Preparing for a wedding was exhausting, but it was unbearable when it's a wedding you didn't want to happen.

Jaemin and Lia had to participate in planning the wedding, from the color of the napkins, flowers arrangements to the theme and location. They could have hired a wedding planner and leave all the decisions to them but the Chairman specifically wanted Jaemin and Lia to 'hang out' with each other. This was his way of making their bonds close.

As if a bond could be developed while doing an activity they were not both interested.

"I would have enjoyed this if I love the person I'm marrying," Lia muttered her breath. Jaemin couldn't agree more.

Finally, it was time for the fitting and Jaemin was forced by the Chairman to accompany Lia on her gown fitting. He would get his three-piece suit measured as well but he had to give comments on Lia's wedding gowns first.

"How about this one?" Lia asked and twirled around to give a three hundred sixty degree view of the crystal studded gown.

"It looks great," Jaemin said without looking.

"Seriously?" she asked incredulously. "You said the same thing on the first two dresses! At least give a helpful feedback."

"No really, whatever you wear looks great on you," Jaemin said and Lia stopped sulking, surprised at his words. "I don't mean it in a flirty way. I'm just telling you what I think. Besides, you're the one who should know what suits you best."

Jaemin stood up from the blue velvet couch. A sharp jolt of pain struck him and his heart was racing so fast he had to clutch his chest. He was not feeling better the past few days and it kept getting worse. His head was throbbing in pain and he was feeling dizzy. It only took one step to lose his balance before everything went black.

"Jaemin!" Lia cried and lifted the hem of the gown to run towards Jaemin lying on the ground. She tapped his cheeks but got no response. "Call an ambulance!" she yelled to her bodyguards and cradled Jaemin's body on her arms.

The ambulance arrived and carried Jaemin's unconscious body on a stretcher. Lia didn't have the chance to get changed so she contacted Jaemin's household to deliver the urgent message.

At the Na manor, the butler who just received the message from Lia went into full panic and ran to Jae Sook's office. He rapped the door three times before slamming it open. Na Jae Sook, who was taking a five minute break while looking outside the floor to ceiling window overlooking the garden, spilled tea all over his suit.

"I'm sorry for the disturbance, Master. I received an urgent message from  young lady Lia," the butler said.

"What is it?" Jae Sook asked while wiping his mouth with tissue.

"The young master collapsed. He was brought to the hospital."

Jae Sook dropped the delicate teacup and sprinted out of his office without a word, the butler trailing behind him. He barked a few orders to his men and they prepared the fastest car in the garage. Jae Sook got inside the vehicle and he was anxious the entire ride to the hospital.

When they arrived, he saw Lia waiting at the lobby.

"What happened to my son?" he asked worriedly.

"I was asking him for comments about my gown when he stood up and suddenly collapsed. He was probably exhausted from all the things we did earlier. I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, Lia. I should thank you, even. My driver will give you a ride. I'm sure you're in shock as well."

Lia didn't refuse the offer. The young lady followed the driver while Jae Sook and his butler went to the fifth floor to Jaemin's room. When they reached the room, they saw a doctor and nurse checking Jaemin's condition. He was still unconscious and his forehead was still red from hitting it on the edge of the couch when he collapsed.

"Good day, I'm the father of the patient, Na Jae Sook. This is my son Na Jaemin. What happened to him?"

"Mr. Na, we're still yet to find out what was the true reason why he collapsed but based on what we observed, it was due to fatigue. We will conduct a couple of tests so we can find out the true reason behind it."

"Please do," Jae Sook answered and the doctor nodded to the nurse. A few moments later, Jaemin was dragged to a room to conduct several tests. They would have to wait for a few hours for the results to come out. While waiting, Jae Sook sat beside his son while holding his hand.

"I can't lose you too, Jaemin. I can't. It will be too hard for me to bear the pain. I am not strong," he said, his voice trembling as he pressed a gentle kiss on his son's hand. After so many years of hiding in his shell, curling up to prevent himself from falling apart, his facade cracked.

He stared at his son's face, lips chapped and pale, cheeks hollow, dark circles prominent. His eyebrows were also furrowed even in his deep sleep. Jaemin was obviously unhappy all those years but he was much more miserable now.

"Master, are we going to inform the Chairman about your absence?" the butler asked.

"Yes, please. But don't tell him about what happened yet."

"Yes, Master."

The butler stepped out of the room and Jae Sook stared at his son once again. He stroked his cheek and burst into tears once again when he remembered his wife on her death bed, giving him and their son a loving message one last time. To say that he was scared was an understatement. All those years, he barely paid attention to Jaemin and only worked and worked to save the company, only for his son to be used as a pawn and suffer the fate he was able to escape from.

The doctor knocked on the door and Jae Sook immediately got his composure back.

"What is it, Doctor?" he asked.

The doctor heaved a deep sigh. "Based on the results we gathered, your son consumed too much caffeine and his body couldn't take it anymore. He was drinking approximately ten to twelve cups of espresso a day. Caffeine results to fatigue and insomnia. Due to sleep deprivation and unhealthy diet, his body collapsed. He might experience withdrawals such as weakened state and low energy because the effects of caffeine will wear out overtime."

When the doctor told him everything he needed to know and handed him the medicine he needed to buy for Jaemin, he slumped back on his seat and gripped his son's hand.

"I'm really sorry, my boy. I will make it up to you. I will save you, I promise. Trust me, I will save you from them. From him. From all these chaos. I love you so much." He kissed Jaemin's forehead before leaving the room.

Little did he know, Jaemin heard everything.

When Na Jae Sook finished his story, you were in utter disbelief.

"That brat!" you exclaimed angrily and slammed your hands on the table which startled Jae Sook. "How could he do that to himself?"

"Please don't be mad with my son. He's been miserable these past few weeks."

"And I wasn't?!"

Jae Sook raised both of his hands in surrender. "I'm sorry. My apologies."

You leaned back on your chair. "Why do you need my help? Do you want me to tell him to stop drinking coffee?" you joked.

"Well, yeah, sort of. But you see, he refused to see anyone or do anything. He doesn't even want to eat. He would throw a huge tantrum, probably the first one I've seen in my life. You know how gentle and sweet he was when he was a child."

"I don't think I can do that. Stop him, I mean. Nobody can convince him, not even me."

Jae Sook crossed his arms. "That's where you're wrong."

"Why?"

"He's been calling your name since he woke up. He wants to see you."

You were speechless as you stared into Jae Sook's eyes, trying to find the lies with his words.

"You should have taken better care of him," you blurted out. Hurt flashed across Jae Sook's eyes, and then regret. You instantly felt bad about what you said. "I'm sorry. That was insensitive."

"No, you're right," he said and took a deep breath. "I should've been stronger for the both of us when his mother died. Instead, I drowned myself with work and neglected him. I miss the child he used to be, but I can't really blame him for changing. He only adapted to the environment he was raised to, and I let it happened to him. That's why... I wanted to help him. Give him everything he wanted."

"At what cost?" you asked. "You're going to exhaust yourself and drain the life out of you? Jaemin may not say it or show it but he loves you so much. He hates seeing you overworking yourself. All he ever wanted is your time and affection. He may have changed, but he's still that sweet little boy underneath the layers of mask. He even wanted to make his grandfather proud even after everything he had been through. He didn't want to be like that. He wasn't proud of who he had become. He was forced to, because the person he expected to be there for him didn't stay with him at his lowest point."

Jae Sook's eyes were misty and pleading. "That's why I need your help. I can't do this alone. Not this time."

You stared back at him. He was a loving father and husband but his career took that away from him. But what about you? You were not entirely okay and you tried your best to stay afloat. Would you be okay to see Jaemin again?

"Who's (Name)?" Lia asked when Jaemin opened his eyes. She visited him at the hospital with a bouquet of flowers and a jar of fresh strawberries. Jaemin was muttering your name in his dream. He was back at the beach again, with you in his arms, and everything was still okay.

"What?" Jaemin asked and struggled to sit.

"(Name). You're muttering that name in your sleep. Who's that person?"

Jaemin looked outside of the window. "No one."

"Is it the person you loved?"

"Loved? I still love her."

Lia took a deep breath. "Look, I don't want to be insensitive but we're both struggling here. But have you seen me trying to kill myself because I wasn't able to marry the person I love? I have a life before this shit happened and I was forced to throw it away. We're two different people but have the same situation. But you've never seen me wanting to throw my life away."

"You didn't experience the horrors I've been through while growing up."

"Exactly. We have different experiences for a reason. And those were meant to make you stronger. I'm tired of this same bullshit all the time!"

"Then why are you here? I didn't ask you to visit me. And I fucking hate strawberries."

"I visited you here so I could scold your stubborn ass. I would beat you into a pulp if you are not dying right now."

"Can you just shut up, Lia? You're exhausting yourself."

Lia laughed in disbelief. "Tell me, Na Jaemin. Do you think the person you love is not suffering right now? You're selfish. You're only thinking about yourself that's why you will not hesitate to do this to yourself. What would that person say to you?"

It must have been trick of the light or Jaemin was having hallucinations. But when he looked at Lia, her face morphed into yours. The same worried eyes, the same curve of your lips, the face he just loved looking at. Slowly, he lifted his hand and caressed your cheeks.

"I'm so so sorry..." he whispered as his voice trembled. He slowly leaned towards you and pressed a kiss on your forehead.

Right on cue, the door opened.

It was your first time riding a private plane and to say that everything was luxurious was an understatement. After the night that Jaemin's father talked to you, you immediately packed your clothes and all Giselle could do was watch you move in lightning speed.

"When will you be back?" she asked because you told her that the reason was a long story.

"I don't know but I already had an excuse for that," you said and handed her a piece of paper.

The excuse was actually prepared by Jae Sook.

He slid an envelope on the table. You tore the cover and read the content.

"A medical certificate?" you asked. "I have a pneumonia and I must be treated in a hospital in South Korea? You forged a medical certificate? Isn't this illegal?"

"Technically, yes that's illegal but there's nothing money can't do nowadays. Besides, the school will not speculate and even if they do, I got your back."

"This is making me nervous. You wanted me to come with you in a foreign country to convince your brat and you faked my medical condition. What's next?"

"Don't you trust me? I will not let anything happen to you or else my son will kill me. You're my only hope."

"You're fully prepared. But what if I didn't agree with you?"

"There's nothing money can't do."

You rolled your eyes. Power tripping. Bribery. Manipulation. He came well-prepared and he would not hesitate to use his resources for his advantage. He was not the same person you used to know. It was crazy that there were fairly little to no limits when you're rich.

And that's how you ended up in his private plane. A flight attendant handed you a glass of champagne and served you dinner. Jae Sook was answering important phone calls so you busied yourself looking outside the window. You were a hundreds of feet above the ground and there was nothing much to see but the thick clouds. Still, it was pretty.

A nagging feeling kept tugging your mind and you couldn't drown it away. It was unbelievable that after a month of trying to save yourself from the pain, you would try to save the man who was literally about to get married. But the thought that his own safety relies on you made you somehow feel important, made you think that you were still an integral part of his life.

But for how long? you thought. Lia is rich and pretty. I am way out of their league. There's no doubt that he'll fall in love with her if he would just give it a thought.

"(Name)," Jae Sook called you. "You should sleep for now. I know you're exhausted."

The mention of sleep made you yawn instantly and before you knew it, you were dozing off inside a dimly lit plane, hundreds of feet above the ground. Your parents would kill you if they learned about your little adventures but you didn't think about it for now.

The last person on your mind when you fell asleep was Jaemin.

The next morning, you woke up inside a VIP suite in a five star hotel, still in your clothes, lying on a canopy king-sized bed and buried in silk white sheets. You were in a deep sleep last night and Jae Sook didn't want to bother you so he asked one of your butlers to book a hotel room for you and leave you there for awhile with your luggage.

On the bedside table, he left a note.

‘Please be ready at 10:00 A.M. my butler will pick you up and drive you to the hospital. Everything has been paid for so you can call room service to deliver your breakfast.’

After you read the note, you lied back on the bed. Jae Sook made sure that you're comfortable and yet your heart was not at peace at all. It was hammering nonstop since he told you that you'd go to South Korea to see Jaemin. You were not sure if you're excited or nervous to see him again, but one thing was for sure: the feeling had to go away.

It was still 7:00 A.M. and you weren't in a hurry to get ready so you took your time eating breakfast while enjoying the view from the tall skyscraper overlooking the city of Seoul. It would be nice to have a little stroll around the city and admire the place but you weren't there for a vacation. You had a mission to do, a mission that only you could accomplish. The weather was cold and you were smart enough to bring several coats. After you took a hot bath and got dressed, someone knocked on the door of your hotel room. Peeking through the peephole, you saw the familiar guy in a black suit, Na Jae Sook's butler. You opened the door to let him inside but he didn't move.

"I am here to pick you up and drive you to the hospital according to the Master's orders, young lady," he said in a pleasant but rehearsed voice. You winced at his use of honorifics. That was probably the way of the rich so you simply let it be.

You'd be staying in that hotel until you could convince Jaemin, that's what the butler told you. A part of you was tempted to stay long since you already had an excuse for your absence and you wanted to take the opportunity to roam around a foreign country but that would be inappropriate. All you could do for now was watch the view as the car drive along the road to the hospital where Jaemin was confined. It took less than ten minutes to arrive to the hospital and you were twice as nervous compared to last night.

"Please don't be nervous, young lady," the butler said when he opened the door for you and you stepped out, the cold air hitting your face. "The Master trusts you, it means you're the only one who can do this."

"How bad was it?" you asked, referring to Jaemin's condition.

"Bad enough for the young master's body to collapse. It's not helping that he's being stubborn. I am not a backbiter, I'm just telling you what I know."

You nodded understandingly. "He's such a brat," you muttered under your breath and gestured the butler to lead the way.

It was a nerve wracking moment when the elevator dinged, indicating that you arrived at the fifth floor. You stepped out of the elevator, following the butler when he stopped in front of a light wooden door. The first thing you noticed was how secluded and organized the area was.

You were fumbling the hem of your sweater as the butler knocked three times before looking at you as if telling you to open the door yourself. He stepped back to give you space and with a nervous hand, you twisted the handle and opened the door.

The first thing you saw was the open window with streams of sunlight illuminating the room. Then your eyes landed on a long-haired girl, her back facing you, sitting on a chair beside Jaemin's bed, then to a pale boy with hollow cheeks laying down on the hospital bed. He still had the same black hair but he was obviously thinner.

What shocked you was when you caught Jaemin leaning towards the girl. You were sure that he kissed her, you're just not sure where. The sound of the door slamming on the wall as you let go of the handle made them stop.

The girl turned around, her shocked face staring at you in confusion. Jaemin was squinting his eyes, trying to get a look at your face before looking back at Lia, then to you again. Shock registered on his face when he realized that he mistook Lia as you when he kissed her on her forehead.

"I don't think I'm needed here," you told the butler who was standing behind you. He also saw everything but didn't say anything.

"There's a rooftop in this hospital. You can contact me if you wanted me to drive you back to the hotel," the butler answered and slip a card between your fingers. Your feet automatically moved and ran to the elevator. You pressed the button leading to the rooftop and leaned on the railings, your body giving up from exhaustion and overwhelming emotions but you forced yourself to stand up. When the elevator opened, you were fascinated by the view ahead of you. It's like a mini garden in the heart of Seoul. There were patients there inhaling fresh air while talking to the nurses who accompanied them.

You settled on a bench in one corner. It was extremely difficult for you to hold back your tears in a place full of people. You leaned back on the bench and gazed at the sky. You closed your eyes and let the tears fall.

You felt betrayed and lost. The fact that you traveled for miles only to see him doing just fine with another girl broke your heart. Your judgment was clouded as you let your emotions rule your head. For the past month, you tried to be okay while falling apart. Meanwhile, he dropped out of school, drowned himself with coffee, then got engaged with a beautiful girl he probably fell in love with. All in the span of one month, you were buried in his mind. That's what you wanted to think at least.

"Hey," a soft voice nudged you from your peace. You opened your eyes and saw Lia. She was even prettier up close and you instantly felt small. You moved back a bit to let her sit beside you. "You must be (Name)."

Your brows furrowed. "How did you know my name."

"Because Jaemin keeps muttering your name in his sleep."

"Is that supposed to make me feel special?" you asked. You couldn't help but think that this was all a sick joke, some kind of torture to show you that you didn't belong to their world. How could he whisper your name while he's unconscious then kiss another girl when he's awake?

"Look, what you saw earlier was all a mistake."

"How? I'm not having hallucinations if that's what you wanted me to think."

"I know you're not, but I think he is. We were talking about you before you opened that door. I was telling him to get his shit together because I told him that you're just as miserable but you're not doing anything harmful to yourself. He was furious at me but then his expression softened. He apologized to me, but he called your name instead. And that's when he kissed me on my forehead."

"Nothing will change anyway. You're still going to get married," you said. "Damn, why did I even agree to go here?"

"It sucks. I mean, Jaemin is handsome but I don't really like men."

"You... what?"

"I like women," Lia said. "There's a higher possibility that I would fall in love with you instead of him. But of course, that will not happen because I have a girlfriend. Well, had. We broke up a month ago when she found out about my engagement."

"I'm sorry," you said as you felt the anger drain away. It was just as difficult for her.

"I wish a miracle will happen and this engagement will be broken," she said before standing up. "You should talk to Jaemin. I'm sure he was dying to see you, literally and figuratively speaking."

You shook your head. "I don't know, maybe tomorrow? Now that I saw him even just for a glimpse, I realized I have nothing comprehensive to say so I'll plan everything first. I don't want to waste the chance blabbering nonsense. Just make sure that he's not going to escape the hospital."

After talking to Lia, you met the butler at the lobby. It was a good decision to talk to Jaemin tomorrow because the nurses had to use a tranquilizer to sedate him. He ripped off his IV and tried to run after you but he was still weak.

"He will not hesitate to tear the hospital room to see you, young lady," the butler said while looking ahead of the road.

"He never fails to act like a brat," you muttered.

"He just missed you a lot. Like I said, I'm not a backbiter, but the young master had been through a lot of pressure."

"How is his family like?" you asked then you realized that you were asking such a personal question that would jeopardize his job as a butler. "Never mind. Don't answer that."

"Thank you, young lady. That's a very difficult question. But I'm only giving you one answer. They're the kind of family you wouldn't want to make as your enemy."

You were wrong to assume that the Chairman was the most dangerous person in that family.

---

What a coincidence. Few days ago, I made Jaemin's mother a kindergarten teacher in this story (because Jaemin talks like that) and today, I found out that his mother is really a teacher.