Despite being able to rest for the remainder of the day, Mi Na awakened the next morning, to find that she was still feeling slightly ill. When her assistant entered the bedroom, Mi Na instructed the woman to call Manager Yoo, to inform him that she would not be coming into work. Once her assistant had completed the assigned task, she excused herself from the room, to allow Mi Na to go back to sleep. As she lay in bed, Mi Na wondered what Dong Sun was doing and thought about giving him a call. However, upon further consideration, Mi Na decided to leave him alone; so that he could focus on his work. She figured that the sooner he was able to finish up his work; the sooner he would be able to come to visit her. With that happy thought on her mind, Mi Na dozed off to sleep.

Waking up from her nap, Mi Na looked over towards the alarm clock, and saw that she had been asleep for nearly four hours. Sitting up in her bed, Mi Na took a deep breath and felt as though her headache had gone away. Getting off of the bed, Mi Na headed towards the bathroom to take a shower. Before reaching her intended destination, Mi Na heard her phone ring and hoped that it was Dong Sun, calling to check up on her. Rushing back to her bed, Mi Na picked up the phone and said, “Hello?” Much to her disappointment, Mi Na realized that it as Young Jae on the other line and listened as he said, “I heard you were sick. How are you feeling?” Mi Na could sense that he was genuinely concerned and replied, “I’m feeling better now. Thank you for asking.”

Recalling that she had not given Young Jae her new phone number, Mi Na asked, “How did you get my new number?” To which, he replied, “I asked your father for it.” Unwilling to linger on the phone with him for much longer, Mi Na asked, “Did you need something?” Getting to the point, Young Jae replied, “I wanted to ask you, if we could reschedule my birthday dinner for tonight instead of Monday.” Upon hearing Young Jae’s request, Mi Na remembered, that she had previously promised him that they would have dinner together. Wanting to keep her promise, Mi Na said, “That should be fine, but I need to call Dong Sun to ask if he’s available tonight.”

Slightly agitated by Mi Na’s response, Young Jae asked, “If he’s not available, will you still come?” Carefully phrasing her response, Mi Na replied, “I don’t think so. It would be kind of inappropriate for me to have dinner alone with my ex-boyfriend.” Not allowing Young Jae to respond, Mi Na continued, “I’ll call you back and let you know what he says.” Young Jae knew that Mi Na would never willingly meet up with him alone, but figured that there had to be a way to force her to do so. Recollecting that he still had Manager Yoo in his pocket, Young Jae called him and said, “I need you to do me a favor.” More than happy to acquiesce, Manager Yoo listened intently as Young Jae explained what was expected of him.

While Young Jae put his plan into motion, Mi Na dialed Dong Sun’s number and waited for him to pick up on the other line. Seeing Mi Na’s information appear on his phone; Dong Sun quickly answered it, asking, “How are you feeling?” Hearing the concerned tone in his voice, Mi Na smiled and replied, “I’m feeling a lot better.” Not convinced, Dong Sun proclaimed, “I’ll be the judge of that when I visit you tonight.”

Remembering why she had called, Mi Na said, “Young Jae just called me.” Not thrilled to hear the information, Dong Sun asked, “What does he want now?” Mi Na slightly paused before replying, “He wanted to know if we could reschedule his birthday dinner for tonight instead of Monday.” Unhappy with the thought of Mi Na spending any time with her ex-boyfriend, Dong Sun asked, “Is it absolutely necessary to have dinner with him?” Contemplating Dong Sun’s question, Mi Na replied, “I guess not, but I did promise him last week that I’d go.”

Dong Sun worried that Mi Na would go to dinner alone with Young Jae, if he declined the offer, and quickly said, “I’m available tonight.” Mi Na was happy that he would be able to join her and asked, “After we have dinner with him, can we get some coffee cake at In-Su’s workplace?” Dong Sun wondered why Mi Na would want to go to the coffee house, and said, “I didn’t know that you liked the coffee cake there.” Mi Na smiled and replied, “I don’t, but you do.” Dong Sun recalled that during his second encounter with Mi Na, he had casually mentioned liking the coffee cake there but was surprised that she still remembered. Realizing that Mi Na was still waiting for him to respond; Dong Sun smiled and said, “I’ll take you wherever you want to go.”

Thinking that she had taken up too much of Dong Sun’s time, Mi Na suggested that he get back to work and hung up the phone. Since Dong Sun had agreed to come along, Mi Na called Young Jae and informed him that they would be joining him for dinner. Young Jae thanked Mi Na for making the time to celebrate his birthday and instructed her to meet him at the Onyx hotel at 7 PM. Since the hotel was close by her father’s company, Mi Na sent Dong Sun a text message telling him that she would take a taxi to the Onyx hotel and meet him at the front lobby at 7 PM.

Seeing that it was already 6:45 PM, Dong Sun quickly packed up his briefcase and headed out of his office. As he made his way to the elevators, Dong Sun heard Manager Yoo call out his name. Since Dong Sun had never seen Manager Yoo stay at the office past 5 PM, he was startled to hear the man’s voice.

Making his way over to Manager Yoo’s office, Dong Sun asked, “Did you call me?” Manager Yoo nodded his head and replied, “Yes, I need you to stay late today to help me with these files.” Stunned by the request, Dong Sun replied, “Sir, I have an important appointment that I really can’t miss.” Staring blankly at him, Manager Yoo asked, “What could be more important than your career?” Before Dong Sun could respond, Manager Yoo said, “I’ll take your silence to mean that you’re willing to stay.” Trapped, Dong Sun could do nothing but nod his head to consent to Manager Yoo’s request.

Dong Sun returned to his office, placed the files down on his desk and took out his phone to call Mi Na. Picking up on the other line, Mi Na asked happily, “Are you here already?” Dong Sun paused before replying, “I can’t leave the office until I finish up some files that Manager Yoo just gave me.” Mi Na was upset and asked, “Why didn’t you tell me earlier?” To which, Dong Sun replied, “He just gave me the files like five minutes ago.” Angry that he had not refused the work, Mi Na exclaimed bitterly, “Fine. Just focus on your work. You don’t have to care about me.” Before Dong Sun could respond, Mi Na hung up the phone and took out the battery. Not wanting to end the conversation on such a bad note, Dong Sun redialed Mi Na’s number and was upset when he heard a pre-recorded message say that the phone was not in service.

Spotting Mi Na in lobby, Young Jae walked over to her and ushered her towards the private dining room, which he had reserved. Pulling out a chair for Mi Na to sit, Young Jae asked, “Where’s Dong Sun?” Agitated by the question, Mi Na replied, “He has more important things to do right now.” With a slight grin, Young Jae asked, “What could be more important than you?” Annoyed with Young Jae’s obvious flirting, Mi Na sighed and apologized saying, “I’m sorry, but I’m really not in the mood to have dinner right now.” Standing up from her seat, Mi Na turned to walk out the door. Seeing that she was about the leave, Young Jae quickly walked over and grabbed her arm. Astonished by his boldness, Mi Na pulled her arm away and asked, “What are you doing?”

Unable to contain his anger, Young Jae forced Mi Na to take a seat and said, “I get it. I was wrong to cheat on you, but you shouldn’t use that loser to make me jealous.” Staring at him in disbelief, Mi Na replied, “You must be delusional. I’m not trying to make you jealous.” Ignoring her response, Young Jae exclaimed, “I know you’re still not over me. I know that you still love me.” Having heard enough, Mi Na scoffed and replied, “Let me say this in a way that even you’ll understand; the only man that I’ve ever loved is Lee Dong Sun.” Seeing the stunned expression on his face, Mi Na stood up and pushed him aside so that she could leave. Grabbing a hold of her shoulder, Young Jae asked, “What does he have that I don’t?” Turning back to look at him, Mi Na replied, “He has my heart.” Removing herself from his grasp, Mi Na shook her head and walked out the door.

Sitting at his desk, Dong Sun repeatedly looked at his phone and fidgeted in his seat. Unable to focus on his work, Dong Sun finally grabbed the files and walked back into Manager Yoo’s office. Placing the files on Manager Yoo’s desk, Dong Sun said, “A while ago when you asked me what could be more important than my career, I should have told you that Song Mi Na is more important. As a matter of fact, she’s the most important person in my life. So if you want to fire me then go ahead, I really don’t care anymore.” Without another word, Dong Sun left the befuddled manager alone in his office.

Grabbing his keys from the office, Dong Sun made his way into an elevator. He anxiously waited for the elevator to make its way down and wondered if he would be able to find Mi Na at the hotel. When the elevator doors opened, Dong Sun’s eyes widened upon seeing Mi Na standing in the lobby. Unconcerned with why she was there, Dong Sun rushed over to her and embraced her tightly. Holding her in his arms, Dong Sun said with an impassioned voice, “Song Mi Na, don’t you ever take the battery out of your phone again!” Startled by his assertiveness, Mi Na's eyes widdened as she nodded her head and replied meekly, “Okay, I won’t.”

Breaking apart from their embrace, Dong Sun took a deep breath and said, “I don’t know when this all started, but one day I woke up feeling that I was incomplete without you. And since then I haven’t been able to go a single day without wanting to hold you in my arms. I know that you might not feel the same way about me, but …” Cutting him off mid-sentence, Mi Na pulled Dong Sun’s body close to hers and pressed her lips against his. Running her fingers through his hair, Mi Na kissed him deeply. After a short while, Mi Na pulled away from their passionate kiss, smiled and held up a packet of ramen, as she said, “I came here to tell you, that I’d be happy to have the chance, to eat this with you for the rest of my life.” Grabbing the ramen packet out of Mi Na’s hand, Dong Sun pulled her in close and kissed her gently on the lips while saying, “You should have said so sooner.”

awwwwwwwwwwwww.....could this get any more sweeter?
I love how the two of them didn't let anyone get in their way.
Woohoo, finally, they both know how the other feels.


Thank you, thank you, Jessicaaron619

omg, dat chapter was so sweet. i was spazzing at da end
thnx 4 da chap!

"Dong Sun took a deep breath and said,

Being so deeply immersed in their kiss, Mi Na did not notice that Dong Sun had slightly opened his eyes to observe her face. Before he was able to fully take in all of Mi Na’s beautiful features, Dong Sun realized that the entire cleaning crew was watching them. He reluctantly pulled himself from Mi Na’s soft lips and said, “I guess this isn’t the best place to be doing this.” Mi Na turned her attention to the onlookers and asked, “Even if it’s a good show, don’t you think you should get back to work?” Startled by Mi Na’s inquiry, everyone in the cleaning crew quickly walked away, acting as though they had not seen anything.

Draping his arm around Mi Na’s shoulders, Dong Sun asked, “Don’t you have a shred of feminine modesty inside of you?” Shaking her head, Mi Na replied, “I guess not.” Upon hearing Mi Na’s response, Dong Sun teased, “No wonder, you had the nerve to come here with a packet of ramen, to confess your feelings for me.” Seeing the smug expression on Dong Sun’s face, Mi Na removed his arm from her shoulders and countered, “Remind me again, who hugged whom first, saying that they were incomplete without the other person.” To which, Dong Sun replied, “But you were the one who kissed me first.” Correcting him, Mi Na said, “No, you kissed me first at the photo shoot.”

Realizing that he was in a losing battle, Dong Sun admitted, “Alright, you win. Let’s go back to my place, so we can have this ramen that you seem to like so much.” With a bashful smile, Mi Na replied, “I only like it when you make it.” Taking a hold of Mi Na’s hand, Dong Sun led her out towards the exit and said, “I’m glad that you said that, because I think we’ll be eating a lot of this in the near future.” Confused, Mi Na asked, “Why?” To which, Dong Sun replied, “Because I think I just lost my job.” Stunned by the information, Mi Na asked, “What happened?”

Before Dong Sun could respond, he heard Manager Yoo repeatedly call out his name. Standing by the exit with Mi Na by his side, Dong Sun watched as Manager Yoo made his way towards them. When Manager Yoo was within earshot, Mi Na asked him pointedly, “Are you here to fire my boyfriend?” Looking sternly at Mi Na, Dong Sun said, “It’s fine, I’ll just get another job.” With a concerned expression on his face, Manager Yoo asked, “Lee Dong Sun shii, why would you do that? You’re one of my best employees; I would hate it if you were to leave the company.”

Taken aback by Manager Yoo’s altered demeanor, Dong Sun wondered what he was up to. Seeing the skeptical expression on Dong Sun’s face, Manager Yoo explained, “I came down here to tell you that your client just called to praise you for all of the excellent work you did for their campaign.” With a forced smile, Dong Sun thanked Manager Yoo for the message and bid him a goodnight.

On their way back to Dong Sun’s apartment, Mi Na asked, “How surprised do you think In-Su will be when we tell him that we’re really together?” Glancing over at Mi Na, Dong Sun replied, “My brother won’t be surprised at all. When I first told him about how we met, he already predicted that we’d eventually end up dating.”

Impressed by In-Su’s foresight, Mi Na asked, “Why would he come to that conclusion?” With a slight smile, Dong Sun replied, “The self-proclaimed King of Korean drama watching, swears that everything about our relationship, is like a very well written romantic comedy.” Contemplating Dong Sun’s response, Mi Na asked, “If that’s really the case, can we be the first romantic comedy couple to avoid the tired separation plot line?” Looking over at Mi Na, Dong Sun replied, “That’s entirely up to you. I’m not planning on ever leaving you.” Mi Na smiled and rested her head on Dong Sun’s shoulder as she said, “Lee Dong Sun, you better remember what you just said,”

Upon entering the apartment, Dong Sun realized that In-Su was not back from school and was glad that he would have more time alone with Mi Na. After he changed, Dong Sun handed Mi Na the remote control and suggested that she watch television while he cooked their dinner. Placing the remote down on the table, Mi Na insisted that she help him cook. Dong Sun was slightly astonished that she would want to help, but was not opposed to the idea. As they walked into the kitchen, Dong Sun turned on the radio and said, “I always listen to music when I’m cooking.” Mi Na smiled and replied, “I’m learning a lot about you today.”

Looking around the room, Mi Na asked, “What do you want me to do?” Taking out a package of pork, Dong Sun replied, “You can help me cut that.” Mi Na stared at the meat and asked, “How do I cut it?” Shaking his head, Dong Sun replied, “Maybe you should just watch me cook and then help me next time.” Happy that she did not have to touch the meat, Mi Na nodded and said, “I think that’s a good idea.” Seeing that she was relieved, Dong Sun smiled and replied, “I’m sure you do.”

Watching him navigate around the kitchen, Mi Na said, “You look cute when you’re cooking.” Looking up from the cutting board, Dong Sun replied, “Flattery won’t make me cook any faster.” Shrugging her shoulders, Mi Na said, “Take your time, I’m not really that hungry.” When he finished preparing the ramen, Dong Sun waved Mi Na over and handed her a pair of chopsticks.

As she ate, Mi Na observed, “This tastes better than last time.” Shaking his head, Dong Sun replied, “It tastes the same to me. You probably just think that it tastes better because you’re so happy to be having dinner with your wonderful boyfriend.” Placing her chopsticks down, Mi Na asked, “Since it tastes the same to you, does that mean you’re not happy to be having dinner with your wonderful girlfriend?” Seeing Dong Sun struggle for a response, Mi Na continued, “Oh never mind, I’ll let that one slide since you made me dinner.” Relieved, to have dodged the bullet, Dong Sun smiled and continued to eat.

When they were nearly done eating, Mi Na heard a familiar tune on the radio and exclaimed, “I love this song.” Unfamiliar with the song, Dong Sun asked, “What’s it called?” Mi thought for a second, before replying, “It’s called, Look only at me, and I think Tae Yang sings it.” Slightly familiar with the name, Dong Sun asked, “Is he in that group called big bang?” Mi Na nodded her head, smiled and replied, “Yeah, he’s the super cute one.” Agitated by her description of the singer, Dong Sun asked, “Don’t you mean the super short one?” Mi Na smiled and countered, “Are you jealous?” With an annoyed look on his face, Dong Sun shook his head and replied, “Yeah, right.”

Wanting to push his buttons, Mi Na said, “Well if you aren’t jealous, then we should go to their concert, I’d love to see him perform live.” Staring blankly at her, Dong Sun replied, “I’ll be busy.” Mi Na laughed and asked, “How do you know that you’ll be busy when I haven’t even told you when the concert is?” Before he could respond, Mi Na kissed him on the cheek and said, “Don’t be such a baby. You know that I would take one Dong Sun over ten Tae Yangs any day.” Appeased, Dong Sun replied, “Since that’s the case, we can go to his concert.”

After they finished dinner, Dong Sun put the dishes into the sink and turned to Mi Na to say, “Since I cooked dinner, you should do the dishes.” Having never washed a single dish in her life, Mi Na stared at him and asked, “Are you serious?” Dong Sun nodded his head and said, “I’m absolutely serious. This is going to be a 50/50 relationship.” Before Mi Na could refuse, Dong Sun pulled an apron from the shelf and draped it over her body. Spinning her around to face the sink, Dong Sun proceeded to tie the back of the apron.

As she looked back to see what he was doing, Mi Na was startled when she heard In-Su’s boisterous voice ask, “What are you two doing?!” Looking up at In-Su, Dong Sun replied, “Your sister-in-law’s going to do the dishes, so I’m helping her with her apron.” Jumping up and down, In-Su exclaimed excitedly, “I knew she was going to be my sister-in-law sooner or later!” Placing his arm around Mi Na, Dong Sun pulled her in close and said, “See, I told you he wouldn’t be surprised.” Mi Na blushed and hoped that their relationship would be filled with these types of happy moments.
Please note: although no board code and smiley buttons are shown, they are still usable.

what a cute chapter ^^ i was spazzing the whole time!
thank you thank you so much for the update ^^
looking forward for the next chapter!

and i can just picture HK in InSu..soooooooooooooooo nice!
i don't think i want to see a scene where they will separate and then come together again...
thanks for being so fast in filling us with a new chap every day!!1

Incapable of containing his excitement any longer, In-Su rushed over to the couple and forcefully shoved his brother aside. With a wide grin on his face, In-Su threw up his arms and gave Mi Na a big bear hug. Astonished by the sight of In-Su’s tight grapple on Mi Na, Dong Sun rushed over to pull him off. Despite using all of his strength, Dong Sun was still unable to pry, his starfish of a brother, off of Mi Na and warned, “If you don’t let go, I’ll call your girlfriend over here.” In Su released Mi Na from his grip and turned around to face Dong Sun, before asking, “Hyung, did you really have to pull the girlfriend card?” Not interested in hearing Dong Sun’s response, In-Su re-focused his attention on Mi Na and took a hold of her hand to pull her into the living room.

Seeing that Mi Na was being dragged away; Dong Sun quickly followed the pair and watched as In-Su sat her down on the couch to ask, “How did you guys end up getting together?” Taking a seat by Mi Na, Dong Sun folded his arms and said, “Don’t mind me; I’m only here to make sure that you don’t lie.” Irritated by Dong Sun’s insinuation, Mi Na stared at him blankly, before moving to the other couch to sit by In-Su. After he briefly looked at Dong Sun, In-Su turned to Mi Na and said, “Just ignore him and tell me what happened.” Nodding her head, Mi Na smiled and recounted the day’s events. As Mi Na told the story, she repeatedly emphasized the fact that it was Dong Sun who had initiated the confession.

When Mi Na finished her story, In-Su turned to his brother with an expression of disbelief on his face and asked, “Hyung did you really make the first move?” Annoyed by the question, Dong Sun decided that he would not respond. Realizing that his brother would never answer the question, In-Su looked at Mi Na and said, “I don’t think you’re telling the truth.” Surprised by In-Su’s declaration, Mi Na asked, “Why not?” Rubbing his chin, to convey that he was carefully considering her question, In-Su paused before replying, “Because, hyung’s girlfriends always had to make the first move. Even though he liked Tiffany for over a year, he still waited for her to ask him out first.”

Upon hearing the details of Dong Sun’s past romances, Mi Na felt her blood boil as her jaw opened wide in disbelief. Restraining the volume of her voice, Mi Na asked incredulously, “Didn’t you tell me that you’ve never had a girlfriend before?” Quickly averting is eyes from Mi Na’s searing gaze, Dong Sun decided that playing dumb would be the best course of action and countered, “Did I?” Sensing the palpable tension in the room, In-Su smiled nervously and excused himself, saying, “I think I hear my phone ringing.” Witnessing his brother’s clean get-away; Dong Sun wondered what excuse he could use to escape as well.

Observing the guilty look on Dong Sun’s face, Mi Na asked, “Is the Tiffany in your brother’s story the same Tiffany who sold us our phones?” Dong Sun entertained the thought of lying to Mi Na but decided against it and finally replied, “Yes, she’s the same Tiffany.” Recalling their earlier conversation, Dong Sun quickly continued, “But you should know that I would take one Mi Na over a hundred Tiffanies, any day.” Unhappy with his statement, Mi Na sat down beside Dong Sun, slapped him on the arm and asked, “Just a hundred?” Grimacing in pain, Dong Sun moved away and replied, “A thousand. No, I mean a million.”

Thinking that the worst was yet to come, Dong Sun was pleasantly surprised when he saw a slight smile appear on Mi Na’s face. Moving in close to him, Mi Na looked at his arm and asked, “Does it hurt?” Realizing that she was concerned, Dong Sun wrapped his arm around her and replied, “Of course not, you know that love taps don’t hurt.”

Before she could respond, Mi Na heard her phone ring and walked over to the table to grab her purse. Pulling the phone out, Mi Na glanced over at Dong Sun, pouted and said, “I’m getting mad again just looking at this thing.” Smiling awkwardly, Dong Sun shrugged his should and did not know how he could placate her. Seeing her father’s information appear on her phone, Mi Na quickly picked up and asked why he was calling. Mi Na nodded her head repeated as she listened to her father over the phone and finally replied, “I’m with him now. Let me ask him if he can come with us tomorrow.”

Once her conversation with her father had ended, Mi Na hung up the phone and sat down beside Dong Sun. Seeing the somber expression on Mi Na’s face, Dong Sun asked, “Where are we going?” Mi Na paused before replying, “Tomorrow is my mother’s death anniversary; so my father wanted me to ask, if you’d be willing to come with us to visit her at her grave-site.” Taking a hold of Mi Na’s hands, Dong Sun said, “Of course I’ll go. I’m your boyfriend; so I have a duty to pay my respects to your mother.”

With a contented smile, Mi Na observed, “My mother has never met any of my boyfriends before, so I’m glad that you’ll be the first.” Pulling Mi Na in close for a hug, Dong Sun asked, “And the last?” Nodding her head, Mi Na replied, “That goes without saying.” Since it was getting late, Dong Sun suggested that Mi Na head home to rest. Grabbing his jacket, Dong Sun walked Mi Na downstairs, opened her car door, kissed her on the cheek and instructed her to drive home safely. When she arrived at home, Mi Na called Dong Sun to let him know that she had arrived safely.

After a brief conversation with Dong Sun, Mi Na went to father’s bedroom to see if he was still awake. Seeing that his bedroom light was still on, Mi Na knocked on the door and entered when he instructed her to do so. Watching her father lay out his formal suit, Mi Na asked, “A-Pa, will we be going to the grave-site together?” Shaking his head, Mi Na’s father replied, “I have a meeting afterward, so we’ll need to take separate cars.” Acknowledging her father’s response, Mi Na suggested that he go to bed early and left to return to her own room.

Early the next morning, Mi Na stopped by a floral shop to pick up her mother’s favorite flowers and then proceeded to drive to Dong Sun’s apartment building. When she arrived, Mi Na saw that Dong Sun was already waiting outside and waved at him to indicate that he should get into the car. Instead of going to the passenger’s side of the car, Dong Sun walked over to the driver’s side, opened Mi Na’s door and asked, “Do you want me to drive?” Nodding her head, Mi Na got out of the car and got into the passenger’s seat. On their way to the grave-site, Mi Na explained that, while her mother was on her deathbed, she had requested to be buried near the wedding chapel where she and Mi Na’s father had been married.

Glancing over at Mi Na, Dong Sun observed, “Your parents must have shared a wonderful love story.” Mi Na sighed and replied, “I guess even wonderful love stories eventually come to an end. Too bad theirs’ was so short.” Seeing a tear stream down Mi Na’s face, Dong Sun wiped it away and said, “Mi Na, don’t cry. Be happy that your parents were able to find each another. Not everyone is lucky enough to find their soul mates.”

Carefully considering Dong Sun’s assessment, Mi Na smiled and replied, “I guess my mother was a very lucky woman. Even though she’s not here, A-Pa has never stopped loving her.” Nodding his head, Dong Sun added, “And your father must have received so much love from your mother, while she was with him, that he’s able to keep her memory alive in his heart.” Leaning on Dong Sun’s shoulder, Mi Na said, “I hope you’ll love me that much one day.” Looking at Mi Na’s face Dong Sun smiled and thought to himself, “Silly girl; I already do.”

When they finally arrived at her mother’s grave-site, Mi Na’s father made a formal introduction between his wife and Dong Sun. Diligently paying his respects, Dong Sun thanked Mi Na’s father for the opportunity to meet his beloved wife. Having sufficiently honored her mother’s memory; Mi Na, Dong Sun and her father left the grave-site. Wanting to visit the wedding chapel where her parents were married, Mi Na asked her father for the directions to the location.

The clear directions that Mi Na’s father had provided enabled Dong Sun to find the wedding chapel relatively easily. As they pulled up to the building, Mi Na observed, “The chapel’s a lot smaller than I pictured. I thought my mother would want to be married somewhere more elegant, but I guess she had simpler tastes.” Dong Sun was surprised to discover that Mi Na had never been to the chapel and asked, “You’ve never been here before?” Mi Na shook her head and replied, “No, I’ve never been here. I guess I always thought that if I didn’t come here, then I wouldn’t have to acknowledge that she was gone."

Mi Na paused slightly before she continued to say, "One of my mother’s happiest moments in life was here with my father; so I always thought that by coming here, I would be admitting that the moment is nothing more than a distant memory.” Holding tightly onto Mi Na’s hand, Dong Sun asked, “Then why do you want to come today?” With a slight smile, Mi Na replied, “Because you made me realize that my mother lives on through the memories that my father and I keep of her. So I want to experience the joy she felt on one of the happiest days of her life.” Looking deeply into Mi Na’s eyes, Dong Sun said, “Then let’s go in and experience it together.”

Walking hand in hand into the chapel, Mi Na and Dong Sun made their way down the aisle and looked around at the picturesque scene, which surrounded them. Before reaching the stone carved pulpit at the front of the chapel, they were met by an older gentleman who asked them, “Did you need some information about the wedding services that we provide?” With a diffident smile on her face, Mi Na replied, “No, we’re not getting married. I just wanted to take a look around your chapel because my parents were married here.” Dong Sun bowed politely before adding, “We’re sorry to have disturbed you. If you’re preparing for a service, we can leave.” To which, the man replied, “Please feel free to look around. We don’t have any services planned for today.” Pointing towards a side exit, the man said, “If you go through that door, you’ll see our wonderful garden.” Dong Sun and Mi Na thanked the man for his help and took their leave.

Upon walking out into the garden, Mi Na looked around and thought that she understood why her mother had chosen to be married at this chapel. Letting go of Dong Sun’s hand, Mi Na walked over towards a tree, which had a swing attached to its main branch. Sitting down on the swing, Mi Na beamed as she said, “I’ve seen pictures of this garden. There’s one of my mother sitting here on this swing holding a beautiful bouquet of flowers in her hands. Her wedding dress was really stunning.” Dong Sun made his way over to Mi Na and gently pushed her on the swing and observed, “With such a gorgeous daughter, it isn’t hard to imagine how beautiful your mother was.” Mi Na looked back at Dong Sun and smiled blissfully.

When they had finished their tour of the chapel, Mi Na suggested that they head back home. On their way home, Mi Na asked Dong Sun whether he had given any thought to when he would take her on their first official date. Seeing that there was no time better than the present, Dong Sun replied that they were already on their first official date. With a bright smile on her face, Mi Na asked, “Where are you planning on taking me?” Glancing over at her, Dong Sun replied, “It’s a surprise.” Observing the cheeky expression on Dong Sun’s face, Mi Na said, “It better not be anywhere cheesy.” Shaking his head, Dong Sun replied, “I’ve never taken any of my girlfriends anywhere cheesy.” With a soured expression on her face, Mi Na asked, “Do you think it’s wise to be talking about your old girlfriends on our first date?”

Realizing that he had misspoken, Dong Sun quickly changed the subject and said, “It’s not a fancy place, but I hope you’ll like it anyways.” Not wanting to start a fight, Mi Na sat back in her seat and replied, “Since we’re together, I’m sure I’ll like it.” After nearly an hour, they arrived at their intended destination. Dong Sun parked the car in a public parking lot, turned to Mi Na and said, “We’re here.” Looking around at the rows of parked cars, Mi Na asked, “Are you taking me to a parking lot for our date?” Dong Sun shook his head and inquired, “What kind of date would that be?” Before Mi Na could respond, Dong Sun continued to say, “I’m taking you to an outdoor marketplace. The street vendors sell really good food and we can window shop after we eat.”

Staring at Dong Sun in disbelief, Mi Na asked, “Do you really expect me to eat on the streets? Aren’t those carts really dirty?” Dong Sun smiled and replied, “The food is perfectly clean. They have tarps around their carts to block the dirt from getting onto the food.” Still not convinced, Mi Na pouted and asked, “Can’t we just go to restaurant instead?” Ignoring her suggestion, Dong Sun got out and walked over to her side of the car to open her door. Taking her by the hand, Dong Sun said, “You have to give things a try before you decide whether you like them or not. After all, I wouldn’t be dating you, if I didn’t look past your hard shell.” Not amused by Dong Sun’s statement, Mi Na asked, “What hard shell?” Not wanted to upset her, Dong Sun smiled and changed the subject by saying, “Come on let’s go. I’m starving.”

Leading Mi Na down the street, Dong Sun pointed at the various carts to explain what each vendor was selling. Mi Na looked around at the boisterous outdoor marketplace, and was pleasantly surprised by the beautiful appearance of some of the food that she saw. When Dong Sun located one of his favorite carts, he guided Mi Na over and gushed about how wonderful the food was. Sitting down on the makeshift stool, Mi Na looked at the vendor’s display and said, “It smells really good.” Turning to face the couple, the vendor’s eyes widened as he exclaimed, “Lee Dong Sun, it’s been so long since I last saw you.” Smiling at the middle-aged man, Dong Sun replied, “Sorry Uncle So, I should have come to visit you earlier, but I’ve been really busy lately.”

Seeing that Dong Sun knew the vendor, Mi Na leaned over and asked, “Is he really your uncle?” Dong Sun shook his head and replied, “No, I don’t have any other family members except In-Su. Uncle So helped me and my brother out a lot after our parents passed away. So he’s pretty much like an uncle to me.” Observing the couple’s closeness, Uncle So asked Dong Sun, “Is this lovely young lady your girlfriend.” Nodding his head, Dong Sun replied, “Yes, she’s my girlfriend. Her name is Song Mi Na.” Reaching his hand out, Uncle So said, “It’s very nice to meet you.” Mi Na smiled, shook the man’s hand and replied that it was very nice to meet him as well.

Putting together two plates full of food, Uncle Soo handed the dishes to Dong Sun and said, “Here eat up.” Dong Sun thanked him and placed the plates down before handing Mi Na a pair of disposable chopsticks. Staring at the food, Mi Na did not know where to begin and looked at Dong Sun for guidance. Picking up his chopsticks, Dong Sun showed Mi Na which items she should eat first. After tasting Uncle So’s dish, Mi Na exclaimed, “Uncle So, your food is delicious.” Uncle So laughed and was glad that she liked his cooking. Dong Sun leaned over and said, “See, you have to try everything at least once, right?” Mi Na nodded her head and replied, “From now on, I’ll be sure to be more open minded.”

True to her words, Mi Na spent the next six months keeping an open mind as she embarked on many new experiences with Dong Sun. While Mi Na’s relationship with Dong Sun continued to progress smoothly, she began to suspect that her father had began a new romance of his own. Her suspicions were finally confirmed when her father invited her and Dong Sun to dinner to introduce them to his new girlfriend. Although, Mi Na was taken aback by the revelation, she was happy that her father had found someone who could make him happy. Despite her well wishes for her father’s new relationship, Mi Na was shocked when he announced that they were engaged to be married by the end of the month. Mi Na wondered if the decision had been made too hastily, but respected her father’s choice, and wished him and his new bride all the best for their future together.

Soon after her father and his new wife returned home from their honeymoon, Mi Na began to notice a marked difference in her stepmother’s attitude. It became apparent to Mi Na that her stepmother behaved very differently when her father was not around. Seeing the woman routinely berate the household staff, Mi Na wondered how her father could have fallen for such a woman. Since she did not want to upset her father, Mi Na kept her observations to herself and tried her best to co-exist with the woman in peace. However, as the days continued to pass, Mi Na found it more and more difficult to tolerate the woman’s wasteful spending, demanding behavior and growing interference in her own life.

After arriving home, from Dong Sun’s apartment, at a rather late hour, Mi Na was surprised to see that her stepmother was sitting alone in her room. Annoyed Mi Na asked, “What are you doing in here?” With her arms folded across her chest, Mi Na’s stepmother replied, “I’m waiting for my dear daughter of course.” Mi Na placed her briefcase down on the table and said, “You don’t have to check up on me. I’m a big girl who can take care of herself.” With a stern expression on her face, Mi Na’s stepmother replied, “No matter how big you get, I’m still your stepmother. It’s bad enough that you don’t acknowledge me as such, but now you’re trying to embarrass me, by staying at a strange man’s house at all hours of the day.”

Having heard enough, Mi Na asked, “Weren’t you the one who said that I shouldn’t have to call you mother? Or was that a show you put on for my father’s benefit?” Not allowing the woman to respond, Mi Na picked up her mother’s picture, showed it to the bemused woman and continued, “You’ll never be my mother. This woman is my mother and not to mention my father’s first love.” As Mi Na finished her statement, she observed her stepmother’s altered expression and wondered what she was up to. With tears in her eyes, Mi Na’s stepmother looked past her and began to cry as she suddenly said, “I never wanted to take her mother’s place. Ji Hwa, I only came in here to remind your daughter that she should not stay at her boyfriend’s house so late to avoid the public’s gossiping ways.”

Mi Na turned around and was shocked to see that her father was standing at the doorway with a very angry expression on his face. Realizing that she had been outplayed, Mi Na turned to her stepmother and said, “Wow, you’re craftier than I thought.” Walking past her, Mi Na’s father hugged his wife and said, “I’m sorry for all of this. It’s my fault for having spoiled her as a child.” Turning to face her, Mi Na’s father said, “I wanted to give you more time to accept her as your new mother, but you’ve really gone too far this time.” Seeing the hurt expression on Mi Na’s face, her father asked, “What am I going to do with you?” Stunned by her father’s harsh words, Mi Na proclaimed, “You don’t have to do anything with me.”

Still holding onto her mother’s picture, Mi Na grabbed her purse and walked out of the room. Following after her, Mi Na’s father asked where she was going. To which, Mi Na replied that she would be moving out and would have someone stop by to pick up her belongings. Seeing that things had gotten out of hand, Mi Na’s father asked her, “Do you really think that I’d let you leave that this?” Stopping dead in her tracks, Mi Na turned around and said, “A-Pa, I’m sorry but I can’t live here with that woman. I love you very much but you can’t expect me to live like this.”

Angered by Mi Na’s defiance, her father asked, “Are you saying that I have to choose between you and my wife?” Mi Na shook her head and replied, “Of course not. I’m just saying that I’m old enough to take care of myself. So I suggest that you and your wife focus on building your happy life together without me.” Upon hearing Mi Na’s bold declaration, her father warned, “I won’t let you back into this house if you leave tonight.” With tears gushing from her eyes, Mi Na replied, “I never had any intention of coming back.” Without another word, she walked out the front door.

*sniff, sniff* that was sad, the last two chapters.
It's sad Mi Na is losing her father to her evil stepmother.
But she has Dong Sun to comfort her. Poor Mi Na.

Thanks jessicaaron619 for the updates. Been busy so haven't been keeping up, but now I'm all caught up.

Can't wait for the next update. Great work!!