and searched for the same initials on the internet and after a lot of browsing she finally came across an image which matched with the style of initials on the handkerchief. When she opened that image, she got to know AK stands for Alex Kwon, a renowned fashion designer in South Korea. There was a whole page of information on him and his work. The latest designs and the fashion events he participated in, all that information was available to her. She read about Alex Kwon and wondered if Alex was the guy, she met at the amusement park. She then noted the address of the headquarters of his office which was in Seoul and decided to meet with him. That night, Kiaraa couldn''t sleep well as her mind was still a mess thinking about her future friendship with Ian and wondering if Alex Kwon was indeed the stranger she met at the amusement park. ... After dropping Kiaraa home, Ian went to his house and when he reached there, he found his parents excitedly waiting for him in the living room. That''s when he realised he even involved his family in this whole thing and it is going to be a bit difficult explaining himself to them. ''Ahhh, I wish I never involved them'' He thought to himself. "Yayy, finally you are home. We were so eagerly waiting for you." Sa Da Hye excitedly said. "Now give us the good news faster" Kim Hoon added with a huge grin on his face. Ian wondered how to explain what happened to his parents as he was sure they will be extremely disappointed after knowing the truth. Kim Do Yun was silently sitting there waiting for her brother to give her the bad news of him dating Kiaraa. Ian cleared his throat and calmly said, "Kiaraa rejected me" Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon loudly laughed after they heard what he said and Sa Da Hye looked at her husband, "Didn''t I tell you, this will be his opening statement to prank us?" "Yeah, you know our son better than me" Kim Hoon smiled seeing the childlike excitement on his wife''s face. Ian helplessly shook his head and wondered how to convince his parents of the truth. He again cleared his voice and said, "Kiaraa doesn''t have any romantic feelings for me and she currently wishes to focus on her career. She doesn''t need all these distractions so she rejected me. Maybe I have a chance in the future after she takes over the Lee Conglomerate but for now, it is not happening" He said everything in one single breath so that his parents doesn''t interrupt him in between. "Wow, you look so serious" Sa Da Hye now realised Ian was not lying as he was on the verge of crying. Ian then slightly cried and informed his parents of what exactly happened. After listening to all of it, Ian''s parents tried to cheer him up and expressed their support in helping him overcome this sadness. They assured him that in future Kiaraa might change her decision and they are always there for him, helping Ian feel better. That night Ian too had difficulty falling asleep but the hope of being with Kiaraa in future kept him going. Chapter 116 - Appointment With Alex Kwon Next day as soon as Kiaraa woke up, she had her bath and rushed downstairs to have breakfast with her family. Chu Yu Ri was surprised to see Kiaraa wake up so soon during her holidays. "Did the sun rise from the west today?" Chu Yu Ri questioned her daughter. "No idea mom, it usually rises from the east" Kiaraa couldn''t sense the sarcasm in her mom''s tone and served breakfast for herself. "I mean why did you wake up so early on a holiday?" Chu Yu Ri asked her. "I wanted to have a word with you and dad" Kiaraa informed her mom and just then Lee Myung Soo joined them. "Wow, my daughter is already up and ready. Impressive" he commented seeing Kiaraa. "Yeah, so you should reward me." Kiaraa cheekily smiled at her dad. Lee Myung Soo laughed at her antics, "What reward does my daughter want?" He asked her. "Dad, there''s a famous fashion designer named Alex Kwon, I want an appointment with him" From all the research that Kiaraa did, she understood meeting Alex Kwon was not an easy job. She can''t just call his office and book an appointment without any solid reason. He was one busy man. She realised she has to use her dad''s connections to get this appointment so here she was making this request. "Why do you want an appointment with a fashion designer? Are you having second thoughts on your career?" Lee Myung Soo worriedly asked. "What? No. I just have some work with him" Kiaraa was not sure what excuse to come up with. "What kind of work?" Chu Yu Ri suspiciously asked her while Kiaraa''s father too seriously waited for an answer as he too wondered what work she has with a renowned designer. Kiaraa tried to think harder for an excuse and suddenly an idea stuck her. "Aera, won ''Rookie of the year'' award in Korean Music Awards so I want to gift her a designer dress that she could wear for the award ceremony. For that I want to meet Alex Kwon" Kiaraa used Aera''s award as an excuse but her parents were still not convinced. "You can just go to one of his showrooms and buy a dress for Aera, why do you have to personally meet him for it?" Lee Myung Soo asked his daughter. Kiaraa smiled to herself as her father asked her the perfect question. "Alex Kwon only designs dresses for adults not for children. That''s why I want to personally request him to design a dress for Aera." Last night, Kiaraa studied the whole work of Alex Kwon and was familiar with his style. So, she was able to come up with this excuse. "Then go for some other designer, why are you taking the hard way?" Chu Yu Ri asked her daughter. "Because I want Aera to have the best of everything." When Kiaraa said this Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri felt very happy. Although the relationship between the sisters was still not very great, it wasn''t as bad as it used to be a few years ago. Counselling sessions really helped Kiaraa in hating her sister less than before. "Fine, let me see what I can do" Lee Myung Soo assured his daughter and Kiaraa took a sigh of relief. "Also, today I am planning to meet Ms Baek Ma-Ri." Kiaraa informed her parents and they just nodded their heads. After breakfast, Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri went to work while Kiaraa went to meet Baek Ma-Ri. At Baek Ma-Ri''s place, Kiaraa comfortably sat down and informed her of what happened with Ian last night. During her interaction with Kiaraa, Baek Ma-Ri already predicted Ian''s feelings towards her but she never implied it to Kiaraa as that was not her job. So, she wasn''t very surprised after knowing Kiaraa''s reaction as she expected all of this. After listening to Kiaraa''s plan of avoiding Ian, Baek Ma-Ri suggested she take all of this with a pinch of salt and try not to ruin her friendship of so many years. She advised Kiaraa on how to deal with Ian and Kiaraa promised to do so. Later, Kiaraa shared about the stranger she met at the amusement park with her counsellor, who asked her to not dwell too much about it and to let go of it as a passing memory. But Kiaraa was not convinced by Baek Ma-Ri''s suggestion, so for now she didn''t reveal about her research on the handkerchief and how she suspects Alex Kwon to be the guy she met at the amusement park. Kiaraa pretended like she was agreeing with Baek Ma-Ri''s suggestion and decided to pursue Alex Kwon all by herself without anyone''s help. ¡­ Next day Song Ji Hwan woke up and checked on his brother, who was studying seriously. He decided to not disturb Song Ji Hun and went to call Ian. Since he believed Kiaraa accepted Ian''s proposal and they are together, he decided to try to be happy for his two best friends and congratulate them. When Ian received Song Ji Hwan''s call, he was not very surprised as he was expecting it. Holding his head in pain, Ian answered the phone. He was the one to involve Song Ji Hwan in all his plans, so he can''t avoid him, Ian therefore decided to inform what happened to Hwan and get done with it. "So, Ian, how did it go?" Song Ji Hwan tried to sound cheerful and he pretended like he had no idea of what happened as he can''t throw his brother under the bus. "She rejected me" Ian directly answered surprising Hwan. "Is it that thing, where you say she rejected you then I''ll console you and you will reveal she accepted the proposal?" Song Ji Hwan truly believed so. "Oh god, why are you and my parents so alike. Hwan, she indeed rejected me" Ian then informed him of everything that happened in detail. Song Ji Hwan was surprised as this story didn''t match with what Song Ji Hun told him. "I am sorry, Ian" What else could Hwan say after knowing what his friend went through. "It''s okay, I have to accept it and move on. Kiaraa''s comfort is what matters the most. She is scared of losing me and I assured her she won''t. I''ll keep my promise" Ian didn''t share his plans of waiting for her till the day she accepted him, as he wished to keep it to himself. "You are a nice person, Ian" Song Ji Hwan finally said as he felt bad for Ian. "Thanks for saying that, means a lot" After some casual talk, Song Ji Hwan hung up this call and went to confront his brother. Song Ji Hwan directly entered Song Ji Hun''s room, not bothering to knock or take his permission. "Hyung, did you lie to me yesterday?" Hwan almost shouted at his brother. "Hmm, I wanted to be alone and didn''t wish to share all the details." Song Ji Hun knew Hwan would anyway find out, so he wasn''t very surprised. "How could you do this to me? Did you know I couldn''t sleep well last night thinking how upset you must have been." "I am sorry, I was really not in the mood to talk and there was no other way to get rid of you and Yang Nam-il." Song Ji Hun frankly said. "Gosh! You are way too honest" Hwan sat on the couch, still looking angry. "Chill now, Kiaraa rejected him and even expressed how she won''t be interested in love and relationships. So, the good news is we don''t have to worry about other guys" Song Ji Hun informed Song Ji Hwan to help his brother feel better. "Shouldn''t you be worried, why are you relieved?" Hwan asked his brother. "Why should I be worried?" "She is not interested in love and relationships which means you too have no chance, my darling Hyung" Song Ji Hwan reminded the problem which his brother was missing. "As long as she doesn''t fall for other men, I''ll manage" Song Ji Hun confidently said. "Hyung, where does your confidence come from?" Hwan was amused seeing his brother, who rarely interacted with Kiaraa all his life and yet thinks he has a chance with her. Even after witnessing first-hand as to what happened with Ian, Song Ji Hun was unaffected. "Don''t bother about it. Now go and update Yang Nam-il too, he must have been worried sick since last night" Song Ji Hun said. "Oh yeah, you cruel man, you worried us so much" Hwan again got upset, recollecting last night. "I''ll buy you and Yang Nam-il nice gifts to make up for last night" Song Ji Hun said. "I love you, Hyung. You are the best, I forgive you. Buy me the latest gaming console." Song Ji Hwan''s mood immediately changed and he rushed out to update Yang Nam-il. Song Ji Hun laughed seeing his brother''s antics and continued studying. Chapter 117 - Meeting With Alex Kwon Two days later, Lee Myung Soo gave his daughter the good news that he was able to get an appointment with Alex Kwon. After knowing Kiaraa''s intentions of meeting with Alex Kwon to do something for Aera''s sake, Chu Yu Ri insisted Lee Myung Soo to anyhow get this appointment. She was very happy with Kiaraa''s initiative to do something nice for Aera and didn''t wish to deprive Kiaraa and Aera of this opportunity. Lee Myung Soo was the same, he too was happy with Kiaraa''s intentions so he had a word with Song Jae Ho, his best friend and requested him to convince Alex to meet Kiaraa. Alex Kwon is a very busy man, he doesn''t even have time to meet his family at times but Song Jae Ho is his uncle, whom he respects a lot. Also, when Alex Kwon needed some help while setting up his own fashion house, his aunt Ji Seo Yun and Song Jae Ho helped him a lot, especially Jae Ho as he had many connections. Alex was very grateful to his uncle, so when he requested him to give an eighteen-year-old an appointment as she wished to meet him, Alex couldn''t say no although he wasn''t interested in meeting this girl. Out of respect for his uncle he agreed to give her twenty minutes out of his busy schedule. When Lee Myung Soo informed Kiaraa about this appointment she was a bit disappointed to know she got only twenty minutes but she was understanding as she knew how difficult it was to get an appointment with Alex for no major reason. Kiaraa knows right now she is not at the level to meet Alex and yet he agreed to this meeting and she should be grateful. "Thank you so much dad, how did you manage it?" She curiously asked. "Actually, Alex is your aunt, Ji Seo Yun''s nephew. Song Ji Hwan''s cousin. I requested Jae Ho to arrange this meeting, Alex respects Jae Ho a lot and for his sake he agreed." Lee Myung Soo informed Kiaraa. "Wow, so he is Hwan''s cousin. I had no idea" Kiaraa got happy finding a common connection. "Yeah, Alex rarely attends any parties and even if he comes it is after everyone leaves. He is a very busy man." Chu Yu Ri informed her daughter as Ji Seo Yun always complains about this nephew of hers to her friends as he has no time for his aunt. "Oh" Kiaraa seriously nodded her head wondering why a busy man like him was at an amusement park and why he bothered to console her. She still believed it was Alex Kwon, who gave her that black handkerchief. "Yeah, so please reach for this meeting on time and utilise those twenty minutes properly. All the best" Lee Myung Soo advised his daughter although he was sure Alex Kwon will reject her request to design a dress for Aera. "Sure dad, I''ll go twenty minutes before the meeting time" Kiaraa assured him as she was aware she can''t miss this golden opportunity. ¡­ Next day, Kiaraa went to the headquarters of Alex Kwon''s fashion house where the actual work takes place. Kiaraa was surprised to see the big, stylish office where every corner was designed in a very happening and modern way. Coming from a business family, Kiaraa saw many offices but they were all designed in a very corporate style. But this fashion house was colourful and vibrant. Kiaraa was impressed with the architecture but knew she couldn''t waste her time in appreciating it. She straightaway went to the receptionist, who was dressed in a vibrant blue dress and gave her details. "You will find Mr Alex on the fifteenth floor, once you reach there, you will find another lady at the entrance, she will guide you to his office" The receptionist informed Kiaraa. "Thank you" Kiaraa quickly entered the elevator and checked the time. She was twenty minutes ahead of their scheduled meeting time. Sighing in relief, she reached the fifteenth floor and followed the instructions she got. In a few minutes, she found herself sitting in Alex Kwon''s office. One of the employees, who dropped Kiaraa here ordered a juice for her and left. Kiaraa killed some time by looking around Alex''s beautifully European style designed office while enjoying her juice. Exactly at the scheduled meeting time, Alex Kwon''s office door opened and a handsome man, wearing a light blue shirt and white pants entered his office. He looked slightly tired as if he didn''t sleep last night. "Ms. Kiaraa Lee?" Alex asked the teenage girl, who was standing near the floor-to-ceiling window looking outside. Kiaraa didn''t even realise when he came. "Yes, Mr Alex Kwon" Kiaraa quickly composed herself and forwarded her hand for a formal handshake. Alex accepted her greeting and asked her to sit on the chair across from him, while he sat on his comfortable chair behind the table. "Thank you so much for giving me this appointment in spite of your busy schedule" Kiaraa politely thanked him before sitting. "I had to as you used very strong connections to make me agree" Came his sarcastic reply. "Me meeting you was that important for me" Kiaraa replied. "May I know why?" Alex rubbed his chin, out of habit. Kiaraa didn''t answer him and rather took out the black handkerchief and neatly spread it on the table in front of him. "I assume this handkerchief belongs to Mr Kwon" Kiaraa tried to gauge his expressions aa until now he was acting like he is meeting Kiaraa for the first time making Kiaraa wonder if he indeed was ''that man'' she met at the amusement park or not. Alex frowned looking at the black handkerchief he specially designed for Song Ji Hun, two years ago to congratulate him on his success. Kiaraa felt satisfied seeing his expression as it confirmed he is aware of this piece of cloth. "Why do you have it?" Alex Kwon looked at Kiaraa. This was a confirmation for her, that Alex wasn''t the stranger she met. "I met a guy at an amusement park and he gave it to me." Kiaraa informed Alex. "Okay, but why are you here?" Alex''s curiosity shot up wondering why Song Ji Hun gave away his gift. "It was you, who designed this handkerchief, right?" Kiaraa asked Alex. "Hmm, it is a custom-made handkerchief and only one of its kind, see my initials are here." Alex confirmed. Kiaraa was glad she hit the jackpot. "Can you please tell me, who did you design it for?" She excitedly asked him. "For the guy who gave this to you." Alex answered, indirectly pissing her off. "Since it is customised you must know the details of the person you designed this napkin for" Kiaraa tried to hide her frustration. "Since, this guy himself gave you this nice piece of cloth, you too might know who he is" Alex countered. "Actually I don''t, that''s why I am here" Kiaraa kept her ego aside and answered him. "I am so offended that he gave away my gift to a stranger" Alex shook his head helplessly looking disappointed. "Can you please tell me who he is and where he lives, I''ll return this handkerchief to him" Kiaraa tried to get the information she wanted this way. Alex chuckled and suggested, "Give it to me, I''ll return it back to him" "No, please I want to meet this guy and thank him. Can you not make it difficult for me and give me his details." Kiaraa requested him. "Sorry dear, I can''t disclose my client information" Alex was not sure if Song Ji Hun would want him to share his details with this girl so he refused to disclose anything. "Can you at least tell me who you designed this for?" Kiaraa helplessly asked. "For a close friend of mine" Alex gave a safe answer. "Can you at least tell me his name?" Kiaraa requested. "Sorry dear, I won''t" Alex refused. For the next few minutes, Kiaraa tirelessly pursued him to get any information but Alex Kwon was more stubborn than her and he didn''t budge at all. The meeting time was over and Kiaraa had to leave disappointedly as she didn''t get what she wanted. After ensuring Kiaraa left the building, Alex called Song Ji Hun, who was surprised at this sudden call from his cousin. Alex exchanged some polite greetings with Song Ji Hun before coming on point. "Where is the black handkerchief I gifted you two years ago?" Alex suddenly asked startling Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun decided to be honest as the situation right now looked weird to him. "I gave it to someone. May I know why are you asking about it?" "Because that someone was here looking for you" Alex informed Song Ji Hun, surprising him. "Kiaraa came there?" This question automatically blurted out from Song Ji Hun''s mouth even before he could control himself. "Yes" Alex narrated what happened. "Thanks for not informing her and if she ever comes again, stick to the lie you told her and don''t disclose anything" Song Ji Hun instructed. "Hmm, I thought so" Alex expected this and he didn''t ask Song Ji Hun anything else about Kiaraa as he was sure Ji Hun won''t like it. "Should I send you another sample of the same handkerchief?" Alex asked. "Hmm, that would be great" Song Ji Hun decided to keep a sample with him but he won''t use it much as he can''t risk Kiaraa ever finding it on him but he also wished to keep the gift his cousin so dearly designed it for him. "Cool, I''ll send one soon" Alex informed him and hung up the call. Here, Song Ji Hun smiled to himself as Kiaraa was putting some efforts to find him and it made him feel special. ''Sorry to frustrate you, Kiaraa but I am not going to reveal myself so soon and complicate everything..'' Song Ji Hun thought to himself. Chapter 118 - Award Ceremony Kiaraa came home looking disappointed. No matter how hard she tried Alex Kwon didn''t budge. ''At least one thing is clear, that guy I met is not Alex Kwon and he is some close friend of Alex.'' Kiaraa concluded. Later, in the evening she told her parents Alex refused to design a dress for a child and she failed in pursuing him. Her parents consoled her saying they expected this result but just wished for her to try her best for Aera and it''s okay as the thought and her efforts are what counts. They assured her, Kims are hiring one of the best designers to design Aera''s dress for the awards function. Kiaraa was relieved that her lie wasn''t caught. ¡­ Aera was just done with her rehearsals for the upcoming award function and was about to enter her personal room to have a bath when her manager approached her. "Aera, the designer I told you about will be here in a while. Have a bath and wear something comfortable" "Ahhh, I was planning to go home." Aera complained. "Hey, your dress is still not ready. All eyes will be on you, don''t forget you won the ''Rookie of the year'' award." Aera''s manager reminded her. "Yeah, yeah, even if I want to forget no one lets me," Aera smiled at her manager. "Obviously, you are so young and yet you managed to already get an award. Do you know how many people are still struggling while you, who just joined two years ago, are already winning awards." "Hmm, I got lucky" "Lucky? It''s all because of your talent Aera. Do you know how many fans you have?" Her manager excitedly asked. "Every week the company gives me gifts sent by my fans, so I somewhat have an idea." Aera smiled. "Oh right" Aera then went to freshen up and have a bath. Then she wore a comfortable loose shirt and jeans before meeting the designer. "Aera, my love, finally you are here" Sa Da Hye stepped towards the growing star and hugged her. Aera too hugged her back, "You are looking extremely pretty aunt Da Hye" she complimented her. "Woah, look at you knowing all the right things to say" Sa Da Hye smiled happily. "I am just being honest." Aera added. In these two years, Aera was very well trained by KH Entertainment Company. She developed a strong level of confidence and was more extroverted than before. There has been a drastic change in her personality and how she used to behave. She wasn''t now that scared in putting her thoughts or point of view forward. If there is something that bothers her, she speaks up instead of letting it be. The only thing that didn''t change in all these years, despite everything, is her feelings towards Song Ji Hun. Although she doesn''t meet him as frequently as she used to as he himself is busy with his studies and training while Aera is busy with her growing career, Aera still has the same feelings for Song Ji Hun. She is still crazy about him and gets all minor updates on him through Kim Do Yun as Aera became too busy to attend the fortnight gatherings. Also, Song Ji Hun himself rarely attends these gatherings as he is busy with his college. Aera met with the fashion designer, who interacted with her to understand what she finds most comfortable wearing, etc. After the designer''s assistant took all the measurements, Aera left for her home. ¡­ Few weeks later It was the Korean Music Awards Function night. Aera''s mom, dad and grandpa attended the event on her behalf. There were limited passes and since grandpa Lee was more excited than anyone about this event, Kiaraa gave up her pass to him. She was anyway not interested in attending this event but she portrayed it as if she was making a huge sacrifice for her grandpa. Kim Hoon, Sa Da Hye, Kim Do Yun and Song Ji Hwan attended the event on behalf of KH Entertainment. Ian too was not interested in attending this event while Song Ji Hwan was more than excited, so he joined the Kims instead. Aera was still a 16-year-old, so the designer designed a long blue dress for her with closed neck and short sleeves. Aera looked no less than a Disney Princess in this dazzling dress, that was perfect for this event. The eight people reached the event and were seated at the same round table with eight chairs as Kim Hoon used his connections to get them all together. In this event the seating was arranged with multiple circular tables and chairs around them. It was only an invitation based event with limited seats. Song Ji Hwan sat next to Aera and after the event started, he leaned closer to her and whispered in her ears, "You are looking very pretty" Aera was startled for a second, before composing herself. She too leaned towards Song Ji Hwan and whispered back, "Just pretty? I think I am looking extremely beautiful" Song Ji Hwan was amused by her response. "You indeed changed a lot in these two years" Song Ji Hwan commented in a low volume. "Good change or bad change?" Aera looked at him and asked. "For now I''d say good change. Seems like you have become more confident." Song Ji Hwan, who is noticing the changes in her now, said. The last two years were hectic for him due to his studies so he didn''t focus much on other people. Sa Da Hye used to give him occasional updates on Aera''s progress as she was grateful to Song Ji Hwan for making this happen. Aera indeed proved to be a big asset for KH Entertainment Company and in a short time, she tasted huge success. Although he got updates on her success and heard about the changes in her personality, it was now he was actually witnessing it. "I wouldn''t have been able to reach till here if I didn''t have any confidence in myself. I was trained and this is the result of that" Aera informed him. "Whoever trained you, they did a good job" Song Ji Hwan said. Aera looked around her surroundings and when her eyes met with her manager, she excitedly waved her hand. "That''s my manager, he is the one who trained me" Aera was happy seeing her manager, who was sitting on a separate table with his family. "Nice, you got a good manager" Song Ji Hwan was aware of this field and with the positive changes he could see in Aera, he was able to understand she indeed landed a good manager. "Hmm" Aera just nodded her head and the rest of the event, Aera interacted with Kim Do-Yun, who was sitting to her right. Aera was sitting between Kim Do-Yun and Song Ji Hwan. In between speeches of other people and all, Aera was telling Kim Do-Yun about the working of this industry. If any artist went on stage to receive their award, then Aera shared her knowledge about that artist with Kim Do-Yun, who was keenly listening to all this new found information as her parents in spite of being in this field, don''t share all this information with her. After a while, it was time for ''Rookie of the year'' award. Multiple artists received this award, and Aera was one of them. When Aera''s name was announced, it was a very proud moment for the Lees. Everyone cheered for her and she hugged her parents and Kim Do-Yun before stepping towards the stage. She walked with poise and elegance, surprising Song Ji Hwan, who didn''t expect this clumsy girl to have changed so much in her physical personality and appearance too. After reaching the stage, Aera brightly smiled at the audience and respectfully bowed to them. The next second, the audience cheered even more loudly for her. "Thank you to you all for believing I am deserving of this award. When I started this journey I never thought I''ll reach till here in such a short time. This was made possible only because of the love you all showered on me." Again the audience cheered in unison. "I''ll end my speech now, to not bore you all but before ending it, I would like to thank the people without whom, I might have never reached here. My aunt Sa Da Hye and my friend Song Ji Hwan, who recognised this talent in me which even I wasn''t aware of and my whole family, who supported me at every step of this journey. Thank you for being my biggest supporters" Aera again bowed to the audience and joined her family again at the table. Everyone congratulated her happily while Song Ji Hwan was still in shock that Aera acknowledged him on stage and mentioned his name in her speech. After composing himself, he asked, "You really meant it when you took my name?" "Why would I take your name if I don''t mean it?" Aera questioned him back and added, "I don''t know what exactly happened that day and why you insisted I sing, but because of that my life changed for the better and I am thankful to you for that" Aera sincerely said. Song Ji Hwan smiled and gave her a side hug, "You deserve it. Congratulations" "Thanks" Aera politely smiled. "Now, the total is two hundred and thirty-four favours" Song Ji Hwan reminded her as in these two years he didn''t do any new favour on her so the old count was being continued. Aera laughed helplessly shaking her head, "You''ll never change" "Of course" Song Ji Hwan proudly declared. Chapter 119 - Rejection Few days later, Lees hosted a gathering at their home. It was also meant to be a mini celebration to celebrate the award Aera won. Everyone from the Kim household and Song household attended this small gathering. Song Ji Hun wished to skip it but his family insisted he come, Hwan convinced him saying he can observe the interaction between Kiaraa and Ian at this gathering. Therefore, Song Ji Hun too attended it. After his confession, Ian and Kiaraa didn''t meet or talk to each other. There was no event or gathering where they could come across each other. Even Aera''s award function wasn''t attended by them. So, Ian was desperate to meet Kiaraa. After all the guests arrived, they all congratulated Aera and gave her gifts. Aera politely thanked everyone and accepted their greetings and gifts. Song Ji Hun too congratulated Aera and gave her a gift, making her day as she didn''t expect it. After meeting with everyone, Aera rushed to her room, followed by Kim Do-Yun and unwrapped Song Ji Hun''s gift. It was a book related to music which she can use to gain some knowledge and even make her own notes. It was more of an interactive book. "Wow, so thoughtful of Song Ji Hun oppa, this gift is so nice" Aera dreamily looked at the book she got. "This is the first time he personally gave you something, right?" Kim Do-Yun asked Aera. Aera nodded her head, "Hmm, until now all his gifts came on behalf of the Song family, this is the first time he personally wished me and handed me something" Aera confirmed. It was true that this was the first time Song Ji Hun himself bought something for Aera. Before leaving home, Ji Seo Yun asked every member in her family to buy a gift for Aera. So, on the way they stopped at a mall and Song Ji Hun decided to give her a book as he couldn''t think of anything else. Aera decided to take good care of this gift. After keeping all other gifts, which were still wrapped, neatly in her room, Aera headed downstairs to join her guests. On reaching downstairs, Aera saw Song Ji Hun sitting alone on the couch, browsing through his phone, so she approached him. "Song Ji Hun oppa, thank you so much for that gift, I really like it" she confidently spoke with him unlike her old self when she hesitated a lot while talking to him. Song Ji Hun was startled by her sudden presence, but he just nodded his head, "Glad you like it" "Of course, how can I not like it as oppa himself bought it for me," Aera added. Song Ji Hun was a bit surprised as never before she talked so much with him. He then remembered Hwan mentioning Aera''s crush on him. Song Ji Hun was not sure what''s the situation now, but he decided to put an end to it if there is indeed still something going on, as Aera was now a grown up and she looked lovestruck to him. "Aera, I have a request to make" Song Ji Hun politely started. Aera was feeling very happy as Song Ji Hun called her name and continued a conversation with her. She guessed he wants some autograph or photograph with her and she was more than happy to comply. "Yes oppa, sure, please tell me?" "Can you not call me oppa, it sounds weird. When we were young, it was fine but now that we are grown-ups, it makes me uncomfortable" "Oh" Aera felt a bit disappointed knowing his request. "Thank you" Song Ji Hun didn''t wish to prolong this conversation and was about to leave when Aera''s next words shocked him. "I really like you, that''s why I call you oppa." Song Ji Hun didn''t expect to get this sudden confession from her and neither Aera planned to confess but when Song Ji Hun was about to leave Aera was not sure what got into her and she had the urge to let Song Ji Hun know what she feels for him. With the way Aera''s career shaped up and with all the love she receives from her fans, Aera developed a confidence that everyone likes her. She somewhere believed with this kind of success even Song Ji Hun would fall for her. So, she confessed her feelings so suddenly. Song Ji Hun composed himself and said, "Aera, I always saw you only as one of our family friends. I am sorry but I have no such feelings towards you and I would appreciate it if you can get over your feelings and move on" Song Ji Hun firmly said. "You don''t like me?" Aera, who just got a minor shock, tried to not cry as she regretted confessing so suddenly. "I am sorry, I don''t" Song Ji Hun confirmed and left from there as he could see Aera was on the verge of her tears and he wished to give her the space to digest this truth. Aera quickly ran away from there and headed to her room, closing the door with a bang, she started crying loudly. Ji Seo Yun, who was on the same floor using the common washroom, saw Aera crying and running to her room, then she heard even louder cries, so she anxiously knocked on her room door. ... Song Ji Hun walked out of the house and was going towards the lawn when his brother approached him. "Hyung, what happened between you and Aera, she looked like she was on the verge of crying" Song Ji Hwan asked him. Song Ji Hun was surprised at this question as there was no one around him and Aera at that time and he checked his surroundings before rejecting her as he didn''t wish to attract any unwanted attention. "When did you notice all of this and from where?" Song Ji Hun questioned his brother suspiciously. Song Ji Hwan looked uncomfortable on being questioned but he lied, "I was around you two, maybe you didn''t notice me" "Don''t you dare lie, Hwan. I checked my surroundings before talking to her. You were hiding and eavesdropping on us?" Song Ji Hun questioned his brother. Song Ji Hwan looked guilty as if he got caught, "Actually when I saw her approach you, curiousity got the best out of me and I kinda tried to eavesdrop but I couldn''t hear anything" he confessed honestly. "Hwan, are you interested in her?" Song Ji Hun questioned him. "Hyung, stop it. I have a girlfriend and I am only interested in her and no one else" Song Ji Hwan looked annoyed. "Fine, she confessed her feelings to me and I rejected her. That''s what happened" Song Ji Hun informed his brother without prolonging much about the earlier topic. "Oh" Song Ji Hwan worriedly nodded his head. "You can go and console her if you want" Song Ji Hun patted on his brother''s shoulder and headed to the lawn area. ''Why will I console her?'' Song Ji Hwan annoyedly thought looking at his brother''s retreating back but the next minute he headed towards Aera''s room. On reaching her room, he was about to knock on the door but then he heard his mom''s voice and what she said surprised him. ¡­ When Ji Seo Yun knocked on Aera''s door, she didn''t open it assuming it is Kim Do-Yun but when Aera heard Ji Seo Yun''s worried voice, she immediately opened the door. "Aunt Seo Yun" Aera cried louder and tightly hugged her aunt. "What happened dear?" Ji Seo Yun hugged Aera and stroked her back to calm her down. Aera didn''t answer her and continued crying. After a few minutes, when Aera calmed down a bit, Ji Seo Yun poured a glass of water for her and asked her to calm down. Once she did, Ji Seo Yun asked Aera what happened and why was she crying. Without any hesitation, Aera narrated what happened between her and Song Ji Hun to his mother. In the last few years, Ji Seo Yun was Aera''s biggest supporter and multiple times she mentioned it in front of her that she would love to see Aera becoming her daughter-in-law one day. So, Aera didn''t shy away in sharing Song Ji Hun''s rejection with Ji Seo Yun. If it would have been her own parents here right now, then Aera would have hesitated in sharing all of this. Ji Seo Yun was surprised when she heard what happened between Song Ji Hun and Aera. "Why did you suddenly confess to him?" Ji Seo Yun asked the young girl. "For the first time he was talking to me so nicely and that gave me confidence thinking he too likes me, so¡­" Aera hesitatingly said. "You silly girl, why are you so cute?" Ji Seo Yun smiled brightly and hugged her, wrapping Aera in her motherly embrace. "You silly girls don''t understand men at all¡­" Ji Seo Yun started talking, surprising her younger son, who was standing outside the room with her next words Chapter 120 - Kiddo You silly girl, why are you so cute?" Ji Seo Yun smiled brightly and hugged her, wrapping Aera in her motherly embrace. "You silly girls don''t understand men at all, they never share their feelings directly. Also, Song Ji Hun is still young, so topics like relationships, commitment, and marriage scare him. He knows in future he has to marry you but right now he is scared of that future commitment. So, he told you to not have any feelings for him." "Really?" Aera stopped crying and looked at Ji Seo Yun with hope in her eyes. "Yes, also the fact that you are already so successful at this young age, this fact must have overwhelmed him and he wants to properly date you after he too achieves something by himself and reaches your level." "Oh, if that''s the case, should I give up on my career?" Aera innocently asked. Ji Seo Yun laughed, hearing Aera''s words. She was very happy to see Aera putting Song Ji Hun over her career. ''Ji Hun is so lucky to have a girl like Aera in his life. He should always cherish her and be thankful to this girl, '' Ji Seo Yun thought to herself. "There is no need for that, he is being trained under his father and soon he will take over Song Industries. In future, I am sure he will expand our business and will come up with his own sectors. Then, when he will feel now he is good enough for you, he himself will approach you" Ji Seo Yun explained to Aera, igniting hopes in this young girl''s heart and improving her mood tremendously. Aera and Ji Seo Yun then continued to talk for a while which completely improved Aera''s mood and she was back to her normal self. Then Ji Seo Yun and Aera left her room. Ji Seo Yun went to join her friends while Aera headed out to spend time with Kim Do-Yun. While Aera was heading out, a voice called her from behind. It was Song Ji Hwan. "Yeah?" Aera smiled at him in a friendly way. "Look Aera, I want to tell you something important and I hope you will understand my point and won''t feel offended" Song Ji Hwan hesitatingly started talking. "Okay?" Aera looked confused but paid attention to him. "Aera, my mom is manipulating you. My brother is truly not interested in you. He meant every word he said. My mom doesn''t understand him well, so I advise you, please move on" Song Ji Hwan said. "Why are you suddenly telling me this when you were the one who helped me all these years when it came to Song Ji Hun oppa" Aera questioned Song Ji Hwan, turning him speechless. "Well, that¡­" Song Ji Hwan was not sure how to respond to her. At that time he only helped her because he used to pity her and was sure her minor crush would dissolve someday. He never expected it would grow so much that she won''t even hesitate in giving up on her rising, successful career for his brother''s sake. At that moment, he realized how serious she was and when he heard his mom''s assurance to Aera, he realized if he doesn''t stop it now, this will blow out of proportion in future. Right now, Song Ji Hun was not sure how to respond to Aera''s question as she had a point. He did encourage her. On not getting any response from Song Ji Hwan, Aera smiled and stepped towards him, suddenly she patted on his head, startling the guy. "Awe kiddo, do you like me so much that you wish for me to move on from your brother?" Her surprising question came. Song Ji Hwan turned speechless when he heard her words, "Kiddo? You calling me kiddo? I am two years older than you, therefore, you are the kiddo" Song Ji Hwan''s mood turned annoyed. Aera helplessly shook her head, "I am going to be your future sister-in-law, so in relation I am older than you. Kiddo take my advice and move on from me, my heart only belongs to your brother" Aera said. "You think I am in love with you and therefore I am asking you to move on?" Song Ji Hwan raised his eyebrows unbelievably. "Isn''t that obvious? Almost everyone is crazy about me" Aera proudly declared and added, "Please move on" Aera then walked away after saying so. Song Ji Hwan kept looking at her retreating back in shock as he didn''t expect these turn of events, "This girl is so dumb, she thinks I am in love with her?" He face-palmed himself and decided to let it be as there was no way he was going to entangle himself with Aera after what she said. ¡­ Kiaraa was sitting on the couch in the living room, watching television. "Hey" Ian, who just arrived there, greeted Kiaraa and sat next to her. "Hey" Kiaraa casually greeted him back without moving her eyes from the television. "Seems like you are watching some interesting show" Ian was trying harder to initiate a normal conversation. "Yeah," Kiaraa casually replied. Ian was hoping Kiaraa would talk about the show she is currently watching, like she always does but Kiaraa was keeping her side of the conversation very short making it difficult for Ian to continue conversing with her. Ian wondered if their friendship was already ruined. "K, how are you feeling that your sister won such a prestigious award a few days ago?" Ian tried to initiate another conversation. "What is there for me to feel about it? She deserved it and therefore she won it" Kiaraa replied. Ian looked at her in surprise, "You do think she deserves it?" "Of course, don''t you think she is well deserving of that award?" Kiaraa questioned Ian. "Well, yeah she is not bad" Ian didn''t expect Kiaraa to be so supportive of Aera. "Not bad? Dude she is one of the most talented singers in this generation. She has a great potential of being number one someday" Kiaraa shared what she truly believed. "Wow, I never thought you would be this supportive of your sister" Ian didn''t hide his astonishment. "I am not being supportive and all, I am just stating a fact" Kiaraa casually answered him. Just then her show started and she put all her attention on the television. Ian deeply sighed as he could see Kiaraa was not being how she always was around him and was acting a bit aloof. The truth is Kiaraa wanted to be normal around him but she was still feeling a bit uncomfortable and Ian''s presence was not helping her. Although she tried to act normal, she wasn''t able to. Just then, Song Ji Hwan too came there and joined them, clearly in a sour mood. "What happened to you? Why do you look like you are sulking?" Kiaraa asked Song Ji Hwan. "Your sister is super annoying. She thinks I¡­" Song Ji Hwan was not sure how to share with them the conversation between him and Aera as one thing might lead to another and he would end up disclosing everything to these two. "She thinks you, what?" Ian asked Hwan as he suddenly stopped talking. "Nothing, she thinks I am dumb" Song Ji Hwan lied. Kiaraa laughed hearing this, "Since, she entered the field of entertainment she turned very confident and doesn''t hesitate in speaking her mind" "Seems like someone is proud of her sister," Song Ji Hwan commented. "Yeah, it is better to be like this than being shy and timid all the time." Kiaraa didn''t deny being proud of her sister''s changed personality. "Whatever. What are you watching?" Song Ji Hwan asked Kiaraa as some historical show was being played on the television. "Game of Thrones. It is a new show and a friend of mine recommended it" Kiaraa said. "I had no idea you are into historical fantasy" Song Ji Hwan commented. "This show has a lot of hot guys in it" Kiaraa added and winked. "Isn''t this an adult show?" Ian asked her. "Yeah and aren''t we all adults here?" Kiaraa countered and the next moment a R-rated scene came on the screen embarrassing the three people and Kiaraa immediately shut down the television as they were in the living room and anyone can pass from here. "What the hell, Kiaraa? What are you watching? Porn?" Song Ji Hwan teased her. "Hey this is the first episode of the first season, I didn''t expect it would be this explicit" Kiaraa nervously explained herself. "Lesson learnt, from now on watch Game of Thrones on personal laptops" Song Ji Hwan declared making the other two laugh with him. This way due to Song Ji Hwan''s presence, Kiaraa and Ian too felt comfortable around each other forgetting about the failed proposal which almost ruined their friendship. One thing was clear, Song Ji Hwan had to be present around, for Kiaraa and Ian to feel more comfortable in each other''s presence for now. Chapter 121 - Song Ji Huns Help Few months later. It has been a few months since Kiaraa started her Business Management course at Seoul National University. It was a smooth ride for her as she quickly got accustomed to her surroundings and immediately made some good friends. Given her amazing grades and personality she quickly became popular among her peers. Although Ian and Song Ji Hwan were in the same university as her, it was not possible to catch up with one another or meet each other frequently as they were all in different departments with different schedules not making it a feasible option to be always around each other. Therefore, Kiaraa spends all her time with her new found friends and rarely with the other two guys. Though she came across Song Ji Hun multiple times as they both were in the same department, they barely acknowledged each other''s presence and acted like total strangers. One day Kiaraa and her friends were preparing for the upcoming major exam when one of the guys in her group said, "Guys, I have an extremely bad news to share with you all" Another guy joked, "What happened? Why are you being so dramatic?" The first guy looked serious and replied, "When you hear what I have to say, you won''t be smiling like this." The second guy laughed, "Okay, Okay, share your bad news with us, I will stop laughing." The first guy turned serious and revealed, "Every year in this upcoming major exam, there is always an important section in every of our core subjects where there are questions which are not a part of our syllabus. These questions are of course related to our field but they are not textbookish." "What is so big deal about it? It is natural for us to have various types of questions in the exam, we are in SNU not in some first grade." Kiaraa mocked the guy. Everyone present there laughed in unison after hearing Kiaraa''s mocking. The first guy scoffed, "You guys can laugh all you want but the truth is this section carries the highest weightage and many of our seniors suffered due to it" "Okay fine, this is a very big problem and I am ready to take you seriously but instead of just sharing the problem, I would be in your support if you can share some solution." Kiaraa said to the guy. The first guy smiled in satisfaction and proudly nodded his head, "I do have a solution." He then looked at his friends seriously and said, "Our super seniors have case studies and notes on 90% of the possible important questions that would be asked in the exam. Even if it is not exactly the same question, the concept is the same and having those notes with us is enough for us to successfully crack this examination." One of the girls in the group sarcastically asked him, "And why would any of our super seniors would help us? Do you now see the problem?" "Chill, that''s why I am talking to you people to find the solution to this problem. If we all think seriously, I am sure we will be able to come up with some solution." Everyone in the group looked at this guy unbelievably as they felt what he wants will never happen as their super seniors are not very friendly and they rarely interact with them. ¡­ Few weeks later some of the first year Business Management Students gave a mock test using previous year''s question paper just as a practice among themselves and that''s when Kiaraa and some of her friends realized how tough this additional section truly was. That''s when they remembered one of their friends informing them about the same a few days ago, which at that time they didn''t take seriously. Kiaraa and all her friends therefore gathered in the canteen which is their common hang-out spot. "Guys, as you know some of us had taken a mock test using previous year''s question paper and believe me, what ''Glasses'' said was right." Kiaraa seriously informed her group. These people address one of their friends as ''Glasses'', because he wears big round glasses. Every member in this group has a funny pet name and instead of being called by their real names their friends use these pet names to address each other. Glasses proudly folded his hands in front of his chest, pushed his glasses which were on the bridge of his nose above and smirked at his friends, "I told you so" "Okay, understood. We need our super seniors'' help if we want to ace the upcoming exams with flying colors but the problem still remains the same. Why will any of our super seniors bother to help us?" One of the girls reminded them of the root of their concern. Glasses said, "In the past few days, I tried to approach a few of our Super seniors but they were mean and obviously didn''t bother themselves with my request." "Wow, Why do these people have to be mean? Only because they have been here for three years doesn''t mean they will look down on us." One of the girls got agitated. "Relax drama queen, when we will be in their position, we too are going to be the same." One of the guys tried to calm her down. Kiaraa, who had been seriously thinking about something, finally spoke,"Guys, let''s think about some solution this weekend and let us meet on monday and continue this discussion." Kiaraa stood up from her seat and checked the time on her watch, "It''s getting late, I need to go." All her friends too agreed with her as it was late evening already they bid adieu to each other everyone left. ¡­ Kiaraa was sitting in the back seat of the car thinking, ''Should I approach Song Ji Hun and ask for his help? Would it be acquired as I rarely interact with him? Suddenly, if I approach him for his notes for selfish reasons, what will he think of me? Not like I care about what he thinks of me but it is still weird to ask for his help. Ahhh, why didn''t I maintain good relations with this guy? My life would have been a hell lot easier if I at least was on talking terms with him. I am such a selfish bitch that I am not going to inform my friends about me knowing about Song Ji Hun and maybe this is how Karma is getting back at me by not letting Song Ji Hun help me despite our families being so close. Ahhh, why is my life so complicated? Anyway, I can''t give up without trying. I have to keep my ego aside and beg for Song Ji Hun''s help if needed. How should I approach him? Maybe Song Ji Hwan can help me." The next second'' Kiaraa, took out her phone and called Song Ji Hawn After a few rings, he finally answered her call, "hey Kiaraa, whats up?" "Hwan, I need a huge favour from you, can we meet?" "I am at a cafe fiasco, can you drop by?" Song Ji Hwan asked her "Yes, it is on my way, I can reach there in about 10 minutes." Kiaraa informed him "Cool, i''ll wait" Kiaraa reached there in 10 minutes and rushed inside the cafe, she found Song Ji Hwan at one of the tables and joined him. "Hwan, I need a huge favour from you." kiaraa desperately joined her hands in front of Song Ji Hawn. Song Ji Hwan laughed at her state and asked, "what happened? Why do you look so worried?" Kiaraa informed him of the whole scenario. Song Ji Hwan laughed even more loudly and helplessly shook his head, "you acted like you were going through a huge crisis but your problem is so trivial." "What do you mean?" Kiaraa looked confused seeing Song Ji Hwan reacting so coolly to her problem. "The solution to your problem is very simple, approach my brother and ask him for his notes." Song Ji Hwan casually said. "As if it is that easy" Kiaraa rolled her eyes, hearing his so-called simple solution. "Why not?" "Super seniors are mean and he might refuse to help me." Kiaraa shared her thoughts. "Kiaraa, I know my brother better than anyone in this world. He will share all his notes with you and if needed he will even help clear your doubts if any" Song Ji Hwan wished for Kiaraa to spend some time with his brother this way so that Song Ji Hun can have a chance to be closer to her. "Are you sure?" Kiaraa looked skeptical and still had her doubts. "Of course, tomorrow is Saturday, he will be home. My mom and dad are on a business trip and our grandpas went on a tour. So, only me and Hyung will be home. You come to our house and ask for his help, if he refuses, I''ll jump in.." Song Ji Hwan suggested and Kiaraa quickly agreed as she liked this plan. Chapter 122 - Competitive Nature Next day, Song Ji Hwan was very excited as Kiaraa would soon be coming here and he found a way to bring his brother closer to her. After meeting with Kiaraa last evening, Song Ji Hwan didn''t update Song Ji Hun about the favour she needed as he wished to surprise him with her presence. Song Ji Hwan was excitedly waiting for Kiaraa in the living room when he saw Song Ji Hun dressed up in his Brown leather jacket, white t-shirt and black jeans. "Hyung, where are you going?" Song Ji Hwan worriedly asked as he didn''t know Song Ji Hun has plans to go out for today. "I am meeting with a few of my college friends" Song Ji Hun casually answered. "But you don''t have many friends and you don''t like hanging out with people" Song Ji Hwan worriedly asked. "Yang Nam-il is forcing me and I promised him that this time I''ll come" Song Ji Hun replied. "Hyung, please don''t go" Song Ji Hwan requested not wishing to reveal the surprise without trying. "You are not a kid Hwan, to stay alone at home." Song Ji Hun taunted his brother before suggesting, "Call your girlfriend and take advantage of the empty house" "Hyung, please don''t go¡­" Song Ji Hwan again begged but got interrupted the next second. "What happened? Why are you suddenly acting like a baby?" Yang Nam-il, who came there to accompany Song Ji Hun heard Song Ji Hwan''s request. "Actually, I planned a surprise for Hyung¡­" Song Ji Hwan was about to inform them of Kiaraa''s arrival when they received an internal call from their security. Song Ji Hwan understood Kiaraa arrived at the Song Mansion and he forgot to inform the security to let her in. Since, the elders in this house were out, they tightened the security. Song Ji Hun informed the security in advance about Yang Nam-il''s arrival so he easily got the entry. "Yes, send the car in" Song Ji Hwan confirmed to the security before hanging up the phone. "Did you already invite your girlfriend?" Song Ji Hun teased his brother. "No, I invited your girl" Song Ji Hwan was glad Kiaraa arrived before Song Ji Hun left. "What do you mean?" Yang Nam-il asked looking confused. "You''ll know soon" Song Ji Hwan happily smirked and the next minute, a White Sedan entered the premises and Kiaraa stepped out of the car. At home, she told her family that she is going to Song Ji Hwan''s to meet him. It was something common so her parents didn''t bother much about it. Kiaraa was feeling a bit nervous and when she stepped down the car and saw Yang Nam-il there, another super senior of hers, she wished to cry. Yang Nam-il and Song Ji Hun were in the same class as they both opted for same course in the same university. Seeing Song Ji Hwan there, was the only relief for Kiaraa but she cursed him for inviting Yang Nam-il too. She wished to talk to Song Ji Hun in private, request for his notes and leave without letting another person know. Kiaraa is very competitive in nature and she doesn''t wish to share these notes with anyone else, not even her friends. At the end of the day, she prefers playing on the field alone. "What is she doing here?" Yang Nam-il asked the two brothers. "This is the surprise I was talking about, she is here to meet elder brother" Song Ji Hwan informed them in a whisper, trying to hide the big grin forming on his face. "Me?" Song Ji Hun looked at his younger brother in confusion. "Yes, she needs a favour from you" Song Ji Hwan quickly informed him and the next second Kiaraa approached them. "Hi" She awkwardly greeted the three guys, unsure of how to proceed with the conversation. "Hey, Kiaraa. Come have a seat" Song Ji Hwan guided her to the big couch in the living room and asked one of their servants to bring a glass of juice for her. Song Ji Hun and Yang Nam-il sat on another couch across Kiaraa while Song Ji Hwan sat next to her. "You two are going out somewhere?" Kiaraa asked Yang Nam-il and Song Ji Hun hesitatingly as both the guys were nicely dressed. Song Ji Hun was not sure what to respond as he was in a dilemma right now. He wished to stay back at home as Kiaraa specially came here to meet him, which is something he never imagined would happen. But on the other side, he promised Yang Nam-il that today he will do what he wants and would go out with him. Song Ji Hun is not someone, who would ditch his best friend for a girl. So, he didn''t answer Kiaraa. "Actually we just came back home after meeting a few friends of ours. I was about to take my leave" Yang Nam-il stood up from his seat and bid adieu to Song brothers. Song Ji Hun was surprised but before he could say something, Yang Nam-il stepped out of the home and dragged Song Ji Hun with him. "My brother is just going to see him off" Song Ji Hwan explained to Kiaraa as he understood what Yang Nam-il did. Outside, Song Ji Hun scolded his friend, "You did not had to do this, I wasn''t planning on ditching you." "I know, that''s why I had to do this" Yang Nam-il teasingly smiled. "I saw you silently loving that girl for years and at times even giving up on the hope of ever having her as your relationship with Kiaraa wasn''t like Ian or Hwan''s. But today for the first time, she herself came here to talk to you. How can I ruin this opportunity for you just to hangout with a few of our batchmates. You can hangout with them some other time, it is no big deal." Song Ji Hun hugged his friend after he was done speaking, "You are indeed a best friend" "Now don''t get very emotional and take complete advantage of whatever reason she is here for and make me proud" Yang Nam-il happily said. "Thanks Nam-il" "Hey, don''t be so formal, just make my sacrifice worth it." Song Ji Hun chuckled hearing his words. "I''ll try my best" he promised. "Cool, I''ll go and hangout with those guys, bye" Yang Nam-il bid him adieu and left in his car. Song Ji Hun went back to the living room and joined Kiaraa and his brother, who were having a casual conversation. Kiaraa was talking to Song Ji Hwan but at the back of her mind, she was thinking how to bring up the topic of notes and ask Song Ji Hun for it. Song Ji Hun didn''t interrupt the two people and calmly sat there. The servant came there and offered Kiaraa the glass of juice and left. When Kiaraa''s attention was on her juice, Song Ji Hwan faked a phone call. "Kiaraa, it is my girlfriend''s call, can''t avoid it. Hyung, Kiaraa needs a favour from you, it will mean a lot to me if you hear her out and help her" Song Ji Hwan said all of this in one breath and quickly left from there leaving Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun alone. "Yeah, what help do you want from me?" Song Ji Hun directly asked her. "Actually, I am studying in the same university as you. I am your super junior" Kiaraa was not sure if Song Ji Hun was even aware of the fact that she was studying in the same department as him. Little did she know, how happy Song Ji Hun was when he found out she would be his super junior and there will be many opportunities for him to come across her on the campus. At times, when he knows the schedule of first years, he goes to the floors where their classes are going on to get a glimpse of Kiaraa and when he manages to do so, he feels like his day has been made. "Hmm, I am aware of it" Song Ji Hun replied in his hoarse voice. He didn''t wish to sound intimidating, but it was coming out like that turning Kiaraa more nervous. ''Ahhh, why is this guy making me so nervous? I interacted with so many people in my life fearlessly but why does this particular guy is so intimidating and a bit scary?'' Kiaraa cursed in her heart but nevertheless she had to accomplish the task she came here for. "As you know, our major exams are coming up soon, so I wanted some tips from you" Kiaraa didn''t directly mention the topic of those notes and wished to build a conversation so that the topic of that important section will come up naturally and Song Ji Hun himself will mention it. That was what she was at least hoping for so that her intentions are not very obvious. Chapter 123 - Counter Questions "As you know, our major exams are coming up soon, so I wanted some tips from you" Kiaraa said. "Well, if you are paying attention in all the classes and revising all topics in the weekend, that should be enough. Also, I hope you are updated with the latest news, especially the ones related to our field" When Song Ji Hun said the latter part of the sentence, Kiaraa got some hope as business case studies are formed from the latest business ventures, which are available with third year students and these notes are what she wanted. "Yes, I am updated with the latest news but roughly. My knowledge is not very deep. Will that be a problem?" Kiaraa seriously asked Song Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun seriously thought and said, "Actually, in our exams, there is always a separate section, which has some business case studies and questions based on that. You will be able to solve them and answer them properly only if you are updated with the latest news." Kiaraa pouted and looked upset, "Does that mean I''ll screw up this section? What is the weightage of this section?" she pretended like she has no idea. Song Ji Hun got a weird feeling as he didn''t feel like Kiaraa is truly upset or worried. He knew how smart she is, therefore, her reaction felt unnatural. But he didn''t call her out and observed what she was doing. "The weightage is high enough to better not screw it up. I''d suggest from today start reading as many business case studies as possible so that you don''t screw up in the exam." Song Ji Hun said. "Can you suggest me any latest case studies or if you have any notes that you can share?" Kiaraa carefully brought her point forward. Song Ji Hun got a feeling that Kiaraa came here for these notes. The university specially made case studies for third year students as it is their final year and it is important for them to be updated with the current affairs. It was also important for them to prepare their students with such scenarios from the starting itself, so university was including such case studies in exams for first year students too. "Actually, we have been given strict instructions, to not share the case studies we have with any of our juniors" Song Ji Hun seriously informed Kiaraa and observed her reaction. Kiaraa couldn''t control her emotions and the disappointment that was written all over her face, became clearly evident. That was the moment, Song Ji Hun understood she was aware of the notes they have and that''s what she came here for. He tried harder to not smirk for seeing through her intentions. "Is there no way that you can share those case studies with me?" Kiaraa asked him, trying her best to not look desperate. "Rules are rules, Kiaraa. If I share them with you, then it will be unfair to your peers as you will get a head start." Song Ji Hun wanted to see to what extent can Kiaraa go to get her way and how will she convince him to give her these notes. He was sure she won''t give up. If she was the type of give up, she wouldn''t have bothered to come till here and sit across him. "If I have someone, who is so close to me, in third year and my peers don''t. Why am I responsible for their misery?" Kiaraa questioned Song Ji Hun as she didn''t like the fact that she has to suffer just to be fair with people, she doesn''t even care about. "Are we close, Ms. Lee?" Song Ji Hun suddenly changed the way he addressed her and surprised her with this question. Kiaraa was not sure how to answer him, as it was indeed unfair to claim she and Song Ji Hun are close, as they barely interacted their whole lives. "Well, I mean our families are close. I am closer to your brother, you probably like my sister¡­" "I am not at all interested in your sister and I made it clear to her few months ago" Song Ji Hun immediately interrupted her as they were on this topic and he didn''t wish for her to have any misunderstandings about him. "What?" Kiaraa was a bit surprised as all these years she imagined Aera with Song Ji Hun and even believed it was mutual as Aera became a very popular celebrity and she has many fans. Every month, many gifts that Aera received by her fans are sent by KH Entertainment company to their house. She is aware of Aera''s market value. So, she thought even if Song Ji Hun was not interested in Aera before, he will be now as she is very popular and even desirable among people their age. "I hope I am very clear and once again you won''t mention your sister''s name to pair her with me" Song Ji Hun seriously warned her, his voice sounding intense. Right now, Kiaraa needed his help and also, she could sense the seriousness in his tone, so she knew he wasn''t saying it for the sake of it. "I am sorry if I offended you but your mom too mentioned it multiple times that she will have Aera as her daughter-in-law, so..." Kiaraa stated what she herself heard many times. "Aunt Sa Da Hye multiple times mentioned that she would have you as her daughter-in-law, so should I assume, you will be marrying Ian in the future?" Song Ji Hun countered her. Kiaraa was taken aback by his question. She did hear Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon mentioned this, one or two times, but she took it casually assuming their parents are all being over dramatic. It was after Ian''s proposal she realized, how serious his parents too were but since Ian already warned them, they never dared say anything like this again. Same like her, Song Ji Hun too heard all these parents mention such things and it used to annoy him but just like other children, he too ignored them as he was sure, he will decide his own future. Kiaraa cleared her voice and say, "I got your point. You are not interested in Aera and I will never again mention it" "Thank you" Song Ji Hun was satisfied. "And I want to request you, that please don''t again mention me marrying Ian in the future, as I am also not interested in him and it won''t happen" Kiaraa too, put her point forward like him. "Noted" "Mr. Song, can I please request you for the sake of the friendship our families shared over all these years, to share with me those case studies?" Kiaraa pulled their conversation back to the main topic. Song Ji Hun took a deep breath and rubbed his chin seriously as if he was considering her request, igniting hopes in Kiaraa. Kiaraa waited for his reply in anticipation. After five long minutes, he finally spoke, "I can''t giveaway those notes to you. I too might need them." "Umm, how about I photocopy them?" Kiaraa asked. "Then what if you share it with your friends?" Song Ji Hun counter-questioned her. "I won''t. I am very competitive and selfish. I''ll keep it to myself" Kiaraa answered him. Song Ji Hun chuckled hearing her words, "It is still very risky. If by mistake you ever carry the photocopy with you and someone notices it or one of your friends might visit your house and find the photocopies in your room" Song Ji Hun was troubling her to achieve something that he wanted. Kiaraa helplessly looked at him and after a minute suggested, "You can give me digital copy, it will be in my laptop and no one can access it without my permission." "Even that is risky. If someday you leave your laptop open and someone sees it¡­" "So, basically you don''t want to share it and you are coming up with every excuse you can" Kiaraa taunted Song Ji Hun, interrupting him. Song Ji Hun smiled at her, "I am glad Ms. Lee catches on hints faster than expected." Kiaraa felt like she was losing her chance as Song Ji Hun was more difficult than she imagined. Only if she knew, he was more than willing to giveaway his notes but he was just playing with her to see how she reacts. Song Ji Hun wondered if she will now give up or she will come up with a new way to convince him. Kiaraa thought for a while and said, "If it would have been something else, I would have left by now. But these notes are important for my studies and my future grades, so I am keeping my ego aside." Song Ji Hun waited in anticipation to see what she will say next, as her words clearly implied, she is not giving up, making him happy. "What do I need to do or is there anything you would suggest me to do so that I can have these notes?" Kiaraa asked what Song Ji Hun wanted to hear. Chapter 124 - Study Room Song Ji Hun smirked in satisfaction, hearing her question. "What makes you think doing anything can get you those notes? They are very confidential as some of the first year questions are directly picked from it" Song Ji Hun smartly highlighted the importance of case studies he has to tempt Kiaraa and it worked. "Song Ji Hun please, can you not help me? How about I''ll owe you one for this?" Kiaraa was now even more determined to get those notes. "Hmm" Song Ji Hun stroked his chin and thought for a while before saying, "Fine, I''ll share my notes with you¡­" "Thank you so much" Kiaraa excitedly jumped in her seat as she finally got to hear what she came here for. "Calm down, I am still not done speaking" Song Ji Hun threw water on all her hopes. Kiaraa sadly pouted but Song Ji Hun was unaffected as he had something better planned. "I am ready to share my notes but I have some conditions." "What kind of conditions?" Kiaraa seriously leaned forward, wondering what would be these conditions. "Firstly, I am not sharing the photocopy or digital copy of my notes. You want them, you will come to my home and study those notes here. They are never leaving my home. Second condition, you won''t mug up all the answers but you will sincerely study those cases and will try to crack them by yourself before looking into the solution." "Wow, anything else?" Kiaraa asked him. "No, only these two conditions" Song Ji Hun informed her. Kiaraa thought about what he said deeply, before asking him, "The first condition is fine but the second one sounds weird. How will you verify if I solved it by myself or not?" "Well, I have no way to verify. It is about your own integrity. Even if you mug up the answers and won''t solve the case studies on your own, then also I am not going to know. But you yourself will know that you broke the promise you made. If you can live with yourself even after that then that''s your problem. Also, the reason behind my second condition is to ensure you learn business management and are not at a disadvantage. I am doing this for your own good" Song Ji Hun answered her. "My own good?" Kiaraa looked confused. "Our university included these case studies so that we learn from them and the reason first and second years don''t have access to these notes is because SNU wishes for you to solve the case study using your own skills. By sharing these notes directly with you, I am kind of killing your own capability to arrive at the solution." "Wow" That was the only word Kiaraa managed to say after hearing Song Ji Hun''s explanation. After a few seconds she added, "Song Ji Hun, you are amazing." Song Ji Hun was taken aback by her sudden praise. Seeing his reaction, Kiaraa laughed. "I mean, you need not care or bother if I am at a loss or not by using your notes but you want to ensure I do sincerely learn and not just mug everything here and vomit it all in the exams. I am just impressed by your thought process." Kiaraa was truly impressed by this guy, who actually stopped her from committing a huge blunder. Song Ji Hun felt awkward on suddenly being praised by Kiaraa and awkwardly nodded his head. "Mr. Song, I accept both your conditions. Can you please share your notes with me? I''ll sincerely work hard." Kiaraa declared and stepped towards him, forwarding her hand for a handshake. Song Ji Hun stood up from his seat and held her soft hands in his, to seal the deal. After many years, he was holding her hand, the last time being, during the game of treasure hunt which they played together. He was glad their relationship was turning better. After shaking hands, Song Ji Hun asked her, "Do you wish to see the notes now and try to solve one of the case studies?" "Wow, can I? Already?" Kiaraa got excited. "Why not?" Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows and started walking towards his room with Kiaraa following him behind. "You can walk with me, instead of walking behind" Song Ji Hun indifferently said and Kiaraa quickly took a few steps forward and walked next to him. In a few minutes, they reached his room and Kiaraa was surprised to see how clean and neat his room was. There was not one fault in this room. "Do you have obsessive compulsive disorder?" Kiaraa questioned him. "I like living in tidiness, call whatever you want to call it" Song Ji Hun casually replied and walked towards another small room connected to his bedroom, turning Kiaraa curious. She followed him to see what is there in this other room and what she saw surprised her. It was a mini study room, with a pile of books neatly arranged on a shelf on one side. A big table and a comfortable chair arranged on the other side. Two bean bags were placed at the other corner of the room. It was not a very big room and neither was it too small. It was of the perfect size for a college guy''s study room. Kiaraa was impressed and loved this study room. "This study is so cute and perfect," Kiaraa excitedly said, looking around the room. "Cute? You think my room is cute?" Song Ji Hun was clearly offended by this word. "Yeah, I mean look at how neatly everything is arranged here. So perfect, if this is how my study room is too then I would never leave it and will stay here forever." Kiaraa didn''t realise she offended the man by and kept blabbering whatever came into her mind. Song Ji Hun smiled to himself when he heard her words. "So, you want to stay here forever and never leave?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "Will you mind if I do?" Kiaraa cheekily smiled back at him. "Fine, I don''t mind, stay here forever" Song Ji Hun sincerely said, his words carrying a deep meaning but Kiaraa obviously didn''t sense it. "Hahaha, you are funny" Kiaraa declared not taking his words seriously. Song Ji Hun stepped towards the shelf and carefully took out a folder from the stack. He placed this folder on the study table and carefully opened it. "Kiaraa, come and have a seat.'' Song Ji Hun pointed at the comfortable chair which was placed behind the table. Kiaraa galdly followed his instructions and comfortably sat on the chair while Song Ji Hun stood next to her and took out a case study from the folder. He carefully placed the big bunch of papers in front of her and he zipped his folder before placing it back on the shelf. He brought a pen and a note book for Kiaraa and instructed, "Try to solve this case study in an hour. I will be outside in my room, if you need any help, let me know" "Thank You so much. Can you get me some water?" Kiaraa hesitatingly requested him. The next second, Song Ji Hun picked up a cordless phone kept at the end of table and called someone, "Can you please deliver a bottle of water and a glass to my room? Thank you" He then looked at Kiaraa and said, "This is an internal phone. Press on button 3 and the call will get connected to our kitchen, if you need anything to eat just politely request them and ask them to deliver it here." "Wow, I had no idea, your home has this kind of service too?" Kiaraa looked impressed and the next second she realised something, "Hey, why did you emphasize the word ''polite''?" "Because you are a rude person" Song Ji Hun unhesitatingly shared his thoughts. "Woah, seems like I never formed a good impression with you and your mother" Kiaraa joked, not offended by what he said as he was right and she was grateful to Song Ji Hun for doing so much for her. "You anyway don''t care about what we think of you, so why bother?" Song Ji Hun countered making Kiaraa smile as this guy is completely straightforward and speaks his mind without caring about anything else. A quality which she generally admires. Song Ji Hun then left her alone in his study and went to his bedroom, connected to it and opened his laptop as he had one assignment to work on. Song Ji Hwan dropped by his brother''s room to check what''s going on with him and Kiaraa. Song Ji Hun smiled and thanked his younger brother in a whisper and received a naughty wink in return. After getting the short update from his brother on the current scenario, Song Ji Hwan left the room in satisfaction, proud of himself as he felt like the God of Cupid, who was bringing Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa closer. Chapter 125 - Being Manipulated An hour went by, with Song Ji Hun seriously working on his assignment while Kiaraa was still in the study room, struggling with the case study she started. Song Ji Hwan knocked on Song Ji Hun''s door before entering, "Hyung, the lunch is ready." "Hmm, give me a minute" Song Ji Hun requested and tried to wrap up his work. "I''ll call Kiaraa" Song Ji Hwan said and headed to the study room attached and knocked on the door, before opening it. What he saw made him chuckle, Kiaraa was slowly banging her head on the study table, clearly looking frustrated. "Kia, what happened?" Song Ji Hwan approached her still laughing at her antics and covered her forehead so that she would stop hurting herself. "This case study is fucking complicated. I am not able to understand anything and I promised your brother I''ll sincerely try my best to solve it and won''t look at the solution." Kiaraa shared her problem with him. "Aww, you made a promise to my brother and you are taking it seriously" Song Ji Hwan put his right hand on his heart, and dramatically looked at her. "Yeah, it was his condition which I am obviously going to honour" Kiaraa frustratedly clutched on her hair as Song Ji Hun''s condition made it even more difficult for her to study these cases. "Okay, relax. The lunch is ready, first have some lunch and gain some energy. Then you can request Hyung to help you with this case study" Song Ji Hwan coolly suggested as he got another chance of bringing Kiaraa closer to Song Ji Hun. Kiaraa looked at Hwan in annoyance, "Your brother is already doing me a huge favour by lending me his notes. If I''ll also ask him to sit with me and help me study, that is sacrifice his precious time for me, then he will definitely kill me. It is too much to ask" Kiaraa immediately refused to take Song Ji Hun''s help as she didn''t wish to take so much advantage of him. "K, at least ask him and let him make a decision, you never know, he might just agree. Now come for lunch" Song Ji Hwan pulled her up from the chair and dragged her out to Song Ji Hun''s bedroom. Song Ji Hun was still on his laptop. "Hyung, do I have to pull you out too from the bed?" Song Ji Hwan strictly asked his brother. "Sorry, I am done" Song Ji Hun kept his laptop away and stepped down the bed. Kiaraa got impressed seeing Hwan scold his elder brother, who instead of throwing his attitude around, actually apologized to his younger brother. What she didn''t know is, for Song Ji Hwan his meals are important and Ji Hun knows how annoyed he gets if he doesn''t have his meals on time. The three people then headed downstairs and sat at the dining table to have their lunch. Song Ji Hwan and Kiaraa sat next to each other while Song Ji Hun sat across them, opposite to Kiaraa. The lunch was served and they were in the middle of eating when Song Ji Hwan pestered Kiaraa, to ask for Song Ji Hun''s help and she kept shaking her head in no. Song Ji Hun noticed their interaction, but he didn''t bother himself with them as they were like this since they were kids. He was used to their closeness and doesn''t feel threatened by his brother. After some continuous pestering from Song Ji Hwan, Kiaraa gave in and decided to try her luck. "Song Ji Hun, do you have anything planned after lunch?" Kiaraa asked the silent guy, sitting opposite her. "I have an assignment; I''ll be working on it" Song Ji Hun answered her. "Oh" Kiaraa looked at Song Ji Hwan in disappointment as Ji Hun is busy. "Hyung, when is the deadline to submit this assignment?" Song Ji Hwan asked his brother, as he knows him way too well. "Next month" Song Ji Hun answered surprising Kiaraa as she thought the deadline must be of next day. "Why are you working on it from now then?" Kiaraa questioned in surprise. "Because I have nothing else to do. You are occupying my study room" Song Ji Hun unhesitatingly answered her letting Kiaraa know how helping her is affecting his own life. The truth is, he didn''t have anything else to do as this was the time, he planned to spend with some of his college friends but he wanted to make himself look better in front of the girl he had feelings for, for a very long time. Kiaraa felt a bit guilty. "So basically, you are free, right?" Song Ji Hwan ignored his brother''s manipulation and summarized the important part. "Hmm, kind of" Song Ji Hun nodded his head. "Great, Kiaraa tell him your problem" Song Ji Hwan insisted in front of his brother, who curiously looked at the these two. Clearing her throat, Kiaraa shared, "Actually, I am following your second condition and trying to solve the whole case study on my own without looking at the solution but I am stuck. It is so complicated; I am not able to navigate through it." Song Ji Hun controlled the smile, dying to form on his face, as this was exactly his intention for keeping forward that second condition. He indeed wanted Kiaraa to learn but he was sure, she won''t be able to do it by herself as she is still in the first year. When he too was in the first year, it was tough for him too to solve these case studies, so he can imagine her state. He wished to spend more time with Kiaraa and therefore he planned the second condition but what he didn''t expect was for Kiaraa to approach him for help so soon. Song Ji Hun assumed, it will take a few weeks before this girl gives up on it as even with reading the solution, she can''t solve the cases. He didn''t expect Kiaraa to sincerely follow his condition and not peek at the solution. That was the reason, she gave up so soon. "Oh, is it very difficult?" Song Ji Hun casually asked her. "Extremely difficult, I am not even able to understand a few words and concepts." Kiaraa sadly added. "Hmm, probably because you just started the course a few months ago and a lot of syllabi is still left before you reach there." Song Ji Hun said. "Can you please help me if you have some time? I know I am asking for a lot but I don''t know who else to go to." Kiaraa requested him. Song Ji Hwan, who was witnessing the interaction between these two people was all smiles as he could see the smart Kiaraa was being manipulated by his brother and Song Ji Hun is doing it so subtly that Kiaraa will never know she is being played. Rather, Song Ji Hun is making Kiaraa feel as if he is sacrificing his time and putting in efforts for her, resulting in Kiaraa being grateful to him. ''Wow Hyung, you are always so calm and silent but when it comes to manipulating or playing a person, no one can beat you at it. Today, I conclude, calm and silent people are more dangerous than loud and excited people.'' Song Ji Hwan thought to himself. "Fine, I''ll help you study these case studies but I''ll only spend two hours with you a day and only on weekends I can spare some time" Song Ji Hun seriously said. ''Ahh this guy is so na?ve and innocent, I was about to ask him to give me only thirty minutes a day and that too only on either Saturday or Sunday but he himself is offering me two hours and that too on both the days. Maybe he is not as smart as I assumed. Anyway, I am the one benefitting from this deal, why should I refuse?'' Kiaraa giggled in her heart and immediately agreed. "Done, thank you so much" Kiaraa tried to hide her wicked smile and flashed a friendly one. ''Wow Hyung, you knew Kiaraa would ask you to spend less time out of guilt, so without giving her a chance to speak, you decided to spend two hours with her on Saturday and Sunday. Well played'' Song Ji Hwan raised his glass of water and pointed it at Song Ji Hun, who didn''t mind his brother''s actions as Kiaraa wasn''t paying attention to Hwan''s gesture. "Song Ji Hun, there is a small problem" Kiaraa remembered something, "Your mom dislikes me a lot. She won''t like it if I''ll come here every weekend and spend two hours with you" The Song Brothers realized Kiaraa raised a valid point. "Hmm, we can meet at public libraries or at some cafes where one can study in peace. Don''t worry Seoul has many good spots where we can study in peace" Song Ji Hun replied after thinking for a while. "Thanks again for understanding" Kiaraa was feeling grateful at Song Ji Hun''s altruism. Chapter 126 - Felt Like Drooling After having their lunch, Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun headed to his room and went into the study. Song Ji Hun sat on his comfortable chair, while Kiaraa sat next to him on another chair at the study table. "Before directly jumping into the case study, let me see how much you already know about business management and if needed let me teach you a few concepts before we start" Song Ji Hun suggested. Kiaraa just nodded her head, agreeing what everything he was suggesting. After understanding how much Kiaraa knows, Song Ji Hun taught her a few concepts which are common to understand majority of these case studies. Song Ji Hun was a good mentor as he ensured Kiaraa was able to understand what he was trying to say and at times, he even asked her a few questions to check if she was paying attention. Kiaraa was truly impressed with this guy''s dedication as he was not taking this lightly, rather he was putting his 100% in helping her. Also, she could see how smart he is through the way he was teaching her. Since her childhood she knew Song Ji Hun is the smartest in their circle, but never before she witnessed his intelligence like this is what she thought. ''Oh wait, a few years ago, I and Song Ji Hun were paired up for a treasure hunt and at that time too I witnessed how smart he is'' Kiaraa, who was paying attention to the studies sincerely until now got distracted. Her mind travelled back to the time she participated in the treasure hunt with him and one by one every scene was flashing in front of her, when Song Ji Hun impressed Kiaraa. ''Oh no, didn''t we almost¡­'' This was a memory Kiaraa blocked away somewhere deep in her brain which suddenly popped out now. Song Ji Hun was sitting next to her, their legs were touching and now that Kiaraa looked at him, she realized they were closer than ever. If she completely turns her head to the left to look at him, then there will only be an inch gap between her lips and his cheeks. With this realization, Kiaraa''s heart started beating faster. She tried to move away a bit but the chair she was sitting on had wheels on it, which Kiaraa didn''t realize and in her attempt to move a bit away she accidentally jerked more harshly and rolled away very far from the table. Song Ji Hun, who was seriously explaining a concept got confused and looked at Kiaraa, who rolled away from him and she herself was shocked as she forgot this chair had wheels. "Kiaraa, what are you doing?" Song Ji Hun confusedly asked her after the chair hit the couch and halted. "I am sorry, I just casually moved back a little and forgot this chair has wheels" Kiaraa explained. "Fine, come back here" Kiaraa tried to move but her chair was stuck somewhere, "I think I am stuck" "Wait" Song Ji Hun approached her and he put both his hands on the side handles of the chair. This action of his resulted in him leaning a bit towards Kiaraa. Song Ji Hun''s attention was on the part of the chair that got stuck but unknown to him, Kiaraa who was looking at his hand muscles, couldn''t help but felt like drooling. ''Seems like this guy goes to gym and has a hot, attractive body'' Kiaraa thought to herself and her sight slowly moved from his hands to his shoulders, then to his face. ''I never noticed this, but he is damn good looking, he is definitely more handsome than Ian and Hwan¡­'' Suddenly Song Ji Hun snapped his fingers in front of her eyes and that''s when Kiaraa realized, he already pulled her and the chair out while she was staring at him. "Is something wrong with my face?" Song Ji Hun asked her as she had been continuously staring at his face while he was busy helping her. He was worried, he looked weird or something. "No, I was thinking about something else and forgot that I was looking at you" Kiaraa immediately lied to save herself from embarrassment. "Oh" Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa took their old positions back and after checking with her till where she understood, he again started teaching her a few concepts. ''Kiaraa, you are here to study, not drool over him. Please focus, what is wrong with you?'' Kiaraa scolded herself and paid serious attention to his teachings. She was successfully able to not distract herself and learned the few concepts he taught her. This way one hour passed away. "Kiaraa, I know we still didn''t start the case study but don''t worry, once you understand all these concepts, solving these cases will be very easier" Song Ji Hun assured her as Kiaraa was checking the time. "True, I was just checking the time as I have only one more hour left" Kiaraa said. "Today, let us finish studying these other two concepts. Then it would be enough for us to solve the case studies. From tomorrow, we can start solving the cases instead of today" Song Ji Hun suggested and Kiaraa agreed with him. In the next one hour, as planned, Song Ji Hun finished teaching her the main concepts. Kiaraa felt very happy after they were done, as she felt like she had a productive day and felt more knowledgeable. "Thank you so much, Ji Hun. I am feeling much better now. In the morning when I came here, you have no idea how worried I was but now I feel like I am in the right direction" Kiaraa excitedly said. Song Ji Hun just nodded his head and looked indifferent on the outside but in his heart, he was very happy that he was of some help to Kiaraa and helped her feel better. "My parents won''t be home tomorrow too, so you can come here. I suggest before coming here, take out fifteen minutes and revise everything I taught you today" Song Ji Hun seriously suggested. Kiaraa nodded her head like a student, who is taking her mentor''s suggestions very seriously. "Should I do anything else?" Kiaraa asked him. "If you have time¡­" Song Ji Hun gave her a list of few real business scandals that happened around the world with some of the famous brands and asked her to read at least any of the two cases. "Great, I''ll do that" Kiaraa happily declared and bid adieu to him. She then met with Song Ji Hwan before leaving and tightly hugged him, "Thank you so much for all the help." "Isn''t my brother extremely smart?" Song Ji Hwan proudly asked her. Kiaraa looked around her surroundings to check if Song Ji Hun was around them or not, after ensuring so, she said, "I always knew he was smart but oh god, I didn''t expect him to be this knowledgeable and amazing. I always heard people who are good at studying, are bad at teaching but he is so good. He explained every concept so nicely, that I still remember everything." "After all whose brother, is he?" Song Ji Hwan proudly declared. "Oh please, don''t steal credits for his intelligence and smartness." Kiaraa glared at him and after again ensuring Song Ji Hun is not around them, she said in a whisper, "Also, your brother is so hot" Song Ji Hwan was happily shocked hearing her words. "What?" He raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, he actually can be an actor and you can be his manager in the future" Kiaraa suggested. Song Ji Hwan chuckled, "He is not interested in the field of entertainment, he will prefer being a businessman" "Smart decision" Kiaraa seriously nodded her head. "By the way, it seems like someone is developing a crush on my elder brother" Song Ji Hwan teased her. Kiaraa chuckled hearing him, "Do I look like Aera to crush over your brother?" she asked him and then added, "I was just appreciating all his good qualities. I am not and won''t be interested in anyone" she confidently declared. "Hmm" Song Ji Hwan just nodded his head as Ian already informed him the reason as to why Kiaraa is rejecting him. "Ian already told you about it?" Kiaraa asked him. This was the first time Kiaraa and Hwan were talking about the failed proposal by Ian. Kiaraa always had her doubts that Hwan too was aware of what happened between her and Ian but Hwan never asked her about it and neither did she mention it until today. "Hmm, who else will he share his pain with?" Song Ji Hwan said. "How is he doing?" Kiaraa asked him. "He is fine, but he wishes for you to hang out with him like how you used to instead of avoiding him using the excuse of your studies" Song Ji Hwan said making Kiaraa feel a bit guilty as she intentionally avoids Ian a lot these days. Chapter 127 - Developing Comfort Level "How is he doing?" Kiaraa asked him about Ian. "He is fine, but he wishes for you to hang out with him like how you used to instead of avoiding him using the excuse of your studies" Song Ji Hwan said making Kiaraa feel a bit guilty as she intentionally avoids Ian a lot these days. "Since he proposed, I realized how deeply he loves me and it makes me feel guilty that I can''t reciprocate his feelings." Kiaraa informed Hwan of her dilemma. "So, you''d rather avoid him?" Song Ji Hwan questioned her. "Well¡­" "I understand you need some time but don''t push him away like this" Song Ji Hwan sincerely advised her. Keeping aside the fact that he is rooting for Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa, Hwan was close friends with Ian and Kiaraa since his childhood. These trio were very close and had a lot of fun moments in their life. He would never want their friendship to ever fall apart. "Hmm, let me take some more time, I am still not ready to be with him like how we used to. But whenever I meet him, I always try my best to act as normal as possible" Kiaraa tried to assure him. "Yeah, I know, but I miss those old days" Song Ji Hwan sadly said. "It has only been a few months; you are talking like many years passed away" Kiaraa laughed. "I hope that won''t be the case and you two will sort it out" Song Ji Hwan seriously said and Kiaraa promised him she will try to get over this mess. After saying her goodbye and thanking Hwan for his help, Kiaraa left for her home. Rest of the day, Song Ji Hwan kept teasing his brother, who was in a very good mood as he got to spend quite a lot of time with the girl he loves. So, he didn''t mind all the teasing and that night he took Hwan out to a seven-star hotel for dinner and it was his treat. ¡­ Next day Kiaraa had breakfast, then she informed her parents she is going to meet Hwan again today and left for the Song Mansion. Song Ji Hun was excitedly waiting for Kiaraa but tried to not show the same on his face. Hwan was silently observing his brother, who kept looking at the door entrance in anticipation. "She said she will come at 10:30 am, it is not yet time" Hwan reminded his brother. "What are you talking about?" Song Ji Hun tried to act indifferent and the next moment, Kiaraa''s car entered the premises. After dropping her there, the car left. "Hey, hope I am not late" Kiaraa said as soon as she entered the Song Mansion and saw the two brothers sitting in the living room. "No, rather you came earlier" Song Ji Hwan smiled at her. "Hope that''s fine too?" Kiaraa looked at Song Ji Hwan. "Hmm, you ate up my free time but it''s okay" Song Ji Hun replied and stood up, "Let''s study in my room" Song Ji Hun headed there and Kiaraa followed him. He kept his room door open so that Kiaraa won''t feel uncomfortable and they headed inside his study room, whose door too he kept open. Before starting his teaching, Song Ji Hun asked her a few questions as a revision and then they both started solving the case study. As promised, Kiaraa did revise what he taught her yesterday, therefore she was able to quickly understand what he was teaching her. The next two hours, they solved more than half the case study. Song Ji Hun patiently answered all the queries Kiaraa raised. Initially she felt hesitant in asking many questions but seeing how friendly and approachable Song Ji Hun actually was, unlike what she expected, Kiaraa asked him more questions as she started developing a comfort level with him. They were seriously solving their case study, when unexpectedly they heard a voice, which surprised both of them. "Ji Hun" Ji Seo Yun called for her son''s name as she entered his bedroom, whose door was wide open. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun looked at each other in shock as they didn''t expect his mother''s arrival and they both are aware of her dislike towards Kiaraa. If she sees Kiaraa here, she will somehow force Song Ji Hun to not help Kiaraa. Ji Seo Yun arrived and stood at Song Ji Hun''s study room, smiling brightly, "Surprise!" she exclaimed loudly. "Wow mom, weren''t you and dad supposed to come after two days?" Song Ji Hun, who was the only person sitting at the study table, gently smiled at his mother. "Yeah, we were but our work was wrapped up earlier than we planned so I and your dad decided to surprise you two" Ji Seo Yun happily informed him. "That''s great, mom" Song Ji Hun didn''t know what else to say. Ji Seo Yun then saw one of the chairs, randomly lying around the room as Song Ji Hun pushed away Kiaraa''s chair before his mom''s arrival as having her chair next to his clearly implied there was one more person in this room. "Since when are you acting like Hwan? See, how randomly that chair is lying around instead of being in its place" Ji Seo Yun helplessly shook her head and was about to step inside his room to arrange that chair but before that Song Ji Hun carefully got up from his seat and neatly arranged the chair back in its original position. "Don''t bother mom, I''ll do it" he said. Kiaraa, who was right now sitting under the table, sighed in relief that Song Ji Hun didn''t let his mom enter the room. If Ji Seo Yun enters the room, then after she turns around to leave, she would be able to notice Kiaraa under the table. So, not letting her inside the room was a priority. Song Ji Hun then immediately went back to sit on his chair, trying to cover Kiaraa with his body and legs. Kiaraa again leaned back a bit, as Song Ji Hun''s legs were right in front of her face. "Ji Hun, now stop studying and come downstairs to have lunch with us" His mother strictly said. "Yeah mom, give me five minutes, I''ll be there" Song Ji Hun calmly said and casually he parted away his legs not realizing the effect his action would have on Kiaraa, who was still under the table. ''Oh fuck'' she shouted in her mind and tightly closed her eyes as she just saw his crotch. Although he was wearing his pants, and it was not a vulgar sight, the position she was currently in made this scenario very uncomfortable. ''Ahhh, this aunt Seo Yun is the biggest enemy of my life. Why did she had to come back in advance and surprise her sons like this? See, what kind of a situation she has put me into'' Kiaraa cursed Ji Seo Yun for her state. "Okay, come back soon" Ji Seo Yun warned her son and left. As soon as she left, Song Ji Hun quickly stood up from his seat and locked the study room door. He then leaned down to check under the table and saw Kiaraa tightly close her eyes, murmuring something. "Kiaraa" He worriedly called her name as he was concerned about her state. Slouching down on the floor and hiding under this table was definitely not comfortable. "She left?" Kiaraa quickly opened her eyes when she heard him call her. "Hmm" Song Ji Hun gave her his hand and placed his other hand gently on her head, so that she doesn''t hit it to the roof of the table, and helped her come out. Kiaraa noticed his actions and the word, ''gentleman'' was ringing in her mind. "I am sorry, you had to¡­" "Don''t apologize, how is this your fault?" Kiaraa interrupted him looking worried, "What should we do now?" she asked. "Don''t worry, if I lock my room doors, no one will barge in. You just need to stay in the room, I''ll finish my lunch and will bring something for you to eat. In the evening, I''ll help you sneak out" Song Ji Hun explained. "Okay" Kiaraa tried to calm down seeing Song Ji Hun knew what he was doing. "Also, ask your driver to not come to pick you up. I''ll drop you" Song Ji Hun suggested as their parents will know if the driver comes here. "Wait, my mom and dad know I am at the Song Mansion, what about that?" Kiaraa worriedly asked. "Don''t worry, we will manage if anything happens at that time, for now do as I say" Song Ji Hun too didn''t wish for his mom to know of Kiaraa''s presence as he once saw how years ago his mother made Hwan make a promise that he will never get romantically involved with Kiaraa. If his mom would see Kiaraa spending time with him, he too will come under her radar, which he doesn''t want to risk. "Okay" Kiaraa nodded her head and followed his instructions. Chapter 128 - Keep You Here Forever "How hungry are you?" Song Ji Hun worriedly asked her. "Not much, I can manage" Kiaraa said and the next moment her stomach groaned, embarrassing her. "Wait" Song Ji Hun headed inside his bedroom and locked the main door, then he stepped towards a small mini-refrigerator kept at one corner of his room. He took out a juice can and handed it to Kiaraa, "Have this for now, I''ll be back soon and will get you some food" he assured her. "When you will head downstairs can you share the menu with me?" Kiaraa asked him turning Song Ji Hun speechless and the next minute she hesitatingly added, "Only if it is convenient" ''This girl is truly foodie'' Song Ji Hun thought to himself and for the first time these two people exchanged each other''s phone numbers. He headed downstairs and joined his family at the dining table. Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan were sitting next to each other opposite their parents. "Sorry Hyung, I tried to contact you but dad kept me busy and I before I could stop mom¡­" "It''s okay, we managed well, hope they don''t know Kiaraa is home" Song Ji Hun interrupted his brother and checked with him. "Of course not, you think mom would look this happy if she knows of K''s presence?" Song Ji Hwan asked. "Hmm" Song Ji Hun just hummed and checked all the dishes on the table. He then sent the list to Kiaraa, who was trying to delay her hunger by drinking that juice. When she saw the list of items that were prepared for lunch, her suppressed hunger shot up and she got excited. ''Woah, this Songs eat amazing food every day it seems'' she thought to herself and replied back the list of things she wants to Song Ji Hun. Within fifteen minutes, Song Ji Hun finished his food, he excused himself and went to the kitchen, he gave the list to one of the workers there and instructed them to bring this food to his room secretly after everyone is done with their lunch. The servant didn''t question Song Ji Hun''s weird, suspicious behaviour and didn''t bother as to why he was acting like this as they all are well trained and know minding their own business. Song Ji Hun went back to his room and assured Kiaraa, the food will be here soon. Within a few minutes, the food was delivered, Kiaraa hid in the study room and came out only after Song Ji Hun locked the main door. "It feels like I am some thief" Kiaraa commented and sat on the couch. "I am sorry for this inconvenience" Song Ji Hun felt guilty for his parents'' sudden arrival. "Are you kidding me? How is this your fault?" Kiaraa laughed seeing the guilt on Song Ji Hun''s face. ''Every day I am seeing a new side of this guy, he is cute'' she thought to herself and started eating the food, which was placed on the table across. "Still, I am feeling guilty" Song Ji Hun replied to her and sat next to the girl, who couldn''t stop drooling over the food. "Oh my god, this food is so good. You guys eat royal food every day" Kiaraa exclaimed after having a bite. Song Ji Hun chuckled seeing her excitement, "It is the weekend, so during this time, specials are cooked" "I wish I can come here every weekend" Kiaraa casually commented while eating. "Hmm, should I permanently make you stay here?" Song Ji Hun suddenly asked surprising Kiaraa as she didn''t get the meaning behind his deep words. She turned to look at him in surprise, "What do you mean?" "Should I permanently make you stay here with us? You can go to college and come back with me and in free time I''ll teach you the case studies" Song Ji Hun seriously suggested not hesitating a bit. Kiaraa laughed at his suggestion, "It is really sweet of you for such offer, but your mom will get a heart attack if that happens, no offence" She thought he was just kidding or suggesting this out of formality, she didn''t realize how serious Song Ji Hun actually was as he intended to keep her with him. "Don''t worry about my mom, if I seriously decide to keep you here, she won''t be able to do anything" Song Ji Hun seriously replied, deeply thinking about something. This time Kiaraa felt something was wrong with this guy, "Why will I stay here? My parents won''t allow" she countered. "If they do, then?" "What is wrong with you? Why do you want me to stay here?" Kiaraa finally questioned Song Ji Hun, making him realize what he is doing. "I was just kidding, nonsense conversation, nothing else" Song Ji Hun quickly composed himself, scolding himself in the heart for losing control like this. "I thought only Hwan has such nonsense conversations, now I can see where he got this quality from" Kiaraa teased Song Ji Hun, who just politely smiled at her. "I hope the food is sufficient, or you want more?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "It is more than enough, if you want you too can have a bite, I am already feeling full" Kiaraa replied. Earlier, Song Ji Hun ate his food in a hurry and also, he didn''t wish to miss an opportunity of sharing food with the girl he likes. "Thank you" he said and ate food with her. After they were done, he kept the plate outside his room and asked the servant to quickly take it away. Then he and Kiaraa resumed their studies. They continued studying till 4 pm and completed one whole case study. "Ahhhhhh" Kiaraa stretched her body after they were done and yawned loudly. "After studying so much, I want to sleep" she informed Song Ji Hun jokingly. "Okay, take a nap in my bedroom, I''ll wake you up in an hour then we will sneak out" He suggested. "Are you serious? I thought we will sneak out now itself" Kiaraa was again surprised that he doesn''t mind her sleeping in his room. Although, she never interacted with Song Ji Hun all these years, she knows a few things about him, like he loves his own space, doesn''t like others meddling in. Overall, she is aware he is a very private person. "Yeah, I planned the same but since you are feeling sleepy¡­" "It''s okay, just drop me at my home, I''ll sleep there" Kiaraa interrupted him. "Okay" Song Ji Hun then called Song Ji Hwan, who updated him of the current situation in their home. "Mom and dad are having some serious discussion in the living room and they it doesn''t seem like they are going to move from here anytime soon" Hwan went to one side and whispered in his phone. "What do you suggest?" Ji Hun asked. "Wait for some time, I have a feeling mom and dad are feeling sleepy and they will go to their rooms soon. I''ll call you then" Hwan said. This whole time the phone was on speaker so Kiaraa too heard everything and nodded her head agreeing to wait for a while. "You too sleep for some time, when the ground is clear, I''ll wake you up" Song Ji Hun suggested. Kiaraa was feeling extremely sleepy, so she finally agreed to his suggestion. Song Ji Hun helped her sleep on his bed and covered her with his comforter, he then went back to sit on the couch with a book. When Kiaraa''s body touched the soft bed, she immediately fell asleep, unknowingly inhaling into the manly scent of Song Ji Hun which remained on the comforter. After a few minutes, Song Ji Hun lifted his head to see what Kiaraa is doing and seeing her sleep peacefully, he kept his book aside and observed her sleeping figure from the couch. He could clearly see on her face, how extremely tired and exhausted she was. ''Am I being very hard on her? Are these case studies that tiring?'' He wondered to himself. ''Kiaraa will manage, she just started today, eventually she will be able to solve these cases faster than ever, she is one smart girl'' He proudly thought to himself. The next one hour passed with Kiaraa sleeping peacefully while Song Ji Hun didn''t move his sight away from her at all and kept looking at her from the couch as he was not sure when again he will get an opportunity like this. Song Ji Hun''s sight of delight was interrupted when Hwan called him to inform that their parents finally got tired and went back to their room and the ground is cleared. Sighing sadly that they now have to leave, Song Ji Hun stepped towards the bed and gently woke up Kiaraa by tapping on her shoulder. The next moment she suddenly held his hand and pulled it closer, holding it between her hands, she continued sleeping comfortably. Chapter 129 - Difficult To Relate With Song Ji Hun stepped towards the bed and gently woke up Kiaraa by tapping on her shoulder. The next moment she suddenly held his hand and pulled it closer, holding it between her hands, she continued sleeping comfortably. Song Ji Hun was startled by her action as now his hand was sandwiched between her hands and was under her head. What he didn''t know is Kiaraa hates being woken up from her sleep. Whenever her mom or dad wakes her up, she holds their hand and sleeps like this so that they stop disturbing her. In her sleep, she didn''t realize she was at the Song Mansion, in Song Ji Hun''s room. She acted like she always does as this is a habit of hers, which she too is not much aware of. Her parents did mention to her what she does when they try to wake her up but Kiaraa didn''t bother much about it. ''Kiaraa'' Song Ji Hun wanted to call her name as he was not sure how else to wake her up. If he tries to pull back his hand, it might annoy her and even calling her name again and again would irritate her. He wondered what to do and how to wake this girl up. On one hand, seeing her sleep from so close, his heart was beating faster but on the other hand he had to wake her up and safely drop her back at the Lee Mansion before his mother finds out. Song Ji Hun used his free hand to caress her cheek and gently pinched on it, Kiaraa frowned and furrowed her eyebrows due to his actions and slowly opened her eyes. Song Ji Hun''s came into her view and she got confused as her mind was dizzy from sleep. "Kiaraa, it is right time to sneak out, wake up" Song Ji Hun''s words rang in her ears and she recollected where she was and quickly sat up. "How long was I sleeping for?" She asked looking embarrassed. "Over an hour" he answered her and handed her the bag she brought. "I am so sorry" Kiaraa apologized. "There is nothing to feel sorry about, let''s go" Song Ji Hun went near his door and checked the surroundings, no one was there. He stepped out the room followed by Kiaraa. They quickly went downstairs where Song Ji Hwan was keeping an eye to ensure no servant roams around here. "Guys, it is all clear" Song Ji Hwan assured as soon as he saw the two people. As soon as they reached downstairs, Song Ji Hwan handed his brother''s car keys to him, "All set" he said. "Good job, Hwan" Song Ji Hun held Kiaraa''s hand and ran outside the home where his car was already parked in front of the door. Hwan did all this before their arrival. Kiaraa quickly sat in the co-passenger seat next to Song Ji Hun and leaned down a bit to not be visible. Song Ji Hun easily drove away the car out of his residence as no one dared to stop him. Once they were a bit away from the Song Mansion, Kiaraa breathed a sigh of relief and comfortably sat back in the seat. "Today''s class was no less than an adventure" she commented while putting on the seat belt. "My mom loves throwing surprises" Song Ji Hun said. "Yeah, we know, I still remember the surprise party we threw for you two years ago" Kiaraa laughed recollecting that childish party which was thrown to celebrate Song Ji Hun''s success. "Please don''t remind me of it" Song Ji Hun turned embarrassed. Kiaraa again laughed seeing his state, "Oh you know how to feel embarrassed, I thought you only know how to make others feel so" "When did I embarrass you?" Song Ji Hun asked. Kiaraa turned silent when she heard his question. She made that statement recollecting how Song Ji Hun once almost kissed her years ago. After spending almost, a whole day with him a day before, Kiaraa recollected a few of her moments with Song Ji Hun when she was sleeping at her home the night before. At that time, she recollected the moment years ago when he said he felt attracted to her and felt her cheeks turning redder. Kiaraa decided to not lose her focus and concentrate on her studies. She assured herself, it was a silly event that happened years ago when they were kids and Song Ji Hun might not even remember it. Only after this assurance, was she able to come back to the Song Mansion with a fresh mind but unknown to her, this incident was stored in her subconscious mind and came out like this. "When did I embarrass you?" Song Ji Hun asked her and Kiaraa brushed away this topic, "I casually said so as you keep embarrassing Hwan by performing better than him" Song Ji Hun chuckled, "I might perform better than him academically but in other aspects he is better than me" Kiaraa was taken aback seeing Ji Hun praise his younger brother, "Like what?" she asked. "He is a social butterfly; he has many contacts and so many friends. If you want any work to be done, he is the one you should go to and definitely he will manage to get it done" "Hmm, he indeed has a lot of friends" Kiaraa nodded her head and looked at Song Ji Hun, "You have no friends?" "Only one, Yang Nam-il" "Why? You hate people?" she asked. Song Ji Hun lightly smiled; his smile made Kiaraa''s heart flutter but she didn''t realize it. "Not that I hate people, I just don''t gel with or connect with people easily. It is hard for me to socialize" He patiently answered her. "Then how did you become friends with Yang Nam-il?" Kiaraa was not a nosy person, but she wished to know more about this mysterious guy who always kept to himself. "He was the one who always came up to me and sticked around. Even when I ignored him and didn''t care much, he was still there. Eventually, he made me give in and I accepted him as a part of my life. This all happened when I was eight years old" Kiaraa was surprised to see this guy talk so much and smiled hearing his story as she understood how much efforts one has to put to be this guy''s friend. "You were very stubborn for an eight-year-old" she commented. "Stubbornness comes naturally to a person; it is not developed" he countered. "Hmm, agreed but don''t you wish to have some company in life? To spend some time with, to play with etc?" "Books were my friends. When you have something to read, why would you need people?" Song Ji Hun questioned her back, turning the girl speechless. "I am not an avid reader so I can''t relate with what you said" Kiaraa answered him honestly. "It''s okay, I am anyway a bit difficult to relate with" Song Ji Hun shared what he believes. Kiaraa was not sure why, but she felt sad when he said this. Somewhere, she felt guilty that all these years although they were close family friends, she never put an effort to initiate a conversation with him or to know him. Song Ji Hun was not comfortable in approaching people, but she didn''t have such qualms. If just like Yang Nam-il, she tried to befriend him then Song Ji Hun wouldn''t have been lonely during their gatherings. She approached him only because she needed something from him and this for the first time made her feel like a selfish person. "Maybe you are not difficult to relate with if one would want to understand you" Kiaraa blurted out these words which came naturally to her. "Is that so?" Song Ji Hun smiled hearing her words. Kiaraa came out of her daze and wondered what the hell is she saying, ''Why am I talking like Aera?'' she cursed herself and decided to change the topic. "When did you learn how to drive?" she asked. "As soon as I turned eighteen" Song Ji Hun didn''t mind the abrupt change in conversation. "Which driving school you joined?" "My personal driver, who spent years with me, he is the one who taught me" Song Ji Hun replied. "Oh" "Yeah, sometimes when I am not in mood to drive, he is the one who still drops me at my college or office" He added. "Song Ji Hun, I had been meaning to ask you this since long. When did you start working in the office?" Kiaraa asked him. "After my first term was over as I needed some knowledge before, I jumped in" "I heard you attend office during weekends" "It was initially to learn some stuff as office used to be closed on the weekends and there were no employees so it was feasible. Now, I visit office during weekdays" He explained. "Can you guide me more?" Kiaraa hesitatingly asked him as she felt like she was completely using this guy but on the other hand she knows he is the right person to approach. Chapter 130 - Climb One Step At A Time "Can you guide me more?" Kiaraa hesitatingly asked him as she felt like she was completely using this guy but on the other hand she knows he is the right person to approach. "Guide you in what?" Song Ji Hun asked. "I wish to start going to office and learn all the work during my college as I don''t want to waste my time" Kiaraa shared her plans with him. "Start after first term and did you decide which sector you are interested in heading?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "The whole Lee Conglomerate" Kiaraa''s answer surprised him and he slightly frowned. His surprised expression wasn''t missed by Kiaraa. "Is it that shocking?" she questioned him. "Hmm, a bit. Given the number of cousins you have and Choi Hyuk, who already started visiting the Lee Office made me believe he will take over the whole place." Song Ji Hun is aware of what''s going on in the business circle. Kiaraa chuckled as if she heard a joke, "Choi Hyuk is useless, he can''t handle a conglomerate like ours." "And you can?" Song Ji Hun questioned her. "Only I can" she confidently answered him. Song Ji Hun lightly smiled seeing her confidence, "I''ll still advise, start from a sector. Select one of the sectors under Lee Corporation. I suggest start from the one, which is doing least good¡­" "Least good?" Kiaraa asked him in surprise as she was planning to start from their best sector. "Yeah" "Why?" Song Ji Hun didn''t answer her and after a few seconds he parked the car on one side of the road near a mall. "Why are we stopping here? You have some work?" Kiaraa asked him. "Step out" He just said this much and stepped out of the car. Kiaraa was confused with his actions but nevertheless she too stepped out and went towards Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun then brought her in front of the entrance of a big mall. There were around 15 steps to climb to the main entrance of the mall as they were standing on the ground. "Kiaraa, can you jump to the top of the 15th step directly from here?" Song Ji Hun asked. Kiaraa looked at him as if he is some crazy guy. "Yeah, if I want to break my leg, I can try" Kiaraa sarcastically answered him. "Even if you want to break your leg, you can''t reach till there directly from here" Song Ji Hun seriously said ignoring the sarcasm in her tone. "Exactly, then why are you asking me such ridiculous questions?" she asked. "If instead of jumping from here to there, if you climb one step at a time, will you reach the top?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "Obviously, why are¡­" Just then Kiaraa realized what Song Ji Hun was trying to do here. "Are you trying to say, instead of directly going to the top office, I should start from the bottom one so that I''ll learn more and then slowly I should climb to the top" "You are indeed very smart, Kiaraa" Song Ji Hun was glad she understood what he was trying to demonstrate. "Such a big compliment coming from the smartest man himself is my privilege, thank you Mr Song" Kiaraa smiled brightly. "When you will start trying to understand the working of the least successful sector of Lee Conglomerate and when you will keep moving to more successful sectors, you will realize what exactly is going wrong where. Then you can go back to those areas and even help improve it" Song Ji Hun advised. For a few moments, he didn''t hear a word from Kiaraa, so he turned to look at her and what he saw was a girl, who was looking at him with sight filled with admiration. "What?" He snapped his fingers in front of her. "I have to declare this, I became a big fan of yours, you are the Robert Downey Jr of the business world" Kiaraa excitedly declared. "Robert Downey Jr?" Song Ji Hun questioned in confusion as he doesn''t watch movies at all so he was not aware who Robert Downey Jr was. "Iron Man / Tony Stark?" Song Ji Hun: "¡­" "Sherlock Holmes?" "Sherlock Holmes is a fictional character from the books written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" Song Ji Hun replied. Kiaraa face-palmed herself. "You don''t watch movies at all?" she asked Song Ji Hun and he just shook his head saying no. "Did you not watch a movie in your whole life?" Kiaraa asked him in surprise with her eyes widened in shock. "I did" Song Ji Hun answered. "Which is the last movie you watched?" Kiaraa curiously asked. "That horror movie which I watched with you guys a few years ago in Ian''s home theatre" Song Ji Hun answered her. Kiaraa looked confused as she didn''t recollect which movie he was talking about as over the last few years they watched many movies in Ian''s home theatre. "It was the first movie in that home theatre that was watched" Song Ji Hun added more information as he realized she didn''t recollect that day. "The Grudge?" Kiaraa loudly shouted as she recollected the movie. She at least remembered the first movie they watched there. "Yeah, that one" Song Ji Hun now recollected the name. "Are you kidding me? You didn''t watch a movie since then? How are you even surviving in this world?" Kiaraa shouted at him shotting back-to-back questions at him. "Relax, it is not a big deal" "It is. What the hell do you do for entertainment?" Kiaraa asked him, still looking surprised. "I read" Song Ji Hun calmly answered. Kiaraa: "¡­" For a few seconds, this girl went speechless and just stared at this guy, who according to her didn''t have a life. "Song Ji Hun, do you realize how boring your life is with almost no friends and entertainment?" she questioned him. "I don''t think so, I like my life" Song Ji Hun replied, amused at her reaction. He wasn''t offended at how she acted, he rather found it cute. "You don''t have a life, what the hell do you even like in it?" she questioned him, still in a loud volume. "The peace. I have a lot of peace in my life, which I like" Song Ji Hun answered her. Kiaraa helplessly laughed as she never met a guy like this before, "Fine mister, enjoy all the peace you want but I really hope this peace doesn''t last long in your life and it turns into a roller-coaster ride" Kiaraa casually said this sentence, unknown to her that it is actually going to turn out to be true in the future as years later, since the day Song Ji Hun got married to Kiaraa, all the peace in his life flew out and his life indeed became a roller-coaster ride. "Wow, you are so cruel. I am helping you here and you are wishing for my life to turn upside down" Song Ji Hun commented. Kiaraa laughed at his accusation, "I want you to enjoy your life, instead of just living through it like a saint" she explained. "Why do you care how I live my life?" Song Ji Hun questioned her and suddenly the atmosphere turned a bit intense as Kiaraa too went speechless. She herself wondered why is she taking so much interest in his life and bothering herself with it. "You are helping me so much, so I¡­" she came up with this explanation after a few seconds. "Fine, I believe you" Song Ji Hun smirked and headed towards his car followed by a confused Kiaraa, who kept wondering what does he mean by ''I believe you'' and why did he smirk like that but she didn''t ask him. "Next week where should we meet for my next lesson?" Kiaraa asked Song Ji Hun after he started driving towards the Lee Mansion. "I''ll let you know this Friday, based on my schedule" Song Ji Hun replied. "Oh yeah, you might also have to check with your girlfriend" Kiaraa teased him. "Yesterday you accused me of liking your sister and now you are assuming I have a girlfriend. Why are you so hell bent on butchering my character?" Song Ji Hun playfully asked her. Kiaraa laughed at his question, "Accused you of liking my sister? Is it that bad to like her that you are calling it an accusation?" "She is a sweet girl but I find her a bit annoying" Song Ji Hun tried to put his feelings forward trying not to offend the elder sister. Kiaraa again laughed at what he said, "Aera is a star, do you even know how many guys have a crush on her and how many love letters and cheesy gifts are delivered to my home from her male fans?" "That''s a good thing, I hope she falls for one of those fans" Song Ji Hun sincerely hoped for her sister to stop liking him and to move on. "What?" Kiaraa shouted at Song Ji Hun startling him. Chapter 131 - Got Caught "Why are you shouting?" Song Ji Hun asked trying to handle the wheel as he lost control over it for a second. "My sister is a Lee; she can''t marry some stupid fan. She has to marry a guy from one of the richest families and not just a rich guy, but a capable, handsome man, who is good enough to be associated with the Lees" Kiaraa said. Between his driving, Song Ji Hun looked at Kiaraa in surprise, "You are talking like our parents" "Parents are not wrong. Aera can obviously can''t marry some poor guy just for the sake of love" Kiaraa added. "So, if you don''t like the guy your sister wants to marry, you will not let her be with him?" Song Ji Hun didn''t expect Kiaraa is someone who would meddle in her sister''s life like this. "Obviously and not just me, the whole Lee family won''t allow her. I can''t let Aera''s life to end up like my aunt." Kiaraa declared. "You love your sister a lot although you act otherwise" Song Ji Hun commented. "Not that I love my sister a lot, but I don''t want her to have a bad life and then suffer later. If she suffers then with her the whole family will suffer. See my aunt, her life is not great so sometimes we all have to face the repercussions of it. It is better for Aera to have a great life for herself, so that she won''t bother me in the future" "You are despicable" Song Ji Hun commented. "I know" Kiaraa wasn''t offended, she knows herself well. ''Maybe that''s why I love you so much'' Song Ji Hun thought to himself, not daring to say these words out aloud. "So, I guess all of this applies to you too" Song Ji Hun already knows she doesn''t want to ever get married but he still asked to see what she will say to him. "What do you mean?" Kiaraa questioned him back. "You too are a Lee; so, you have to marry a guy from one of the richest families and not just a rich guy, but a capable, handsome man, who is good enough to be associated with the Lees" Song Ji Hun said the same words which were used by Kiaraa earlier. "My goodness, you used the exact same words" Kiaraa looked surprised. "I have a strong memory" Song Ji Hun answered her. Kiaraa just nodded her head and answered him, "Marriage and such things are not meant for me. Handling the Lee Conglomerate alone will consume my whole life, so I do not intend to get married ever" Song Ji Hun realized she is indeed very serious about this; he could see her determination. "What if some day you have to?" "No one can force me to do anything against my wish" There was a strong stubbornness in her voice. ''Why did you have to fall for such a difficult woman?'' Song Ji Hun questioned himself. "Hmm" he just hummed. In a while, they reached the Lee Mansion. "I''ll drop you here, hope that is fine?" Song Ji Hun asked Kiaraa, as he dropped her a few feet away from the main gate. Song Ji Hun didn''t wish to be seen by the Lees and complicate this. "Yes, not a problem. Thank you so much for everything you did and for specially dropping me to my home" Kiaraa looked sincere. "Don''t bother much, once you reach your home premises just drop a message" Song Ji Hun felt bad for dropping her a few feet away from the main gate and she has to walk till her home. Kiaraa laughed hearing the concern in his voice, "You think someone will kidnap me while I am walking 100-meter distance to my home?" "Kiaraa, please" Song Ji Hun looked serious so she agreed with his weird request and left. Song Ji Hun stayed in the car until he got Kiaraa''s message that she reached her home safely, after he got the assurance, he turned his car around and left for his home, happy with the progress between him and Kiaraa. Kiaraa too was happy that she can study the case studies finally. What these two people were unaware of was the fact that Kiaraa''s father saw Song Ji Hun dropping Kiaraa secretly near the Lee Mansion. Lee Myung Soo was out on a walk and when he was heading to his home, he saw his daughter step out of a car and noticed some guy sitting at the driver''s seat. In reflex, he hid himself behind a bush and wondered who is the guy with his daughter. ''If it is that Ian, then this time I won''t let him off'' Lee Myung Soo became determined and when the car turned around, he got surprised to see Song Ji Hun in there. Before Lee Myung Soo was able to come out of his stupor, Song Ji Hun already drove away as he got Kiaraa''s message. ''Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa? How did this happen?'' Lee Myung Soo wondered and stepped inside his home. When he reached the living room, he saw his daughter lying on the couch improperly. Her one leg was on the couch, and one was hanging out; similarly, her one hand was on her stomach while her other hand was hanging down. "Kiaraa, at least sleep properly" Her father scolded her as sleeping like this would be painful and her body would ache. "Dad, I am very tired" Kiaraa complained, not wishing to move her body even an inch. "What did you do today that you are so tired?" Lee Myung Soo raised his eyebrows and suspiciously looked at his daughter. Kiaraa suddenly opened her eyes, startled by her dad''s question and looked at him. She could see her dad was having some doubts about her whereabouts. "Umm, was just hanging out with friends" Kiaraa closed her eyes and answered her father as she couldn''t look into them and lie. Lee Myung Soo was very well aware that Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun are not at all close friends, so her lie made him even more curious. "Oh, who are these friends?" He asked, sitting across on the second couch facing her. Kiaraa hesitated in answering him, "You don''t know them, dad" "It''s okay, I have a lot of time, tell me about them" Lee Myung Soo was not the one to give up easily. Kiaraa then mentioned her college friends'' names and described them for the next ten minutes. Lee Myung Soo could feel she was lying, as Kiaraa''s sentences were breaking, she was avoiding looking at him and didn''t dare make an eye-contact, her voice sounded a bit guilty. But he patiently heard her without any interruption. "Kiaraa, are you lying to your father?" Lee Myung Soo just asked this one question, looking very serious. Kiaraa looked at her dad and felt very guilty, she looked down hesitating as to what to do. A part of her wished to share the truth with him and another part was not sure. "I saw Song Ji Hun dropping you" Lee Myung Soo dropped a bomb on her and Kiaraa sat up on the couch, seriously facing her dad. "I am sorry for lying, dad" Kiaraa looked guilty. She wasn''t able to meet her dad''s eyes. "Why did you lie, Kiaraa?" Lee Myung Soo patiently asked her sounding calm, he was not angry, he wished to first know why she lied before reacting. "Dad¡­" "And this time I am expecting complete honesty" Lee Myung Soo interrupted her and gave her a warning beforehand. Kiaraa shifted to her dad''s couch and sat next to him, lowering her voice she started narrating the whole incident from her college where a friend of hers informed them of some difficult case studies that are asked in the upcoming exams. Then she informed him everything that happened from then to Song Ji Hun dropping her home. Lee Myung Soo was a bit taken aback after hearing the whole story. He actually predicted Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun are secretly dating. He never thought this would be the story behind what he saw. Lee Myung Soo was glad he didn''t overreact and listened to Kiaraa''s whole story before reacting. Kiaraa took out her bag and notebooks, where she and Song Ji Hun solved the case study and there were some rough calculations in the book. "Dad, here''s the proof" she handed the book to him. "No need for that, I trust your words" Lee Myung Soo closed the book and patted on his daughter''s head. "I understand Seo Yun doesn''t like you, so you are hiding all of this from her but what was the need to hide this from us?" He asked his daughter. "I thought you will think lowly of me after knowing how selfish I am to go behind my friends and to keep all these notes for myself" Kiaraa revealed the truth. Chapter 132 - [Bonus ] Considering What You Suggested Lee Myung Soo laughed when he understood what was bothering his daughter. "Why are you laughing?" Kiaraa looked annoyed. "When you know you are doing something wrong, then why do it?" Lee Myung Soo was still smiling. "Because I want it. I want to top in my class. I am not cheating in the exam; I am just over-studying. I do feel bad for my friends but when one wants to go ahead in life, they can''t bother with such emotions" Kiaraa explained her point of view. "Then there is nothing wrong with what you are doing" Lee Myung Soo assured his daughter surprising her. "Why are you so shocked?" "I didn''t expect father too would talk like me" Kiaraa said. "I am not talking like you but rather you are the one who is acting like me" Lee Myung Soo brightly smiled and there was a tinge of pride in his voice. "Did father too do anything like this?" Kiaraa curiously asked him. "Hmm, thousands of times. You think Lee conglomerate would be doing so well if everything was just white and black? One can''t run an industry like this without playing some under-the-table games. Being selfish is very important to run a corporation like this and to make some tough decisions. So, yes, I too did some stuff like this. I am not proud of it but neither do I regret it." Kiaraa looked impressed with her dad. "Today, one after other you guys are impressing me" she blurted out these words unknowingly. "Who is the other guy that impressed my daughter?" Lee Myung Soo questioned her although he knew who she was talking about. "Song Ji Hun. Dad, I never interacted with this guy like I am doing now. I must say he is very smart and definitely has a bright future." Kiaraa sincerely said. Lee Myung Soo, who already had something serious going on in his mind, paid attention to Kiaraa''s opinion of Song Ji Hun. "Really why do you think so?" He asked his daughter. Then Kiaraa shared a few moments from their day, where his knowledge and advice impressed her. "Hmm, he is too smart for his age and very matured" Lee Myung Soo nodded his head, deeply thinking about something. "Yeah, it is so unfortunate that he is not interested in our Aera, or else they would have been perfect" Kiaraa sadly declared. "What?" Lee Myung Soo got shocked by what he heard. "Yeah, don''t you know Aera has a huge, huge, huge crush on him?" Kiaraa asked her dad. "No and anyway they are not right for each other" Lee Myung Soo seriously declared. "Why not? She is the perfect damsel in distress and he would be the cold CEO, who is always protect her" Kiaraa teasingly smiled at her dad. "Kiaraa, you should stop watching those k-dramas" Her father seriously warned her making her laugh again. "Anyway, I am glad Song Ji Hun is not interested in Aera, or else I would have tried to keep him away" Lee Myung Soo talked like a possessive father. "Dad, why are you so possessive of us?" Kiaraa chuckled seeing how her dad is acting and hugged him. "Because you are my daughters and I love you two the most" "Whom do you love more ¨C me or Aera?" Kiaraa never let''s go of this question and always asks her dad this. "Of course, you" Lee Myung Soo knows what she wants to hear and although he loves both his daughters a lot, somewhere he has a soft corner for Kiaraa as she is his first-born. Kiaraa was satisfied with his answer and then she made a request, "By the way dad, about me studying with Song Ji Hun, I hope you have no problem about it" "Hmm, I don''t. He is indeed very smart and if you learn a few more things from him which is not just limited to studies, then I''ll be happier" Lee Myung Soo said. "More things as in?" Kiaraa got confused. "Business related stuff but don''t worry, it still has time as you didn''t start your training yet. I''d suggest build good relations with Song Ji Hun it will come handy for you in the future. He is someone you would need on your side" Lee Myung Soo sincerely advised his daughter, who too agreed with him. "Yeah dad, today I somewhere regretted not being friends with him like I was with Ian and Hwan." She shared. "Yeah, better you stay away from the useless Ian and build good relations with Hwan too, through him reaching Ji Hun is easier" Kiaraa laughed at what he said, "Dad, it feels like you are plotting something against Song Ji Hun" Lee Myung Soo chuckled, "No dear, I am trying to secure your future by suggesting a good choice of friend" "Okay dad, I''ll try to build good relations with Ji Hun" Kiaraa assured him as she too would be happy to be associated with someone like him. "That''s like my girl" Lee Myung Soo kissed the top of her head, happy with the fact that his daughter too thinks like him. "Dad, also one more request" "Hmm?" "Please don''t let the Songs know about me and Song Ji Hun studying like this. His mother truly dislikes me and will create an issue for us, if she ever finds out about all of this" "Yeah, I know Ji Seo Yun well, she is petty enough to bother herself with such silly things. Don''t worry, you have my support, she will never know about Song Ji Hun helping you with your studies" Lee Myung Soo assured her as he too doesn''t wish for his daughter to have any hurdles in life. "Thanks dad, you are the best" Kiaraa hugged his father happily. Right now, she was feeling like a huge burden has been lift off her. Somewhere, she was worrying how will she and Song Ji Hun manage to sneak out every weekend from their home without their parents never knowing the truth. Also, today she hid from Ji Seo Yun and somehow managed to escape from there but there was a possibility of this coming out in the open as their families keep meeting each other during their fortnight gatherings. But now that her dad was on her side, she had nothing to worry about. "Dear, but I have to inform Song Jae Ho about all of this. I need some support from the Songs too to handle Ji Seo Yun." Lee Myung Soo informed his daughter, who got a bit worried. "Don''t worry, my friend will support me, he would be on our side" Myung Soo assured his daughter. "Dad, can I once discuss this with Song Ji Hun? After I talk to him, you inform his father" Kiaraa suggested as she didn''t wish Song Ji Hun to face any repercussions because of her. "Okay" Kiaraa then called Song Ji Hun, who was happily surprised to receiver a call from her. In the call, she informed him of how her dad saw him and then narrated everything that followed. "Good you told him the truth, there was no point in lying after being caught" Song Ji Hun agreed with her decision. "Thank you for saying that, I thought you will be pissed" Kiaraa sighed in relief after knowing they were on the same page. "I am not as bad as you think I am" Song Ji Hun said. "I don''t think you are bad, you are rather too good, which is not a nice thing. You are smart and all but you are also na?ve" Kiaraa said this because she still thinks Song Ji Hun is helping her out of goodwill and is somewhere in a loss deal by doing so as he is not benefitting from all of this in anyway. Song Ji Hun just smiled as Kiaraa had no idea she rather gave him a golden chance to be closer to her through all of this. "Noted, Ms. Lee" Ji Hun casually replied. Then Kiaraa informed him of her dad''s support and how he wishes to involved Ji Hun''s dad too. "It is actually a good idea. If anyone in this world can handle my mom, then it is only my dad" Song Ji Hun liked this suggestion and didn''t mind it. "Wow, great" Kiaraa was happy that everything was falling into place, "Thanks, Ji Hun, you are the best" The two then ended the call and Kiaraa informed her dad to go with his suggestion. Kiaraa then left for her room as she was extremely tired too and wanted to rest for a while. Once she left, Lee Myung Soo stepped inside his study room and locked the door, so that no one disturbs him. He then called Song Jae, who answered his call within a few rings, "Hey, Myung Soo, how come you are calling me on a weekend?" he cheerfully asked. "Jae Ho, I am seriously considering what you suggested last week.." Lee Myung Soo seriously said. Chapter 133 - Song Jae Ho Teasing His Son "Jae Ho, I am seriously considering what you suggested last week" Lee Myung Soo seriously said. Song Jae Ho was shocked, "Are you serious?" he questioned as he didn''t expect Lee Myung Soo to consider his proposal so soon. "Hmm" "May I know what suddenly changed your mind as you were reluctant when I suggested this" Song Jae Ho knew his friend very well. "I was reluctant because I underestimated your son" Lee Myung Soo replied. "And now what changed?" Song Jae Ho questioned him. Lee Myung Soo then informed him of the whole story that took shape in the last two days. "What? Kiaraa was at our home all this while?" Song Jae Ho was shocked as he really had no idea about it. His sons managed very well. "Yeah" "This kind of thing is something I can expect from Song Ji Hwan but Song Ji Hun hiding a girl in his room, it is weird" Song Jae Ho voiced his opinion. "They were not having an affair, they were studying" Lee Myung Soo clarified again as Jae Ho''s words sounded wrong. "Yeah, I know but still, you don''t know Song Ji Hun, this is not something he would ever do" Song Jae Ho said. "Anyway, the point is they will be studying like this for the next few weeks. If needed manage your wife and help your son" Lee Myung Soo formally said. "Yeah, don''t worry about it. I am proud of Ji Hun that he is sharing his knowledge with Kiaraa" "Hmm, I am thankful to him too" Lee Myung Soo honestly said. "Is that the reason you decided to take my suggestion of involving Song Ji Hun?" Song Jae Ho again asked his friend going back to their initial conversation. "No, no. When Kiaraa told me about Song Ji Hun and his knowledge, I was honestly impressed" Lee Myung Soo confessed. "Wow, when I praised my son, you took it for granted but when your daughter did the same, you are taking it seriously. I am so offended that an eighteen-year-old has more importance than me in your life" Song Jae Ho jovially teased his friend. "Don''t be so over dramatic" Lee Myung Soo chuckled. "You really think Song Ji Hun is ready for it?" Song Jae Ho asked his friend. "Weren''t you the one, who suggested we involve him?" Lee Myung Soo got confused. "Yeah, because I assumed if I ask you now, by the time you will agree to it, almost a year will pass away. I didn''t expect you to agree so soon" Song Jae Ho informed him. "Hahaha, I think it is the right time to involve him and now I have a feeling he will be able to manage everything well" Lee Myung Soo assured his friend. "Hmm, but if he refuses to be a part of it then we will respect his decision" Song Jae Ho warned his friend in advance. "Is there a chance of him saying no?" "Yeah, Song Ji Hun is unpredictable" Song Jae Ho knew his son well. "Fine, if he refuses, we will respect his decision" Lee Myung Soo too doesn''t believe in forcing people to do something against their will. "Thanks" The two friends had some casual conversation for a while before hanging up. ¡­ After Song Jae Ho stepped out of his study room, he found his elder son standing outside the door, evidently waiting for him. "Dad, I have something to discuss with you" Song Ji Hun said as soon as he saw his father. "Hmm, come in" The two men stepped inside; Song Ji Hun sat on the chair across his father''s. "I guess Mr Lee already informed you of what I did today." Song Ji Hun directly came on point. "Yeah, I was surprised as I didn''t realize Kiaraa''s presence in our home at all" "We managed well" Song Ji Hun lightly smiled. "It is so unlike you to do something like this. If it was Hwan, who sneaked a girl to his room, I wouldn''t have been surprised at all, but you¡­" "We were only studying. I was teaching her some business case studies, that''s it" Song Ji Hun immediately interrupted his dad to clarify of the situation. "Even that is very unlike you. Since when did you become a saint to invest your time on something where you won''t be getting any gains and returns" Song Jae Ho said. "She is our family friend and we know the Lees for years, so¡­" "Since when have you started caring about relations which are not associated with you?" Song Jae Ho interrupted his son. "Dad, I was just doing it out of goodwill" Song Ji Hun felt scared as there was a good chance that his father might see through him. "You think I am a fool? To believe in your nonsense?" Song Jae Ho busted his son. "What do you mean, dad? What other intentions can I have?" Ji Hun counter-questioned his dad. "That''s what I am trying to figure out because the conclusion I am currently reaching is a bit too extreme" Song Jae Ho rubbed his chin suspiciously. "Dad, you are overthinking" "Why are you sweating?" Song Jae Ho pointed at his son''s forehead. "I am not sweating" Song Ji Hun touched his forehead which was dry. Song Jae Ho laughed at his son''s state, "Don''t tell me you have fallen for Myung Soo''s daughter and therefore you are doing all of this" "Dad, don''t talk like mom" Song Ji Hun tried to stay calm to not make it obvious that his father has hit the bullseye. "Your mom doesn''t see what is actually happening, she sees what she wants to see. Now I think, years ago she took the promise from the wrong person" Song Jae Ho laughed recollecting the day his wife made his younger son, Hwan promise her that he will never get involved with Kiaraa. "I don''t know what you are talking about" Song Ji Hun clearly understood what his dad meant but he intentionally acted ignorant. "You know what I am talking about. Now tell me, am I right? Is my hypothesis on point?" Song Jae Ho smiled at his son. "Dad¡­" "Don''t you dare lie to me" Song Jae Ho warned his son. "I was helping her because she begged him and I thought fine, sharing knowledge is not bad, so I agreed. Can you please stop misinterpreting my intentions" Song Ji Hun didn''t give in to the truth. "Ji Hun, I am your father. I went through your age before reaching mine. You really think I am going to believe you are helping someone without getting anything in return?" "Dad, enough. You are now questioning my character. I am offended right now" Song Jae Ho chuckled, "You are acting so desperate to get out of this situation. I never thought I''ll corner you like this" Ji Hun''s father was clearly enjoying his helpless state. Ji Hun didn''t say anything and looked annoyed. "So, since when have you been interested in Kiaraa? Or did the crush develop recently?" Song Jae Ho asked his son, irritating him even more. Song Ji Hun didn''t answer his father and continued staring at him, angrily. "Should I hint to your mom that you probably like Kiaraa?" Song Jae Ho tried to blackmail his son indirectly. "Do that if you want to freak her out" Song Ji Hun calmly said. Song Jae Ho again laughed, "Don''t worry, I won''t do so, I was just kidding. How can I create problems for my son in his love story? I am a very supportive father, you see." Song Jae Ho teased his son. He was having a lot of fun doing so as this was the first time he got hold on his elder son. There were times he teased Song Ji Hwan a lot but never troubled Song Ji Hun like this, as this perfect son of his never gave him a chance to do so until today. "I''ll take my leave I have some work to do" Song Ji Hun stood up from his seat as his father was making him lose his patience. "Ji Hun, come on don''t run away from the truth like this" Jae Ho didn''t give up and still continued teasing. "Dad enough is enough, if you really think I have some other intentions in helping Kiaraa, then I''ll call her right away and will tell her we won''t be continuing these lessons from now on" Song Ji Hun didn''t mean it but he was sure his father will stop teasing him if he acts like this and it indeed worked. "Okay, okay, calm down. I''ll stop teasing, happy?" Song Jae Ho assured him. "Thanks" "I am surprised, you have a girl''s number in your phone" As soon as Jae Ho teased his son, he got glared at by him but the next second, Jae Ho promised this was the last one. "Ji Hun, tomorrow after your college is over, I would like to take you somewhere" His father informed him. "Anything important?" Ji Hun asked. "Hmm, very important" "Okay" Song Ji Hun agreed to it and left from there unknown of what he is going to face the next day. Chapter 134 - Confidential After Song Ji Hun was done with his college the next day, he came out to the area where the cars are parked. There he saw his dad''s car and he wasn''t surprised as it was already planned. Therefore, Song Ji Hun didn''t come to college in his own car, he came with the driver in the morning. "Hey dad" He greeted his father and sat next to him on the co-passenger seat. "Hello. How was your day?" Song Jae Ho started driving, heading to their destination. "Usual" Ji Hun answered and asked his father, "It has been years since I saw you drive" Song Jae Ho smiled, "Hmm, as I am always busy, I prefer having drivers" "Then what is so special about today that you decided to take over the wheel?" "You will know soon" His father replied. "If you want, I can drive us" Song Ji Hun offered. "Thank you for your generous offer but I would suggest you lean back and relax. Enjoy your father''s services, it is rare for you to receive them" Song Jae Ho joked. "You are acting fishy" Song Ji Hun commented and his father just thought his son is very smart and didn''t say anything else. During the whole journey, both the father and son had casual talk where Jae Ho asked Ji Hun about his college and studies, while Ji Hun patiently answered every question of his father. Later, Song Jae Ho took a turn surprising Song Ji Hun, "Dad, our office is on the right, why did you take a left?" "When did I say we are going to the office?" Song Jae Ho asked. "You didn''t, but since it was something important, I assumed we will be heading to our office" "It is your fault for making wrong assumptions" Jae Ho taunted his son and added, "Learn a new lesson, never make assumptions" "Noted, dad." Song Jae Ho then drove to the outskirts of the city, surprising Ji Hun as this all looked shady to him. If it wasn''t his father, who was taking him to this place, Song Ji Hun would have put up a fight and escaped. "Feeling scared?" Song Jae Ho sensed his son''s discomfort. "No, I am feeling suspicious" Ji Hun corrected. "Don''t worry, you will be safe" Ji Hun smiled, "Of course dad, I trust you" After a few minutes, the car took a turn and entered an alley, reaching an abandoned building. It was the only building in that particular area. Song Jae Ho parked his car to one side from where his car won''t be visible to the people passing from the main road. Song Ji Hun and Song Jae Ho stepped out of the car, Ji Hun was keenly observing this building, which he never saw before. "Come dear" Song Jae Ho patted on his son''s back and put his hand around his shoulder. The two men stepped towards the elevator, Jae Ho pressed on the main button and the elevator doors opened. Unlike the abandoned building, which looked like it was under construction, the elevator was completely functioning and it looked all proper from the inside. "Seems like this is the only thing the workers worked on" Song Ji Hun commented as he stepped inside the elevator with his father. Song Jae Ho laughed but didn''t say anything else. After the doors were closed, Jae Ho clicked on a floor number and the next second, elevator started moving. Song Ji Hun looked confused. "What happened, Ji Hun?" Song Jae Ho could see his son started having his doubts. "Why is this elevator moving down, dad? Isn''t it supposed to go in the upward direction?" Song Ji Hun questioned his dad. "You will know soon" Song Jae Ho answered him, being proud of the fact that his son determined the movement of this elevator, which is actually hard to predict. Soon the elevator came to a stop and when the doors were opened, Song Ji Hun was taken aback. Unlike the badly constructed building he just saw, this floor was well furnished and its architecture was perfect. On stepping out of the elevator, Song Ji Hun observed there was a huge glass wall in front of him, a few steps away from where he was standing. On the other side of this glass wall, four armed men dressed in black clothes were standing. Behind them, there was a reception where a woman dressed in formals was sitting, looking at the two men, who just arrived there. She wasn''t surprised to see them, which made Ji Hun realize, these people were expecting their arrival. Song Jae Ho stepped ahead and said, "Ji Hun, observe everything carefully" and the next minute, Jae Ho stood in front of a fingerprint machine and scanned his thumb in the finger scanner. "Welcome Mr Song Jae Ho, fingerprint verification ¨C successful, please move to the next verification" An automated machine''s voice rang out in there. Song Ji Hun was surprised seeing this. Song Jae Ho then stepped towards another machine, which scanned his eyes. "Welcome Mr Song Jae Ho, retina verification ¨C successful, please move to the next verification" Song Jae Ho then stepped towards the final machine and whispered something. "Welcome Mr Song Jae Ho, Voice and password verification ¨C successful. Access Granted" The glass wall suddenly parted from between, giving the entry access to Song Jae Ho and Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun''s eyes widened in surprise seeing all of this and he wondered if this was actually happening or he is in some dreamland. "Come dear" Song Jae Ho brought Ji Hun out of his daze and both father and son, stepped inside, to the other side of the glass wall. Once they reached there, the glass wall automatically closed and the four guards bowed to greet Song Jae Ho, who just slightly nodded at them. Jae Ho then asked the receptionist, "Is he already here?" "Yes sir, he is waiting for you in his office" "Great" Song Jae started walking while his son calmly followed him wondering who is this ''he''. Also, Ji Hun was observing this place, which looked like an office, with corridors and offices. The corridors were well decorated and looked extremely rich. He could see a lot of money was spent on the interior designing. Song Ji Hun knew this wasn''t one of their branches or subsidiary offices, that''s why he was curious to know what this place is exactly about as he never even heard of it before. He had been training with his father in the Song Corporate office for over two years now, but he never even heard anyone mention about this place. That''s why his curiosity was reaching its peak. After reaching the end of the corridor, Song Jae Ho turned to his left and knocked on the translucent glass door, "Please come in" A male voice was heard from inside and Jae Ho opened the door. When Song Ji Hun followed his father inside and saw the man waiting for them, he was not sure how to react. In a European style, well furnished office, Lee Myung Soo was sitting behind his work table, lightly smiling at them. "Finally, you two made it" He commented. "His classes got extended that''s why we are a bit late, hope we didn''t make you wait for too long" Song Jae Ho explained and sat on one of the chairs across from Lee Myung Soo. "Don''t worry, I have lot of other work that always keeps me busy" Lee Myung Soo assured him and looked at Song Ji Hun, who was still standing a few feet behind his father, looking confused. "Song Ji Hun, have a seat, dear" Lee Myung Soo pointed at the chair next to Jae Ho, bringing Ji Hun back from his confused state. Ji Hun just nodded his head and sat next to his father. "So, how was your day?" Lee Myung Soo decided to make some small talk before jumping into the main topic as he didn''t wish to freak out this young man. "It was fine" Song Ji Hun could see through Lee Myung Soo''s intentions but he acted along as he too needed time to gauge this whole situation. "Do you know why you are here?" Lee Myung Soo asked Ji Hun. "For something important" He answered as that''s what his father told him before bringing him here. Lee Myung Soo looked at his friend, "Did you tell him anything?" "Nothing, he has no clue why he is here" Song Jae Ho informed his friend, implying they have to tell Song Ji Hun everything from the scratch as he didn''t tell him anything yet. "Ji Hun, before I reveal something confidential to you, I need an assurance from you that whatever you have seen, heard and spoke here, that information would never get out of these walls and you will never discuss about this place with anyone, not even with your younger brother or your mother.." Lee Myung Soo seriously said. Chapter 135 - Secret Organization "Ji Hun, before I reveal something confidential to you, I need an assurance from you that whatever you have seen, heard and spoke here, that information would never get out of these walls and you will never discuss about this place with anyone, not even with your younger brother or your mother." Lee Myung Soo seriously said. Song Ji Hun was confused hearing Lee Myung Soo words and turned to look at his father, who nodded his head in affirmation implying his friend is right. "What is going on here?" Song Ji Hun found this whole situation fishy. "We will tell you everything, first give me your word that whatever we will tell you will remain confidential" Lee Myung Soo said. "Fine, you have my word" Song Ji Hun assured them as his curiosity was reaching its peak. Lee Myung Soo and Song Jae Ho looked at each other and Jae Ho slightly nodded his head, encouraging his friend to say what he is supposed to. "Song Ji Hun, your family is simple but the same is not the case with mine" Lee Myung Soo started explaining. "Although this business was started by my father, it was me who made it what it is today" He continued. Song Ji Hun nodded his head in agreement. "But my siblings have an eye on my business and are trying to take over it through their kids someday" Lee Myung Soo shared something personal with Song Ji Hun, which only a few trusted people of his know. "What''s wrong with that? Technically, if their kids are good enough, they can definitely take over" Song Ji Hun voiced his opinion. "There is nothing in dreaming big and aiming for something, but for this they started a secret organization behind my back with some dangerous people" Lee Myung Soo''s information surprised Song Ji Hun. "Secret organization?" Song Ji Hun muttered, shocked at this revelation. "Hmm, this organization funds illegal activities and is dangerous. My sister and my brother became members there as they believed they needed to have some strong support if they ever want to go against me." "Can''t you talk them out of joining it?" Song Ji Hun asked. "No, it is too late, they are already very deeply involved in it" Lee Myung Soo informed. "How dangerous are those people?" Song Ji Hun asked to try to understand the situation. "They are capable enough to kill me" Lee Myung Soo''s words surprised Song Ji Hun. "Then why don''t you to report this organization to the cops?" "It is not that easy, their activities are untraceable and also we only got to know about them partially, there are still a lot of things we are not aware of this organization. So, we can''t take it down like this by staying out of it" This time Song Jae Ho answered his son. Song Ji Hun got a bit of an idea as to what is going to happen next. "Why are you two telling me all of this?" He suspiciously asked the two men. "What do you think?" Lee Myung Soo counter-questioned him, instead of answering his question. "You want me to join that secret organization and work for you?" Song Ji Hun shared what he felt was expected of him. "Hmm, your son is truly smart" Lee Myung Soo looked at his friend, who was proud of his son as he figured out what was expected of him. "They won''t trust any of my friends as my siblings are aware how loyal my friends are. But when it comes to the next generation, the loyalty level drips. You are extremely smart Song Ji Hun, if you join that secret organization, you will be their biggest asset. They will be more than happy to have you join them." Lee Myung Soo explained why Song Ji Hun was chosen for this task. "What if I refuse?" Song Ji Hun asked them after thinking for a while. "We will respect your decision and we would never again make this kind of request." Myung Soo assured him. "What would I need to do if I agree to your request?" "If you agree to join them, then we will be creating a few scenarios to help you get noticed by Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik. We will make them realize how smart you are and also how wicked you are¡­" "Wicked?" Song Ji Hun interrupted his father, who was explaining him the plan. "If they believe you are a nice person, they won''t obviously have you join them" Lee Myung Soo said. "So, I need to portray myself as a bad and wicked person?" Song Ji Hun asked. Song Jae Ho nodded his head, "Yes, you need to look like someone who would do anything for money. You can even go as far as killing your own family if needed." "That''s a bit too much" Song Ji Hun felt a bit uncomfortable by his father''s choice of words. Song Jae Ho chuckled and patted his son''s back, "I am not asking you to turn into a cruel person. I am just asking you to pretend to be someone who is cruel" "But killing one''s own family for money¡­" "The world is cruel, son. That''s why we are doing all of this to protect ourselves" Song Jae Ho knows although his son is always calm and prefers being alone, he is a bit sensitive to matters like this and whatever they are revealing to him, is coming as a huge shock for him. "Hmm, understood" "Once my siblings are convinced you would be a good asset for their secret organization, they will approach you and will get you to join them" Lee Myung Soo continued explaining. "Once you join them, for the first few months, just do as they say because they will always keep an eye on you, once you win their complete trust and they stop having their doubts, you will give us all the information on what exactly is going on there" "Then?" "Then, whenever they will try to create trouble for us, we will be prepared" Lee Myung Soo answered Song Ji Hun. "But if that happens, won''t they realize there is some snitch in their gang, who is failing their plans?" "No, we will portray as if everything is going according to their plan and secretly, we will counter them" Song Jae Ho answered his son, who didn''t understand how they will manage this but he decided to have faith in his dad. "All of this is very complicated" Song Ji Hun finally said after getting a proper understanding on this whole situation. "We know, that''s why we wished to have someone extremely smart from our side to work for us." Lee Myung Soo said. "What if you are just over-estimating me?" Song Ji Hun asked them. "You are my son. I am more aware of your capabilities than you yourself are" Song Jae Ho confidently said. "I still need some time to make a decision. There are a lot of factors I need to consider; I can''t let my studies get affected by all of this" Song Ji Hun shared his concern. "Don''t worry, we are not cruel enough to let your studies get affected. You will have our whole support; we can manage everything if you are onboard" Song Ji Hun''s father assured him. "I am having MBA plans for next year¡­" "Don''t worry, your original plans won''t get affected at all. Even this secret organization will be supportive towards your studies as they too want the best from their members." Lee Myung Soo informed him. "Are you sure of it?" Song Ji Hun had his doubts. "That secret organization is funding Choi Hyuk''s studies. They are even giving him some special training" Lee Myung Soo told Ji Hun surprising him. "Wow, really?" "Hmm, they are training Choi Hyuk very hard as they intend for him to take over the Lee Corporation" Lee Myung Soo told Ji Hun and looked at his friend, "That''s why I am a bit worried about Kiaraa and wondering how to train her to prepare her against Choi Hyuk" "Kiaraa is way too smart than Choi Hyuk, you have nothing to worry about her" Song Ji Hun couldn''t control himself from saying so. His words didn''t fail to surprise the two men though. "Really?" Lee Myung Soo asked him. "Hmm, she is also very cunning. I don''t think you need to worry about her" Song Ji Hun confidently said. "Fine, if you say so, I would love to believe it" Lee Myung Soo smiled. "Coming on to the main topic, I still need some time to make an informed decision" Song Ji Hun told the two men who were curiously looking at him, waiting for his answer. "We understand, how long would you need?" Lee Myung Soo asked. "Till the end of this week. Is that fine?" "Sure, we will eagerly wait to know your decision" Myung Soo said and the three people then left for their homes. Chapter 136 - Conditions The entire next week passed with Song Ji Hun attending his classes and thinking about the proposal kept forward by his father and Lee Myung Soo. In Song Ji Hun''s free time, the secret organization was the only thing on his mind. One part of him wanted to explore this organization to satisfy his inner curiosity whereas the other part of him wished to lead a peaceful life and not get entangled with such complexities. He was torn between his own thoughts. It was Friday and Kiaraa waited the whole week for Song Ji Hun to inform her where they would be meeting this weekend but he didn''t. She thought of contacting him but somewhere she felt guilty for wasting his time, so she decided to wait patiently for him to contact her instead. Now that it was Friday already, Kiaraa was losing her patience. She thought of meeting Song Ji Hun in the campus but her friends were always around her and if she managed to escape them then Song Ji Hun was around other people because of which she couldn''t approach him. Frustrated with all this, Kiaraa decided to call him at night. After her classes were over, she went to her home but when she reached there, she saw her mom, dad and Aera nicely dressed as if they were going out somewhere. "Where are you all going at this hour?" Kiaraa asked them. "Kiaraa, I already selected a dress for you, go and dress up fast" Chu Yu Ri ignored her daughter''s question and instructed her instead. "But where are we going?" Kiaraa was annoyed at not getting an answer. "We are going to Song Ji Hun opp¡­ I mean we are going to the Song Mansion" Aera recollected how Ji Hun requested her to not call him oppa so she changed her sentence immediately. Kiaraa''s eyes brightened at the mention of Song Mansion, not asking any further questions, she rushed to her room to quickly dress up. ''Finally I can talk to Song Ji Hun'' she happily thought. After they were all ready, the Lees left for the Song Mansion. ... Song Ji Hun, who just reached home from his college, was surprised to see the Lees and the Kims at his home. "Seems like Business Management students are busier than Medicine studying students" Sa Da Hye joked as Ian was done early that day and came home in the evening itself. "Mom, that''s because the head professor is on leave. Or else I would have come home around the same time." Ian was triggered on being compared with Song Ji Hun. "Chill, why are you getting all defensive, I am just kidding" Sa Da Hye was surprised to see her son reacting like this. "I was just saying" Ian said feeling embarrassed. "I''ll freshen up and come" Song Ji Hun said after bowing to Sa Da Hye and other guests as a way of greeting them. "Yeah, come fast" Song Ji Hun''s mother instructed him. While heading to his room, Song Ji Hun was stopped by his father and he was called to the study room. On stepping inside, he was not surprised to see Lee Myung Soo and Kim Hoon, who were already present inside the study room. "Was this gathering a facade to hide this discussion?" Song Ji Hun asked the three men as his father closed the main door shut. "Hmm, we need a proper answer from you and if you say yes, there will be some discussion that will take place, so we had to plan this" Kim Hoon answered him. With this it was clear for Song Ji Hun that these three friends are together in everything and nothing is hidden from the other. "Uncle Kim, why were you not present that day?" Song Ji Hun asked Kim Hoon just for information. "I was on a business trip so I couldn''t join you all" Kim Hoon answered him. "So, Ji Hun, I hope you have come to a decision by now" Lee Myung Soo said. Song Ji Hun nodded his head, "Hmm, I''ll join this secret organization¡­" The three friends turned very happy when they heard his decision. One could see how relieved they looked. "But I have a few conditions" Song Ji Hun completed his sentence. "All your conditions are accepted" Lee Myung Soo declared, looking delighted. "Don''t rush uncle Lee, at least listen to my conditions first" Song Ji Hun said. "Ji Hun, I assure you I accept them all, don''t worry" Lee Myung Soo declared. "When will you hear my conditions?" Song Ji Hun asked him. "Soon, for that we will need more time and we can''t do it now" Lee Myung Soo explained and Ji Hun agreed as he could understand. "Fine, I''ll go and freshen up now." Song Ji Hun said and headed to his room. ¡­ After a while, Song Ji Hun came downstairs and joined everyone present there. Kiaraa''s face lit up when she saw him as she had been waiting for him to appear. All the three families were gathered in the living room, having a gala time. "I am surprised this time all these men too have joined us instead of spending their time in the study room" Sa Da Hye happily declared as their three husbands too were with them today and they were reminiscing their old days and recollecting some old memories. "The day when Song Ji Hun was born, that day is still so fresh in my memory" Chu Yu Ri said. "How can it not be? He was the first child in our group. Remember how excited we were to find out if it was a girl or a boy?" Sa Da Hye recollected. "Yeah, you were pregnant at that time and you were the most excited" Kim Hoon happily added, remembering that day. "This is what you all remember? You know what I remember?" Lee Myung Soo teasingly smiled at Song Jae Ho, who was signalling his friend to keep quiet. "What?" Ji Seo Yun asked. "Song Jae Ho was disappointed for a moment that he had a son and not a daughter" Lee Myung Soo laughed. "Yeah, he was disappointed the second time too" Kim Hoon joined in the fun. "Wow dad, you were disappointed in giving birth to us?" Song Ji Hwan questioned his father, looking angry. "No, it was just for a moment. When I took you and Ji Hun in my arms, it didn''t matter if you were a boy or a girl" Song Jae Ho explained himself. "Chill dad, he is just kidding" Song Ji Hun assured his father and the next second he felt like someone was trying to call him. He turned to his right and saw Kiaraa trying to signal something. Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows asking her what happened in sign language when she pointed at the lawn outside asking him to meet her there. They managed to signal each other without anyone noticing. Song Ji Hun stood up to leave but all the elders asked him to stay and not go. "I need to use the washroom" He lied and the elders therefore let him off. After a minute, Kiaraa made the same excuse and headed in the same direction as Song Ji Hun. She finally found him in a safe spot, waiting for her. "Thank you so much for coming here" Kiaraa bowed to him. "What was so urgent?" Song Ji Hun asked in a whisper. "You have not yet told me where should we meet tomorrow for our lessons" Kiaraa reminded him and that''s when Song Ji Hun realised he totally forgot about these lessons as his mind was completely occupied with that secret organization. "Oh no, I totally forgot about it" Song Ji Hun immediately apologized. Kiaraa could see how guilty he was feeling and on observing his face more closely, she could notice how tired and worn out he was. ''Ahhh seems like he had a very hectic week'' Kiaraa felt bad for him as she too was adding to his trouble and is ruining his weekend, the only time when he can rest. "It''s totally fine, rather I am sorry for troubling you" Kiaraa apologized and added, "Let''s not have any lessons this week. We can continue next week" Song Ji Hun didn''t like her suggestion at all, as spending time with Kiaraa was the only recreation he has. "No, let''s continue our lessons. Don''t slack or procrastinate" Song Ji Hun righteously scolded Kiaraa. "I am not slacking, I am worried about you, see how tired you are" Kiaraa felt wronged by his accusation. "Do I look that tired?" Song Ji Hun asked trying to hide his happiness seeing Kiaraa''s concern towards him. "Obviously, go and check yourself in the mirror" Kiaraa glared at him. Song Ji Hun chuckled at her reaction, "Sorry, for misunderstanding you and thank you for your concern but don''t worry, I''ll rather feel fresh if I help you study" Chapter 137 - Best Friends Song Ji Hun chuckled at her reaction, "Sorry, for misunderstanding you and thank you for your concern but don''t worry, I''ll rather feel fresh if I help you study" Kiaraa was not sure if he meant it or he was saying this to make her feel better. Just then these two heard their parents laughing loudly, recollecting some other memory. "Why are these people so loud?" Kiaraa looked annoyed. "Come with me" Song Ji Hun held her hand and took her out to the lawn outside from the back door. Kiaraa felt much better when the fresh breeze of air lightly touched her cheeks. "Ahh this is much better" Kiaraa said and looked at Song Ji Hun, who was seriously checking his phone. "Tomorrow at 10 am, can you reach Seoul Metropolitan Library?" he asked her, still looking into his phone. "Hmm, sure" Kiaraa confirmed. Song Ji Hun then closed his phone and said, "It is one of the prominent libraries and will be appropriate for us to study" Song Ji Hun informed her. "Great, thank you" Kiaraa was relieved to know they will be studying this week too and happily looked at Song Ji Hun, who covered his mouth and yawned loudly looking tired. "Is final year that tough? You come home late and you are already so tired" Kiaraa worriedly asked. "No, some personal things are going on in my life that''s why I am exhausted" Song Ji Hun didn''t wish to worry her. "Personal things? May I ask what?" Kiaraa hesitatingly asked him. "Sorry Kiaraa, I am not comfortable talking about it" If it was indeed something shareable then Song Ji Hun would have told her what it is but Lee Myung Soo already warned him about how confidential their discussion is. "It''s okay" Kiaraa said and stepped towards him, the next moment she stood on her toes and surrounded her arms around Ji Hun''s shoulders and lightly hugged the guy, shocking him to his core. "Everything will be alright, don''t worry" Kiaraa patted on his back while saying these assuring words. Right now Song Ji Hun''s heart was doing somersaults, the sweet smell coming from her body was messing with his senses and he had the strong urge to tightly hug her back. But he was still in his senses and was aware how his actions can scare her. So, he controlled himself and didn''t hug her back. After assuring him, Kiaraa herself stepped back, earlier she felt bad for him as he has no one to share his problems with and it was a habit of hers where she hugs her friends when they are going through some rough time. Song Ji Hun was doing a lot for her, so she felt a strong gratitude towards him and even thought of him as a friend. Therefore, she didn''t mind hugging the guy and assuring him that everything will be alright. "Thank you" Song Ji Hun only managed to say so as his heart was beating at a very fast rate and he was having difficulty in acting normal. "Never mind, if you have any problems you can share them with me" Kiaraa said and Song Ji Hun just nodded his head. "I need to make a call" saying this Song Ji Hun excused himself and headed to his room to calm himself down. Kiaraa too turned around to leave but she was stopped by Ian, who suddenly appeared there out of nowhere, startling her. "Ian, what are you doing here?" Kiaraa didn''t sense Ian''s presence until now and had no idea since how long he had been standing there. Ian ignored her question and pulled her away with him far into the lawn, behind a few bushes from where no one could see them. "Ian, what is wrong with you?" Kiaraa freed her hand from his hold. "I should be the one asking you this question, K. What is wrong with you?" Ian confronted her. "What do you mean?" Kiaraa didn''t understand what he was trying to say and frowned at him. "Earlier, you were signalling Song Ji Hun to meet you outside and then you two made excuses and went out to meet each other like some secret lovers. And at the end you even voluntarily hugged him. What the hell is wrong with you?" Ian shouted at her as he was sure no one would be able to hear him from here. "Excuse me? May I know, what right do you have to question me like this and why the hell am I obligated to answer you?" Kiaraa didn''t like the tone Ian used just now. "K, I am your best friend" Unlike the other times, when Ian used to calm himself down for Kiaraa''s sake, this time he too didn''t budge and was still very angry. "Still that doesn''t give you the right to behave with me this way" Kiaraa was unaffected by his anger. "What the hell is going on between you and Song Ji Hun?" Ian ignored everything and asked her the same question that has been bothering him since he saw how close they were acting. "Why should I answer you?" Kiaraa folded her hands across her chest and looked at him in anger. Ian deeply sighed as this stubborn girl was making matters more difficult for him. "Kiaraa, you have been ignoring me for months now, in spite of the promise you made of never letting our friendship get affected. Still, I didn''t force myself in your space and I am giving you as much time as you want even though this distance between us is killing me. In spite of me trying to be understanding of your situation, you are blatantly ignoring me and now I see you getting closer to that one guy I hate the most. Please tell me, how should I react after going through all of this?" Ian poured his heart out to her, looking heartbroken and intense. He successfully affected Kiaraa, who felt guilty for her actions. "Song Ji Hun is just helping me with my studies and I am grateful to him for that. Today he seemed upset about something and I realised how lonely he is, so I just casually hugged him as a friend to make him feel better. It was just a friendly hug." Kiaraa explained herself. "Helping with studies?" Ian looked confused. Kiaraa and Ian then took a walk in the lawn, where she updated him about her exams and how she ended up taking Song Ji Hun''s help. After knowing the whole story, Ian felt relieved that there was nothing going on between them. "It''s nice that he is helping you" Ian finally said. "Hmm, that''s why I am thankful to him. I feel bad that all these years, although he was aloof and calm, we too ignored him and never tried to befriend him. Yet, he is helping me when I need it" Kiaraa shared her thoughts with Ian, annoying him a bit but he didn''t let it show it on his face and just nodded in agreement. "So, did Song Ji Hun ask anything in return for helping you?" Ian couldn''t believe Song Ji Hun to be so selfless, therefore he believed Ji Hun was expecting something in return. "Nothing. He only asked me to study well" There was a glint of spark in Kiaraa''s eyes which showed she was clearly impressed with Ji Hun. Ian noticed this spark and a tinge of jealousy was spread across his heart. "Seems like Song Ji Hun is amazing" Ian sarcastically said. Kiaraa nodded her head, "True, he is absolutely amazing. I feel bad we didn''t become friends with him earlier. He is an amazing asset to have in our life" "So, when are you two studying again?" Ian asked Kiaraa, ignoring her praises. "Tomorrow, at Seoul Metropolitan Library at 10 am" Kiaraa didn''t think much about it and honestly informed him. "Oh, nice" Ian just nodded his head as his mind was already making some plans. "Yeah, I hope I ace all the case studies and be the topper in my batch" Kiaraa excitedly stated. Ian smiled seeing the competitive spirit in this girl, "Yeah you will truly top this year. After all you are the smartest of all" "And the cunniest" Kiaraa shamelessly but truthfully added. Ian laughed loudly as Kiaraa doesn''t mind accepting her true self and she is even proud of it. "There is nothing wrong in being cunning in this competitive world. You have to be wicked if you want to survive in this cruel society." Ian assured her. "You are my cheerleader, no matter what I do, you appreciate it" Kiaraa smiled at him. Ian too smiled back at her, "How can I not appreciate every action of my best friend? After all best friends are supposed to there for each other no matter what" Kiaraa felt happy when he mentioned the word best friend and didn''t mention his feelings. It was a confirmation that he too wants to move on from that proposal and be her friend. Kiaraa then hugged Ian in a friendly way and the two friends then chatted for a while, happy at finding their best friend back. Chapter 138 - Unexpected Surprise Next Day Kiaraa reached the Seoul Metropolitan Library on time and saw Song Ji Hun waiting outside for her. He was dressed in a black jeans, white t-shirt and olive denim jacket, looking extremely handsome. ''This guy knows how to carry himself well'' Kiaraa thought to herself and greeted him, "Hi, you were waiting for me?" "Yeah, it would be difficult to find one another once we step inside" Song Ji Hun informed her. Kiaraa''s eyes widened in shock, when she stepped inside the huge library. There were racks, from floor to the ceiling filled with books all around her. "Oh my god, this is crazy" she almost shouted. "Shhh, Kiaraa it is a library" Song Ji Hun reminded her and looked at people around them apologetically. "Sorry" Kiaraa too apologized to the people around. Song Ji Hun then guided her to one nice corner, where they can comfortably sit and study. "Since it is a corner and we are as far away from other people, we can study in whisper. If you have any doubts, try to maintain this low volume while talking" Song Ji Hun instructed Kiaraa in a whisper. Kiaraa showed her thumb finger in agreement. Song Ji Hun asked her a few theories that he taught her last week to check if she did her homework before coming here and as expected Kiaraa perfectly answered him, reaching his expectations. "Good, you revised before coming here" Song Ji Hun praised her. "Of course, I had to, as my mentor is very strict about these things" Kiaraa whispered to Song Ji Hun and added, "His younger brother gave me a heads-up already" At times, Song Ji Hun tutors his younger brother and if Hwan never does revision of the old sessions before the next ones, Song Ji Hun gets annoyed and scolds his brother for slacking around. Therefore, Song Ji Hwan gave Kiaraa a few instructions on how to deal with his brother when being taught by him. "Seems like his younger brother is going to get whipped by him today" Song Ji Hun jokingly said making Kiaraa laugh. "Kiaraa, shh" he again reminded her as she lost control and laughed a bit louder. "Then don''t make me laugh" Kiaraa glared back at him, who was again apologizing to people around them on her behalf. "Yeah, it is my fault that you can''t control your laughter" Song Ji Hun retorted back, still apologetically bowing to people around them. Kiaraa smiled seeing his actions as on one hand he was scolding her but on the other hand he was apologizing to everyone as if he was responsible for her mistakes. They again resumed their studies and within twenty minutes into it, something unexpected happened. "Hey guys, so nice to see you two here" Someone suddenly greeted them in a very low volume, which was only audible to these two. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun, were deeply involved in their studies when they heard this person. On seeing who it was, Kiaraa was surprised and Song Ji Hun was annoyed. Ian, who was wearing a casual white t-shirt and blue jeans, was standing across from them, with a bright smile painted on his lips and was carrying a few books. "Ian, what are you doing here?" Kiaraa asked him in a low volume, her reaction towards him was neutral. Ian sat on the same table as them but on the chair opposite. "Yesterday when you mentioned this library, I got this idea of coming here to study as it is difficult to study at my home with my parents always nagging me. So, I decided to join you two here, hope you don''t mind" Ian convincingly explained himself. "Wow, this is so nice" Kiaraa was happy with Ian''s presence, unaware of the emotions the guy sitting next to her was going through right now. Song Ji Hun, was super annoyed to see Ian, who was here to ruin his alone-time with Kiaraa. ''Ian, I never meddled in and never interrupted you when you hang out with Kiaraa, although it used to hurt me, then why the hell are you interrupting my time with Kiaraa?'' Song Ji Hun couldn''t help but question Ian in his heart as he had no idea where else to take out this frustration. The next minute he messaged his younger brother, updating him of Ian''s actions as he didn''t know who else to share his anger with. "Song Ji Hun, I hope my presence won''t be a bother to you?" Ian asked Ji Hun too out of formality. "If it would be a bother, will you leave?" Song Ji Hun didn''t hold himself back and surprised the two other people with his rudeness. Ian chuckled and nodded his head, "Yeah sure, once you explain how it will be a bother, I''ll surely leave" "I am teaching Kiaraa, so we would be conversing a lot, it will affect your studies" Song Ji Hun quickly came up with an excuse which won''t sound very offensive. "Oh yeah, and you are a medical student. We can''t risk your future patients'' life" Kiaraa jokingly added, unknowingly supporting Song Ji Hun. Ian was unaffected and smiled back at them, "Don''t you two worry I already have a solution to this problem" After saying this, he took out a small Apple iPod and earphones, which he plugged in his ears and informed them, "I have a habit of studying while listening to music, so you two cannot bother me" Saying this much, he started taking out his books and studying, not giving Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa any chance to talk to him. "Don''t worry, he will be fine, he has many weird habits but he is smart, he can manage well" Kiaraa assured Song Ji Hun as she assumed Ji Hun was worried Ian''s studies will be affected because of them. Having no other choice, Song Ji Hun just nodded his head and continued teaching her. In between Song Ji Hun used to glance over to see what Ian was doing, at times he used to find him seriously studying and making notes while at times he caught Ian staring at Kiaraa and smiling to himself. Unknown to Song Ji Hun, Ian too was observing him in between and caught him looking at Kiaraa with eyes full of love. At one point, coincidentally Song Ji Hun and Ian both looked at each other but unlike earlier, there was no tinge of friendliness in their eyes. Without saying a word, they both were able to feel the intense hatred they had for each other. Ian tried to figure out Song Ji Hun''s thoughts but couldn''t so, yet he managed to at least realize Song Ji Hun''s feelings towards Kiaraa was not normal and there was more to what was meeting his eyes. The two guys continued giving deathly glare to each other, not ready to back down as they took it as a silent competition between them, where the one, who breaks the eye-contact is the loser. On the other hand, Kiaraa was completely unaware of her surroundings and was fully immersed focussed in her studies, trying to solve the hard case study. "Song Ji Hun, the theory we studied should be applied in this case, but it doesn''t feel right" Kiaraa asked Ji Hun question, unknowingly interrupting the staring contest between both the guys. Although he hated losing, Song Ji Hun can never ignore Kiaraa, so he broke the eye-contact and checked the case study, after going through the problem, he started explaining the different approach, while Kiaraa listened to him with full attention. Ian felt a bit jealous, seeing Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun sitting so close to each other, there was almost no space between them. On top of that, they were whispering as this is a library and therefore, they used to lean towards one another sometimes. Clenching his fist tightly, Ian instructed himself to calm down and not ruin the friendship he got back. He knows he can''t act recklessly and offend Kiaraa. During childhood, it was one thing if he made ridiculous demands but now if he questions Kiaraa about Song Ji Hun and orders her to stay away from him, she will beat him to a pulp. So, Ian started thinking of ways to keep Song Ji Hun away from Kiaraa, without affecting Kiaraa''s studies. He then got an idea, to take help from one of his friends, who was studying in the same batch as Song Ji Hun. ''I can get those case studies and notes but who will teach Kiaraa like Ji Hun?'' Ian wondered as this was the main problem. Even if his friends would somehow give him all the notes and case studies, no one is going to spend their whole weekend in teaching Kiaraa, as they too have a life. ''Need to think of something to keep these two away from each other'' Ian seriously thought to himself while looking at the two people who were immersed in their studies. Chapter 139 - Group Lunch A few hours passed by. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa completed another case study while Ian too finished a few targets he set. "I am feeling hungry, can we go for lunch?" Kiaraa requested Song Ji Hun. "Why are you requesting him as if you are seeking for his permission, if you want to have lunch, let''s have lunch" Ian got irritated as it felt like Kiaraa was under Song Ji Hun''s control. "I am asking him because he might have planned to start the new case study, Song Ji Hun prepares a flow on how to teach something and if his flow is disturbed, he doesn''t like it" Kiaraa explained the situation to Ian. Song Ji Hun looked at Kiaraa in shock, as he indeed prepared a flow but he didn''t mention it to her. This flow was something he prepared for himself to ensure he covers all the topics. Also, it is true that he gets annoyed if his flow is disturbed but this too is something he didn''t tell her. "Who told you all this?" Song Ji Hun asked her in surprise. "Didn''t I tell you your brother already gave me a heads-up?" Kiaraa proudly asked him. Song Ji Hun got his answer and he casually nodded his head while Ian got annoyed as it felt like Kiaraa was getting too close with Ji Hun. "I anyway planned a break after this case study, so we won''t be interrupting my flow, let''s go and have lunch" Song Ji Hun put aside all the books and notes neatly on one side of the table. "We will leave all our stuff here? Isn''t that risky?" Kiaraa worriedly asked him. "It is a safe space, no one will steal our books, also there are a lot of cameras here" Song Ji Hun assured her but Kiaraa was still worried. "Fine, I''ll keep them all in my bag, happy?" "Yes, thank you" Kiaraa sighed in relief and Ji Hun safely kept all his notes in his bag while Ian was observing the interaction between these two people and was annoyed. The three people then headed out of the library and on way they came across Song Ji Hwan, which surprised the trio. "Hwan, what are you doing here?" Kiaraa questioned him. "Hey, I got to know all three of you are here, so I too decided to join you guys. I was feeling left out" Song Ji Hwan cheekily smiled. "Wait, how did you know I was here too?" Ian asked Hwan as his visit was planned. "I was getting bored at home, I called you to ask if you wish to hang out with me but you haven''t been answering your calls so I called aunt Da Hye, she told me you are here." After getting his brother''s message, Song Ji Hwan decided to come here because he was sure Ian will annoy his brother to the core and Song Ji Hun won''t be able to handle it. So, he thought through this and made a few calls to Ian intentionally before calling Sa Da Hye, to form his alibi. "Oh" Ian bought Hwan''s lie. "Yeah, so I decided to join you three, where are you all headed to?" "To have lunch" Kiaraa answered him. "Great, I came at the perfect timing" Song Ji Hwan happily smiled. The four people then went out and since they were at the heart of Seoul, it wasn''t difficult for them to find a good restaurant. The four people decided to eat at a traditional Korean restaurant, which was a famous one in that area. It was a decent place and here there were private rooms for dining. In the room a huge table was placed on the floor with cushions around it for the customers to sit. Kiaraa entered the room first as all three men were walking behind her protectively. She took a corner seat at one end of the table and Ian was about to sit next to her when Song Ji Hwan suddenly meddled in and distracted the guy, giving a chance to his brother to sit next to Kiaraa. By the time Ian realized it, it was very late. ''Did Hwan intentionally do this for his brother or is it a coincidence?'' Ian wondered to himself while sitting next to Song Ji Hwan. Ian was sitting opposite Kiaraa, while Hwan and Ji Hun were sitting opposite to each other. "I am so glad you two joined us" Kiaraa happily expressed as it has been a while since she, Hwan and Ian went out together. "I am glad too" Ian added. After the four people ordered food, Song Ji Hwan initiated the conversation, "So, Kiaraa, Hyung, how is your studies going on?" "It is going very well and thank you for all the heads-up you provided, I managed to not get scolded by your Hyung" Kiaraa happily said teasing both the Song brothers. Song Ji Hwan apologetically looked at his brother, "I didn''t want Kiaraa to get scolded like me, so I did this, hope Hyung is not offended" "Unlike you she is very smart, she wouldn''t have got any scolding from me." Song Ji Hun informed his brother in a serious but calm tone. "Aww, Hwan did you hear that? Song Ji Hun believes I am very smart. Ian, did you hear that?" Kiaraa excitedly asked her two friends as getting such validation from Song Ji Hun was a big deal for her. "Are you that happy?" Ian asked Kiaraa, trying to not sound annoyed. "Obviously, if the smartest guy in our friend circle considers me smart, how can I not be happy?" "Hmm, smartest guy in our circle." Ian said out aloud, offended by what Kiaraa said. Kiaraa felt Ian''s mood turning sour and she realized it is because of what she said, the next moment she regretted praising Song Ji Hun. ''I hope Ian is acting like this just out of casual jealousy and is not harbouring any feelings for me.'' Kiaraa hoped in her heart. The food was served, during their lunch Song Ji Hwan and Kiaraa did majority of the talking while Song Ji Hun and Ian kept calm most of the time. After they were done having lunch, they all decided to walk a bit around before going back to the library as the meals they had was very heavy. This time Ian managed to walk with Kiaraa while the Song brothers were walking behind them together. Hwan apologetically looked at his brother as this time he couldn''t manage to keep Ian away from Kiaraa but Song Ji Hun assured him he is fine and not that petty to get upset over small things. While casually talking to Kiaraa, Ian put his arm around her just like he always does. It was a habit of Ian''s, which always annoyed Song Ji Hun but he tried to live with it, as this was not the first time. Song Ji Hwan tightly closed his eyes in frustration as he thought his brother must be hurting seeing the closeness between Kiaraa and Ian but the next moment something happened that surprised the Song brothers. Kiaraa politely removed Ian''s hand which was wrapped around her shoulders and gently smiled at him, "Ian, I am not sure why but your hand feels heavy and it is hurting, can you please not put your hand on me?" Ian was totally taken aback as never before something like this happened. Also, the way Kiaraa politely talked to him, it felt very distant as if she was speaking to a stranger. The Song brothers looked at each other in shock, as this was something equally surprising for them. "Was it that uncomfortable?" Only these words managed to come out of Ian''s mouth as he was feeling a bit embarrassed. "Yeah, and since we just had our meals, I am feeling more uncomfortable" Kiaraa politely said and added, "Please don''t feel upset or offended, that is not my intention" Kiaraa still meets her therapist and her sessions are still ongoing, the only difference is the sessions now are not as frequent as they used to be years ago. These sessions helped a lot in shaping her personality and taught her how to handle people and situations in a better way. It actually worked and Ian, who was feeling embarrassed felt better after hearing her explanation but it was still something new to him and he didn''t like the fact that it happened in front of Song Ji Hun. "Chill Kiaraa, don''t feel so bad, it is normal" Song Ji Hwan chimed in to ease the situation and started walking ahead with her. Ian, who was still rooted at his spot was about to follow Hwan and Kiaraa when Song Ji Hun joined him. The two guys were now walking along with each other. "Seems like your friendship is not like how it used to be" Song Ji Hun taunted Ian and smirked at him, annoying Ian to the core. Chapter 140 - Productive Conversations "Seems like your friendship is not like how it used to be" Song Ji Hun taunted Ian and smirked at him, annoying Ian to the core. "Excuse me?" Ian managed to say while gritting his teeth. "You are smart enough to understand what I said" Song Ji Hun taunted him back. "You don''t need to bother about my friendships" Ian, who was already in a bad mood got even more annoyed. "I really wouldn''t have if you didn''t appear today out of nowhere, meddling with my time with her" Song Ji Hun didn''t hold himself back. "Why does it matter if I meddle with your time with her?" Ian asked him directly as now he again got the old feeling that Song Ji Hun likes Kiaraa. Years ago, he had this doubt but after a point Song Ji Hun didn''t do anything about it so Ian thought he assumed it wrong but now he again wondered if that was indeed the case. "When I am in the middle of my studies, either learning or teaching, I don''t like having unnecessary disturbances around me" Song Ji Hun knew the moment he acknowledges his feelings towards Kiaraa in front of Ian, Ian would immediately inform Kiaraa about it killing his future chances if any. So, he was not ready to accept his feelings yet in front of Ian. "Is that the only reason my presence is a bother to you?" Ian questioned him, unsure of what is going on in Song Ji Hun''s mind. He again got confused, wondering if he was just being insecure because of his feelings for Kiaraa or Song Ji Hun too is interested in her. "What else could it be? Should there be any other reason?" Song Ji Hun counter-questioned Ian, making him speechless. Ian was not sure what to reply. He had the urge to ask Song Ji Hun if he has any feelings for Kiaraa but they were not close enough to talk about such things and neither he wanted to put any ideas in Ji Hun''s mind in case he is not interested in her. "Song Ji Hun, can I ask you something?" Ian politely requested. Since, he was polite, Ji Hun didn''t refuse and nodded his head. "Why are you investing your time in teaching Kiaraa? I mean as far as I know you, you don''t waste your time in unnecessary things" Ian decided to try to know the truth before assuming things on his own. "Ian, firstly you don''t know me at all, so till which far you know me doesn''t apply here. Secondly, Kiaraa requested me rather begged me to help her, initially she only wanted the notes but being in first year she wasn''t able to understand anything. She is a close family friend and also, she requested my help in the field of education. Education is something I value the most and when someone asked me to help them in it to better themselves, how can I refuse?" Song Ji Hun gave him the safest answer because, in case Ian ever blabbers Song Ji Hun''s reason to Kiaraa, then also it should not create a problem for him. "Oh, so that''s why you are helping her" Ian was completely convinced by Song Ji Hun''s reasoning as Ji Hun sounded very honest and the reason, he provided was absolutely believable. Ian even sighed in relief as he believed Ji Hun is not interested in Kiaraa. "I must say one thing Song Ji Hun, you are a very nice man" Ian finally said as he was happy that Ji Hun is helping Kiaraa become better at her studies as this was very important for her. "I know" Song Ji Hun was unaffected by Ian''s praise. "You are narcissist too" Ian added. "I know that too" Song Ji Hun accepted. Ian chuckled and said, "You are more interesting than I thought, maybe we should hangout more" As long as Song Ji Hun was not interested in Kiaraa, Ian had no problems with him. He would not even mind being friends with Ji Hun. "I am fine with how everything has been between us all these years and wouldn''t mind it being continued" Song Ji Hun indirectly told him he would not want to hang out with them. Ian was understanding of it and didn''t feel offended at all, he was respectful towards Ji Hun''s opinion, "Sure, whatever suits you man" The four people then reached the Seoul Metropolitan Library, before Hwan could say he too will join them, Ian declared he would be leaving for his home. Song Ji Hwan was surprised that Ian is ready to leave Kiaraa alone with Song Ji Hun as that was totally unlike him. ''Hyung must have definitely manipulated Ian too. Today, after he comes back home, I will ask him how did he manage this eight wonder'' Song Ji Hwan excitedly thought to himself and announced that he too will leave now to meet his girlfriend. "Are you dating that same girl or is she someone new?" Kiaraa asked him as Hwan rarely stays in a long-term relationship. "She is a new one, she studies with me in my media class." Hwan informed Kiaraa. "What happened to the old one?" Kiaraa asked in surprise as these two lovebirds were inseparable in their school. "She is studying in Busan, long distance relationships don''t work, so we decided to break up before she leaves" Song Ji Hwan informed her. "Why the hell you did not tell me this?" Kiaraa looked upset. "Haven''t you been extremely busy since your college started? You never had time to hang out with us" Ian taunted her as she made lot of excuses to avoid these two guys. Kiaraa looked at Ian in guilt, as she indeed made excuses to avoid Ian and in-turn she had to avoid Hwan too. "Okay, I am sorry, I won''t make false excuses anymore" Kiaraa promised them. "So, until now you did make false excuses?" Ian caught her red-handed. Kiaraa didn''t dodge the question or tried to justify herself, she just accepted it, "Yeah, I had my reasons but I guess there is nothing much for me to worry about now, I won''t ignore you guys" she assured him. "Thanks for at least realizing that now" Ian was relieved to know Kiaraa would now stop avoiding him and was hoping to have his old friend back. Ian then collected his stuff and left, while Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa continued their studies for the next few hours. They were done in the evening. "Shall we meet at this same place tomorrow too?" Song Ji Hun asked Kiaraa. "Yes, I like this place, I don''t mind continuing to study here" Kiaraa agreed. The two then headed out and Kiaraa was about to call her driver when Song Ji Hun stopped her, "If you call him now, it will take more than thirty minutes for him to reach here" "Yeah, it''s okay, I''ll wait" "No need, I''ll drop you" Song Ji Hun headed towards his car and Kiaraa joined him, "Hope it won''t be a trouble for you" she said. "No, it won''t be. My home is anyway not that far from yours." Song Ji Hun assured her and, in a while, they reached the Lee Mansion. On the way they discussed about the business cases they studied and more about the scenarios of business world that is currently happening. So, they didn''t even realize when they already reached her home. "Time passes very fast when I am having productive conversations with you" Kiaraa disappointedly said as there were still a few things she wished to discuss with him. "If you ever want to discuss such important topics, you can feel free to call me" Song Ji Hun said but he tried to sound as casual and indifferent as possible to ensure he doesn''t sound desperate. "Really? You won''t mind?" Kiaraa was surprised at his offer and again confirmed, "You are saying this out of politeness and formality or you mean it? Because you see, I am shameless, I will actually call you" "I mean it, I am always happy to have productive conversations." "Great" Kiaraa stepped out the car as Song Ji Hun again stopped a few feet away from the main gate but this time they didn''t expect to be greeted by Lee Myung Soo, who was hoping to see Song Ji Hun as he expected just like last time, he will drop his daughter as the driver didn''t leave the residence yet to pick Kiaraa. "Dad, what are you doing outside?" Kiaraa looked surprised. "I was walking around this place" Lee Myung Soo lied to his daughter and smiled at Song Ji Hun, "Ji Hun, since you have come till here, why don''t you come inside for a cup of tea or coffee?" Song Ji Hun understood, Lee Myung Soo has something to talk to him about, so he was acting like this, therefore he agreed. Chapter 141 - Conditions Song Ji Hun entered the Lee Mansion and greeted Chu Yu Ri, who was surprised to see him there. "Song Ji Hun, how come you are here?" She smiled pleasantly at him, happy to see the guy here, who rarely interacts with them. "I was just passing by from here, so I dropped by to say hello" Song Ji Hun had no idea what else to say. "Very nice, do drop by like this occasionally, it feels good. Why don''t you stay for dinner too?" Chu Yu Ri asked him. "Yeah, stay for dinner" Lee Myung Soo too added so having no choice Song Ji Hun agreed. "Come with me to the study room, I have something to discuss with you" Lee Myung Soo instructed Ji Hun and asked his wife to send some snacks and tea for them. After entering the study room, within five minutes one of the servants brought snacks and tea for them. Lee Myung Soo then ensured no one was around and locked the study room door before sitting on the big chair which belongs to him, that was placed behind the table. Song Ji Hun sat across him, waiting for Lee Myung Soo to speak as to why he invited him over. "Remember you told us you have some conditions last night?" Lee Myung Soo seriously looked at Song Ji Hun, who nodded his head. "Hmm, tell me what are they" "Who all will be aware of the conditions that I''ll put forward?" Song Ji Hun asked Lee Myung Soo before stating his conditions, that he thought seriously of. "No one except for me" Lee Myung Soo surprised Song Ji Hun and seeing the shocked expressions on his face, he smiled, "There are a few things which I am only going to keep to myself. Your father and Kim Hoon are aware of it" "So, they do know that my conditions will be kept a secret from them too?" Song Ji Hun asked him. Lee Myung Soo nodded his head, "That was the reason why I didn''t ask your conditions yesterday itself and they were understanding of it" "Okay" Song Ji Hun understood the scenario. "So, what are your conditions?" Lee Myung Soo seriously asked, looking at Ji Hun. "These are the conditions; I came across after a lot of thinking" Song Ji Hun explained and started listing them down. "1) I am planning to do my MBA next year in USA, so I won''t be here for two years." "That''s fine, I have a plan to make you join that secret organization before you leave for USA" Lee Myung Soo already had an idea about it as Song Jae Ho warned him in advance about this. Song Ji Hun was surprised, "I was hoping to join the secret organization, once I am back" "That would be too late" Lee Myung Soo said and explained, "These people will be happy to have you, so it won''t be very difficult for you to join them." "But I won''t be able to do anything for them as I will be busy with my studies and that too in a different country" Song Ji Hun worriedly explained. "You don''t need to do anything and they won''t expect a 20-year-old to do something for them. They too would be happy to have someone like you who is going to study in USA. So, they will prefer having you poached sooner." "Okay, then my second condition would be:" "2) I won''t work for the secret organization for the next two years, no matter what and I''ll solely focus on my MBA" Lee Myung Soo smiled seeing his dedication, "Believe me, when you will inform them the same after you join their organization, they too will agree with it" Song Ji Hun sighed in relief and continued. "3) I will never use weapons or kill anyone, if the people of these secret organization will force me to do something like that, then I will quit" "Very well, it is a fair demand given how dangerous they are, I won''t be surprised if they will ask you to kill someone" Lee Myung Soo said. "Yeah, and I won''t" Song Ji Hun again reiterated. "4) If I ever feel my family is in danger because of this secret organization, I''ll quit" "Hmm, agreed" "5) I have a close friend, Yang Nam-il, I trust him more than anyone in this world. I will inform him of this secret organization and will involve him externally" Lee Myung Soo was surprised at this condition, "Are you sure you can trust him? And do you have to involve him?" "Yes, I felt I would need some external help if I am working with this organization and I would need someone to work with me from outside." Song Ji Hun explained. "Can''t you take Song Ji Hwan''s help?" Lee Myung Soo was a bit hesitant to involve an outsider. "I don''t want to involve more of my family in this, also you don''t have to agree to this condition right away. You can meet Yang Nam-il and then decide" Song Ji Hun offered as he too could understand Lee Myung Soo''s hesitation. All of this was something serious and Lee Myung Soo can''t involve someone just because Song Ji Hun asked him to. "Okay, did you tell him anything yet?" Lee Myung Soo asked after thinking for a while. "Obviously not, until you accept this condition, how can I?" Song Ji Hun''s words came as a relief. "Give me his information, I also need to do some background check on him, before I meet this guy" Lee Myung Soo suggested to which Song Ji Hun quickly agreed. "And my final condition is¡­" Song Ji Hun hesitated a bit before saying it, sensing the awkwardness Lee Myung Soo tried to make him feel comfortable. "Don''t worry Ji Hun, tell me what it is. I am already surprised you have only six conditions. I won''t mind even if you demand a lot of money as it is understandable" Lee Myung Soo assumed Song Ji Hun wants some money and therefore he is hesitating. "No, it is not money that I want but it is something even more precious to Mr. Lee" Song Ji Hun gave him a heads-up. Lee Myung Soo smiled, "You want one of my properties?" Song Ji Hun shook his head saying no, "What I want is even more precious than that" he seriously said. This time, Lee Myung Soo turned a bit worried seeing how determined and serious Song Ji Hun was, he wondered what this young lad wants. "What is it, Song Ji Hun?" Myung Soo''s voice turned stern. "When the appropriate time comes, I want you to get Kiaraa married to me. I want your daughter" Song Ji Hun firmly declared, the initial hesitation he felt earlier was completely gone. Lee Myung Soo''s mouth was gaped open in shock when he heard Song Ji Hun''s sixth condition. Even though he tried, Myung Soo wasn''t able to say a word. He drank water from the glass that was kept on his table as his throat went dry. Once he felt better, Lee Myung Soo glared at Song Ji Hun angrily, "Song Ji Hun, what kind of a joke is this? You think we are having casual conversations here for fun?" "Absolutely not, that''s exactly why I put such a serious demand forward" Song Ji Hun was unaffected by Lee Myung Soo''s anger. "Why the hell do you want my daughter?" Lee Myung Soo almost shouted at him. "Because I love her" Technically Lee Myung Soo was the first person, Song Ji Hun so openly accepted his feelings in front of. Lee Myung Soo was taken aback at this revelation. "Song Ji Hun, you have been spending a week with her, maybe it is just infatuation you are feeling¡­" "It has been seven years since I have been in love with her" Song Ji Hun interrupted Lee Myung Soo, surprising him. "But you are just twenty" Lee Myung Soo still couldn''t believe what was happening. "So what? I am not asking you to get us married now. You can get us married ten years later too but my only condition is, whenever it is, I will be the one marrying her and you won''t get her married to anyone else" Lee Myung Soo deeply sighed and the next moment he came up with a solution, "What if Kiaraa refuses to marry you?" "She won''t, I''ll take care of that. I just want your word that you will not find anyone else for your daughter and would get her married to me in the future" Song Ji Hun firmly said. Lee Myung Soo had the urge to call Song Jae Ho and to inform him what his son is doing but he already promised Ji Hun that these conditions will remain between them, so he controlled himself. "Fine, if Kiaraa agrees to it then you can marry her when the right time comes" Lee Myung Soo was careful with his words as he didn''t wish to force something on his daughter. Chapter 142 - Different Scenarios Song Ji Hun sighed in relief as he got the promise he wished to have. He didn''t expect Lee Myung Soo to agree so soon. "If my daughter opposes it, then I won''t let this marriage happen" Lee Myung Soo again added to be on the safer side. "As I said, I''ll take care of it" Song Ji Hun confidently replied. "Song Ji Hun, what if you fall in love with some other woman in the future? In that case, this condition will be nullified, right?" Lee Myung Soo was still a bit hesitant on making a deal in regards to his daughter. "That would never happen. My heart cannot accept anyone except for Kiaraa" Song Ji Hun confidently said, surprising the man in front of him. "Why do you love my daughter so much?" Lee Myung Soo had to ask this question as Song Ji Hun''s condition wasn''t normal. "I don''t know exactly why, but I know one thing, I want to spend the rest of my life with her. She is the only woman I am letting near me" The honest words came out of his mouth. "Ji Hun, I hope you are aware that your mother is very keen on setting you up with Aera instead" Till date, Ji Seo Yun has mentioned this topic more than a hundred times. Lee Myung Soo has no intentions of getting Aera hitched with Song Ji Hun but he wanted to see this young guy''s reaction. "My mom can''t decide for my future and when the time comes I know how to handle her" Song Ji Hun didn''t bother himself with his mother and Aera as they are not a big deal for him to handle. He can easily take care of them. "Song Ji Hun, although I gave you my word, don''t hold on to it. If Kiaraa loves some other guy, then I''ll get her married to him" Lee Myung Soo was trying to come up with every possible scenario to ensure his daughter doesn''t have to suffer. "Don''t worry sir, if any difficult situation arrives, I''ll give up on my condition" Song Ji Hun assured him as he could understand as a father how difficult and shocking it was for Lee Myung Soo to accept his condition. "Then why are you putting forward this condition?" "To ensure you don''t find someone for Kiaraa while I am away or in general" Song Ji Hun explained. "Hmm, I won''t" Lee Myung Soo assured him. After this, Song Ji Hun had dinner with the Lees. Aera was happily surprised but she didn''t have the guts to interact with Ji Hun as the last time they interacted, he rejected her. After dinner, Song Ji Hun took his leave and Lee Myung Soo informed his wife that Ji Hun was here because he had some personal work with him and asked her to not mention it to anyone that Ji Hun visited them. His wife knew when to ask her husband about something and when to not, so she just agreed to his request. ... The next day Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun again met at the library where he helped her with the business case studies. This way six weeks passed and Kiaraa successfully completed the whole course which she was supposed to. "I can''t believe we are already done" Kiaraa happily exclaimed. "Already? It took us eight weeks" Song Ji Hun reminded her. They were currently in a special cafe which had one section reserved for food and beverages while the other section was designed like a stylish library where students can sit and comfortably study. Also, they can order food for themselves while at it. "Yeah, it took us only eight weeks because I am extremely smart. If it would have been someone else then this would have lasted for sixteen weeks" Kiaraa proudly declared. "You should work on your narcissism" Song Ji Hun taunted her. "Hey, don''t you agree with me?" Kiaraa angrily glared at him. "Sixteen weeks is a lot, it would have taken twelve weeks maximum," Song Ji Hun said. "Whatever. I saved you four weeks, be thankful" Kiaraa arrogantly looked at him. "You should be thankful to me for helping you study all these tough cases in eight weeks, if it would have been someone else instead of me, it would have taken you twenty weeks" Song Ji Hun too taunted her and didn''t give in to her orders. Kiaraa laughed hearing his statement, "You ask me to work on my narcissism whereas you are the one, who really need to work on it" "I deserve all this praise," he declared. "Okay, okay I give up, you deserve all the praise." Kiaraa was in a good mood so she gave in to his stubbornness. "Song Ji Hun, on a serious note, I properly want to thank you for all the help you did¡­" "If you want to properly thank me, then perform well in your upcoming exams and try to get the first rank" Song Ji Hun interrupted her. "That I will definitely get but I also want to thank¡­" "Don''t be so overconfident, at times that is what drags a person down with no way to redemption. First, work hard, get the top rank then you can treat me" He again interrupted her. "Fine, let''s do that. I''ll come to you with the good news" Kiaraa confidently declared. Just like thier routine, Song Ji Hun dropped her home before going to his. When he reached his place, he was surprised by Yang Nam-il, who was already waiting for him. "What are you doing here?" Song Ji Hun asked his friend as he came there so suddenly in spite of knowing it was his busy day with Kiaraa. Therefore, Song Ji Hun was sure something was important. "Can we go to your room and talk?" Yang Nam-il hurriedly requested him and after reaching the room, Ji Hun locked the door. "Song Ji Hun, a few weeks ago you told me Mr Lee is going to do some background check on me and even might want to meet me for something, remember?" Yang Nam-il sounded anxious. "Of course, I remember. I had been waiting to know the status on it" Song Ji Hun calmly said, he was totally opposite to how Yang Nam-il was. "Well, Mr Lee told me I successfully cleared this background check and he wanted to meet me¡­" "Good, when does he want to meet you?" Song Ji Hun asked. "Today morning. I already met with him and the meeting is over" Yang Nam-il informed him. Song Ji Hun was busy since morning so Yang Nam-il was only able to update him now. "That''s good, how did it go?" "I didn''t understand anything. Mr Lee asked me a few questions as if he was taking my interview. He gave me multiple scenarios and asked me how I would react in them etc. After two hours of grilling, he shook hands with me and said ''Congratulations, we are happy to onboard you''. When I asked him onboarded me in what, he said to ask you" After explaining all this, Yang Nam-il took a deep breath and drank a whole glass of water in one go. "Good to know you cleared everything, I was confident you would" Song Ji Hun proudly looked at his best friend. "Will you tell me now, what exactly I cleared and what the hell is going on?" Yang Nam-il was on the verge of losing his patience. "Calm down and have a seat¡­" Song Ji Hun chuckled seeing his friend''s state and once Yang Nam-il calmed down, he told him everything. Yang Nam-il was surprised to know the internal dynamics of the Lee family and how the siblings were working against each other. The biggest shock he got was after knowing the conditions that Song Ji Hun put forth, especially marrying Kiaraa. "Dude, did he really agree to give away his daughter to you?" Yang Nam-il asked. "Hmm, but he did put a lot of scenarios forward in which he won''t agree to my condition" Song Ji Hun stated all the scenarios. "That''s fine, you will take care of it if those scenarios happen. As long as her father gives you his word, everything is set" Yang Nam-il happily declared. "Hmm, that''s the plan" Song Ji Hun nodded his head in affirmation. "Man, you are so sly and manipulative, you took advantage of the situation and took this kind of promise" "I couldn''t let go of such an amazing opportunity" Song Ji Hun declared. Then Song Ji Hun shared his future plans with Yang Nam-il as to how he was planning to create a balance between this secret organization and their future plans as Yang Nam-il too has his own personal plans for the future. Yang Nam-il listened to what Song Ji Hun planned and gave his inputs and suggestions too to make it all better. Once they were done, Song Ji Hun informed Lee Myung Soo that Yang Nam-il too agreed to work with them. Chapter 143 - Dinner (Date?) A few weeks later A lecture just ended and the professor informed the students that their term exam results are out and they can check the same on the bulletin board outside where the scores are displayed. "Man, the results are displayed out for everyone to see. This is so embarrassing" one of Kiaraa''s friend said. The other people agreed with her and sulkingly they all stepped outside. Kiaraa was feeling extreme nervousness as Song Ji Hun said the one thi she can do for him is to top her class. She was sure he would ask her the results and she didn''t wish to embarrass herself in front of him. There was already a big crowd by the time Kiaraa and her friends reached the bulletin board. It took them a while for their turn, and even before Kiaraa''s turn could come, one of her friends loudly announced, "Our Kiaraa topped" Kiaraa was happily surprised and couldn''t wait to see the results, when she finally saw her scores, she was pleasantly surprised. Later, Kiaraa''s gang went to the college canteen for lunch and the only discussion was about their scores. One of the people was sulking for scoring less in one subject while the second one was comparing her scores with her peer and so on while Kiaraa was in a good mood about her scores. "Kiaraa, in business management how did you score so high? Weren''t the business case studies that were asked, extremely tough?" The case studies were indeed tough but Kiaraa was prepared in advance so she nailed it. "They were tough but since you gave us a heads-up, I worked more on it and was updated with the current business scenarios." Kiaraa smoothly lied. "Perks of belonging to a business family" Her friends taunted her but Kiaraa was not the one to bother herself with such stuff. After her college ended, Kiaraa called Song Ji Hun on her way to Lee mansion. "Congratulations" Came Song Ji Hun''s deep voice from the other end. "You already saw?" Kiaraa cheerfully asked. "Hmm, hard to miss when our professors prefer displaying our failures and success on display for everyone to see" Kiaraa laughed at his statement, "Yeah, it is indeed cruel of them to do so" "Don''t lie, I am sure you enjoyed all the attention you received" Song Ji Hun knows her well and he didn''t hold himself back from saying what he believed. Kiaraa again laughed and nodded her head, ""Guilty as charged" she accepted before adding, "It seems like you know me very well Mr Song" "Well, I am a good observant" Song Ji Hun wasn''t flustered on being caught. "Hmm, seems I have a lot to learn from you" "I am sure, there is a lot for me too to learn from you Ms Lee" "Of course, there is" Kiaraa smiled and came on the main topic, "I called to ask if you are free for dinner tomorrow night?" Song Ji Hun was taken aback with her question and went on a pause for a few seconds. "Song Ji Hun, you there?" Kiaraa''s question brought him back to the present. "Yeah, I am here" "Are you free for dinner tomorrow night?" She asked again. "Yeah, I am" Song Ji Hun awkwardly confirmed as he was feeling nervous. "Great, let''s meet at Hyatt, my treat" Kiaraa declared and hang up on the guy, who was still in a state of shock. He never thought that between him and Kiaraa she would be the first one to ask him for dinner. The next minute he calmed down and told himself. ''Song Ji Hun, it is not a date. She is asking you out for dinner to thank you well. Please don''t misread her intentions and don''t overthink'' Although Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun went out to restaurants many times to eat during their eight weeks of tutoring, this dinner somehow felt different to him. Maybe because they were going for a dinner is what he thought as before, they only went out to have lunch. Song Ji Hun rushed home and dragged his younger brother to his room, "I am going out with Kiaraa for dinner tomorrow night, what should I wear?" Song Ji Hun anxiously asked his brother. "Is it a date?" Song Ji Hwan got excited with the thought of something more happening between these two people. "No, it is just a thank you gesture from her end for helping her out" Song Ji Hun quickly cleared the air. "Woah, this girl is a miser. You invested so much time to help her out and she is paying you back just by buying you some dinner?" Song Ji Hwan looked visibly angry but in return to his bashing he received a slap behind his head. "What do you expect her to do in return? Also not like I am some saint who helped her. I too had my hidden motives of wanting to be near her and grow closer" Song Ji Hun scolded his brother. "Hyung, I seriously have to ask you this question. Who do you love more me or Kiaraa?" Song Ji Hwan pouted cutely and seriously questioned his brother. Song Ji Hun very well knows how to handle stubborn people so without blinking an eye, he immediately answered, "Of course, you. No one is above my brother" Song Ji Hwan felt satisfied with this answer but yet in the next minute he looked at his brother doubtfully, "I hope you are not manipulating me like you manipulate other people" Song Ji Hun just smiled in a response and counter questioned him, "If I''ll really try to manipulate you, then aren''t you smart enough to figure that out?" Hwan had a huge smile on his face, "You are right unlike Ian and Kiaraa, I have an edge of knowing you better so I can caught on it" "Of course, now help me select a dress" Song Ji Hun opened the door to his walk-in closet and pointed at various clothes neatly hanging in there. "Hyung, you went on so many lunch outings with Kiaraa and you were fine. Then why are you so nervous this time? Not like it is your first date." Song Ji Hwan asked his brother, who was acting extremely nervous. "I don''t know, but this time this dinner feels different." Song Ji Hun honestly answered. "I hope it is indeed different" Song Ji Hwan winked at his brother and spent the next ten minutes in choosing the perfect outfit for him. It wasn''t a difficult task for Hwan as Song Ji Hun already has a great wardrobe and he just had to mix and match a few things, and tada the outfit was ready. Song Ji Hun too was satisfied for with what his brother suggested and thanked him for it. That night Song Ji Hun couldn''t sleep as he was way too excited for his dinner with Kiaraa and wondered if she too was as excited as him but he knows the answer to it - she won''t as she sees him only as a family friend, who helped her. This thought made him a bit sad but he then motivated himself to look at all the positive things instead of whining over the negative ones. ... Lee Residence Kiaraa''s family was extremely proud of her, seeing how well she did in her exams. Lee Myung Soo was the only one, who was aware of Song Ji Hun''s contribution. Later, when Kiaraa informed her dad she wants to treat Ji Hun the next day, he got a feeling that Kiaraa will indeed end up with Song Ji Hun in the future. He can''t explain why he felt so but he did. "Kiaraa, dear, what is your opinion of Song Ji Hun?" Her father tried to sound as casual as possible. Kiaraa didn''t sense anything fishy so she honestly answered him. "Dad, I met many smart people but no one is as smart as Song Ji Hun. And you know what''s the best part about him? He is very simple and grounded. He never shows off his knowledge. If I was as smart as him, I would have crushed everyone by now but he is so low-key about it. I never met anyone like him, he is interesting. He is like a book, hidden with many deep things inside him. Every time I meet him, I discover something very interesting. He is an awesome guy and there is a lot for me to learn from him. I wish I get an opportunity to learn more things from him in the future." Kiaraa shared her thoughts. Before Lee Myung Soo could ask her more, her mother called her and she left. ''Song Ji Hun is not a bad person to have as a son-in-law, maybe it is better if I prepare myself from now itself'' Lee Myung Soo thought to himself after talking to his daughter and decided to accept this scenario for now. Chapter 144 - Favour Song Ji Hun wore a white turtle neck t-shirt as it was winter and the cold outside was extreme. He paired it with black formal trousers and wore a black jacket over. "Is this too much?" Song Ji Hun asked his brother while checking himself out in the mirror with some doubtful expressions. Song Ji Hwan was sitting on the bed behind and was looking at his Hyung through the mirror with a huge smile on his face as Ji Hun was looking extremely handsome. "Hyung, you are looking perfect and you are going to Hyatt so this outfit is appropriate" "Yeah, but I don''t want to look like a clown" Song Ji Hwan face palmed himself, "Hyung you are looking extremely hot. That was the reason I never introduced any of my girlfriends to you. Any woman will choose you over me in spite of how handsome I am" "Stop exaggerating" Song Ji Hun felt shy with too much praise. "Hyung, calm down and just have fun. It''s nice you are getting this kind of an opportunity. Did we ever think a day like this will come where Kiaraa will ask you out for dinner?" Song Ji Hun shook his head in no. "Exactly, therefore enjoy these few hours and stop bothering about silly things" Hwan calmly tried his best to help Ji Hun relax and it worked. After thanking his brother for all the support, Song Ji Hun headed to the Lee Mansion to pick up Kiaraa as they decided to head there together. When Song Ji Hun reached the Lee mansion he was surprised to see Kiaraa waiting outside the gate. She was dressed in a black short-sleeved long dress which ended at her ankles, and wore a brown long coat which was as long as her dress to protect herself from the cold. "Hi" she greeted him cheerfully and sat on the co-passenger seat next to him. Song Ji Hun started driving the car, and nonchalantly asked her, "Why were you waiting outside in the cold? I would have picked you up from your home" Kiaraa awkwardly smiled and replied, "Although you made it clear that you are not interested in Aera, I don''t think the same is the case with her. If she sees us together she might misunderstand and over think the situation. Also, my mom is still not aware of how you helped me and me going out on this dinner with you. Therefore, my dad suggested for me to wait outside as he didn''t want Aera and my mom to know about our proximity." Kiaraa didn''t find the need to lie or to hide anything from Song Ji Hun. "Oh" Song Ji Hun just nodded his head and asked, "Kiaraa, if I may, can I ask you for a favour?" "Of course, you can ask me for anything, I''ll be more than happy to help you" Kiaraa excitedly declared as she was thankful to this man for everything he did for her so selflessly. If she gets an opportunity to return back the favour she was more than willing to. "Can you please ask your sister to get over me? I am genuinely not interested in her and I''ll never be. If she continues to harbour her feelings, she would be the one to suffer in the end and I don''t wish for anyone to suffer because of me" Song Ji Hun always felt uncomfortable since he found out about Aera''s feelings and he doesn''t wish for that to disrupt his chances with Kiaraa. ''Wow, he is such a nice person'' Kiaraa thought to herself and instead of agreeing with his request, she decided to tease him. "Mr Song, what is wrong with you? Do you even know how popular Aera is as a kpop singer and how many teenage guys are going crazy over her?" "Good for those guys and good for your sister." Song Ji Hun was not sure what else to say. "Rather it is good for you. Imagine, the girl you are dating would be a celebrity. It is every man''s dream" Kiaraa tried to provoke him. "How do you know what every man''s dream is? You conducted some research or have experience in being a man?" Kiaraa was surprised at his sarcasm and controlled her laughter. "I had many male friends so based on that experience¡­" "You mean Kim Ian and Song Ji Hwan?" Song Ji Hun interrupted her. Kiaraa nodded her head in confirmation. "As long as I know my brother he is not interested in your sister and I am assuming the same is the case with Ian" Song Ji Hun made Kiaraa speechless and she had no idea how to respond to him and take control over this conversation which she is clearly losing. "Yeah but they would be excited to date a celebrity" Kiaraa replied. "Hwan, maybe yeah he might, as he wishes to work in the entertainment industry but Ian I doubt" "Fine, whatever" Kiaraa pouted looking upset as this conversation didn''t go the way she intended it for. "So, can you please do me this one favour and talk to your sister?" Song Ji Hun came back to his original request. "Of course, I will. You did a lot for me this is the least I can do for you" Kiaraa assured him. "Thank you" "By the way, you know what Song Ji Hun, I and my sister, in spite of being in the same household, we rarely converse. Our relationship is not like you and Hwan. So, me talking to her and trying to convince her to give up on you is a very big deal. Bigger than you can imagine." "Umm okay" Song Ji Hun didn''t get her purpose. "So, please remember this is a huge favor I am doing on you" Kiaraa proudly declared. Song Ji Hun understood she wanted to say she too is doing stuff for him like he did for her, this made him laugh. Kiaraa turned to look at the man, who was laughing at her statement. For a moment she was mesmerized at how handsome he looked while smiling like this. "What?" Song Ji Hun asked sensing her unmoving gaze on him. "You have a beautiful smile, you should laugh more often" Kiaraa unhesitatingly said as she didn''t mind speaking her voice but unknown to her Song Ji Hun became greatly affected and conscious of himself. "Why have you stopped smiling, did I make you uncomfortable?" Kiaraa asked him. "A bit" He didn''t deny. "You should laugh more often" she again said. "Fine, then keep making me laugh" Song Ji Hun joked making Kiaraa smile. "I hope I will" Kiaraa casually said and in a few minutes they reached their destination. After arriving to Hyatt and seeing the beautiful space, Kiaraa was mesmerized. Conceived as a warm, comforting space in line with the residential ambience of the hotel, The Dining Room has subtle hues interspersed with vibrant bursts of crimson. Its floor to ceiling glass windows offer unhindered views of the serene lily-pond outside the hotel. A beautiful open-style pantry, doubles up as a dispense bar and cold buffet counter was on one end. The recipes crafted have been inspired from the kitchens of local Korean households, infusing authentic taste into food with focus on home style, comfort dishes. The aroma spread around was a witness to it. ''I chose an amazing place'' Kiaraa smiled in satisfaction as she and Song Ji Hun were directed to one of the tables that was near the floor-to-ceiling glass windows overlooking the beautiful city lights. "You chose a beautiful restaurant" Song Ji Hun appreciated this place too. "Of course, I did. My choice is just amazing" Kiaraa narcissistically replied making Song Ji Hun smile again. "You want to go for a la carte or buffet?" Kiaraa gave him the choice. "Whatever you like" Song Ji Hun replied like a true gentleman. "You don''t need to be courteous. This is my treat to thank you. So, I''ll be happy to do whatever you want" Kiaraa insisted. "Let''s go for a la carte then?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "Sure, whatever suits you" Kiaraa was happy he made a decision and didn''t annoy her by insisting her to choose. The two people placed their order and looked outside at the beautiful city which was clearly visible from their seats. "I had no idea Seoul looks so beautiful at night" Kiaraa commented. "Hmm, I agree" Song Ji Hun said still looking at the beautiful lights outside. "Maybe we should explore some good nature related places" Kiaraa suggested. "Yeah, Hwan would be our go to person for that" Song Ji Hun said. Kiaraa agreed with him, "His love for nature is something I appreciate the most" Song Ji Hun just nodded his head and the two people continued to overlook the beautiful city silently with no one uttering a word but the next minute the peace they felt till now got disturbed by an invited guest. Chapter 145 - Uninvited Guest "Hi Song Ji Hun, didn''t expect to run into you" A girl Song Ji Hun''s age, beautifully dressed in a red short skirt and white full sleeved top, greeted him. It took a second for Kiaraa to recognize this girl as one of her super seniors. Now she recollected, two of the guys in her gang have a huge crush on this girl named Mi Cha. "We didn''t run into you, you came to greet us" Kiaraa reminded the girl as she was offended for not being greeted upon. That was when Mi Cha''s eyes, which were only soughting for Song Ji Hun, looked at the girl who was elegantly sitting across from him. "Whatever" Mi Cha arrogantly ignored Kiaraa''s comment and looked at Song Ji Hun, "How come you are here?" "Hanging out with a friend" Song Ji Hun kept his reply short. "My dad is currently having an important business meeting with some foreign delegates. He brought me along to introduce me to them and after we were done, I was roaming around to check this place, and was happily surprised to see you here" Mi Cha explained herself. "Good to know" Song Ji Hun couldn''t avoid her as she was his current project partner and neither could he entertain her as this was his private time with Kiaraa. "Hope you don''t mind if I join" Mi Cha hopefully looked at the guy, who was trying his best to not show his discomfortness. "Well I am not sure about him, but I definitely mind." Kiaraa, who still didn''t forget Mi Cha''s arrogant reply, was waiting to get back at her. "And why would I care even if you mind?" Mi Cha too was equally annoyed with Kiaraa. It was already upsetting for her to see her crush, Song Ji Hun coming to this place, nicely dressed with a beautiful girl. On top of that this girl was throwing attitude around. Mi Cha was not used to having people like Kiaraa around her. "Because I am the one treating Song Ji Hun to this dinner" Kiaraa informed her. "That''s true" Song Ji Hun immediately backed Kiaraa. "Oh that''s not a big deal. I''ll just pay for myself, happy? Or rather I''ll pay for all three of us, problem solved" Mi Cha suggested and victoriously smiled at Kiaraa. "No need, we have enough money to pay for ourselves and to correct what Song Ji Hun said earlier, we are not hanging out here. We actually came on a date, which you are ruining" Kiaraa was very annoyed with this girl so she didn''t hold herself back and lied as anyone could sense Mi Cha was into Song Ji Hun and was therefore acting like this. Kiaraa realised this was the only way to get rid of this girl. Mi Cha was taken aback hearing what Kiaraa said and clearly looked shattered, "Song Ji Hun, is this true? The last time I asked, you said you were single." Mi Cha looked like she was wronged. "It is true, at that time I was indeed single. We started dating recently" Song Ji Hun tried to not look flustered while saying these words and tried to live this moment as if this lie is the truth. "Oh" Mi Cha was not sure what else to say. "It''s okay, don''t feel bad. You aren''t the only one rejected by him. There were many before you and I am sure there will be many after you. I am the only constant in his life" Kiaraa declared to hurt Mi Cha even more as she didn''t like her attitude. Kiaraa is only used to throwing her attitude around and was never the one to tolerate other people''s weight. "Enough of your nonsense. What are you? Seventeen or Eighteen years old? Don''t be so overconfident that you will be the only constant in his life. Change is constant and I am sure someday you will be replaced¡­" "She won''t be" Song Ji Hun, who had been awkwardly witnessing this drama and was shocked at Kiaraa''s declaration finally spoke up. When Kiaraa was declaring her position in Song Ji Hun''s life, he wondered if she is aware of his deep feelings, if her father informed her of his condition of marrying her in the future, if he did something to give away his feelings. But when he heard Mi Cha trying to show Kiaraa down, he decided to speak up although he prefers avoiding such instances. His three words were so powerful that Kiaraa and Mi Cha looked at him in surprise. Kiaraa didn''t expect Song Ji Hun to act along her stupidity and to support her. Mi Cha too didn''t expect Song Ji Hun to not give her any face but she wasn''t the one to back down so easily, she is one strong personality who only knows how to put people down and was never the one to be on the other side. "Don''t be so confident about the future, Song Ji Hun. We may never know how future shapes up" "The day I and Kiaraa will get married, we will send you a gift as a remembrance of this day" Song Ji Hun confidently declared and this time Kiaraa was the one, who went speechless. "Fine, I''ll remember it and will see if I receive a gift or not. If either of you get married to other people, I''ll be the one sending you the gift as a remembrance of this day" Mi Cha too declared. "Sure" Song Ji Hun respectfully bowed to her and Mi Cha walked away from there. "I am so sorry, Song Ji Hun for picking a fight with her but I loathed her attitude, so I couldn''t help it. But why the hell did you make such a strong declaration?" Kiaraa asked him after ensuring Mi Cha was away and not eavesdropping on them. "I was just annoyed at her behaviour" Song Ji Hun said while drinking water from a glass to calm himself down as today he declared to marry Kiaraa in front of her. "Yeah, even I was annoyed but you¡­" "She had been asking me out for a long time and I was tired of coming up with excuses to avoid her. What happened today will give me peace till either of us get married and by then she will be more matured to take today''s incident lightly." Song Ji Hun''s explanation somewhat convinced Kiaraa but she was still feeling a bit anxious. "What if she takes this matter seriously even in future?" Kiaraa asked them. "Then let''s get married in future to shut her up" Song Ji Hun faintly smiled at her as these words came from his heart. For a moment, Kiaraa was again in a daze as the sight of this handsome man, smiling so beautifully, asking her for marriage was mesmerizing. "Kiaraa" Song Ji Hun had to call her name, to pull her out of her daze. "Huh, what?" Kiaraa looked stunned. "What do you? Should we get married to shut her up?" He again asked her, completely enjoying her reaction. Kiaraa felt her throat go dry seeing that beautiful smile and immediately grabbed the glass of water near her and started drinking from it to calm her rapid heart beat. ''What the hell is this Song Ji Hun doing? Is he kidding or is he flirting with me? Why is he doing this? Ahhh it feels so weird'' Kiaraa cursed in her heart and finished the glass of water in one gulp. "You want more?" Song Ji Hun lifted the glass tumbler and asked Kiaraa. "Yes please" she gulped another glass of water before glaring back at Song Ji Hun, "You are having fun embarrassing me like this, right?" "Embarassing you?" Song Ji Hun raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah, I started all that dating lie to shun that girl and I dragged you in it, embarassing you. So, you prolonged my lie to embarrass me as a revenge" Kiaraa came up with a weird theory making Song Ji Hun laugh harder. "Fine, you can think whatever that suits you, now shall we focus on our food?" Song Ji Hun said and the next minute a waiter arrived at their table with the sizzling hot food they ordered. Looking at the food, Kiaraa forgot all her embarrassment and indulged in enjoying it. Throughout the dinner, Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun shared their future plans with each other. Kiaraa was impressed to know Song Ji Hun is aiming one of the ivy leagues to complete his MBA from. After their dinner, like a true gentleman Song Ji Hun dropped her at her home and thanked her for this treat. "I had a great time, Ms Lee. I hope we can go out for more such dinners" Kiaraa smiled at this gentlemanly statement and nodded her head, "Likewise Mr Song. Let''s plan another dinner soon" After bidding adieu, Song Ji Hun left for his place and that night he couldn''t sleep at all, as he was feeling extremely euphoric. Chapter 146 - Joining Secret Organization Note: Clear the cache if problem in reading chapter ... Few months later Song Ji Hun completed his graduation and was done with his bachelors. Ian is still studying as medicine takes more than three years, Kiaraa and Song Ji Hwan just completed their first year so they were still studying. There were no significant changes in other people''s lives except for Song Ji Hun''s, who spent the last few months writing the entrance exam for his masters and in preparing his profile to apply for ivy leagues. He was waiting for the results and he got accepted in all ivy leagues, he chose Harvard as it satisfied majority of his things on his list also it was his mom''s dream for him to study in Harvard. Right now, all is set and Song Ji Hun is supposed to leave in two weeks. He was currently sitting in that secret office that his father took him to a few months ago. Song Jae Ho, Kim Hoon and Lee Myung Soo were discussing with Song Ji Hun on how to go on about their plan. Lee Myung Soo respected one of Song Ji Hun''s condition that his education is very important so all this while they didn''t disturb him with the secret organization. So, now they are coming up with a strategy to make Song Ji Hun join this secret organization within these two weeks. They discussed many possibilities and there were some doubts too if something this big could be done in two weeks or not. After a lot of planning and plotting they came up with a solid plan and decided to execute it in two days. ¡­ Two days later Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik were in Lee Myung Soo''s office. The siblings were discussing a problem in Lee Myung Soo''s office and were ratting their brains out to come up with a solution. Lee Myung Soo intentionally created a fake problem and deliberately asked his two siblings to join him in finding out a solution. They were at it for three hours now. Lee Man Sik and Lee Min Seo even suggested including other board members but Lee Myung Soo said this problem should remain in the family. While these three were still thinking, Lee Myung Soo received a call. "Oh Song Ji Hun, you are here. I am so sorry I totally forgot. Please come to my office" Lee Myung Soo acted like he wasn''t expecting Song Ji Hun''s call. "Brother, how can we have a kid here in the middle of our discussion?" Lee Man Sik questioned his brother. "Ahh, it is nothing actually, I have a file which he needs, he will just take it leave. This file is confidential so can''t share it through other people. So, he is personally coming here to receive it" Lee Myung Soo smoothly lied. The next minute, Song Ji Hun appeared there and greeted the three people before collecting the file. "Uncle, what happened? You look stressed?" Song Ji Hun asked following the script. Before Lee Man Sik could send him away, shooing him away as he is a kid, Lee Myung Soo shared their problem with him. "Elder brother, you said it is confidential" Lee Min Seo reminded her brother. "It''s okay, this problem is related to the Song company too. Song Jae Ho was busy so I am working on it. Song Ji Hun, would you like to brainstorm with us and be a representative from the Song Industries?" Lee Myung Soo asked him. "But brother, he is still a kid" Lee Man Sik reminded his brother. "Man Sik, do you even know what all this kid has already achieved? He is a gem and he is going to surpass all of us soon" Lee Myung Soo proudly declared and again asked Song Ji Hun if he would like to join them. "Sure, I''ll give it a shot" Song Ji Hun joined them at the table. Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik were a bit pissed that a kid was going to brainstorm them but in the next one hour, Song Ji Hun completely changed their opinion of his as he perfectly came up with the solution to their problem. The two couldn''t help but feel impressed as Song Ji Hun just didn''t come up with a solution but showed his whole thought process around it and in the next one hour, he also came up with a five year sustainable plan. At the end, he mentioned how he is leaving for US soon for his further studies and in some casual talk, Song Ji Hun also incorporated the fact that he loves money the most in this world and can do anything for it. These were the two qualities of Song Ji Hun, Lee Myung Soo wanted to show his siblings which successfully happened in this brief meeting. Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik were left impressed with Song Ji Hun. After this, Song Ji Hun took his leave and now the four men waited for the Lee siblings to take some action in making Song Ji Hun a part of the secret organization. This organization was started by Lee Man Sik and Lee Min Seo so this shouldn''t have been a big deal. And as expected, after a day Song Ji Hun received a decrypted message in his mail. The message was completely coded in symbols which took less than an hour for Song Ji Hun to decode. It was an address and there was a meeting time. Song Ji Hun was promised Hundred Million Won if he comes to this place. Song Ji Hun drove to this place at the said time and acted like he was very curious. After reaching one deserted place, Song Ji Hun stepped out of the car and checked the place to find if anyone was there and the next second he heard some sounds as if someone was approaching him from behind. Song Ji Hun bent down suddenly and the man, who was behind him didn''t sense it and tripped over him. Song Ji Hun then grabbed that man and pinned him down, not giving him a chance to get up, "Are you the one, who sent that cryptic message to me?" "No¡­ no¡­ it wasn''t me, please let me go" That man got scared and begged Ji Hun but he didn''t let him go. "Where is my Hundred Million Won?" Song Ji Hun ignored his pleas. "I don''t know what you are talking about" The man begged. "Who sent me that note then, you must know something" Song Ji Hun twisted this man''s arm while questioning him. "Ahhh" The man groaned in pain and in the next minute, another voice called Song Ji Hun''s name. When he turned around he saw Lee Man Sik and Lee Min Seo standing there. Song Ji Hun looked shocked. Lee Man Sik and Lee Min Seo looked at each other in satisfaction that they surprised this smart guy. Song Ji Hun let go of that man, and walked towards Lee Man Sik and Lee Myung Soo. "Were you the ones who sent me that letter?" The Lee siblings confirmed it was them. "Cool, give me the Hundred Million Won you promised then" Song Ji Hun acted like a brat for whom money meant the world. "Calm down, we will. First know why you are here and what we want from you. Aren''t you curious to know why we called you?" Lee Min Seo asked him. "In that letter it was written I''ll get a Hundred Million Won, I am here. I don''t care about anything else" Song Ji Hun arrogantly spoke. "First listen to us" Lee Min Seo insisted. For the next few hours, the Lee siblings did their best to inform Song Ji Hun of their secret organization which helps them mine money illegally by doing many illegal activities and tried to convince him to join them. They explained they chose him after seeing his level of intelligence and after doing thorough background check on his education. Song Ji Hun expressed his interest in what they are doing as this business clearly had a lot of money but he also showed hesitation as he is leaving the country for his further studies. The Lee siblings assured him that he can join now and as a closure of their deal, they will now pay him Hundred Million Won and he can properly join them after returning back to Seoul as they got to know he plans to stay here only after his masters. Song Ji Hun wickedly smiled and accepted their deal clearly implying to them that he is as wicked as him and he can do anything for money, even if it is something illegal. After he left that place, he informed the three friends their plan worked and everything went smoothly. Lee Myung Soo was very happy as their plan succeeded but only he knows how much hard work went behind the scenes to establish Song Ji Hun as the perfect candidate. Chapter 147 - Nine Years Later 9 Years Later, 2020 In the last nine years, Song Ji Hun took over the Song Industries while his father retired to be home with his wife. After completing his MBA, Song Ji Hun immediately took over the Song Industries and worked alongside his father. In his free time, he worked with the secret organization he joined. Over a period, he completely won over Lee Min Seo, Lee Man Sik and Choi Hyuk''s trust. Choi Hyuk joined after Song Ji Hun. Song Ji Hun was so busy in his life, with travelling around the world and work, he had no personal life. He couldn''t focus on developing any relationship with Kiaraa but he always had updates on her. She too was busy with her career and wasn''t involved with anyone just like how she informed Ian. So, Song Ji Hun was not very worried. Also, Lee Myung Soo occasionally assures him that he remembers the promise he made years ago. Lee Myung Soo witnessed Song Ji Hun''s growth all these years and he was more than happy to get his daughter married to him someday. Whenever he mentioned the topic of marriage Kiaraa used to cut him off and clearly stated she is not willing to get married anytime soon, so he never mentioned Song Ji Hun to her. As soon as her graduation was over, Kiaraa started a small business of her own without anyone''s help. In her final year, she realized the rising power of technology and created a start-up for online shopping which after four years of hard work and struggle proved to be a big company and started bringing in profits for her. During those starting four years, she even managed to study MBA in Seoul National University itself as it was convenient to attend classes and manage her business. Once her business became stable, Kiaraa spent the next few hours in strengthening it and by keeping up with the fast changing times. Kiaraa wanted to prove her capabilities before taking over the Lee Conglomerate but also when she visioned how online shopping is the future, she couldn''t ignore it and started her own venture. After, her business was completely stabilized she joined Lee Conglomerate''s Board of Directors and actively started involving herself in the family business. Kiaraa slowly started becoming a threat to the Lee siblings, who could clearly see how much Lee Myung Soo trusted his daughter with business decisions. The Lee siblings were scared of what the future will hold for them as once everything falls in Kiaraa''s control, they won''t be able to survive. Although these people were prepared in advance by getting closer to Aera, when she joined kpop, they know in front of Kiaraa, Aera will lose. During her teenage years, Aera became a popular kpop singer and once she got an opportunity to play the role of male lead''s sister in a kdrama. It was a small side role and this sister only appears in 7 of the 20 episodes but those 7 episodes in which Aera appeared, had the highest ratings and her videos were the most frequently watched. Aera''s character, her acting, looks were all very appreciated and she even received an award for it. Soon, Aera got more kdrama opportunities but she chose wisely and in her next kdrama she played the second female lead, who unconditionally loves the male lead but loses him to the female lead and dies in the end, saving the male lead. This role made her a popular figure in the whole country. Initially, she was popular amongst the youth but with this role she became a household name and her popularity reached even the small towns of Korea. She got national recognition and became a huge hit, surpassing the male and the female lead of this series. From there on, her journey in the Korean cinema took a big turn and she signed many kdramas and Korean movies. Aera always had only one rule in her acting career which was non-negotiable that she would not kiss any man on-screen and neither will she do any intimate scenes. This created some problems for the directors but Aera didn''t care as she didn''t mind letting go of a project if she was forced to as this acting career was a fun thing for her and her life didn''t depend on it. Even after all these years, her life only depended on Song Ji Hun. Her love for him was never shaken and only deepened. She didn''t wish to be intimate with any man except for Song Ji Hun, so she added this clause in her contract. Therefore, some directors took advantage of camera angles or used body doubles for intimate scenes and Aera was able to have her way. Career wise Aera was going great and over the years developed an even closer relationship with Ji Seo Yun. Ji Seo Yun always felt special and amazing whenever she went out for shopping or dinners with Aera as many people used to greet them respectfully, offering them upgrades and VIP treatment. Some fans who used to come to Aera to greet her, used to respectfully bow to Ji Seo Yun too, assuming her to be Aera''s mother. Although Ji Seo Yun''s younger son too is in the entertainment industry, she never receives such treatment as he doesn''t work in front of the camera but acts behind it. After completing his graduation, he immediately joined the KH Entertainment Company as a manager. He was popularly known as Spyro, the name he decided for himself. Not many people knew more information on this Spyro, except for the fact that, the artists who are signed under Spyro are very talented and satisfied with the kind of projects they receive. Artists don''t choose Spyro, Spyro is the one who chooses his artist. This is the biggest rumor in the KH Entertainment Company and it was indeed true. Song Ji Hwan receives many written requests from artists, who are signed under KH Entertainment, to accept them under his wing but Hwan only chooses those people, who he feels really deserve the efforts he would put in. It can be his arrogance but all the artists under him, received accolades for their work and two of the artists'' films were even nominated for Academy Awards aka Oscars. Song Ji Hwan only has five artists under him right now as he doesn''t believe in too much crowding but these five are the top ten artists in KH Entertainment. His artists were therefore that special. But there was always one mystery that KH Entertainment people couldn''t solve. Why Spyro never tried to sign Aera? Aera was the number one artist KH Entertainment and as all the agents fight to have the best, they never saw Spyro making an effort to have her. At one point, Aera too expected or rather hoped to get approached by Spyro when she became the number one artist but was disappointed when Spyro didn''t approach her. She too wondered what she lacked that Spyro signed the number two artist but not her. Slowly, her curiosity turned into irritation then into anger and then into hatred for Spyro as she believed he looked down on her talent. Therefore, not once in her life did she send a written request to him, to sign her like other artists did. She believed Spyro didn''t deserve her. Aera had no idea Spyro was Song Ji Hwan and neither did she ever try to find his real identity due to her hatred. No one in KH Entertainment Company even knows how Spyro looks like except for the five artists, who work for him. To hide his identity well, Song Ji Hwan pretends to work as an assistant in KH Entertainment Company under Sa Da Hye. Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon know Song Ji Hwan is Spyro and they respected his wish to hide his identity. So, they gave him a coverup role as one of Sa Da Hye''s assistant to hide him well in the company. Sa Da Hye has another assistant, who had been working under her for many years, so this assistant, who knew Hwan''s truth was trustable and he too hid this secret well. So, less than ten people knew Hwan''s identity. Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon were supportive of Hwan and in return, they want him to take over this entertainment company in the future as they believed he would do a good job at it. So, sometimes they train him for that too as their son Ian will never take over this company. Currently, Ian is working as a Cardiothoracic Surgeon in Star Medical Center, which is one of the biggest private hospitals in Seoul. Star Medical Center is owned by the Songs and Song Jae Ho personally requested Ian to join them as they wanted to keep one of their own in the hospital. Ian had many amazing opportunities but out of respect for his uncle, he took a job in Star Medical Center and is doing extremely well as a surgeon. Chapter 148 - Panemorfi And Bellissima Chu Yu Ri, Ji Seo Yun and Sa Da Hye met at a women''s club on one of the weekends. This club is for all the ladies, who are from the elite families. Many women belonging to the rich and elite class meets together once or twice a month, they update each other on the latest gossip, latest trends in the market and above all they show-off their own status. Also, it was a nice opportunity for these women to find partners for their children, who were of marriageable age. "Mrs Song, I read the article about how Song Ji Hun acquired a popular local business. You must be so proud." One of the ladies spoke to Ji Seo Yun. Ji Seo Yun smiled with pride and first took a sip of her drink before saying, "Honestly, I am so used to his achievements that I don''t feel anything new" "True, he has always been amazing just like my daughter. By the way, my daughter is coming back to Korea next week" "Oh, good to know" Ji Seo Yun knew where this topic was heading to but she acted indifferent. This woman was hoping for Ji Seo Yun to ask more about her daughter but when she didn''t, she felt disappointed, "Yeah, I was thinking of introducing her to Song Ji Hun¡­" The girl''s mother nevertheless tried. "Let me stop you right away. I already have a girl for Song Ji Hun, we are just waiting for the right time to make the big announcement. But I am sure, your daughter is one lovely lady and she will find a nice guy too" Ji Seo Yun politely said but there was a sense of pride in her tone. "Excuse us" Sa Da Hye interrupted both the ladies and pulled Ji Seo Yun with her to one of the corner tables where Chu Yu Ri was waiting for them. "What took you so long?" Chu Yu Ri asked the two women. "Seo Yun is having fun rejecting girls" Sa Da Hye answered. "Why are you doing this Ji Seo Yun? It is so rude to reject girls like this." Chu Yu Ri said empathetically as she can understand how painful it would be for a mother, as she herself has two daughters. "So, what should I do? Get Ji Hun married to all the girls?" Ji Seo Yun laughed. "No, but¡­" "Relax, Chu Yu Ri. It is for your daughter''s sake I am rejecting them, don''t forget that" Ji Seo Yun jokingly said and Chu Yu Ri had no comeback as she was right. "But is Song Ji Hun really interested in marrying Aera?" Chu Yu Ri doubtfully asked her friend. "Why do you always have this doubt?" Ji Seo Yun tried to control her annoyance. "Because I never saw him act like how our husbands did before our marriages" "Song Ji Hun is different; he is reserved but trust me I know what my son wants" Ji Seo Yun confidently said. "Okay" Chu Yu Ri didn''t continue this topic and trusted her friend. Lee Myung Soo never informed his wife about the promise he made to Song Ji Hun, nine years ago. That secret stayed between the two men and no other party was aware of it. "Enough guys, let''s talk about something else. Why do we always end up talking about our kids?" Sa Da Hye chimed in. "Hey, did you hear the latest news?" Some women, who were sitting near their table were discussing. "Shhh, let''s hear this gossip" Sa Da Hye excitedly smiled at her two friends and the three women pretended like checking their phones but were eavesdropping on this other table. "What latest news?" Woman number 2 asked her friend. "A famous international cosmetic brand is planning to collaborate with one of the Korean cosmetic brands for a big project and the tender has already been passed. Many big cosmetic brands are participating for this tender" Woman number 1 informed her friends. "Oh yeah, my husband did mention this. Our cosmetic brand is participating in this tender" Woman number 3 added excitedly. "Just for your sake, I am saying this but don''t be so excited. There is a high chance that ''Panemorfi'' will win this tender, after all ''Panemorfi'' is the biggest cosmetic brand in our country" Woman 2 shared her opinion. Chu Yu Ri smiled proudly when she heard this, "Hmm, that woman is right, there are higher chances of Panemorfi winning this deal." Panemorfi is a cosmetic brand under the Lee Conglomerate. "Well, ''Bellissima'' too have higher chances of winning. I am the one, who is handling this deal from the Song Industries" Ji Seo Yun informed her friends as the cosmetics sector of the Song Industries falls under her. Although, Song Jae Ho took retirement, Ji Seo Yun was still not ready to quit her work, so she is still continuing her work. "Wow, you are handling this whole deal?" Chu Yu Ri looked happy. "Yeah" Ji Seo Yun smiled back. But the women, across from them kept praising Panemorfi as a brand and how it will beat all the brands, pissing Ji Seo Yun, who didn''t let her displeasure reflect on her face. After hanging out with her friends, Ji Seo Yun headed to her home and when she stepped down the car, she saw her husband passionately planting new seeds. "Which new vegetable are you growing today?" Ji Seo Yun asked her husband. "Hi love, you are back home so early" Song Jae Ho signalled his wife to join him in the garden area, "Come here, see me planting pumpkin seeds." Song Jae Ho developed this new habit of growing his own plants so since then he actively indulged in gardening and majority of the vegetables cooked at Song Mansion comes from here. "How was your time with the ladies?" Song Jae Ho asked his wife. "Kind of upsetting" Ji Seo Yun pouted while helping him dug the soil. "Why? What happened?" Then Ji Seo Yun shared how everyone at the ladies'' club discussed about a famous international brand collaborating with one of the Korean Brands and how the popular opinion says that Panemorfi will beat Bellissima. Song Jae Ho chuckled after she was done, "What''s a big deal about it? Indeed Panemorfi has higher chances of winning" "I don''t want that. I am handling this tender and I want to win" Ji Seo Yun complained. "Relax, Seo Yun. Winning and losing are common in this business world. Always remember the rule of not mixing our personal and professional lives" He tried to make her understand but Ji Seo Yun was not very happy about it. Few days later, the higher-ups involved with this international brand came to Korea and had a meeting with all the tenderers, who cleared the first round. This meeting happened at a seven-star hotel and every person, who was leading this project from their end went to attend this meeting. There, Ji Seo Yun was surprised to see Chu Yu Ri, who came there as a representative of the Lee Conglomerate. That''s when she found out, it was Chu Yu Ri, who was handling this tender on behalf of the Lee Conglomerate. At that moment, she felt betrayed as Chu Yu Ri didn''t mention this to her at all. When the two women met, Chu Yu Ri said she wanted to surprise Ji Seo Yun and she didn''t realize her friend was upset with this encounter. This meeting was to decide the next rounds of tender and after the meeting was over, Ji Seo Yun went to her home in a bad mood and whined to her husband, who tried to pacify her. "Relax, Ji Seo Yun. I would suggest you just do your best in submitting the tender. At the end, whoever will bid the low price will win. That''s what happens usually" Ji Seo Yun took this advice and did her best in this project and few weeks later, the international brand announced four brands which made to the final round. Panemorfi and Bellissima were in the top four selected brands. Now, they were asked to submit a final bidding price, which will decide the final partner. Ji Seo Yun was very nervous as she didn''t wish to lose against Chu Yu Ri and prove everyone right, who believed Panemorfi will win. So, she quoted a very low price and went to her husband, to ask him if this pricing is right. "Is this the price the finance team quoted?" Song Jae Ho asked in shock, as this pricing was very low. "No, they quoted a higher price but I lowered it" Ji Seo Yun hesitatingly said. "Seo Yun, we will barely make any profits at this price. Why did you lower it?" Song Jae Ho asked her in surprise. "Because I want to win this deal, by hook or by crook" Ji Seo Yun declared looking extremely serious as if she was adamant on it. Chapter 149 - Betrayal "Yeah, but what''s the point of getting a deal, when we won''t benefit from it?" Song Jae Ho questioned her. "Why do we have to benefit from every deal? Don''t we already have enough money? Let''s try to focus on the other benefits we will get." Ji Seo Yun tried to convince her husband. "What benefits?" He calmly asked her. "We would be associated with an international brand and we will be able to reach international consumers through it." "Exactly and it will involve advertising, marketing and many aspects which will be very expensive. If we quote the price you are suggesting, a lot of our money will go from the profits we are making in other sectors and it is not healthy" Song Jae Ho explained but Ji Seo Yun was still acting stubborn. That night the wife and husband had some argument over this and Ji Seo Yun got very upset. At late night, Song Ji Hun finally came home, tired. The top three buttons of his white shirt were undone, his sleeves were crumpled and his jacket was lying on his arm. Song Ji Hun bought a new land in one of the plush areas of South Korea and his home is under construction as he hired an architect to design a whole new house and interior designers were hired to beautify the whole place. So, in the meanwhile he is staying at the Song Mansion, as his mother didn''t let him live in one of their Seven-star hotels, where he also has his own private suite. While he was climbing the stairs, he heard a woman''s sobs, when he looked around, he saw his mother in the gallery, crying silently. "Mother" He called her. He couldn''t ignore his mom in this state no matter how tired he was. When Ji Seo Yun saw her son, she cried even more and tightly hugged him. "What happened, mom? Is everything alright?" He worriedly asked her, patting her back. His mother didn''t stop crying, so he carefully helped her till his room and made her sit on the couch. After offering some water to her, she finally calmed down. Ji Hun again asked what happened and this time Ji Seo Yun informed him everything, hearing which made him smile a little. He found his mother''s actions childish but didn''t dare to say it out aloud. Song Ji Hun too tried to explain the same point as his father, because the price she quoted for the bid is way too less. This time, Ji Seo Yun didn''t get upset like earlier but tried to understand his point and even agreed with him. "I''ll rework on the pricing" She finally declared. "Good" Song Ji Hun patted on his mom''s head, as if she is some child. "Why are you patting my head? I am your mother or your daughter?" Ji Seo Yun scolded her son although in her heart, she liked this treatment. "You were my mother but I think now you have become my daughter. I feel like a father right now" Song Ji Hun joked with his mom. "Daughter? Have some shame. You are not even married yet and you are talking about feeling like a father already." Song Ji Hun just smiled in response. "Ji Hun, you are soon going to be twenty-nine, don''t you think it is time you should get married" Ji Seo Yun complained to her son. "Mom, I am very tired. I only have five hours to sleep" This was Song Ji Hun''s way of avoiding this topic. Ji Seo Yun could clearly see how exhausted he was, she decided to not trouble him, "Rest dear, but please take some vacation sometimes, you are working too much." "Don''t worry mom, when the right time comes, I''ll take a break" Song Ji Hun assured her. ¡­ Next day the Songs met for breakfast. "Hyung, what a rare sight to see you with us at the breakfast table" Song Ji Hwan happily greeted his brother. "Mom insisted I leave after eating something" Song Ji Hun looked at his mother, who was very happy to have the whole family at the breakfast table. They all ate the food and the two brothers praised their father for his gardening as they can see how tasty the home-grown vegetables were. Song Jae Ho proudly smiled, "I am glad, my efforts are fruitful" After breakfast, the brothers decided to go in the same car with the driver as they both didn''t have the energy to drive by themselves. Also, they wished to spend some time together. "How is your job going on?" Song Ji Hun asked his brother. "Very well. My five artists are the best, they are earning lot of money for me" Song Ji Hwan joked. "But you work so hard to get them all the best projects. There is a speculation that the Korean movie in which one of your artists acted in, will be nominated for Oscars" Song Ji Hun informed his brother. "Wow Hyung, since when are you following Entertainment News?" "Since, you started working in it" Song Ji Hwan happily smiled, "Yeah, even I heard this news, I also hope they do win." "They will, let''s hope for the best" Song Ji Hun motivated him. "And what''s up with you?" Hwan asked Ji Hun. "Tonight, I am leaving for Busan, I''ll come back after two days" Song Ji Hun informed him. "Busan? On business work?" "No, there is a big start-up program in Busan and I have been invited as a judge, it is a two days event." "Wow Hyung, does that mean you will decide which start-up will move forward?" Song Ji Hwan was totally impressed by his brother''s position. "Me and six others. There are seven judges in total. If we see any potential in any of the start-ups, we can even seed the funding. That''s why I agreed to do this" Song Ji Hun explained. "That''s awesome. Have fun in Busan" The two brothers then chatted till their destinations arrived. ¡­ Here at home, Ji Seo Yun thought of many ways to get this deal by any means. That''s when she thought of one crooked idea and called the person, who can help her. "Hello mother" Aera immediately answered her call. "Aera, dear, are you busy? Hope I didn''t disturb you" Ji Seo Yun sweetly talked to her. "Of course not, mother. I am at a drama sets but I am just reading the script for next scene. I am not that busy" In truth, Aera was extremely busy but she didn''t like ignoring Ji Seo Yun''s calls. She genuinely treated her as a mother. "Actually, dear I wanted a favour from you." "Sure mother, tell me what you need. I''ll do anything for you" Aera was more than happy to help her. "Not now, as soon as you reach your home let me know." Ji Seo Yun was worried Aera will forget and would mess up her plan, so she made this request to which Aera quickly agreed to and added it as a reminder on her phone. ¡­ That evening while Aera was about to reach her home she called Ji Seo Yun, who was happy at how obedient and sincere Aera was towards her in spite of her star status. "Who all are at your home, right now?" Ji Seo Yun carefully asked. "Umm, I need to check, one minute mother" Aera just reached her home and she asked the servant, who informed her right now no one is at home. Ji Seo Yun sighed in relief, "Actually Aera dear, there is a project me and your mother are working on. I need some details from it" Ji Seo Yun twisted the truth. "Oh, then that file would be in the study room" Aera was aware both her parents prefer doing office work only in the study, so she headed there and after going through some of the files and with Ji Seo Yun''s instructions, she was able to locate the cosmetics project. "Yes dear, can you state the bidding price mentioned in it" Ji Seo Yun shamelessly asked and unknowingly Aera stated the bidding price and gave away one of the biggest projects for Lee Conglomerate to Ji Seo Yun, unintentionally betraying her parents. Ji Seo Yun was very happy as she got this confidential information so easily, "Thank you so much dear and no need to mention it to anyone in your family, I already had a word with Chu Yu Ri" Ji Seo Yun lied, and Aera easily believed her. Also, Aera herself was so tired, this incident didn''t mean anything to her and she even forgot about it. Ji Seo Yun quoted a price a bit lower than Lees but it was a good enough bid, to win the project with a good profit margin. Song Jae Ho thought his wife herself came up with this price and was impressed with her success as he too believed Lees will win it. This was how Aera betrayed her parents and later in the future Kiaraa found out about it and ended up misunderstanding her sister as one of the people behind their parents'' death. Chapter 150 - Staying In The Same Room Song Ji Hun went to the airport directly from his office and flew to Busan. It was 8 pm, by the time he reached the seven-star hotel where this start-up event was going to take place. The receptionist gave him the card to his suite. Song Ji Hun is one of the seven judges and all these seven people have been assigned the best room in this hotel, which was on the top floor. Song Ji Hun went to his room and freshened up as he was tired. He decided to have dinner downstairs as the event management people arranged for a buffet and invited him. Song Ji Hun wore a casual black t-shirt and paired it with blue jeans and wore a jacket over it. Looking handsome like always. When he stepped out his room and was about to head towards the elevator, he heard a woman arguing with someone. "Excuse me, what do you mean by it will take over three days to fix it? Where the hell am I supposed to stay till then?" A woman was pissed at one of the staff members. "Ma''am there is a¡­ deluxe room, till then¡­ you can stay¡­ there" The staff hesitatingly said, as he was scared of this woman. "Are you fucking kidding me? Are you seriously suggesting I''ll stay in some deluxe room?" The woman angrily glared at the staff scaring him even more. Usually, Song Ji Hun ignores such situations but when he heard that woman''s voice, he froze for a second before turning around. What he saw was a woman''s back but even that was enough for him to recognize who she is. "Lee Kiaraa?" He called her name, interrupting her scolding. Kiaraa was startled and when she saw who called her, she was happily surprised. "Oh my goodness, Song Ji Hun?" a wide smile was spread across her face and she stepped forward to formally hug him. The staff guy was now even more scared as she knew another judge and they seemed close enough. "What happened? Is there some problem?" Song Ji Hun asked Kiaraa. "The suite they gave me has water leakage issues. Can you believe it? Such a big hotel and they are organizing this big event and they didn''t check the suites" Kiaraa annoyedly complained. "We are really very sorry, ma''am" "Why don''t you just get it fixed?" Song Ji Hun asked the staff guy. "It will take three days sir, as right now we can''t allow outsiders in the vicinity of this area" The staff member explained. "Can you believe it?" Kiaraa asked Song Ji Hun, still annoyed. "You mentioned some deluxe room, right?" Song Ji Hun asked the staff member but Kiaraa chimed in. "I am not staying in a deluxe room because of their mistake" Kiaraa declared in anger. "You don''t have to" Song Ji Hun assured her and suggested, "You can have my suite, I''ll shift to this deluxe room" The staff member looked at Song Ji Hun gratefully and he was relieved, "Thank you so much, sir¡­" "Wait, why the hell will you stay in a deluxe room?" Kiaraa scolded Song Ji Hun and looked at the staff member, "Do you even know who he is? He is one of the top businessmen in our country and he holds a much higher position than me." "Kiaraa, it is totally fine. As long as I have a place to sleep, I don''t care where I stay" Song Ji Hun informed her. "No, I can''t stay comfortably knowing you sacrificed for me" Kiaraa refused to accept his offer. "Umm, I have one more suggestion" The staff member hesitatingly spoke up. "Yes?" Kiaraa glared at him and Song Ji Hun lightly smiled seeing how scared this staff member was of Kiaraa. "Since you two seem close enough, you can stay in the same suite. We gave the biggest suite to Mr Song and it has two bedrooms in it. There are also separate bathrooms. There is a living room and a small kitchen too." The staff member informed them. "It is a fine suggestion but I don''t want to invade Mr Song''s privacy¡­" Kiaraa was about to refuse the offer but Song Ji Hun interrupted her. "Actually, I don''t mind. It is not a bad suggestion but only if you are comfortable, you can stay with me. It is anyway a matter of two days" Song Ji Hun suggested. "Really, you fine with it?" Kiaraa asked him for assurance. "Sure, we have known each other since childhood" Song Ji Hun tried to act casual, hiding the excitement he was feeling inside. "Cool, I too don''t mind then" Kiaraa was anyway cool about such stuff as she still spends a lot of time with Ian and Hwan, so she was used to a man''s presence around her. The staff member sighed in relief, he got Kiaraa''s luggage and placed it in Song Ji Hun''s suite. When Kiaraa entered Song Ji Hun''s suite, she was totally impressed, "Wow, your suite is much better than what I got. No wonder, that guy suggested I stay here too" Kiaraa then saw the two bedrooms, Song Ji Hun already had his luggage kept in the smaller one and the bigger one was free. "Ji Hun, you want to take the bigger room? I''ll take the smaller one" Kiaraa didn''t wish to take advantage of his generosity. "No need, you can have the bigger one. As I said earlier, as long as I have a place to sleep, that''s enough" Song Ji Hun assured her and insisted she take the bigger one and he doesn''t mind. Kiaraa felt grateful to him and thought this guy still didn''t lose his gentleman nature all these years. When Kiaraa checked the bigger bedroom, she saw that there was a big jacuzzi in the bathroom attached to it and she got so excited, she informed Song Ji Hun about it. "You sure you don''t want that room?" Kiaraa again asked him. "No, I really don''t use all these stuffs, I just have a simple shower" Song Ji Hun said. "What? Really? Then what do you do to relax yourself?" Kiaraa was surprised that this guy doesn''t even pamper himself. "I sleep" Song Ji Hun answered as a matter-of-fact making Kiaraa laugh. "Oh my god, you didn''t change at all, did you?" Kiaraa asked him between her laugh. "I am not sure how to respond to this." Song Ji Hun honestly said. Kiaraa smiled and said, "I am just praising you. You don''t need to respond" "Kiaraa, I am heading downstairs for dinner, the staff invited us, you would be joining us?" Song Ji Hun politely asked her. "Yeah of course, I''ll freshen up and will join you downstairs" "Okay" Song Ji Hun left the room to give her some privacy. Later, after a while Kiaraa too joined the people downstairs. All the participants and judges were invited for this dinner. It was more like an informal gathering between everyone, just to get to know each other better. It was an opportunity for all the start-up participants to interact with the judges informally and to socialize. This event lasted till late night tiring Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun more than they already were. The two finally decided to call it a day and headed towards their room. "Ahh, I am so tired, I am worried I''ll sleep during the presentations tomorrow" Kiaraa complained while they were in the elevator. "If you sleep immediately, you will have six hours sleep. That should be sufficient" Song Ji Hun assured her. "Yeah, I hope so" The two then reached his room and after wishing each other good night, they both went to their rooms. Kiaraa was not able to fall asleep, no matter how hard she tried. She decided to watch a movie and thought of checking on Song Ji Hun, so that she could invite him over in case he too is having difficulty to fall asleep. When she knocked on his door, his door opened automatically as he didn''t lock it from inside. Kiaraa then stepped inside slowly calling his name, but the next second, she saw him sleeping peacefully. The lamp next to his bed threw some light shade on the bed, so she was able to see his sleeping figure even in the darkness. ''Seems like he sleeps as soon as his body touches the bed. He must have been so tired, to sleep like this'' Kiaraa smiled to herself, seeing him sleeping like a baby. Song Ji Hun is always tired as he works without taking any breaks so at night, when he tries to sleep, it comes easily to him. Kiaraa noticed, his comforter was not in its place, so she stepped towards the bed and adjusted his comforter properly, tucking him in it and left his room without making any noise. Recollecting how peacefully he slept, Kiaraa too fell asleep immediately with a smile on her face, which she too was not aware of. Chapter 151 - Losing Control Over Himself Next day, Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa headed to the start-up event. They were respectfully received by the event managers. Kiaraa started her own start-up at the young age of twenty years and within five years, her company reached a very high position. Her business is currently stable and is one of the top start-ups in the country. Although Song Ji Hun is in charge of the Song Business world, in the last few years, he invested in many potential start-ups that are doing extremely well. He is known to have an eye to identify the growing companies and to perfectly judge which start-up indeed has a future in this market and which does not. That''s how Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa ended up being the esteemed judges in this event. This event was divided into two days. Today, they''ll judge sixteen teams and the next day, they''ll judge sixteen other teams. It was a well planned, busy event. The whole day passed by with all the judges keenly listening to the presentations and ideas of the young talent, who came up with different business ideas. Some teams even presented prototypes of their ideas. The judges totally grilled these teams to get the best out of them and it was late night by the time the sixteen teams were done. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun headed straight to their room as they both were exhausted. "Can we order room delivery?" Kiaraa asked him, looking tired. "Yeah" Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa placed their order and they both went to their respective washrooms to have a bath. By the time they came out, their dinner was delivered and they ate together discussing the teams they judged today. Kiaraa shared which ideas she liked and so did Song Ji Hun. He even expressed his interest in investing in one or two start-ups. After their dinner, Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun headed to the gallery and continued their conversation. Song Ji Hun took out a cigarette to smoke and he noticed Kiaraa longingly looking at it. "You smoke?" He offered her a fresh cigarette. "Occasionally, when I am stressed" Kiaraa accepted the cigarette. They both looked over at the beautiful city, while silently smoking. After they were done, they bid adieu and went to their rooms to sleep. Next day was the same, as they judged the other sixteen teams and it was late night by the time it was over. All the judges were supposed to leave in the evening but since things didn''t go as planned, the event planners extended their stay for one more night and postponed their flights to early morning the next day. After dinner, Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun sat on the couch, having some casual business talk while sipping on some champagne, which they got as a complement from the hotel. "I always knew you would do something amazing in life but didn''t expect you to reach such great heights so early," Kiaraa stated. "I still didn''t reach great heights. There is still a lot to do" Song Ji Hun calmly replied. "So ambitious" Kiaraa teased him. "Aren''t you the same?" He countered her. "I am" Kiaraa didn''t deny. "When are you planning to take over the Lee Conglomerate?" Song Ji Hun casually asked her. "By the end of this year" "I am surprised it didn''t happen sooner" Song Ji Hun expected her to take over Lee Conglomerate just like how he took over his business. "That was initially the plan but then I felt online shopping is an emerging marketing and not many people tapped into it yet. There was a huge potential in this area. Lee Conglomerate isn''t running away anywhere but if I don''t build something out of what I thought of, somebody else will. Therefore, I focused on first building my own business" Kiaraa impressed Song Ji Hun with her explanation. "And you managed to do so well. Cheers to that" Song Ji Hun raised his glass as a toast. Kiaraa smiled at him, "Honestly the first few years were tough. I was dipped in losses. Eventually, I started gaining profits." "That''s how it is whenever you start a new business. It is stable now, that''s what matters" Song Ji Hun assured her. "Seems like Mr Song follows news on my business" Kiaraa naughtily smiled at him. "Hmm, after all it is the business started by the girl, I mentored at one point" Song Ji Hun came up with a safe reasoning. "Hey, you do remember it?" Kiaraa was very happy that Song Ji Hun remembered it. "Yeah, why wouldn''t I?" "I thought it was something not so important for you" Kiaraa stated as a matter of fact. "If it wasn''t something important then I wouldn''t have invested so much time" "Oh really? Why was it important for you? I mean, you got no benefit out of it" Kiaraa was confused by his choice of words. Song Ji Hun didn''t answer her immediately, he calmly took a sip from his champagne glass before looking at Kiaraa. "I saw a strong potential in you. If I could help you improve and be a better businesswoman, then why not?" What he truly wished to say was, he was in love with her and therefore he wants to provide her with everything she wants but he didn''t dare do so. Kiaraa smiled hearing his response and she replied, "You know what, Mr Song?" "Hmm" "Over the years, I met with so many people and dealt with them that I know when a person is telling the truth and when they are lying." "Is that so?" Song Ji Hun calmly asked unaffected by what she was implying. "Yeah, and right now I know what you said is a lie. It is not the truth." Kiaraa confidently said. Song Ji Hun chuckled, "Then you tell me what the truth is" "That is exactly what I am not able to figure out" Kiaraa tried to see through this man, but she wasn''t able to. "Fine, take your time and figure it out by yourself" Song Ji Hun replied. "So, you do accept you lied earlier?" Kiaraa caught him. Song Ji Hun nodded his head and didn''t deny the truth, "Yeah, I lied" "Then what''s the truth? Why did you help me so selflessly?" Kiaraa didn''t expect Song Ji Hun would actually accept the truth. "Why don''t you figure it out by yourself? You can come up with all possible reasons and I''ll confirm which one''s the truth" Song Ji Hun was having fun. "What if you lie?" Kiaraa doubtfully raised her eyebrows. "You are experienced enough to caught on a person''s lie, so what are you worried about?" This time Song Ji Hun teased her making Kiaraa laugh. "What if I am never able to figure it out?" Kiaraa asked him. "Try to figure out by your next birthday. If you are not able to figure out by then, I''ll answer you myself" Song Ji Hun suggested and Kiaraa loved his idea. "That''s a nice assurance" "But you need to try sincerely" Song Ji Hun warned her and she agreed to it. After they were done completing the champagne bottle. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun realised they were borderline drunk. "I think I''ll take leave tomorrow, I am slightly drunk" Kiaraa said. "I am postponing my flight to evening, you want to do the same?" Song Ji Hun asked her as he too was a bit drunk and he was sure he won''t make it to the early morning flight. The event planners gave them the option to reschedule their flight as per their convenience. "Wow, it is a good suggestion. Yes please postpone my flight too" Kiaraa handed her flight details to Ji Hun as she was a bit too drunk to reschedule her flight. Since they were flying in the same flight, Song Ji Hun easily rescheduled it. "Done" "Thank you so much" Kiaraa stood up to leave for her room, but she lost her balance and almost fell down but Song Ji Hun caught her on time, wrapping his hands around her waist and she ended up falling on his lap. Kiaraa was sitting on his lap and in reflex she held on his shoulders to balance herself. Currently, her face was exactly in front of his and they both looked at each other in daze. Song Ji Hun never saw Kiaraa this closely except for the time, when he almost kissed her during a treasure hunt game. It has been years to that, and Kiaraa right now looked more matured and more beautiful. He could clearly see every feature of hers. Her big, beautiful eyes. The perfectly carved eyebrows, her small tiny nose and when his eyes travelled down, it stuck on her plump pink lips. Kiaraa barely puts on any make up, and seeing this natural beauty in front of him, whom he had been in love with for past sixteen years, Song Ji Hun felt like he was losing control over himself. Chapter 152 - I Love You, Kiaraa Kiaraa barely puts on any make up, and seeing this natural beauty in front of him, whom he had been in love with for past sixteen years, Song Ji Hun felt like he was losing control over himself. If this was the case with him, Kiaraa was in no better position. Her dizzy mind mixed with the state of drunkenness, brought some hidden feelings out of Kiaraa. Although she loathed accepting this to herself, she always had a soft corner for Song Ji Hun and she found him attractive. It wasn''t just his looks that pulled her towards him but his brain played a major role in attracting her. Never did she come across someone as smart and as manly as him. Right now, being so close to him, Kiaraa could observe him more clearly. Tightening her hold on his shoulders, Kiaraa wondered what she should do as she was having some wild thoughts. ''Control yourself, K. You are too drunk'' Kiaraa told herself and was about to get up, when Song Ji Hun tightened his hold around her waist and pulled her closer. Kiaraa ended up hugging his neck, to balance herself and this action of hers closed the distance between them. Their faces were so close that they could feel each other''s hot breaths. In spite of the cold air conditioner, the two people felt their bodies heat up. Song Ji Hun still wrapped his one hand around her waist while his other hand travelled to tuck her hair, which was falling on her face. When his hot fingers touched a part of her face, Kiaraa subconsciously craved for more. Song Ji Hun could see the building desire in her eyes, he slowly caressed her cheeks to see her reaction and as if his hands had some magic in them, Kiaraa closed her eyes feeling every bit of his action. Motivated by her response, Song Ji Hun leaned closer and kissed her cheek. It was a light feather touch of his lips. Kiaraa tightened her arms around him and her face moved closer to his, almost touching his nose with hers. Song Ji Hun''s hand, which was near her face, travelled to the back of her head and he gently clutched on her silky hair. Before making a move, he looked at Kiaraa, whose eyes were closed in anticipation. Gently he brought her face closer to his and softly touched his lips to hers. In that moment, Kiaraa felt like she was electrocuted and slightly shivered. Song Ji Hun hugged her body closer to his and gently sucked on her lips. As if her body had a mind of its own, Kiaraa''s one hand travelled up and she entangled her fingers in his hair, playing with it. Following his actions, Kiaraa too responded to his kiss, sucking on his lips. Turned on by her response, Song Ji Hun sucked and nibbled on her lips more passionately. Never did he think he will ever get such an opportunity in his life. Although he wished to marry Kiaraa, he was unsure of the future and always had his doubts if he will truly get what he wanted. But right now, he himself couldn''t believe he was kissing the woman he always loved and she too was responding to it. Song Ji Hun then slowly made Kiaraa lie on the couch, as she was sitting on his lap and he got on top of her. Kiaraa''s cooperation made it easier for him to lie her down. He continued sucking and nibbling on her lips while Kiaraa did the same, tightly hugging his neck. After a few seconds, Kiaraa stopped responding to his kiss, so Song Ji Hun moved back only to see her sleeping peacefully. He realised the drink and the kiss was too much for her tired self to handle. He chuckled seeing her state and leaned down to kiss her forehead, "I love you, Kiaraa" he finally dared to utter the words he would never dare to otherwise. Then Song Ji Hun gently carried Kiaraa to her room and made her lie on the bed. He covered her with the comforter and left after wishing her good night. When Song Ji Hun lay on his bed, he wondered what would happen the next day and how things would turn out between him and Kiaraa. After a point, he decided not to bother so much as Kiaraa too responded positively to his kiss. It kind of ignited hope in his heart and he was looking forward to see how their relationship will turn. ¡­ Next day When Song Ji Hun woke up, it was already very late as he was drunk and slept late. He went to check on Kiaraa and was relieved to see she was still sleeping. Somewhere he was scared she would run away before he woke up but she didn''t. Song Ji Hun ordered some breakfast and went to freshen up. Once the breakfast was delivered, Song Ji Hun carried the tray to Kiaraa''s room and woke her up. After some struggle, she finally woke up and almost freaked out when she checked the time. That was when Song Ji Hun reminded her that they postponed their flights last night. "Oh, did we? I totally forgot that" Kiaraa smiled in relief. "Yeah, we were too drunk and we both were sure, we won''t make it on time" Song Ji Hun tried to remind her of this conversation. "Oh, nice we did this or else I totally would have missed my flight" Kiaraa thanked him. "You really don''t remember it?" Song Ji Hun asked her in surprise as this conversation happened way before their kiss. If she doesn''t remember this conversation then he wondered if she remembered their kiss. "I really don''t. The last thing I remember is us discussing our business and work. I don''t get drunk easily but last night we were already so exhausted and these two days were tiring. So, I got drunk quickly" Kiaraa explained herself. "Oh" Song Ji Hun was not sure how to respond to her. He wondered should he inform her about their kiss or it will freak her out. "Thanks for ordering the breakfast, I''ll freshen up and come" Kiaraa left from there to brush and have a bath. The two then had late breakfast. When they checked the time, they realised they should head to the airport as it would be time for them to leave. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa had normal conversation and no one talked about the kiss last night. Kiaraa because she didn''t remember it and Song Ji Hun because he was not sure how to initiate the conversation and what to say. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun were in the same flight and in a few hours they reached Seoul. Bidding adieu to each other they went their own ways. ¡­ Song Ji Hun kept wondering different scenarios and ''what if'' cases if Kiaraa suddenly remember their kiss someday and how to handle her. He was worrying of how she will react and if she will misunderstand him if she ever remembers what happened between them. The thing he worried about the most was the fact that Kiaraa not remembering it being mutual. He didn''t wish for her to think he took advantage of her drunkenness. Here, if he was worried about Kiaraa''s reaction there Kiaraa was clueless about her first kiss that already happened. After coming back to Seoul, she focused on her work and indulged herself in managing her own business as well as going to Lee Conglomerate as Lee Myung Soo decided to hand over the business to his daughter on Lee corporation''s anniversary. Lee corporation''s anniversary is a huge day for the Lees and it is celebrated as grandly as one of the Lee member''s birthdays. Every year on the anniversary, a huge celebration takes place and all the employee are given many benefits. It is a day every employee looks forward to as something interesting happens every year. Employees receive huge bonuses and gifts making them very happy. This year, Lee Myung Soo planned something even better for the anniversary. He decided to announce his retirement and declare Kiaraa as the next CEO after him. In the last few months, he observed Choi Hyuk and Kiaraa, who were the two people everyone is anticipating would take over the Lee Conglomerate and without any bias he could see Kiaraa was clearly more capable than Choi Hyuk. No matter how hard Choi Hyuk tried, he was lacking in many areas and the one thing that bothered Lee Myung Soo about him was the fact that Choi Hyuk lacks moral integrity. He was not someone who would put ethics over everything and this worried Lee Myung Soo. Although Kiaraa is manipulative, she would not go against her ethics. She would do the right thing when it comes to choosing between right or wrong. So, Lee Myung Soo decided to hand over the whole business to her and decided to discuss it with his family first. Chapter 153 - Shock Of Their Lives Lee Myung Soo was in his study room, lost in deep thoughts. He had to handle this whole scenario of handing over the Lee Conglomerate to Kiaraa very carefully without offending anyone. First he needed to have the support of more than half the board members to pass this decision. He therefore started unofficially meeting the board members, he have known for years and was sure they were loyal to him. He started discussing his plans of retirement and making Kiaraa the next CEO. This news didn''t stay under the wraps and soon reached Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik''s ears. The two people were clearly upset after knowing what their brother was doing behind their backs as not once he discussed his retirement with them in spite of them being a part of the board. So, quietly these two siblings too started going around meeting board members to gain their support for making Choi Hyuk the next CEO. But things didn''t go as planned for them as many of the board members trusted Lee Myung Soo more and were planning to vote in Kiaraa''s favour. The two siblings were clearly upset with the turn of events and went to their last resort, Song Ji Hun for advice. Whenever these two encountered any problems, they always went to Song Ji Hun, who gave them feasible solutions and helped them out of it. This time too they called for an urgent meeting and discussed this matter for hours with Song Ji Hun. After this meeting the two siblings felt much better and were now confident. Once they left, Song Ji Hun secretly contacted Lee Myung Soo and requested him for a meeting. For some reason, Song Ji Hun requested Chu Yu Ri''s presence too confusing Lee Myung Soo but he complied with this request. Song Ji Hun, Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri had a secret meeting where the updates from Song Ji Hun surprised both wife and husband. "What is all this Myung Soo?" A clearly terrified Chu Yu Ri asked her husband. "I''ll explain everything later, calm down" Lee Myung Soo assured his wife then he and Song Ji Hun had a long discussion to solve the problem they encountered. It took hours for the two men to come up with a solid plan. After discussing everything in length they solidified their plan. ¡­ A month later Kiaraa was in the middle of a meeting when suddenly her office receptionist barged inside the conference room. "What the hell is going on?" Kiaraa annoyedly looked at her receptionist. "I am sorry, ma''am, but the news is like that" The receptionist, who looked like something terrible happened, handed over a cordless phone to Kiaraa. Kiaraa casually took the phone to speak unknown to what was going to crash on her. "Hello" Kiaraa spoke. "K...ki...araa" A sobbing voice was heard from the other end of the phone. Kiaraa recognised her grandpa''s voice, which was clearly shaken. "Grandpa, what happened?" Kiaraa stood up from seat and headed outside to the gallery. "Com..e ho..me imm..edia..tely" Grandpa continued crying. "Grandpa, will you please tell me what happened?" Kiaraa worriedly asked but grandpa couldn''t take it anymore so he hung up on her. Kiaraa rushed out of her office and saw her driver already waiting outside the building with the car. "What happened?" She asked him. "Ma''am let''s first go home" The driver too tried to compose himself as he had to be strong right now. Kiaraa didn''t question him any further and calmly sat behind wondering what suddenly happened. Similarly, at Aera''s work place, Aera was shooting for a kdrama when suddenly Song Ji Hwan arrived there and had some word with the director of the show. The next moment, the shoot was suddenly cancelled and the director decided to shoot scenes of other actors for now and asked Aera to leave with Hwan. Aera was confused with this scenario and she didn''t understand what''s going on. "Aera, there is some emergency at home. We need to go" Song Ji Hwan informed her. "What emergency? Is everything alright?" Aera worriedly asked him as never before Song Ji Hwan approached her like this. "Yeah, please come with me." Song Ji Hwan was not sure how to give her the bad news so he decided to directly take her home first. "Song Ji Hwan, you are scaring me" Aera, looked terrified seeing the gloomy expression on Hwan''s face. "Don''t be scared, everything is alright, hmm?" Song Ji Hwan lovingly stroked her hair and tried to look as normal as possible. "Then why is my shoot cancelled?" Aera was still not convinced by his words. "I will tell you everything, let''s go home first" Song Ji Hwan patiently requested her and she agreed. During the whole journey they both were calm. Aera wondered what was going on and Song Ji Hwan was worried how will Aera and Kiaraa would react after they get the news. When Kiaraa reached her home, she saw another car arrive there, which was of Song Ji Hwan''s They coincidentally arrived at the same time. "What are you doing here in the middle of the day?" Kiaraa asked Aera as she was aware her sister is busy with her shooting. "Hwan brought me here" Aera answered her sister. "What the hell is going on, Hwan? Will someone tell me?" Kiaraa lost her patience and freaked out. "Kiaraa" Ian rushed outside seeing Kiaraa finally arrive and called her name. "Ian, what''s going on?" Kiaraa worriedly asked him. Ian looked at Song Ji Hwan, who shook his head saying no implying he didn''t share the bad news with the girls yet. Ian just held Kiaraa''s hand and walked towards the Lee Mansion while Song Ji Hwan did the same with Aera. When both the girls reached the entrance of the door, they were confused seeing the whole scenario. There were cops present at their home. Grandpa Lee was crying uncontrollably while his two friends were consoling him, silently sobbing. Their aunt Lee Min Seo was crying while their uncle Lee Man Sik was consoling his wife, who too was sobbing uncontrollably. Kims and Songs were present there too. The women were crying while the men were having a word with the cops. "What the hell is going on here?" Kiaraa shouted at everyone present there as fear slowly crawled into her heart. "Kiaraa" Sa Da Hye immediately stepped towards Kiaraa and tightly hugged her. "Aunt Da Hye, what''s going on?" Kiaraa was losing her patience. "We found your parents'' car at a frequent accident location. The car is completely burnt and we found remains of your parents bodies in it" One of the cop, who could understand how difficult it is for family and friends to share this news, stepped ahead and informed Kiaraa and Aera of their parents'' death. In that moment, both the girls received the shock of their lives, which shattered their worlds. Aera couldn''t handle this shock and she lost consciousness. Song Ji Hwan, who was standing next to her, immediately caught her in his arms and carried her to the nearest guest bedroom. While Kiaraa, stood still in a state of shock, as she couldn''t believe what she just heard. Ian wrapped his arm around Kiaraa''s shoulder protectively and called her name. "Are you sure about it? Is it verified?" Kiaraa asked the cops after composing herself. "We have sent the remains we found for DNA testing. You and your sister need to visit the hospital so that we can verify for sure" one of the cops informed her. Kiaraa almost lost her balance, hearing this and Ian held her tightly. He then helped her to the couch and made her sit there. "Ms Lee, we can understand it is a big blow but we request your cooperation so that we can be sure" The same cop said but Kiaraa couldn''t hear anything else. As if the world around her went mute, Kiaraa couldn''t hear anything anymore. She could see people talking and crying but none of those words reached her ears. Slowly, the tears started flowing from Kiaraa''s eyes and unknown to her, she was crying uncontrollably. Ian tightly hugged her, resting her head on his chest and stroked her head, trying to console her. He knew no words are going to help Kiaraa feel better and the only thing he could do for her was to be there for her as her best friend. Hugging Ian tightly, Kiaraa cried her heart out as her world shattered with the deaths of her parents. Song Ji Hun, who was present there felt his heart wrench in pain, seeing Kiaraa cry. This was the second time in his life he was seeing her in this state but this time her condition was much worse than the first time she cried in front of him. Never in his life he felt as helpless as he felt now.. Seeing the love of his life shattered, and he couldn''t even do anything about it. Chapter 154 - Secret Meeting Aera was lying on the bed, unconscious. Song Ji Hwan and Ji Seo Yun were sitting next to her on bed, worried about her state. Ian checked her condition and informed them that she lost consciousness due to the shock that she wasn''t able to handle. "When will she wake up?" Song Ji Hwan worriedly asked him. "In some time, she will. Let her get up on her own, don''t forcefully wake her up" Ian suggested. "Such a young child, and this kind of brutality she is already facing" Ji Seo Yun cried stroking Aera''s hair. "Mom, in times like this we have to be strong so that we can take care of Kiaraa and Aera" Song Ji Hwan tried to make his mom understand. Then he went out to check on Kiaraa, who was uncontrollably crying in her grandpa''s arms. Seeing Song Ji Hwan, Kiaraa broke even more and he quickly stepped ahead to tightly hug her. Stroking her back, he tried to calm her down but he knew in this situation no person can stop crying. He looked over at his older brother, who clearly looked distraught seeing Kiaraa''s condition. The two brothers looked at each other silently. Hwan was not sure how to react and what he wanted from his brother but he felt like only Song Ji Hun could pull them out of this misery and he was not sure why he felt so. Song Ji Hun could sense his brother''s need for him but for now he decided to handle other important things. The cops wanted Kiaraa and Aera''s presence in the hospital to confirm their parents'' death and to provide the death certificate but the girls were not in the state to do so. Out of humanity they decided to wait for a few more hours. ¡­ Few hours later Aera suddenly woke up from her sleep as if she just had a bad dream. "Mom, dad" she shouted calling their names. Song Ji Hwan rushed inside her room and saw her trying to make sense of the current scenario. "Aera, have some water" Song Ji Hwan poured water in a glass and handed it to her. "Hwan, I had a very bad dream. My mom and dad¡­" she couldn''t even complete her sentence and started crying. Song Ji Hwan immediately went to her side and gently hugged her in his arms. Stroking her hair, he tried to calm her down. "Hwan, please call my parents. I want to see them. I want to feel assured they are fine and it was all a bad dream" Aera desperately requested him between her tears. Song Ji Hwan was not sure what to say, so he just hugged her. "Hwan, please say something" Aera desperately asked him. "We are all there for you, Aera. We will always be there for you" Hwan managed to say and Aera cried in his arms as she understood what happened earlier was not a dream and she indeed lost her parents. After some time, Hwan brought Aera out of the guest room. The cops asked both the sisters to visit the hospital and they did so. Ian, Hwan, Song Ji Hun and their fathers accompanied the two girls. Kiaraa and Aera submitted their DNA samples and after a few hours, the doctors confirmed the remains found in the car indeed belonged to Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri. With this the deaths of their parents were confirmed and as soon as this news came out in the media, the Lee Conglomerate share price fell down. But right now Kiaraa or others were not in the state to care about business or shares. Almost for a month, the Lees mourned the deaths of Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri. ¡­ One day Kiaraa received a call from one of her dad''s loyal men, who requested to meet her. The past few days, Kiaraa didn''t go for work and spent most of her time in her parents''room, sleeping there or just reading some book. At night, even Aera slept with Kiaraa in her parents'' room, as they both couldn''t let go of them. The two sisters didn''t talk to each other, they just stayed in that room, both lost in their own worlds. All this while, Kiaraa''s associates were managing her company while Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik were managing the Lee Conglomerate. Therefore, Kiaraa was surprised when one of her dad''s loyals called her out of the blue. Respecting that man''s position and understanding the intensity of the situation, Kiaraa agreed to meet him. But what surprised her was the fact that he requested to meet her at a farmhouse of his, in secret. Also, he insisted she tell no one about this meeting and to keep it confidential. Kiaraa felt something was fishy, so she didn''t stick to his request and informed Ian about it. "Kiaraa, I don''t have a good feeling about it, are you sure you want to go?" Ian worriedly asked her. "Even I don''t have a good feeling about it, that''s why I am sharing this with you" Kiaraa replied. "Then why do you want to go?" After seeing Kiaraa''s parents suddenly lose their lives, a fear was instilled inside Ian and he turned more protective towards Kiaraa. "He is one of my dad''s loyal employees. During my training, dad listed a few people I can blindly trust and he is one of them. What if he has something important to share and what if it is related to mom, dad''s death?" Kiaraa shared her thoughts and why she is insisting on meeting this man although it felt fishy. "I''ll come with you then" Ian declared. "Yeah, I wish for the same. You do follow me and I''ll keep some mic on me so that you can hear my conversation with this man. If at any point, you think he is trying to attack me or is dangerous, you can just barge in" Kiaraa shared her plan with Ian. Heating her words worried Ian even more, "K, do you have to go if it is so risky? Can we not send someone else?" "Ian, I am scared too, can you please be my pillar of support instead of scaring me even more? I could have gone to Hwan too but you were the first person who came to my mind, when I needed help. Can you please not make it more difficult for me than it already is?" Kiaraa almost begged him. Understanding her situation, Ian decided to stop worrying a lot and rather be there for her. He already felt happy to know that he was the first person she thinks of when in trouble and he wished to maintain the same. So, he agreed to her request and the next day, Kiaraa fixed the meeting with that loyal man. She drove to the location given to her in a car, alone while Ian followed her in his car with a driver. Kiaraa carried a gun with her to be on the safe side and for self protection. Also, she had a small mic on her through which Ian could hear everything that was happening around her surroundings. Kiaraa reached the location given to her. It was an isolated place in the outskirts of the city and there was one farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. There was tight security before entering the gates and only after driving for a minute, the farmhouse came into her view. ''Why does this man need so much protection?'' Kiaraa wondered to herself and after parking the car, she stepped towards the farmhouse. The door was opened as soon as she rang the doorbell and Kiaraa was greeted by an old man, who was around her dad''s age. "Dear, no one knows you are here, right?" Was the first question asked by this loyal man, instead of greeting her. Ian heard this man''s voice from his location and he didn''t find the voice intimidating which made him relax a bit as he hoped this man is truly loyal and harbours no bad intentions towards Kiaraa. "Yeah, I ensured that no one knows" Kiaraa confidently lied and stepped inside the house. "Uncle Jeong, what happened? Why did you call me so secretly? Is everything alright?" Kiaraa calmly asked, sitting across from this man. "Dear, I need to tell you something important but before that you need to promise me whatever I share with you will only remain between you and me" The man named Jeong, worriedly told this to Kiaraa, clearly sweating profusely. It was evident he was taking a big risk by discussing whatever it is with Kiaraa. "Sure, uncle Jeong.. I promise you whatever you will tell me will remain between us" Kiaraa promised and Ian too keenly listened to their conversation as he was sure Kiaraa won''t repeat all of this again to him and the way Jeong spoke it got Ian curious, wondering what the hell is going on. Chapter 155 - Moving On Jeong took a deep breath before continuing, "Dear, there are some problems in the company¡­" "Yeah, the share price is unstable¡­" Kiaraa was about to speak but Jeong interrupted her. "It is more than that. Lee Min Seo and Lee Man Sik are filling their pockets with the company funds and they are doing it so perfectly, there is no evidence against them." Jeong worriedly told her. "How much of the company funds did they mess with?" Kiaraa calmly asked, trying to control the rage building inside her. "A lot, we will be in a huge mess soon. The salaries that need to be credited and the money we need to fulfil a few contracts is going to take us down." Jeong was slightly sweating. "Why did you not tell us this earlier?" Kiaraa questioned him. "You were mourning your parents'' death and I with a few others tried to handle this situation by ourselves but we couldn''t. So, I finally had to call you out" "Was dad aware of this situation?" Kiaraa asked him. "Yes, just before his death he was planning to make you the CEO of this conglomerate and explain the whole situation to you" "But this accident happened before that" Kiaraa sadly muttered. "Hmm, I know you are still in the shock of your parents'' death but can I request you to come back to the Lee conglomerate and get yourself involved in it" Jeong requested her. Kiaraa nodded her head seriously as she was understanding of how critical this situation is. "I''ll start coming to the office tomorrow. If there is something important, I should know, please mail all the files to me" Kiaraa suggested. "Yeah, and the reason I requested to keep this meeting a secret is because we don''t know who all are secretly working for your aunt and uncle. I am not sure whom to trust and whom not to." Jeong explained his actions. Kiaraa understood his dilemma and after discussing a few work-related stuffs, she took her leave. After driving to some extent, Ian joined her in her car. "Oh god, Kiaraa, I can''t believe your aunt and uncle are messing with company funds" Ian said as soon as he sat in the car. "Yeah, me neither. Will have to see how the situation will be tomorrow" Kiaraa seriously said, her mind was already processing how to handle this situation. ¡­ Next day Kiaraa went to Lee conglomerate surprising her aunt and uncle, who immediately felt wearied of her presence. They didn''t let it reflect on their faces as to how much they were upset about Kiaraa''s presence. The first thing Kiaraa did was to enter her dad''s office and took his seat. All these days, the Lee siblings didn''t dare to sit on their dead brother''s chair as they didn''t wish to alert any employees of their intentions but the same was not the case with Kiaraa. She didn''t care about such stuff. Kiaraa immediately ordered her dad''s assistant to mail the important documents and financial statements of their company. Her whole day went by in going through the current condition of the company, which was worse than what she expected. If her father was here, the situation could have been handled with ease but now with him gone, the share price took a toll and that was one of the reasons why they were such a situation. Kiaraa brainstormed what to do as there was indeed no proof that her uncle and aunty ate some of the company funds. They managed to steal money very well. If Mr Jeong himself wouldn''t have been the one, who informed Kiaraa of this then she would not have been able to find out about her aunt and uncle laundering money. ''I always underestimated these two, I never thought these two were smart enough to put the whole conglomerate in trouble'' Kiaraa frustratedly thought. Just then her dad''s assistant visited her in the office and informed her it is too late now and she should go home. When she checked the time, she realized it was indeed very late and post office hours. "I didn''t realize time to pass away so quickly" Kiaraa tiredly said. "I understand dear, the problem is like that. Don''t worry we will soon find a solution" The assistant knew Kiaraa since she was a child and he too saw her as a daughter, so he assured her understanding what she must be going through right now. Kiaraa lightly smiled at the assistant, "Thank you for always sticking around" she politely bowed to him and they left for their homes. When Kiaraa reached home, she was surprised to see some guests there. Ji Seo Yun, Aera, grandpa Lee and grandpa Song were sitting in the living room. Ji Seo Yun was lovingly holding Aera''s hand and was talking about something. When these four people saw Kiaraa, they asked her to join too in their conversation. "Is everything alright?" Kiaraa worriedly asked as she could see Aera was in tears. "I was thinking of taking Aera with me to the Song Mansion for a few days. She needs a change in atmosphere" Ji Seo Yun informed Kiaraa. "Actually, Aera is supposed to start shooting for her drama. They have shot all scenes which do not require her presence and they need her to be back on the set. Sa Da Hye requested the drama producers for one more week break as Aera is still not willing to go for her shooting" Grandpa Lee informed Kiaraa about Aera''s situation, who had been staying at home every day and crying. "Grandpa, I already said, I''ll quit that drama. They can replace me. Whatever losses they have faced because of me, I''ll compensate it" Aera firmly said. "No need for all that. You have one more week break, in this time try to move on dear. I know what happened was tragic, but life goes on and we need to get back to our regular lives. Look at your sister, she too started going to office today. It is time you too try to get out of home and try to get back to your normal life" Ji Seo Yun tried to console Aera, as she was worried about her state. "Nothing is anymore normal. Without mom and dad nothing is normal" Aera again broke down in tears. "I think Aera needs change in atmosphere. If she stays here, she will keep thinking about Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri. Therefore, uncle Lee please allow me to take Aera to my home for a few days. If she stays at Song Mansion, she might feel better." Ji Seo Yun made a request. "Yeah, but wouldn''t it be a trouble to you people¡­" Grandpa Lee said. "What trouble? She is anyway going to be the grand daughter-in-law of my house. Someday, when she marries Song Ji Hun, she anyway has to come and stay with us. Think of this as a trial run" Grandpa Song joked, trying to ease the situation. "Yeah, even that is one of my worries. Song Ji Hun is young and so is Aera, they both living under the same roof¡­" Grandpa Lee hesitated a bit in sending Aera away. "Uncle Lee, even if something happens, why would it matter? They are anyway going to be get married soon. I was actually thinking of getting them married this year, Song Ji Hun is already twenty-nine and I don''t see a reason as to why we are delaying it" Ji Seo Yun spoke her heart out. "Dear, calm down. One thing at a time" Grandpa Song signalled his daughter-in-law to not talk about marriage now as it hasn''t been long since Aera''s parents'' demise. Ji Seo Yun realised her mistake and changed the topic, "Anyway, I will take care of Aera and will ensure she feels safe and comfortable at my home. Please uncle Lee, let me take her with me. My worry for her is not letting me at peace" Ji Seo Yun again requested. "Fine dear, the final decision is of Aera''s. If she is willing to go and stay with you, I don''t mind" Grandpa Lee left the decision to Aera. After thinking for a while, Aera looked at Kiaraa, "What do you think I should do?" she asked her sister surprising her. Kiaraa was startled with Aera''s sudden inclusion of her, "Why are you asking me? Do whatever you want to do" "It''s just that, if I''ll leave you have to sleep alone in the room. Will you be fine?" Aera asked her sister as these days they both sleep in their parents'' room. For a moment, Kiaraa felt touched as Aera considered her state. She lightly smiled and assured her, "I''ll be fine. I slept alone since my childhood and I am stronger than you think. You should go to the Song Mansion and stay there for a while and indeed get over this tragedy.. We need to move on. Come back stronger" Chapter 156 - Shocking Truth Clear the cache before reading the chapter ... Aera packed a small bag with clothes and basic necessities for a week and headed to Song Mansion with Ji Seo Yun and grandpa Song. After Aera left, Kiaraa updated her grandpa about the company''s status, without revealing her uncle and aunt''s actions. She didn''t have any proof against them and also she didn''t wish to worry her grandpa more. "I''ll also come with you to the office from tomorrow" grandpa declared as he couldn''t let his granddaughter suffer alone. "Thank you, grandpa" Kiaraa was grateful for his support and she went to her room. ¡­ Seeing Aera at the Song Mansion, Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan got surprised. Ji Seo Yun didn''t explain herself and first took Aera to the guest room on the first floor which was adjacent to Song Ji Hwan''s room and was across Song Ji Hun''s. "Dear, rest here for a while and freshen up. I''ll call you during dinner" Ji Seo Yun lovingly spoke to Aera and gave her some time to adjust in this new atmosphere. Although Aera visited Song Mansion hundreds of times in her life, this was her first time staying here like this. So, she too needed some time to adapt. Once Ji Seo Yun went back to the living room, she was questioned by her sons about what''s going on. After she was done with her explanation, Song Ji Hun asked her, "Why did you not ask Kiaraa too to stay here? Mom, I hope you realise they both lost their parents and Kiaraa is not fine either" Song Ji Hun couldn''t hide his displeasure at his mom''s actions. "I agree with Hyung, Kiaraa too needs a change in atmosphere mom" Song Ji Hwan supported his brother immediately so that his mother doesn''t find anything suspicious. "Will you two calm down? Kiaraa is still in a better state. She even started going to the office today." Ji Seo Yun tried to explain herself. "Mom, just because she started taking her responsibility seriously doesn''t mean she is fine" Song Ji Hwan still voiced his opinion. "Fine, I''ll ask Sa Da Hye and Ian to take care of her" Ji Seo Yun didn''t have the energy to fight with her sons. "Mom, in situations like these, please keep your personal feelings aside and treat everyone equally. She lost her parents and we are the only extended family she has." Song Ji Hun too firmly stated his opinion as he has been worried for Kiaraa for a while now and he felt helpless as he couldn''t be there for her. "Okay, stop lecturing me you two" Ji Seo Yun frustratedly said and went to check the dinner arrangements. "Hyung, I am occasionally checking on Kiaraa, don''t you worry" Song Ji Hwan assured his brother. "How can I not? There is no one to take care of her. I wish to keep her with me and care for her myself." Song Ji Hun didn''t hesitate in sharing what was on his mind. "I understand, Hyung. But what can you do? I am sorry for your state" Song Ji Hwan gently hugged his brother sympathising with him. Song Ji Hun didn''t say anything but he was in deep thought as he didn''t like Kiaraa being away from him in this kind of situation. Both the brothers went to their respective rooms to freshen up and after that Song Ji Hwan went to Aera''s room to check on her. He knocked on her door, "Come in" She assumed Ji Seo Yun was here. When Song Ji Hwan entered her room, he saw her sitting near the balcony and looking outside. She clearly looked lost and broken. Seeing her state, Hwan felt his heart wrench in pain. "Why does Princess looks so lost and vulnerable? Are you rehearsing for some new role?" Song Ji Hwan greeted the girl, startling her. Aera just looked at him and slightly smiled, "Is that how it looks like?" "Hmm, you look like a lost Disney Princess" He tried to cheer her up. "Disney Princess" Aera lightly scoffed and said, "They all have parents, don''t they?" "Some do, some don''t" Hwan sat next to her and stroked her hair, "Aera, I know this is a loss that can never be filled but one has to move on, right?" "Why me Hwan? Why did I had to be the one to go through this tragedy? Why did it happen to my parents? They are so young." Aera tried to fight her tears. Song Ji Hwan didn''t know what else to say so he pulled her closer and tightly hugged her delicate body. "We will go through this pain together. I''ll be with you" He assured her. He was not sure what he himself meant but he wanted to assure her of his presence in any way possible. In her pain, Aera felt better hearing his words and she hugged him back. "Thank you, Song Ji Hwan" she softly muttered which was audible to him. "Now, go wash your face and let''s go for dinner. Song Ji Hun too will be joining us, this is how you want to look in front of him?" Song Ji Hwan tried to use his brother to improve her mood. "Honestly, I don''t care how I look right now" Aera replied, surprising Hwan. Seeing the shocked expression on Hwan''s face, Aera slightly chuckled, "You thought I love your brother more than my parents?" Hwan nodded his head as that''s what he indeed thought. "Well, I do but right now I am more sad about my parents''demise so stop using your brother" Aera teased him back. "So, you always knew I used my brother to control your mood swings?" Song Ji Hwan playfully asked her. "Initially I didn''t, but after a point when the favours kept increasing and I started working as an actress, I learnt a lot of things" Aera said. "Oh yeah, those amazing favours. How many do you owe me?" Song Ji Hwan shamelessly asked her. "Five Hundred and Twenty Two" "You remember?" Hwan was impressed as he too remembers this number. "Hmm, I am not as worse as you think I am" Aera rolled her eyes. "I don''t think you are worse. I think you are dumb" Song Ji Hwan corrected her only to get beaten up by the girl. "Now, let''s go and have some dinner" Song Ji Hwan held her hand and dragged her with him, which she allowed. At the dinner table, the other family members were already present and they all greeted Aera. At the dinner table, everyone avoided talking about Aera''s parents and tried to keep the conversation as cheerful as possible. Aera too tried to distract her mind and politely responded whenever she was asked something. After a peaceful dinner, Aera went back to her room to sleep but she couldn''t fall asleep for a long time. So, she decided to went out and get some fresh air but unexpectedly she came across some shocking information. Aera went out to the big common gallery to get some fresh air and there she saw Ji Seo Yun and Song Jae Ho having some deep, intense conversation. She first decided to walk away when she saw them as she didn''t wish to disturb the elders but when she turned away to leave, she heard something shocking. "I know I made a big mistake by betraying Chu Yu Ri and this guilt is eating me up, Jae Ho" Ji Seo Yun regretfully informed her husband. "I can''t believe you did something like this and the worst thing you used Aera to betray your friend" Song Jae Ho scolded his wife after knowing what she did. Song Jae Ho and his wife casually came out to the gallery as it was their daily routine and Ji Seo Yun was explaining why she decided to bring Aera here for a few days and her husband was appreciating her thoughtfulness. One thing led to another and Ji Seo Yun ended up confessing her guilt to her husband as she betrayed Chu Yu Ri for a business contract. Aera, who just arrived there heard a part of the conversation and was shocked to her core after finding out how she was used by one of her most trusted persons in betraying her own family. Aera, was rooted in her spot and was not sure what to feel anymore. ''I betrayed my mom. I betrayed my mom'' were the only words she could think of. She remembered what Song Ji Hwan said earlier about she being dumb and agreed with him. After scolding Ji Seo Yun, Song Jae Ho angrily left from there and Aera immediately hid herself. Once he left, she stepped in front of a startled Ji Seo Yun to confront her. Ji Seo Yun didn''t expect Aera to appear out of nowhere and was clearly a bit scared when she saw her there. In her heart, she kept hoping Aera didn''t hear anything and just arrived there. Chapter 157 - Apologize Ji Seo Yun awkwardly smiled at Aera, "Dear, you are having difficulty falling asleep?" "I heard everything" Aera directly came on point, she looked broken and dejected. Ji Seo Yun was shocked and was not sure how to explain herself to this girl. "You used me against my mother?" Aera struggled to fight her tears, "And a month after that she died. I couldn''t even apologize to my mother. You made me betray my mother" "Aera, I am so sorry, I really never thought Chu Yu Ri would leave us like this and I would never get a chance to ask for forgiveness. Even I am feeling guilty for what I did." Ji Seo Yun held Aera''s hands and looked apologetic. "But why did you use me? Because I am dumb?" The tears now started falling from Aera''s eyes as she recollected how Kiaraa and her friends always teased her calling her dumb. This was the first time in her life, she truly felt like a dumb person, who unknowingly betrayed her mom. "Aera, it was a small project and I was greedy to grab it. I had no way to know what Lees were bidding for, and given how much you trust me, I¡­" Ji Seo Yun tightly shut her eyes as she too felt ashamed of what she did and what she is talking about. "And given how much I trust you, you decided to use me in your favour, against my mother?" Aera started crying as she couldn''t believe all this. "I am so sorry, Aera. I thought it is just a small project but when Chu Yu Ri died so suddenly, I too started feeling guilty and now I realized what a big mistake I committed. I am really sorry" Ji Seo Yun too started crying uncontrollably, sobbing between her sentences. Both women were now crying, guilty for their own actions and they both didn''t know what else to say to each other. After a while, Ji Seo Yun held Aera''s hands and requested, "Aera, you can give me whatever punishment you want. I''ll accept any decision of yours but please forgive me." "Leave me alone for a while, right now I am not in the right state of mind" Aera declared and went to her room and locked the door from inside. Aera cried a lot as she was not sure, what else to do. It was very hurting to know the woman she loved and trusted all her life used her against her own mother and she betrayed her mom''s hard work unknowingly. After a while, she was not sure who else to talk to and automatically her fingers dialled a number on her phone even before she could realize it. Within two rings, the call was answered, "Hello" "Kiaraa" Aera called her sister''s name and cried even more when she heard her voice. Kiaraa too was not able to fall asleep as company''s financial condition was still bothering her and late night when she Aera calling her, she got surprised and immediately answered her phone. When Kiaraa heard Aera crying, she assumed Aera is missing her parents'' room and was therefore acting like this. "Aera, calm down. I understand you are at a new place and are missing mom and dad but you need to be strong" Kiaraa consoled her. "Kiaraa, you are right, I am dumb, I am so, so, so dumb" Aera sobbed uncontrollably. "What happened suddenly?" Kiaraa was confused hearing her words. Aera was not sure how to tell all of this to Kiaraa as she was sure Kiaraa too will blame her at the end. "Nothing, I was just missing home" Aera finally lied. "Stop being a baby, and enjoy yourself" Kiaraa finally said before hanging up on her as they both greeted good night to each other. Aera lied on the bed and continued crying until she fell asleep. Next day, she joined everyone for breakfast, and tried to act normal. Song Ji Hun and Song Ji Hwan left for their jobs after eating their meals, Song Jae Ho went to indulge in his hobby and Ji Seo Yun approached Aera. "You are not going to office today?" Aera asked Ji Seo Yun, as she was still in her home clothes. "I decided to take a day off from work and spend the day with you" Ji Seo Yun informed her. "I''ll be fine alone" Aera, still didn''t forgive Ji Seo Yun and wished to stay away from her. "Aera, I know you are upset. Believe me, right now no one is more upset with me than I, myself. I honestly hate myself right now. I know you accidentally found out about what I did, but now I am feeling relieved that you know of my sin. Please give me a chance to rectify my mistake. People commit mistakes and isn''t it important they realize their mistakes? I realized mine and I am extremely sorry, please give me a chance to truly apologize" Ji Seo Yun begged Aera. Aera was still reluctant but Ji Seo Yun''s words did have an impact on her. Also, the fact that after Chu Yu Ri, Aera always saw Ji Seo Yun as a mother figure, kind of left a soft corner for her in Aera''s heart. After losing Chu Yu Ri, Aera did not have the strength to lose Ji Seo Yun too. So, these soft feelings somewhere worked in Ji Seo Yun''s favour and Aera agreed to give her a chance to redeem herself. Ji Seo Yun''s happiness saw no boundaries knowing Aera''s decision and she tightly hugged her, "I promise I''ll make up for my mistake" she declared. The two women then got ready and first went to the memorial vault, where Aera and Kiaraa''s parents'' photographs were kept. Aera refused to step inside as she still didn''t bring to forgive herself for what she did and felt guilty to step inside. Ji Seo Yun didn''t insist and was understanding of what Aera was going through. She alone stepped inside with a small bouquet that she sticked on the vault and joined her hands in front of Chu Yu Ri''s photograph. Ji Seo Yun poured her heart out as to how greedy she was and how apologetic she felt for her actions and asked for her friend''s forgiveness. By the time, Ji Seo Yun was done and she stepped out, it was over forty minutes. When Aera saw the woman''s state, she understood Ji Seo Yun cried a lot as her eyes were puffy. Aera stepped forward and hugged Ji Seo Yun, "I hope mom forgave you" she only said this much and Ji Seo Yun again broke in tears. The two women sat in the backseat of the car and asked the driver to take them back to the Song Mansion. The whole way, Ji Seo Yun kept crying and Aera consoled her while she herself was lightly sobbing. After reaching home, the two women decided to let go of this incident and to never think about it again. Later, Ji Seo Yun and Aera had lunch with Song Jae Ho then both these women decided to go for shopping to distract their minds. Although, they didn''t enjoy the process, they tried to distract themselves and to forget this incident as one bad dream. ¡­ Here, at the Lee corporation, grandpa went through the whole financial status of the company and stress took over him, seeing how bad the state is. Kiaraa felt guilty for involving her grandpa at this age, as too much stress was not good for him. "I am sorry, grandpa" Kiaraa apologized to the old man, who was leaning back on the chair with his eyes closed. "Not your fault, dear. If your father was here, none of this would have happened. We can only blame our fates for the cruelty it has made us go through" Grandpa Lee said. "Grandpa, don''t worry about this problem, I''ll find some solution. I am sorry, for dragging you into it" "No dear, you did the right thing. You should not take this stress all on yourself. I suggest talk to your aunt and uncle you might come up with a solution" Kiaraa just nodded her head as she didn''t wish to say anything else and she was already regretting involving her grandpa. That day after going back home, Kiaraa seriously thought whom should she approach and how to tackle this situation. Finally, only one person came into her mind and she called him. "Hello" Song Ji Hun was happily surprised on receiving a call from Kiaraa. "Song Ji Hun, I am sorry for calling you so suddenly but I am going through some problem and I wish to have a word with you. It is something serious" Kiaraa politely spoke to him. "Sure, shall we meet tomorrow for lunch?" Song Ji Hun immediately agreed to her request and they both decided the time and venue. Kiaraa felt relieved and saw some hope with his positive response. Chapter 163 - Mr And Mrs Song Kiaraa felt a bit hesitant in accepting it, "Song Ji Hun, I can afford buying my own clothes. I am not poor" "I know, but why do you need to when you can use what''s mine. Remember there is nothing yours and mine from here on, whatever is mine belongs to you too" Song Ji Hun calmly but firmly said. "Are you sure about it? I might take complete advantage of your words" Kiaraa warned him in advance. "Sure, do whatever you want to do" Song Ji Hun wasn''t least bothered, he always wanted to give everything to Kiaraa and this way he can. "Let me make something clear, Mr Song. Even if what belongs to belongs to me too but it doesn''t apply the other way around. What belongs to me only belongs to me, you have no right on it" Kiaraa wanted to be clear about her stand from the start so that Song Ji Hun doesn''t take advantage of her. "Don''t worry, I don''t want anything that is yours" Song Ji Hun assured her and thought, ''As long as you are mine, I don''t need anything else'' "I still don''t understand what you would be getting out of this marriage" Kiaraa said out loudly. Although she was talking to Song Ji Hun, it was more like she was asking herself. "When the right time comes, I will let you know" When Song Ji Hun said this, Kiaraa raised her eyebrows in question, "So, there is something you are going to get out of this marriage?" "Hmm, obviously" "Then whatever it is, I want half of it" Kiaraa declared receiving a light chuckle from Song Ji Hun, "Fine, do remember you were the one, who asked for it. I''ll give you more than half of it" he promised. "Is it something bad?" Kiaraa worriedly asked as he was still laughing at her as if she made a silly request. "No, why would I marry you for something bad?" Song Ji Hun''s words calmed her down and she hoped to get half of whatever it is unaware of what she is asking for. Kiaraa roamed around this house and chose one of the master bedrooms as her room. "What would you like to have for lunch?" Song Ji Hun asked her while Kiaraa was resting in her room. "I am not in mood to go out" she lazily relaxed on the couch. "Me neither, I''ll cook" He informed, surprising her. "You know how to cook?" "I had to learn, not always I had the privilege of someone cooking for me" Kiaraa realized this guy kept travelling around for a long time, so he had to be dependent. "Cook anything, I am not very picky" she said and Song Ji Hun left to cook for his wife. He was aware of Kiaraa''s favourites but he didn''t wish to alert her so soon, therefore he cooked something that she likes but without looking suspicious. He made Jjajangmyeon and Soft Tofu stew, they were simple dishes and fulfilling. Kiaraa was browsing through her phone, when she smelled something amazing and couldn''t help but step out. When she entered the stylishly designed kitchen, she was welcomed by the back view of Song Ji Hun, who was seriously preparing their lunch. In a white shirt, with his sleeves folded up till his elbow and black pants, he looked desirable. Kiaraa couldn''t help but admire this back view of his, where he actually looked sexy, even more because he was cooking so diligently. Kiaraa stepped towards the wine wall and randomly chose a wine bottle from there and grabbed two glasses from the shelf next to it. Song Ji Hun heard the movements behind him but he didn''t turn around. Kiaraa popped the bottle open and continued pouring red wine in it while observing him. ''Maybe marrying him is not that bad, he is hot and looks sexy while cooking'' she thought to herself still looking at him. Once she poured the wine, she left the bottle on the platform and stepped towards Song Ji Hun with two glasses of wine. "Here, have, some wine, you must be tired" she offered a glass to him. Song Ji Hun stopped what he was doing and accepted the glass from her, "Thanks for being so considerate" The two people clinked their glasses and had a sip of their drinks, "To at least one year of our marriage" Kiaraa raised her glass before sipping on it. "At least" Song Ji Hun chuckled promising himself that this marriage will last for life. "Mr Song, the food smells really good, I hope it tastes as good as it smells" Kiaraa casually said. "It depends on Mrs Song''s liking" Kiaraa was a bit taken aback as Song Ji Hun addressed her as Ms. Lee until now and suddenly he changed his style and called her Mrs. Song. The weird part is she actually liked the way he called her. So, for a second, she couldn''t oppose to him and was in a state of daze. "You alright?" Song Ji Hun suddenly touched her left cheek with the back of his right hand, startling her and she immediately took a step back making some distance between them. "Sorry, did I scare you?" Song Ji Hun quickly retreated back his hand. "Yeah, that¡­ you¡­ suddenly¡­" Kiaraa was not sure what to say. "Your cheeks turned red and hot, that''s why I was checking" Song Ji Hun explained why he touched her. "Oh, really?" Kiaraa touched her cheeks and he was indeed right, both her cheeks were hot and she could imagine them being red. Kiaraa awkwardly chuckled, "When I drink wine, my cheeks turn red" she came up with a lame excuse to cover up the fact that she was blushing on being called Mrs Song. "Weird, I am hearing something like this for the first time" Song Ji Hun lightly smiled, seeing through her lie. "Whatever" Kiaraa avoided looking at him and sipped on her drink. Song Ji Hun finished the cooking and the lunch was ready. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun sat around the dining table with the food he prepared and the rest of the wine in bottle. The newly married couple had a peaceful, enjoyable lunch. Kiaraa loved the simple food he prepared and she ate more than she could as she loved every bite of it. After the lunch was over, Song Ji Hun asked her, "Was the food to your liking Mrs Song?" Kiaraa again felt her heart fluttered and sipped more wine before answering him, "Hmm, it was fine." She tried to hide her face and not show how much she enjoyed this lunch and how much she liked him addressing like this. ''Why am I acting like how Aera would? There is something dangerous about this guy. Kiaraa be careful.'' She warned herself. "Would you like to rest for a while, before we go to the Song Mansion tonight?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "Hmm, I would like that. I am weirdly feeling very sleepy" Song Ji Hun wanted to say, after an amazing lunch like this anyone would feel asleep but he didn''t. "Sure, take rest" Kiaraa then went to sleep and Song Ji Hun made a call to one of his assistants and gave that person some instructions. ¡­ Mi Cha was in her office, going through some file when her assistant knocked on the door. The elegantly dressed woman didn''t bother lifting her head and continued doing her work, "Come in" "Ma''am, Mr Song Ji Hun from the Song Industries sent a gift for you" The assistant informed Mi Cha, finally getting her attention. "Mr Song Ji Hun?" Mi Cha questioned in surprise. Mi Cha and Song Ji Hun studied Business Management from Seoul National University and were batchmates. She used to have a huge crush on him and even went as far as proposing to him but Song Ji Hun politely rejected her. At one point, she came across Song Ji Hun at a restaurant with a beautiful girl, who claimed to be Song Ji Hun''s girlfriend and threw her attitude around. Mi Cha never forgot that girl and later she found that, that girl''s name was Lee Kiaraa and she was the eldest daughter of the Lee family. One more thing that Mi Cha never forgot was the promise Song Ji Hun made to her. He said, the day he and Kiaraa will get married he will send her a gift. It has been around nine years to this incident, so she forgot about it, but occasionally she used to wonder what these two were up to. "Give it to me" Mi Cha extended her hands and took the gift Song Ji Hun sent for her. When she opened it, she found a unique set of chain with a big blue pendant on it and there was a card sticked to the gift box, when she opened it, it read: A beautiful necklace for a beautiful lady from Mr and Mrs. Song. Mi Cha chuckled reading the card. Chapter 164 - Important Discussion Song Mansion Ji Seo Yun was very excited about the dinner gathering at her home tonight as she planned something special. Few days ago, although she apologized to her late friends for cheating them to win a deal, Ji Seo Yun''s guilt didn''t go away. Although, Aera indeed forgave her but she Ji Seo Yun couldn''t forgive herself for what she did. Therefore, she decided to do make up for it through this gathering. Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon arrived to the Song Mansion before the scheduled meeting time as Ji Seo Yun informed her friend that she has something big planned for tonight. "Wow, you two are already here" Ji Seo Yun exclaimed in surprise, seeing the two people. "Hmm, Da Hye insisted we have to arrive earlier" Kim Hoon answered her before asking, "Where is Song Jae Ho?" "He is in the study room" Ji Seo Yun informed him. "That''s really surprising. I was expecting to see him with some plants" Kim Hoon joked before heading to the study room to accompany his friend. Sa Da Hye stepped towards Ji Seo Yun to ask, "What''s the big thing you are planning to do today?" "Your curiosity brought you here earlier, didn''t it?" Ji Seo Yun proudly asked. "Yes, yes, you win, now tell me what is it?" "First you tell me where are Kim Do Yun and Ian?" Ji Seo Yun invited the kids too. "They both are at work and will directly come here for dinner. Now tell me what are you planning?" Sa Da Hye was feeling anxious and excited. "You didn''t change at all" Ji Seo Yun smiled before revealing that tonight she plans to officially discuss the topic of marriage between Aera and Song Ji Hun. Sa Da Hye''s widened in shock at this revelation, "But why so suddenly? I mean we lost Lee Myung Soo and Chu Yu Ri just a month ago" Sa Da Hye worriedly said. Ji Seo Yun too turned upset at the mention of their best friends'' deaths but she composed herself, "That''s why. Aera had been feeling very low, she is not going back to her sets and is living in depression. I feel she need a change and also, I want to bring her to my home permanently. So, what better way than getting her married to Song Ji Hun? So, today I will talk to elder Lee and initiate this discussion" she explained. "Hmm, you have a point but the same thing applies to Kiaraa too and she is the elder one, shouldn''t she get married first before Aera?" Sa Da Hye asked. "I will just start the topic of their marriage today; I am not getting Aera and Song Ji Hun married today itself. After I initiate this proposal, why don''t you jump in and ask Kiaraa''s hand for Ian?" Ji Seo Yun suggested to her friend. "I am not sure, Ji Seo Yun. As you know, Kiaraa rejected Ian years ago" Sa Da Hye sadly said, recollecting how upset Ian was for a few months at that time. "Da Hye, things have changed. Maybe this time she will agree" Ji Seo Yun consoled her friend and both the women went back to make the arrangements for the gathering. After a while, Aera joined them downstairs dressed in a light green dress that Ji Seo Yun asked her to wear. "Hi Aera, you are looking very pretty" Sa Da Hye stepped forward and hugged her. "Hello aunt Sa Da Hye" Then Aera turned to Ji Seo Yun, "I am wearing the dress you asked me to wear but what''s the occasion?" "She doesn''t know?" Sa Da Hye whispered to Ji Seo Yun, who shook her head in no and mouthed the word ''surprise'' indicating she is planning to surprise Aera. "What''s going on with you two?" Aera lightly smiled seeing the two women whispering like teenage girls. "It''s a secret" Sa Da Hye happily declared and Aera didn''t insist further, she just smiled seeing the two women and sadly recollecting her mother, who too might have been whispering like this if she was alive. Seeing the light sad smile painted on Aera''s lips, anyone could figure out what she is thinking. Sa Da Hye held her shoulder and sadly smiled, "We too miss her. Although she isn''t here, you are not allowed to feel lonely. Me and Ji Seo Yun are just like Chu Yu Ri for you. Whenever you need something, you have to come to us" "Thank you, aunt Da Hye" Aera emotionally hugged her and left after asking when her friend, Kim Do Yun will be here. Just then grandpa Lee came to the Song Mansion and Aera''s eyes brightened in happiness seeing him. She immediately hugged him and asked where other Lee members are. "They are all busy but I think Kiaraa will be here in a while" Grandpa informed her, happy to see his granddaughter smiling again. Aera definitely looked better than before and he was glad he sent her away from the Lee Mansion for a few days. The grandfather and granddaughter sat in the living room and updated each other about themselves. Grandpa Lee didn''t inform Aera of the problems that Lee Conglomerate was going through as he didn''t wish to worry her. It was bad enough that Kiaraa is already suffering about these problems, so he didn''t wish to drag Aera too in it. Later, the two men too came downstairs and joined everyone but the wives noticed that their husbands looked a bit worried and tensed. "Song Jae Ho, is everything alright? You look tensed." Ji Seo Yun questioned her husband, who was startled by it as he tried his best to look normal. "Everything is alright" Song Jae Ho awkwardly smiled at his wife, wondering what would happen when the thing he found out, would be known to his wife. Kim Hoon tried to assure Song Jae Ho to not worry but the truth is, he himself was not feeling at peace as his family too is going to fall apart after this thing comes to light. Just then Ian and Kim Do Yun came together to the Song Mansion and greeted everyone. "Glad you two came together" Sa Da Hye stated. "I went to his hospital to pick him up or else he would have been late, so you should appreciate me" Kim Do Yun proudly informed everyone only to get glared at by her elder brother, who wished to delay his arrival as much as possible and planned to leave soon but his sister ruined his plans. "He is a doctor we understand if he is too busy for us" Ji Seo Yun casually teased Ian. "Nothing like that, aunt Ji Seo Yun. Today I had a long surgery, so¡­" "It''s okay, don''t explain yourself. Have some snacks" Ji Seo Yun handed some food to the two kids, who just arrived there. Next, Song Ji Hwan too came home and was greeted by the view of this gathering, "Wow, it has been so long seeing everyone like this" Hwan happily stated before joining his friends and family. "Yeah, all thanks to your mother" Grandpa Lee happily said while his friend grandpa Song agreed with him. Grandpa Kim too was supposed to be here, but he was on a trip and couldn''t make it. "Ji Seo Yun, now tell us what important thing that you wanted to discuss with me?" Grandpa Lee asked her as that''s what she told him before insisting him to come for this gathering. Ji Seo Yun looked at everyone with a wide smile on her face and cleared her throat before revealing her big plan, "Father, I actually wanted to discuss the topic of Song Ji Hun and Aera''s wedding. That is why I wished to meet all of you" Hearing what Ji Seo Yun said, Song Jae Ho was totally shocked and looked at Kim Hoon helplessly, who too was taken aback as he didn''t expect this gathering to be regarding Aera and Song Ji Hun''s marriage. The two men felt helpless as just a while ago they found about Song Ji Hun''s wedding to Kiaraa. There was another person, who was shocked too but all for different reasons. Song Ji Hwan. He felt like sand was slipping away from his hand and he hated the surprise look on Aera''s face, when she got to know of Ji Seo Yun''s intentions. .... Author''s note Dear all who voted their power stones and Golden Tickets, thank you so much for showering so much love to this book. If we reach top 200 in power ranking or if we get 200 golden tickets, I''ll try to do a mass release. Hope you guys will continue reading this book and enjoy it. Also, please let me know in the comments of your opinion on this book. Mostly by next month the flashback will be over and we will reach the current track. So, do let me know your thoughts. Chapter 165 - Disowning Kiaraa "Seo Yun, wouldn''t it be better we talk to Song Ji Hun first?" Song Jae Ho interrupted his wife. "I know what my son wants" Ji Seo Yun confidently said. "Do you?" A serious voice was heard, which even sounded annoyed. Everyone looked at Song Ji Hwan in shock as they never heard him sound so rude. "Do you really know what either of your sons want?" Song Ji Hwan questioned his mother. "What do you mean?" Ji Seo Yun was taken aback by the way Hwan just spoke to her. "Hwan, this is not the way to speak to your mother" Song Jae Ho chimed in seeing the situation getting out of control. The next minute, Ji Seo Yun received a phone call that shocked her to the core, "What nonsense are you brewing Mrs Ko, you must be mistaken" she almost shouted. Others present there looked at Ji Seo Yun in confusion and one by one their phones were vibrating with calls and messages. Sa Da Hye too received the same news as Ji Seo Yun, which surprised her too and she asked one of the servants to turn on the television and tune into a Korean Popular news channel. "Today, the eldest son of the Song Family, Mr Song Ji Hun got married to the eldest daughter of the Lee Family, Ms Kiaraa Lee. Just a month ago, the CEO of the Lee Conglomerate Mr Lee Myung Soo and his wife lost their lives in a car accident and within a month of that tragedy, their daughter married her childhood sweetheart. What is the reason behind this sudden marriage? Stay tuned to find out." The news anchor reported the news, which shook one and all present there. Everyone watching this news thought this to be some kind of misunderstanding as they couldn''t believe Kiaraa marrying Song Ji Hun. "What nonsense is this? Connect me to these news channels. How can they report false news about our family?" Ji Seo Yun shouted in frustration. "Seo Yun, calm down and listen to me" Song Jae Ho, who was already worried about how to handle this situation was now feeling helpless as this news suddenly came out in open. Aera and Ian were frozen at their places still processing the news. They both were hoping Ji Seo Yun is right and there is some misreporting. "What is there to listen? Where is Song Ji Hun?" Ji Seo Yun was not ready to listen to her husband and tried calling her son but the next minute Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa showed up at the Song Mansion, holding each other''s hands. "Mom" Song Ji Hun called his mother and he hung up his phone which was vibrating. "Ji Hun, thank god you are back. See, what ridiculous news these news channels are reporting. Call them and inform them that there is some misunderstanding" Ji Seo Yun anxiously approached her son. "Mom, there is no misunderstanding. I and Kiaraa got married today morning" Song Ji Hun dropped a huge bombshell on everyone present there. As soon as these words left his mouth, there was pin drop silence all over the place and no one was in the state to utter a word. Aera, who was standing until now, stumbled and sat on the couch behind, in the state of shock, as her mind wasn''t able to process what she just heard. Ian on the other hand, was so shocked he only kept looking at Kiaraa and when she nodded her head at him in confirmation, he didn''t know how to react. "What nonsense are you brewing? Kiaraa did you really get married to him?" The long silence was finally broken by grandpa Lee, who was extremely angry right now. "Yes¡­ grandpa" Kiaraa expected for her grandpa to get upset but she was sure he would understand if she tries to explain herself but things didn''t go as planned for her. THUD!!!! The next second the loud noise of Kiaraa being slapped by her grandpa was heard. It happened so fast, that no one realized it. Even Song Ji Hun wasn''t able to stop the old man and protect Kiaraa. "How dare you? How dare you marry the man your sister has been in love with for so many years? Were you not aware we planned to get Aera married to Song Ji Hun? How could you fall so low that you would eye your sister''s man?" Grandpa Lee shouted at Kiaraa. "Excuse me? Since when did I become her sister''s man? Grandpa Lee, I am respecting your age and standing here calmly but doesn''t mean you will assume anything about myself. Did I ever say I love Aera or did I ever show any slight interest in her? I always loved Kiaraa and therefore married her. Please refrain from making false statements and stop accusing my wife of stealing me." Song Ji Hun then looked at everyone present there, "If I ever hear, anyone accusing Kiaraa or questioning her character, you will see the worse in me" "What is going on Ji Hun? Since, when did you¡­ and Kiaraa. What the hell is all this?" Ji Seo Yun couldn''t accept the way Song Ji Hun was acting. His protectiveness towards Kiaraa pissed her off. Never before she saw her son talk to anyone so disrespectfully or act like this. This was the first time. ''Did Song Ji Hun always love Kiaraa and not Aera? As his mother, did I mistake my son''s choice? Where did I go wrong?'' Ji Seo Yun questioned herself. "Mom, Kiaraa is the daughter-in-law of this house and I hope you will treat her with respect and dignity. I won''t appreciate if anyone will ill-treat her." Song Ji Hun warned his mother beforehand. "Do you really love her?" Ji Seo Yun still couldn''t believe this. Song Ji Hun deeply sighed, "Yes mother, I do and she loves me too." He added. "But I don''t accept this wedding. If you loved him, you should have talked to me first and you should have discussed about this matter with your sister as you are aware of her love towards Ji Hun. But you went ahead and just got married to him. You disappointed me, Kiaraa" Grandpa Lee angrily declared. "Grandpa, let me¡­" "Just shout your mouth, I don''t even wish to hear your voice, rather I don''t even wish to see your face" Grandpa Lee''s anger shot up hearing just those three words from Kiaraa. Grandpa Lee stepped towards Aera and carefully helped her get up, "Dear, I promise you this grandpa of yours will ensure no one wrongs you" He then turned around and declared, "From today onwards, Kiaraa is dead for me and I am disowning her. Her name would be removed from the Lee family book and she has no right on any of us" Kiaraa was shocked hearing her grandpa''s words as she didn''t expect things to escalate this fast. "Grandpa¡­" "SHUT UP. You have lost all the rights to call me grandpa. I am not your grandpa and you are not my granddaughter anymore" Grandpa Lee shouted at her. "But grandpa at least¡­" "Can''t you understand what I am saying? I am not your grandpa anymore and don''t you ever dare to try us contact in anyway. From this second, you are dead for us" Grandpa Lee was shaking in anger and Aera had to hold him to support. "Let''s go dear, I am not going to stay here for a second more" Grandpa Lee declared holding Aera''s hand and before leaving he looked at Ji Seo Yun, "Thank you so much for giving hopes to my granddaughter all these years and then crushing them right in front of her eyes." He even blamed the mother, who never really checked with her son and tried to know what he wants. She was living in her own bubble and gave false hopes to Aera, encouraging her feelings to this extent. Aera didn''t stop her grandpa and left with him as she was still in a state of shock, as she was hoping all of this to be a dream. A month ago, she got the biggest shock when she lost her parents and this time she got another shock, where she lost the man she loved for many years to her sister. She couldn''t process and understand what''s going on. Never in her life did she feel her sister too was attracted to the same man. All of this happened so suddenly to her, without any warning or heads up. Aera and grandpa Lee left from the Song Mansion, and no one stopped them as there was no way for anyone present there to come up with anything. All this was a huge shock for everyone present there, no one was prepared for it so nobody knew how to react or what to do to make the other person feel comfortable.. Everyone was equally shocked and equally helpless. Chapter 166 - Favour Ian stormed off from the Song Mansion. Kiaraa wanted to follow him but right now she was not in the state to explain herself or console him. Her grandpa''s announcement of disowning her affected her greatly and she was in a state of shock. Kim Do Yun followed her brother and her parents too followed their kids as the Kims could understand what Ian must be going through. Even after all these years, he was still in love with Kiaraa and didn''t get over her. He was in the hope that someday Kiaraa would realize her love for him and would reciprocate. "Let''s go upstairs" Song Ji Hun calmly spoke to Kiaraa, holding her hand to take her to his room. Ji Seo Yun wanted to say something but Song Jae Ho held her hand and shook his head, signalling her to keep quiet and took her away to their bedroom. Grandpa Song too was not sure what to say, so he went back to his room. Song Ji Hwan was the only one standing in the living room, wondering why all of this is suddenly happening. He wanted to talk to his brother, but Song Ji Hun was with Kiaraa, so he didn''t wish to intrude into their room. In a few minutes, lucky for him, Song Ji Hun himself stepped down and met with Song Ji Hwan. "I know this is a lot for you to handle but I hope you will be supportive" Song Ji Hun said to his visibly shocked brother. "What''s going on Hyung? Why did you suddenly marry Kiaraa and why did you not tell me about it?" Song Ji Hwan was happy for his brother but he was still in a state of shock as this marriage happened so suddenly. "I promise you Hwan, I''ll answer every question of yours but tomorrow. Today, there is something important you need to take care of in my spite" Song Ji Hun said. "What is it?" Song Ji Hwan asked his brother. Song Ji Hun looked past him at the main door, following his sight, Song Ji Hwan turned around only to see Yang Nam-il standing there. "Hope the reporters I gave this news to, did their job?" Yang Nam-il was smiling at the two brothers. "Hmm, they did. Everyone got the shock of their lives" Song Ji Hun informed his friend in the same monotonous voice. "It was you, who intentionally leaked this news to the reporters?" Song Ji Hwan was surprised at this revelation and questioned his brother. "Yeah. I knew everyone was present here and I wished for them to get the news without me going through the trouble of informing them. Also, I wished for the whole world to know Kiaraa is mine as soon as possible" Song Ji Hun firmly declared. "You are so cruel brother. You didn''t even care how this news would affect Aera and Ian. I mean, I know they mean nothing to you but at least out of humanity you could have saved them from this humiliation" Song Ji Hwan couldn''t help but argue with his brother as Aera and Ian were two people he did care for. "Will you calm down?" Song Ji Hun relaxingly said and looked at Yang Nam-il, waiting for some update. "Currently, they both are at the way to their homes but I am not sure for how long that will be the case" Yang Nam-il understood Song Ji Hun''s unasked question and answered him accordingly. "Tonight, do me a favour, keep an eye on Aera and Ian. This is that thing I wanted you to take care of in my spite. You and Yang Nam-il keep an eye on those two and ensure they don''t do anything stupid" Song Ji Hun shared his intentions of calling his friend at this hour. "You think Aera is so weak that she might commit suicide because you married her sister?" Song Ji Hwan tauntingly questioned his brother, who wasn''t affected by his brother''s attitude. "What do you think?" Song Ji Hun chose to counter question him instead. "I don''t think she will¡­" Song Ji Hwan then suddenly went silent as he recollected the scenarios Aera went through in the last one month and how she even stopped going to work. Aera has been showing symptoms of borderline depression, because of which their mother brought her here to the Song Mansion for a change. Recollecting all of this, Song Ji Hwan realized his brother is not completely wrong, there is a chance Aera might take some wrong step. "Where is she?" Hwan worriedly asked Yang Nam-il. "Currently on the way to the Lee Mansion. Grandpa Lee is with her, so right now there is nothing we need to worry about but later when she is alone, we can''t be sure what she will do." Yang Nam-il said. "Do you think grandpa Lee would let me in his house after everything that happened today?" Song Ji Hwan sarcastically questioned his brother. "Figure that out by yourself" Song Ji Hun said. "Hyung" "Hwan, I know you care about that girl and although I am not sure what exactly you feel for her, I am sure that she means a lot to you, more than you show" Song Ji Hun first time shared his opinion on what he thinks about Hwan and Aera. "Hyung, I already have a girlfriend and I told you many times I don''t have feelings for that girl" Song Ji Hwan understood the underlying meaning of his Hyung''s words and responded what he truly believed. "Fine, if you say so" Song Ji Hun didn''t wish to meddle with his brother''s personal life so he didn''t insist on anything else. "Hope you two can do me this favour and keep an eye on Ian and Aera, please" Song Ji Hun requested Yang Nam-il and Hwan. "Why do you care about them?" Hwan couldn''t understand his brother. "I don''t want someone''s blood on my hands. Although, they are the two people I like the least, or dislike the most, I don''t want either of them dead. Hope I am clear" Song Ji Hun said before adding, "My wife needs me, I need to be on her side" After saying this much, he asked the servants to serve some dinner on a tray and went upstairs with it. "Can you believe this guy?" Song Ji Hwan frustratedly asked Yang Nam-il. Yang Nam-il just chuckled and patted on Hwan''s shoulder, "Let''s go and do this one favour on him" "When did you find out about their marriage?" Song Ji Hwan asked Yang Nam-il while joining him in the car. "You will kill your brother if you find out the truth" Nam-il warned him. "Go for it. I won''t be surprised even if you attended the wedding and witnessed their holy matrimony" Song Ji Hwan sarcastically taunted him. "Well, yeah I did" Yang Nam-il confessed and Hwan was indeed not surprised. "Sometimes I feel my brother loves you more than me" Hwan sadly stated. "That''s not true, he loves you more than me but he had his reasons." Yang Nam-il could see how upset Hwan was. "What reasons could he have?" Hwan didn''t buy it and still felt bad for not being involved in this whole process. "At least listen to me and know what exactly happened, after that you can curse your brother" Yang Nam-il already had a word with Ji Hun and they decided to share the truth with Hwan. Hwan was silent waiting for Yang Nam-il to continue and then Yang Nam-il informed him about the financial status of Lee Conglomerate due to the sudden demise of their CEO and how Kiaraa was struggling with funds. He also informed Hwan about the marriage deal Song Ji Hun made to take advantage of this situation as he was sure, he won''t ever get another opportunity like this to make Kiaraa his wife. Yang Nam-il also informed Hwan of all the terms and conditions that Kiaraa put forward before agreeing to this marriage. "Wow, this girl is more despicable than I thought. I can never imagine Kiaraa making a deal out of her own marriage" Song Ji Hwan said after knowing what happened. "Her conditions are so selfish and calculative. I must say, this woman never fails to impress me" Yang Nam-il joked. "What will Hyung would do after a year? When Kiaraa will ask for a divorce?" Hwan worriedly asked. Yang Nam-il chuckled as if he heard some joke, "Your Hyung will seduce her so well in this one year that she would never wish to leave him" Song Ji Hwan''s heavy mood too lightened hearing this and he too laughed, "I do hope that would indeed be the case" ¡­ Author''s Note Thank you all for voting your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to my novel. It is at a good trending rank.. I hope you will continue your votes and help me be in top 200. Thank you Chapter 167 - Protect Them Note: Clear the cache from the settings if there is any problem with the chapter. Song Ji Hwan and Yang Nam-il reached the Lee Mansion and stayed a few meters away from the gate in their car. "I hope our staying here would turn futile" Song Ji Hwan said hoping Aera won''t do anything stupid. "Hmm, same here" Yang Nam-il too wished the same. "If we both are here, who is with Ian?" Hwan realised they are not keeping an Ian. "He is stronger, he won''t do anything stupid. Song Ji Hun''s men have kept an eye on him and are giving me timely updates. Aera''s case is different and more sensitive" Yang Nam-il explained why staying here is more important. Song Ji Hwan frustratedly ran his hand through his hair, "I blame myself for Aera''s condition. Hyung always said to make it clear to her that he isn''t interested and I was reluctant because I didn''t wish for her to get hurt" "Hey, what are you saying? Remember, years ago Song Ji Hun rejected her and clearly expressed his disinterest. Even he is not sure why after rejecting so clearly she kept her hopes up. After that they never met much and rarely interacted. Also, she was old enough to understand rejection when Ji Hun rejected her" Yang Nam-il shared his thoughts as he didn''t understand why Aera didn''t move on then itself. Song Ji Hwan recollected this incident which happened around the same time Kiaraa rejected Ian. He again started cursing himself, "I should have informed Hyung of what happened instead of ignoring it. All of this is my fault" Yang Nam-il got surprised this time and didn''t get the meaning behind his words. "What do you mean Hwan?" He asked. "After Hyung''s rejection, Aera was heartbroken and she cried but my mother met with her and¡­" Hwan then informed everything in detail as to how Ji Seo Yun gave false hopes to Aera. "What the fuck is wrong with your mother? Why would she do this?" Yang Nam-il didn''t hesitate in expressing his anger not minding the fact that Ji Seo Yun is Hwan''s mother. "Yeah, after what mom did, I went to Aera and tried to convince her that mom is just being ridiculous and Hyung isn''t interested in her but she misunderstood me and assumed I am into her and therefore I am discouraging her in pursuing elder brother. When she said that I got angry and decided to let her learn the lesson the hard way." Hwan now regretted letting Aera live in her dream world. "Are you serious?" Yang Nam-il couldn''t believe all of this as Hwan never shared the details of this incident with them. If he did, and Song Ji Hun was aware of it then Song Ji Hun would have handled the situation and wouldn''t have let things get dragged to this extent. Only after seeing grandpa Lee''s reaction today did Song Ji Hun realise the situation with Aera was the same. All these years he was busy with his work and his mother only nagged him to get married but never mentioned the girl''s name so he had no idea what was going on behind his back. "I am so sorry" Hwan felt guilty. "If you can, say sorry to that girl. Although she is annoying and all, she doesn''t deserve to suffer like this and be a victim of other''s people''s negligence. There is nothing wrong in being love with a person but the way she has been played and manipulated, it is very sad." Yang Nam-il felt bad for Aera. "Hmm, although she loved Hyung she never acted out of line or tried to get closer to him in cheap ways. She always carried her feelings with dignity" Hwan stated. "Hwan, can I ask you something?" Yang Nam-il couldn''t help but ask, seeing the serious expression on Hwan''s face. "Hmm?" "Are you in love with her?" Song Ji Hwan frustratedly held the bridge of his nose, "Believe me Yang Nam-il, I am not in love with her, I just pity her state as somewhere it is my mom who manipulated her like this. Whatever concern I am showing for her is all out of pity and sympathy. Please don''t overthink." "Fine, if you say so" Yang Nam-il was not convinced by what Hwan said as what he was seeing was not matching with what he was hearing. "You don''t believe me?" Hwan got irritated. "A man, who cares for his woman acts like the way you are acting" Yang Nam-il unhesitatingly said. Song Ji Hwan chuckled, "Firstly, she is not my woman and secondly, I don''t care about what you think" "Cool" Just then they two saw a car leave the Lee Mansion and it wasn''t difficult for them to figure out that it was Aera who just left her home. Yang Nam-il quickly started his car and followed hers discreetly by maintaining some distance but also ensuring she is not out of their sight. "Do you think she is going somewhere to commit suicide?" Song Ji Hwan unbelievably asked as he couldn''t believe Aera would take such a drastic step just because Song Ji Hun is married. "Hmm, high probability of that being the case" Yang Nam-il didn''t deny. "Is she crazy? Are there no other men in this world except for Hyung? Does she not realise there are much better man available out there and if she gives them a chance, she can find someone who will love her sincerely" Song Ji Hwan frustratedly shouted not being able to control himself. Yang Nam-il just smiled seeing his reaction, "Hmm, couldn''t she glance at you and shift her attention to you instead" "Nam-il, this is not the time to crack such lame jokes" Hwan was very serious right now and the thought of Aera might be wanting to kill herself for his brother was annoying him. "Why are you upset? Because of what I said or you are jealous that she loves your brother?" Yang Nam-il won''t back down in teasing him. "Yang Nam-il, a person is probably trying to commit suicide. There are much bigger problems to solve. Can you please focus on the important things here?" "That''s what I am doing" With every passing second, Yang Nam-il''s doubt of Hwan being in love with Aera was solidifying. They followed Aera, who was heading towards Han river side. "This doesn''t look good" Yang Nam-il now started worrying about her. "That''s what I had been trying to say. Now you realise the seriousness of this situation?" Hwan shouted at Yang Nam-il. "Sorry dude, can we please focus on saving this dumb girl instead of arguing?" Yang Nam-il too responded irritatedly as he was really scared. Just then Hwan''s phone rang and he was surprised to see Kim Do-Yun calling him. "Why is Ian''s sister calling me?" Hwan wondered. "Ian is at a bar right now and his sister followed him there that was the latest update I had" Yang Nam-il informed him while focusing on Aera''s car. "Hello" Hwan immediately answered Kim Do-Yun''s call. "Brother Hwan" Kim Do-Yun''s crying voice could be heard from the other hand, "Elder brother has drank and too much and is wasted. He is crying continuously and he just broke a bottle and hurt his hand. He is not letting anyone treat it and I am feeling helpless. I don''t want to trouble mom and dad, so¡­" she said between her sobs. "I understand, stop crying and tell me where you are, I''ll reach there" Song Ji Hwan worriedly said and Yang Nam-il signalled him he knows where Ian is. "I''ll be there soon" Hwan declared before hanging up. "Ian''s condition is not good" Hwan worriedly informed Yang Nam-il. Yang Nam-il quickly stopped the car to one side, "You follow Aera, I know where Ian is and that bar is not very far from here. I''ll take care of him" Yang Nam-il quickly stepped out the car and Hwan shifted to the driver side and sped the car to catch up with Aera, who was still in his line of sight. After a few seconds, Aera stopped her car to a side and lifelessly stepped out of it. The woman was clearly broken and her eyes were puffy, implying she had been crying. Closing the car door, Aera stepped towards the Han river bridge. The lifeless person, aimlessly walked ahead and tried to jump the bridge when suddenly a hand with full force held her arm and abruptly pulled her towards him. When Song Ji Hwan saw what she was doing, he ran with all the might and before she could jump off the bridge he roughly pulled her towards him and tightly hugged her. Chapter 168 - Taking Care Note: Clear the cache from the settings if there is any problem in reading the chapter. There is some problem with the chapter so I had to edit it after publishing. If you see same content please clear the cache or remove the book from the library before adding it back. When Song Ji Hwan saw what Aera was doing, he ran with all the might and before she could jump off the bridge, he roughly pulled her towards him and tightly hugged her. Aera stumbled due to this sudden pull but he balanced her and rested her head on his chest while he wrapped his hand around her waist. Aera was surprised with Song Ji Hwan''s sudden presence but right now she wasn''t in the state to ask or process anything. Feeling the warmth, which she unknowingly had been craving for, Aera leaned on him and cried her heart out. Song Ji Hwan sighed in relief that he reached on time and was able to save Aera. If she would have indeed lost her life today, he would have never been able to forgive himself as he feels he was the one, who pushed her to this extent. He caressed the back of her head with one hand while firmly holding her with other. "Just because you failed in love doesn''t mean your life is over. My brother is not worth you losing your life" Hwan couldn''t help but say these words. "Why? Why did¡­ Kiaraa do¡­ this to me?" Aera sobbed uncontrollably. Song Ji Hwan then realised the person that affected Aera and forced her to take this step was not his brother but her sister. "If she¡­ was with Song¡­ Ji Hun all¡­ these years¡­ and was in¡­ love with him¡­ she could¡­ have just told me¡­ At some point, I would have given up. Why did¡­ she did this? Does she¡­ hate me so¡­ much?" Aera asked Hwan looking like a broken toy. Song Ji Hwan was aware of the fact that Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun lied about being in love, so he didn''t know how to console Aera. He had no choice but to let her be. Slowly, Aera''s knees were losing its strength, so Song Ji Hwan carried her in his arms and made her sit in the front passenger seat of his car and offered her some water. Aera drank some and then she leaned back on the seat and closed her eyes. "Aera, I need to make a call then I''ll take you to Lee conglomerate" Song Ji Hwan informed her but he didn''t leave her side, he sat next to her and called Yang Nam-il, who updated him about the situation there. ¡­ Few Minutes Earlier Yang Nam-il hailed a taxi and quickly reached the bar where Ian was drinking. When he reached there, he was greeted with the view of Ian drinking in a private room while his sister was trying to stop him but he ignored her. Kim Do-Yun was crying seeing her brother''s state as she was helpless. Ian too was crying, his eyes turned red, his one hand was bleeding and it was evident he broke a glass and hurt himself. "Elder brother, please listen to me¡­" Kim Do Yun was begging him but as if he couldn''t hear anything, he didn''t react. "Hey, Song Ji Hwan sent me" Yang Nam-il went to Kim Do-Yun''s side and introduced himself. "You?" Kim Do-Yun still looked at him in confusion as she never met this guy before. "I am Song Ji Hwan''s friend, Yang Nam-il, actually Lee Aera was about to commit suicide so he had to be on her side. He therefore sent me in his stead" Yang Nam-il explained. "What?" Kim Do-Yun loudly shouted in shock, "Aera tried to commit suicide?" That''s when she realized her friend too is going through the same torture as her brother. She totally forgot about it and now she felt guilty. "But I am sure she is fine" Yang Nam-il tried to calm her down. "How can you be sure, please call Hwan and ask" Kim Do-Yun shouted in panic and just then Yang Nam-il received Hwan''s call and both the men updated each other of the situation. They both decided, Yang Nam-il will take Ian to the hospital to get him treated while Hwan will take Aera to her home. Yang Nam-il then with the help of few men of Song Ji Hun took Ian to the hospital and on the way, he assured Kim Do-Yun that Aera is fine and Hwan decided to be with her the whole time to ensure she doesn''t do something like this again. Kim Do-Yun sighed in relief and decided to be with her brother for now as Hwan was there with Aera. After reaching the hospital, the doctors decided to admit Ian for one day as he consumed too much alcohol and his condition was weak. Also, he works there so they knew him very well. After admitting Ian and he relaxed, Yang Nam-il approached Kim Do-Yun, "The doctors here will take good care of him, you should go home and rest" "How can I leave him alone?" Kim Do-Yun worriedly asked. "He is not alone, these doctors are his colleagues and friends, they volunteered to take turns and be on his side the whole night. Only if you''ll rest, you will be able to take care of him tomorrow" Yang Nam-il convinced Kim Do-Yun, who finally agreed to go back home. Yang Nam-il dropped her at the Kim Mansion and she thanked him for all his help. Yang Nam-il then dropped a message to Song Ji Hun giving him all the updates on message as he didn''t wish to call and disturb him. ... Here, after getting updates from Yang Nam-il, Song Ji Hwan started his car to take Aera to the Lee Mansion when suddenly Aera held his hand and stopped him. "What happened, Aera?" "I don''t want to go to the Lee Mansion" she requested him with teary eyes. Noticing the confused expression on his face, Aera explained, "I don''t know why but that home doesn''t feel like mine anymore. Mom, dad left and now after Kiaraa''s betrayal, this house feels like a big hell to me. I don''t want to be here" Song Ji Hwan could understand what she was going through right now. "Drop me at some hotel and book a room for me. I have no money on me right now, so please let me borrow some, I promise I''ll pay you back" Aera made another request. "No need for all of that" Song Ji Hwan said this much and started driving. Aera again leaned back on the car seat and closed her eyes, she didn''t even realize when she fell asleep. After reaching the destination, Song Ji Hwan saw Aera was already sleeping and he didn''t wish to wake her up as he was scared of what kind of thoughts she will have if she is not sleeping. Carefully, he stepped down from the car and gently carried Aera to his home. Then he laid her on the soft bed in his bedroom. Song Ji Hwan bought an apartment of his own when he started earning well to have some privacy in his life. No one was aware of this place except for Song Ji Hun and Yang Nam-il, he didn''t even tell his parents about it. Aera is the first person he brought into this home as even his brother and Yang Nam-il never visited him here as they are aware of how much he loves his space. Hwan didn''t feel hungry so he decided to sleep on the couch in the living room and he locked the doors well with internal password so that even if Aera wakes up before him, she doesn''t have a way to leave. After ensuring Aera is deep asleep, he too slept and before sleeping just like Yang Nam-il he too sent a message to his brother updating him of the whole situation. ... Author''s Note Thank you all for voting your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to my novel. It is at a good trending rank. I hope you will continue your votes and help me be in top 200. Thank you If we reach top 200, I''ll do a mass release. For rank: 1-10: 10 chaps mass release 11-100: 7 chaps mass release 101-150: 5 chaps mass release 151-200: 3 chaps mass release Chapter 169 - Wedding Night Note: Clear the cache from the settings if there is any problem in reading the chapter. There is some problem with the chapter so I had to edit it after publishing. If you see same content please clear the cache or remove the book from the library before adding it back. ¡­ Few Hours Ago Song Ji Hun took Kiaraa to his room and as soon as they entered in, he locked the door. "I am sorry, Kiaraa. I didn''t expect things to turn so ugly" Song Ji Hun sincerely felt bad as grandpa Lee went as far as slapping his granddaughter and disowning her. Kiaraa aimlessly stepped ahead and just sat on the corner of his bed, looking quite shaken and upset at the sudden turn of events. She could understand that it is not easy for her grandpa to accept her impromptu wedding. Kiaraa expected for him to get upset but she never thought he would worry so much about Aera that he would disown her. Grandpa saw the struggles she had been going through to save Lee conglomerate and yet not once he thought of giving her a chance to explain herself. Song Ji Hun''s words didn''t fell on Kiaraa''s ears and she was still thinking about what her grandpa said. His words were ringing in her ears. Kiaraa tried to control her tears as she still hates crying in front of anyone. "Did you transfer the funds to Lee conglomerate that we agreed upon before this marriage?" Kiaraa asked Song Ji Hun to distract herself. Song Ji Hun couldn''t believe that even after everything that happened, she still cared about the Lee Corporation and was worried about it. "Yes, everything has been transferred already. The whole Lee Conglomerate is now not under the financial threat" Song Ji Hun assured her. "Thank you" Kiaraa blankly said and the next moment her stomach made a light sound, which she ignored but Ji Hun understood she was hungry. "You can go and freshen up, I asked the servants to have new clothes for you in the wardrobe. I''ll be back soon" Song Ji Hun said before leaving. Kiaraa heard him and lifelessly opened the wardrobe and was a bit taken aback when she found clothes of her choice in her size. She collected a comfortable white long dress and the matching pair of undergarments before stepping inside the washroom as she badly needed a shower. Song Ji Hun went downstairs had a word with his brother and his best friend before arriving back to the room with some food. Kiaraa was still in the bath, so he placed the tray on the table and collected a casual white t-shirt and some track pants, before going into Hwan''s room as he too wished to freshen up. By the time he was back in his room, Kiaraa was already out and she was standing in the gallery of his room, looking outside. Her hair was left open, which was slightly waving according to the wind''s direction. Song Ji Hun got worried seeing her, as she was wearing a light white coloured sleeveless gown, which wasn''t enough to protect her from the cold outside. He immediately opened his wardrobe and found a Red Pashmina, stepping towards Kiaraa, he gently wrapped it around her shoulders. Earlier, Song Ji Hun asked his servants to order a few sets of nice and casual clothes for Kiaraa based on her taste and made them keep it in his wardrobe in advance. Kiaraa was startled by the sudden warmth and turned to her left only to see Song Ji Hun standing next to her after wrapping her hands and shoulders. "Why do you care so much?" She casually asked him. "You are my wife. If I won''t care for my wife, then who will?" Ji Hun asked as a matter of fact. Kiaraa slightly chuckled, "If I don''t divorce you after a year, will you be willing to continue this marriage?" she asked him. Song Ji Hun was a bit astonished by her question as somewhere it felt like maybe she was considering to stay with him even after one year of their marriage instead of divorcing him like what she planned. "Of course, I am. I am willing to continue this marriage till I am alive" He honestly answered her. Kiaraa was not sure why but his words didn''t surprise her, she somewhere expected it. "Glad to know, I still have something to fall back upon" Kiaraa stated sadly. Song Ji Hun realized the fact that grandpa Lee disowning her has affected her greatly and she was probably even considering to stay with Song Ji Hun forever as she didn''t wish to be alone. This wrenched his heart in pain as his strong woman first time looked broken and helpless. Not being to take this anymore, Song Ji Hun gently wrapped his one hand behind her back and pulled her towards him. His other hand held her closely at her waist and he tightly hugged her. Kiaraa''s both hands were trapped in the pashmina he wrapped her in and now her whole body was trapped in his arms and she couldn''t even move. But in that moment, she didn''t even wish to move as she felt an unexplainable warmth in his arms and the tears she had been holding back for a while now, came out without any warning and she found herself sobbing in his arms. For the first time, Kiaraa let go of her inhibition of not crying in front of anyone and broke down in his arms. Song Ji Hun''s hand moved from her back to her head and he gently stroked her hair to help her feel better as he too felt bad seeing her state. Kiaraa cried for a while and once she calmed down, Song Ji Hun held her hand and took her back to the bedroom. He poured a glass of water for her and after that he arranged food for them. Kiaraa wasn''t willing to eat but he insisted and made her eat a few bites. After they were done with their dinner, he left the tray outside and helped Kiaraa sleep on the bed. "Where will you sleep?" She worriedly asked him. Although, she already put a condition that they will never share a bed together, in that moment, she didn''t think much about all of this. "Don''t worry the couch is big enough for me to sleep, I''ll adjust there" Song Ji Hun assured her. "Just for tonight, you can sleep here on the bed. It is big enough. I''ll sleep at one corner and you can sleep at the other corner and if you want we can put those cushion pillows between us" Kiaraa said. Song Ji Hun was again surprised by her suggestion as he didn''t expect her to be so generous. "May I know why you are being so generous?" "You too had a tiring day today and you took care of me just now. I am not that ruthless to not be considerate for one night" Kiaraa sarcastically said before covering herself with the comforter. "Thank you" Song Ji Hun took another comforter from his cupboard and slept next to her on the bed. "Don''t expect me to be this generous every night. This is only for tonight" Kiaraa added as she didn''t wish for him to get the wrong meaning from her actions or for him to have any weird perverted thoughts. "Yes Ma''am, noted" Song Ji Hun tried to control the huge smile forming on his face. He didn''t add any couch cushions between them and slept at one end of the bed facing Kiaraa, who was facing the other side so he could only look at her back. ''This is not as bad as I expected my wedding night to be. I at least got to sleep next to my wife'' Song Ji Hun happily thought before falling asleep. There Kiaraa too didn''t realize when she fell in a deep slumber as she was extremely tired. ¡­ Author''s Note Thank you all for voting your Golden Tickets and Power Stones to my novel. It is at a good trending rank. I hope you will continue your votes and help me be in top 200. Thank you If we reach top 200, I''ll do a mass release. For rank: 1-10: 10 chaps mass release 11-100: 7 chaps mass release 101-150: 5 chaps mass release 151-200: 3 chaps mass release Chapter 170 - My Wife Note: Clear the cache from the settings if there is any problem with the chapter. ¡­ Next Day When Song Ji Hun woke up, Kiaraa''s face came into his sight. Right now she too was facing him but still sleeping. There was enough distance between them as the bed was wide and they both sticked to their ends. A light smile was painted on Song Ji Hun''s lips when he looked at the beautiful woman sleeping peacefully. He still couldn''t believe the woman he loved all his life actually became his wife now. ''My Wife'' he happily thought to himself and continued admiring her perfect features. Her perfectly shaped eyebrows, her small but petite nose, her cheeks which he wished to caress and when his sight travelled to her small, delicate, baby pink lips, his mind travelled to the night they had their first kiss. ''She is not even aware that we already kissed once. What will she do if she ever finds out? She will definitely kill me'' Song Ji Hun chuckled imagining an angry Kiaraa, who might beat him up when the truth is out. ''I''ll apologize to her but only after letting her know that she too passionately responded to my kiss'' He again smiled imagining her blushed, embarrassed face. ''Kiaraa, will you give me a chance to show my sincere love to you?'' He sighed, wondering. Song Ji Hun could see Kiaraa was in a deep sleep and won''t wake up anytime soon, so he continued admiring his beautiful wife for an hour and immediately closed his eyes when he saw her moving in her sleep. Kiaraa slowly opened her eyes and for a moment got confused finding herself in an unfamiliar setting. It took her a minute to recollect what happened until now and how she ended up here. She looked at Song Ji Hun, who was still sleeping and deeply sighed, ''Can''t believe I am married to him'' she thought to herself before stepping out of bed. Collecting a few clothes she stepped inside the washroom to freshen up. Song Ji Hun opened his eyes after she left and checked his phone. He found Hwan and Yang Nam-il''s messages, which worried him. He did expect Ian and Aera to react extremely but after knowing what actually happened he felt bad. ''I wish they move on from us and find someone, who will truly love them'' Song Ji Hun sincerely wished before going to Hwan''s room to use his washroom to freshen up. When he came back to his room, he noticed Kiaraa is still in the bath so he ordered breakfast to the room as he didn''t wish Kiaraa and his mother to come across each other right now. He also decided to go back to the new home he built and start living there from today itself. Once Kiaraa came out, they had their breakfast and after that Song Ji I informed her about Ian and Aera''s state and what happened last night. "What?" Kiaraa shouted in shock. "They both are fine now but Ian is still in the hospital and Hwan is taking care of Aera" Ji Hun informed her. Kiaraa covered her face in her palms and took a deep sigh, "I want to see them" she declared. Song Ji Hun nodded his head, "From today we will live in our home. On the way let''s meet them" "Thank you" Kiaraa had nothing else to say as her mind was filled with thoughts about Aera and Hwan. Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa came downstairs and came across the other members of their family. "Finally you two showed up? Last night I was in deep shock so couldn''t question you two but now you have to answer me, both of you, especially you Ji Hun" Ji Seo Yun angrily declared. Grandpa Song and Song Jae Ho tried to stop her but she was in no position to listen to anyone right now. "Fine mom" Song Ji Hun was indifferent and unaffected. "Were you two seriously in love with each other?" "Hmm, for almost ten years" Song Ji Hun smoothly lied and Kiaraa kept calm as she decided to let him handle his mother also she didn''t bother with this woman. "How and when it started?" "When we went to the same college" "Who all knows about you two?" "Only dad and uncle Lee Myung Soo knew" Song Jae Ho was taken aback when Song Ji Hun declared his name as he wasn''t aware of it at all. Although, Song Jae Ho had doubts about his son''s feelings years ago, he didn''t delve much an it and never meddled in his son''s life but today when his son suddenly lied, he wasn''t sure how to react. "You knew about them?" Ji Seo Yun angrily glared at her husband. If she was angry until now, then now she became ten times more furious. The fact that her husband knew such a big news and never bothered to share with her, made her mad. Song Jae Ho helplessly looked at his son as he put him in a very difficult spot. Song Ji Hun signalled to his father to act along and made a requesting gesture. Having no choice Song Jae Ho took the blame for something he didn''t do as he understood this is the only way Ji Hun can get out of his mother''s radar and shift all the attention to his father. "Hmm, I knew about them" Song Jae Ho finally said. "And you never bothered to tell me?" Ji Seo Yun again shouted at her husband. "Actually, I was waiting for Song Ji Hun himself to reveal about his personal life so I didn''t¡­" "Now you saw how he revealed? He directly showed up at our door step married to her. He didn''t even bother to inform me and ask me for my permission" Ji Seo Yun frustratedly said and the next minute everyone present there heard a soft chuckle and directed their attention to Kiaraa, who just laughed. Hearing this small giggle, Ji Seo Yun was angrier and shouted at Kiaraa, "May I know which part of my sentence you found so entertaining?" Kiaraa composed herself and looked straight into Ji Seo Yun''s eyes, "Mother, do you really think I''ll fall in love with a man, who would be a mama''s boy and would always seek her permission? I and Ji Hun are matured adults and we took a decision for ourselves. I don''t think we need to justify our actions to anyone or seek permissions" Kiaraa was already frustrated with the news she received on Ian and Aera. Here, Ji Seo Yun too was annoying her so she couldn''t help but fight back. This was her way of dealing with the current frustration she is going through. Ji Seo Yun got annoyed with Kiaraa''s attitude, "Did you see how she talks to me? Did you?" She asked her son and her husband. Both men decided to keep calm and Ji Seo Yun started massaging her forehead, "What have I done to deserve this kind of daughter-in-law? How can my son be stupid enough to fall for the wrong girl?" "Mom, Kiaraa is perfect for me and I fell in love with the most amazing woman in this world. Please refrain from insulting my wife" Song Ji Hun politely warned his mother. "Perfect?" Ji Seo Yun scoffed and just then saw a servant, carrying one suitcase. "Whose suitcase is this?" Ji Seo Yun shouted at the servant, who got scared and looked at Song Ji Hun. "Mom, I bought a new home. From now on, I and Kiaraa would be staying there. These are some of my clothes." Song Ji Hun calmly informed his mother, who was seriously wondering who this man is in front of her. In that moment, she felt like she never really knew her son at all. "Are you serious?" Ji Seo Yun questioned him. "Seo Yun, it is normal for a newly married couple to want to stay away from the family." Grandpa Song spoke up in support of his grandson and since this time the old man was the one to talk, Ji Seo Yun couldn''t say anything. "Will you at least visit us once in a while or you are breaking all the ties with us?" Ji Seo Yun sarcastically questioned her son. "We will visit once in a while but the frequency of our visits depends on how you treat my wife. If you''ll keep taunting and annoying her, we might reduce our visits" Song Ji Hun firmly said and seeing the shocked expression on his mother''s face he added, "If I won''t protect and take care of my wife, then who will?" Ji Seo Yun calmed down and assured him, "I''ll try my best to not insult her. Please, do visit us occasionally" Song Ji Hun lightly smiled seeing his mother compromise, "Thanks mom, take care." Then he held Kiaraa''s hand and they both left. ... Author''s note Thank you for the golden tickets and power stones Chapter 171 - Ians State Note: Clear the cache from the settings if there is any problem with the chapter. ¡­ Song of Hun and Kiaraa sat in their car and headed to their home, on the way they planned to meet Aera and Ian. "Whom do you want to meet first, Aera or Ian?" Song Ji Hun asked her. "Ian" Kiaraa absent mindedly answered looking outside the window. What she feared a day ago, indeed happened. Ian reacted extremely. Kiaraa wasn''t sure if his reaction got anything to do with the fact that he was still in love with her or is it because as a best friend she didn''t involve him while taking the biggest decision of her life. Kiaraa was not a fool for not being able to conclude the truth. It''s just that she wanted to give Ian the benefit of doubt and hoped he was over her. Kiaraa really disliked having a romantic relationship with anyone and Ian would be the last guy she has in her mind as she always saw him as her friend and didn''t wish anything more happening between them. But it pained her to know what he went through last night. The ringing of a phone call interrupted Kiaraa''s thoughts and the name of the caller was displayed on the car''s dashboard. Song Ji Hun just had to press on the answer button and even Kiaraa could hear the whole conversation as his phone was connected with the car. It was Song Ji Hwan''s call, so Ji Hun answered it. "Hyung are you on the way to my apartment with Kiaraa?" Hwan worriedly asked as he just saw a message from Song Ji Hun informing him the same. "Yes" Song Ji Hwan hesitated but he decided to be honest, "Hyung, I don''t think it would be appropriate if you two come here. Her state is still not good and I don''t think she would be react calmly if she sees the two of you, especially together. I advice give her some time, a few days maybe before you two approach her" "How is she now?" Kiaraa asked sounding cold. "Not good" Hwan replied. Song Ji Hun looked at Kiaraa, wanting to know what her thoughts were. "Hmm, I am fine with not meeting her now. I anyway don''t know what to say to her." Kiaraa was more worried about Ian, she couldn''t help it, he was her best friend. "Fine, we won''t be coming there" Song Ji Hun assured his brother, who sighed in relief. "Do update me on Ian''s condition" Hwan requested and his brother agreed. The two then directly went to the hospital where Ian works as that''s where he was admitted. He was in the VIP room, which was in the other wing, completely protected and secured. This wing was created for influential VIP customers to ensure privacy for them and their families. It is difficult for other wings to know who has been admitted in the VIP section as they have a completely different staff. Only the doctors are common for both the wings and the doctors of this hospital are well educated and trained so they very well know how to keep secrets. Ian is a reputed surgeon in this hospital so it would be a disgrace for him and his career if doctors working under him would see the state in which he was brought to the hospital yesterday. Therefore, Yang Nam-il took him to the VIP ward and given the fact that Ian works here and this hospital belongs to the Songs, it wasn''t difficult to get him admitted there. A few colleagues of Ian, who were also his close friends were informed about his state and they assured Yang Nam-il to take turns the whole night to look after Ian. When Song Ji Hun and Kiaraa arrived there, they were directly directed to the VIP wing and to Ian''s room. Kiaraa worriedly knocked on the door, and was greeted by a beautiful but tired looking female doctor, who opened the door for her. "I am here to meet Ian" Kiaraa softly spoke but this female doctor could sense the desperation in her voice. "You are, Kiaraa?" The female doctor asked, surprising her. Kiaraa just nodded her head in confirmation as she had no idea who this lady is. The female doctor stepped out the room and carefully closed the hospital door behind her to not disturb the patient inside. She hesitatingly looked at Kiaraa and was contemplating how to say what she intended to say without offending her. "Actually, Ian is not in a good state and last night he kept calling your name in his sleep but he was crying and cursing himself. If he sees you right now, his health will be affected even more and it can worsen his condition. I know I am in no position to stop you from meeting your friend but as a doctor, who is worried about her patient, I have to prevent you from meeting now. I am really sorry but once his condition becomes stable, you can meet him" This lady doctor tried to sound as polite as possible because she could see how worried Kiaraa was for Ian but for the betterment of her patient''s condition, she had to take this decision. "I understand" Kiaraa didn''t fight or argue as she blamed herself for Ian''s state and when she heard he kept taking her name the whole night, her heart wrenched in pain. Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun turned around to leave, unexpectedly they came across Kim Do-Yun, who just arrived there to look after her brother. When Kim Do-Yun saw Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun then an unexplainable anger rose inside her. "What the hell are you two doing here? Was it not enough that you two pushed my brother to this state that now you two came here to see him suffer?" Although, Kim Do-Yun had no right to behave this way, right now she didn''t care about right or wrong. She was a sister, who was worried for her brother and won''t be at peace until and unless he recovers. "Kim Do-Yun, Ian is my best friend and after knowing about his condition, how could I not come?" Kiaraa coldly questioned her. "Best friend?" Kim Do-Yun scoffed as if she just heard some joke. "What kind of a best friend doesn''t inform her friend of her marriage? Forget that, first tell me what kind of a best friend is ignorant to her best friend''s feelings for over a decade? Kiaraa, you just call him your best friend but you were never one to him. He was always there for you when you needed him but whenever he needed you, I don''t think you were ever there for him. Kiaraa, let me tell you something that no one ever dared to say to you, you are the most selfish person in this world, who only thinks about herself. You can''t see or keep anyone else ahead of you or care for them. You are a bitch¡­" "Enough Do-Yun, don''t cross the line" Sa Da Hye and Kim Hoon who just arrived there heard their daughter and Sa Da Hye scolded her. "How is all of this Kiaraa''s fault? I know you are affected due to Ian''s condition but don''t take out your frustration on her" Sa Da Hye warned her daughter and looked at Kiaraa, "Dear, I apologise on Do-Yun''s behalf, please don''t take her words to heart" "It''s okay aunt Da Hye, she is not completely wrong" Kiaraa too started blaming herself for Ian''s state. "Come, let''s go and see him" Sa Da Hye suggested but Kiaraa refused. "I''ll come some other time, I don''t think it is the right time to meet him" Kiaraa looked at the doctor and assured her she won''t go against her suggestion and requested her to take good care of Ian before leaving with Song Ji Hun. "Mom, how can you still support her?" Kim Do-Yun frustratedly asked her mother. "You can''t blame her for not falling in love with Ian, that''s unfair" Kim Do-Yun was firm on her stand and stepped with her family to meet her son, who was still sleeping due to the high dose of medication. ... Author''s note Thank you for the golden tickets and power stones. If we manage to reach top 200 in either of these categories, I''ll do a mass release. Chapter 172 - Aera And Hwan Note: Clear the cache from the settings if there is any problem with the chapter. ¡­ Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun headed to their home and as it was Saturday, they both didn''t have to go to work. Song Ji Hun glanced at her and saw, she was extremely sad and looked lost. "You might be regretting our marriage now but I assure you everything will be fine soon" Song Ji Hun wished to make her feel comfortable and he was not sure how else to do that. "I don''t regret my decisions, I am not regretting this marriage. I am just worried about Ian" Kiaraa informed him. "He will be fine" "Hmm" Kiaraa then leaned back on her seat and continued looking outside the window, Song Ji Hun decided to give her some space and let her be. ¡­ Song Ji Hwan''s place When he woke up, he immediately checked the room Aera was sleeping in and sighed in relief when he found her still sleeping. He was kind of worried, she would run away and try to commit suicide again. He freshened up quickly and prepared breakfast for them. Then he saw his brother''s message that he and Kiaraa would be arriving there to pay a visit to Aera. ''I hope everything turns to be alright'' Hwan hoped and just then he saw the bedroom door opening and a confused looking Aera stepped out of the room. "Where am I?" Aera asked Song Ji Hwan but he could see she was relieved to see him. "This is my secret apartment" Hwan pleasantly smiled at her and pointed at the dining chair. "I need to brush" Aera felt a bit embarrassed. "In the washroom, you will find a fresh set of brush" "Thank you" After Aera freshened up, she joined Hwan for breakfast. "What is with this secret apartment?" She asked him. "Whenever I need some privacy for myself, I should have a place to go, so this secret apartment which no one is aware of" "Wow, I never got such ideas, maybe I too should buy an apartment for myself" Aera had nowhere to go last night and she loved Hwan''s idea. "There are some empty apartments in my building and they are damn good. The security of this place is nice too" Hwan suggested. "Sure, I''ll look for a few apartments today then" Aera said. Song Ji Hwan then served her breakfast and she couldn''t believe he was a nice cook. "You have many hidden talents" Aera praised him. "Thank you" Song Ji Hwan was relieved that she was acting normal so he decided to inform her that Kiaraa and Song Ji Hun are arriving here to meet her. "By the way, Kiaraa¡­" "Hwan, please don''t take her name. I don''t want to talk about her or even hear her name and neither your brother''s" Aera cut him off as soon as he took Kiaraa''s name. "Okay" Hwan didn''t insist and after breakfast he asked her to go and rest. Then he went to the gallery and called his brother and asked him to not come there as Aera was not in the state to meet them. Later, he decided to talk to Aera about her suicide attempt. "Aera, can we talk about last night?" Hwan asked her. Aera knew she can''t avoid this topic for long so she agreed. "I was not in the right state of my mind last night. Mom, dad left me and Kiaraa got married to the man I loved. I couldn''t handle all of this and wished to die. But now that I woke up and cleared my mind, I realised what a ridiculous move it was." Aera started sharing her thoughts while Hwan just hummed and nodded his head keenly listening to her. "My sister and her husband won''t shed a single tear even if I die" Aera then chuckled and added, "Not just them, I guess no one will shed a single tear even if I die. Maybe grandpa will be upset for a few days but then he too will be fine. I realised dying is just a waste of my life and I won''t be punishing anyone but myself by embracing death." Song Ji Hwan felt his heart wrench in pain when he heard her words and he wanted to tell her that it is not true. He will be affected if anything would happen to her but the next minute he wondered will he really be affected or he too will feel bad for a few days and then move on. "Don''t worry, I won''t pull such stunts again" Aera smiled at him assuringly. "Thank you for realising this on your own" Song Ji Hwan was relieved at the turn of events. "Also, thank you so much for saving me on time. I owe you one more favor" Aera joked as owing favours was a thing between them. Song Ji Hwan too smiled at her, "This one I''ll let go. You don''t owe me anything" he said. "Wow, what a magnanimous heart you have" Aera lightly smiled. "That I do" he winked. "By the way, how did you know where I was and how did you manage to save me on time?" Aera suddenly asked him. Song Ji Hwan hesitated in answering truthfully so he made up a lie. "I was coincidentally passing by the Han bridge and saw you" "Wow what a coincidence" Aera was surprised that such coincidences exist. "Yeah, you were meant to live" Hwan dramatically added, making her laugh. "Also, Hwan, my car?" "Don''t worry I asked one of our men to drop your car here, it is currently in the parking lot of this apartment" Aera sighed in relief. "Thank you so much, Hwan. Also, can you do me one last favour?" She hesitatingly asked him. "Don''t worry, I won''t tell anyone about your attempt last night" Hwan understood what she was worrying about. "Thanks again" Later, as promised Hwan took Aera outside and showed her the whole place he lives in. It was a nice gated community with all kinds of amenities being available like gym, parks, swimming pool etc. The security of this place was indeed top notch and Aera got to know many celebrities live here. "Why did you buy a single bedroom flat?" Aera asked him as this place also had luxurious apartments with four bedrooms. "It was meant to be only for me, so I didn''t find the need to have a big house" "Oh" Aera nodded her head in understanding. "Which apartment did you like?" Hwan asked her. "The one with the penthouse on the top floor with three bedrooms" "Of course the extravagant one" he joked. "It is also in my budget, I''ll buy it" Aera happily declared. "Yeah, then we will be only three floors away from each other" That penthouse was in the same building as Hwan''s flat. "Yeah, that''s the reason I am buying it. It is a nice assurance to have you around" she casually stated unknowingly making the heart of this young man flutter uncontrollably. "It is nice to have me around?" Hwan repeated her words. "Hmm, from childhood you always helped or protected me in some or the other way. Although, we weren''t really close and you were my sister''s best friend, you treated me decently. Also, I can never forget the fact that somewhere it was because of you and aunt Sa Da Hye, I have such a nice career. Thank you for always helping me Hwan" Hwan just smiled and lightly hugged her, "You don''t have to thank me. Just be strong and take good care of yourself that''s enough" He then stepped back and asked her, "When are you planning to resume your shooting?" "I am thinking from this Monday" Aera decided it is high time she gets out of her sad zone and go back to her regular life as that is the only distraction for her. "Glad to know" Hwan was happy at the turn of events. ... Author''s note Thank you for the golden tickets and power stones. If we manage to reach top 200 in either of these categories, I''ll do a mass release. Also special shoutout to KB_Yaj_Lauj and Juvenil for frequent gifts and to Impassionategods, lil4118 and diavla for golden tickets. Thank you to other GT contributors too but unfortunately webnovel is showing only top 3 GT voters