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He stopped that instant. He rose up and looked at her face with his hands forming a barricade on both her sides. She was looking at him too. They were both catching their breaths and they were both sweaty and flushed too. He stared at her and she stared at him the same. He was glad she wasn't crying and she didn't show a terrified expression either. She was just looking lovingly at him. Then she cupped his face and smiled sweetly.

"Thank you for stopping... I really needed you to stop. Something like this... We still need to think about it. Let's not rush things okay?"

Jeonghan could not say a thing. He was thankful she did not get angry or frustrated at him. He was still feeling a bit tipsy but he could clearly see her forgiving face.

"Seunghee... I'm sorry I..."

"Nope! You don't have to. Don't worry, it was something I needed to experience. And honestly, I liked it. But to continue from here on is another question. So can you get off me now? I need to put on my clothes."

He smiled. Acting nonchalant about it again. He thought. He leaned in to kiss her one last time.

"Thank you," he said.

Seunghee smiled back at him. "I love you."

"I love you so much."

He got off her and picked up the clothes he took off her. He was embarrassed then remembering how he got them off her. She was covering herself up with the blanket when he turned back to her. She blushed. He was still hard. She could see his pants in a tight lump. She got shy and averted her eyesight.

"I think you need to have a cold bath."

"Oh... Yeah."

He noticed it himself and was humiliated. He handed her the clothes, walked to the bathroom and closed himself in. Seunghee just sighed. She was thankful. What kind of guy stops himself in the middle of making love just to reconsider the feelings of his partner and totally stopping halfway? She was blessed it was him. But she also pitied him for holding himself back for a number of times now only for her sake. Soon okay. Sooner. She said to herself.

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The next day, Jeonghan told Seunghee all about it. She was persistent so he had no other choice. It was the dispute between him and her cousin but she was the one in the middle of it all. She had every right to know.

Upon learning about it, she stormed her way to see Sehun in an outrageous state. Jeonghan could not stop her. She was very angry. They searched for him. And finally, they saw Sehun standing at the door of the condo unit. With Jeonghan behind her, she quickly approached him and without a word, she gave him a very hard slap on the face.

"Why are you doing this?!" she angrily yelled at his face.

Sehun was stunned. Jeonghan had to pull her back, holding her arms tight.

"Seunghee it's alright..."

"It's not alright! Who are you to put Jeonghan into test like that? And why did you ask Chanyeol-shi to woo me?"

Jeonghan was shocked. So even Chanyeol-shi's emergence was his doing. Sehun was just silent and bowing. He had to hear what she had to say before he gave her his side of the story.

"You think I didn't know? We're the closest cousins, oppa. So I had been watchful of you from the start. I knew you would be cynical about him. I knew you would do something to try us, but not to this extent! You've crossed the line oppa. How could you do this? Did you not even think of how I would feel? You hurt me in the process. Did you not even consider me? Did you really want tear us apart?"

Then Sehun just couldn't take it anymore.

"Yes! I wanted to tear this guy away from you! He's not worthy of you. You deserve someone better. It's all because he appeared in your life, Seunghee. I want to give you more than what you already have. And there are lots of other guys better than him."

"Deciding what you think is best for me? You're not even my dad to do that. I will never forgive you for doing this. Jeonghan loves me more than you do. So stop bothering us anymore!"

Seunghee walked away from him. Jeonghan followed her giving Sehun a glare before leaving. And Sehun was just shattered. He knew he would be over the top with what he did last night but he just couldn't stop anymore. Seunghee has never been this furious with him in his life. Now what should he do? He never expected this kind of ending. He was sure she would thank her instead after everything was done. He did not prepare for this. He did not know how to ask for her forgiveness.

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"Seunghee! Seunghee, stop!"

Jeonghan finally got a hold of her arm. She stopped on her tracks too. But she was crying, so hard it broke his heart.

"Come here. It's okay now."

He held her in his arms in a warm embrace. He knew she would be the one receiving all the heartaches in the end. But he could not stop Sehun on his own. He was so torn between her affection for her cousin and his respect for his concern about her that it ended up like this. He should have done something instead. But it's too late now.

"I'm sorry, it ended up like this. I failed to protect you."

As Jeonghan was busy blaming himself, Seunghee was still crying while buried over his chest. She was so mad at Sehun but she was so hurt at the same time. She never realized he would go beyond ordinary just to tear them down. Just to insist his stubbornness and prove to her he was right. And it pained her so much more that he was capable of doing this to her, the one cousin she cared for the most.

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Jeonghan went back to his unit sooner. Seunghee said she wanted to be alone for a while and asked him to go home. She was so devastated she wanted time to think for herself. So he obliged and let her. He knew Sehun meant so much to her, he would not contest about it.

He was enraged at Sehun too. How could he set him up like that? Was he hoping he'd bounce away easily from Seunghee just because some pretty but nasty girl seduced him? He was taking him lightly. It was unjustifiable.

He opened his door looking out for Sehun. He might as well give him a piece of his rage while they were at it. He wanted to punch him right on the face the moment he laid his eyes on him. But it went differently. He found him curled up at a corner of the living room, lights out, curtains down. He was flabbergasted. He looked so doomed and miserable. He didn't expect something so gloomy. All his rage was fading bit by bit.

He turned on the lights and scorned at him.

"You can't stay in my house for another day. You should leave today. But wait, can I punch you in the face before you retreat? My hands seem to really want to knock you off and I don't give a damn if you're older than me."

Sehun sharply looked at him. With a swift move he was up and he directly charged at Jeonghan.

"This is all because you are here in the first place!" Sehun shouted.

Jeonghan dodged his straightforward punch and blew him off instead. It was like Sehun wanted to let him hit him considerately. He tumbled down with a pained look on his face. Not just the superficial kind of pain, but the deeply scarred pain instead.

"I will never accept you for being with her. You will never be enough for her," Sehun said.

Jeonghan was to say something but he continued.

"But just this one time, I want to ask something of you. I don't think Seunghee will ever forgive me for what I've done. So please... Help me win her back. I really need your help."

Jeonghan was surprised. He was bowing before him. Not because he was asking for forgiveness, but because he needed help to win Seunghee back. It was ironic. If he never wanted to hurt and lose Seunghee, why did he have to do it so painstakingly?

"So what was the purpose of all these?" Jeonghan asked.

Sehun snorted. Jeonghan was right. He only made them suffer. What was the good in all of that happened? Nothing. It was just his stubbornness taking over.

"So will you help me?"

Jeonghan stared down at him with a blank face. But how could he not help him? Maybe it was the right time to really make things work between them. And besides, for Seunghee he would do anything.

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Seunghee spent days in melancholy. Jeonghan tried his best to cheer her up but nothing worked. He would see her staring out the window during classes and just listening to music at break time. It really broke her heart, the things Sehun did to them. She couldn't accept that fact.

"So are you planning to do it today?" Jeonghan was on the phone with Sehun who called him.

"Can you take her to the park? That's where we usually played at when we were little."

"I'll try. But she doesn't want to go out after classes. But okay, I'll talk her to it."

"Hey, thanks."

"Yah."

Jeonghan stared at Seunghee who was quietly reading her notes a few seats away from him. People just don't know when to stop hurting each other. It was a given, he thought.

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"Let's stop by the park for a while. What do you say?" Jeonghan told Seunghee.

They were talking a stroll just going out of the school campus. It was only 5pm. Jeonghan had time to take her to the place.

"Why the park?" Seunghee asked.

"Just for a change? Come on."

"Alright. But just for a while okay? I want to go home early."

"Yes, just for a while."

He was glad she said yes. If this continues, it might take her a while to be able to go back to being the Seunghee she was. Now it was all up to Sehun. He did his part, so he better make his done well.

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Seunghee felt nostalgic upon seeing the old park. It was Sehun who instantly popped out in her head. They would play there everyday in their childhood days. It made her feel even more distressed recalling it. He was the most important boy in her life back then. She was her knight and she couldn't thank him enough. Then Jeonghan said he'll buy something.

"I'll get us something to drink okay? Stay here, I'll be back quick."

"I can go with you."

"No, it's okay. Just sit by the swing. I'll be back."

Jeonghan left her alone. So she sat at the swing just like he told her. There were not that many people staying there. She could see almost everyone. Some kids were playing with the see-saw, some were running around while their parents were nearby watching them. It felt like that place was there only for reminiscing. It was so peaceful.

"Do you still remember when we first came here to play?" Sehun uttered from behind.

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To be continued...