"Seolhee... I have news." 

She looked up from her studying, surprised at her mom's expression. Her mother looked scared and exhausted. "What is it?" she asked, standing up. She suddenly felt nervous. 

"Jacob has been in an accident. He's... not doing so well right now," her mother said, blinking tears out of her eyes. "He may have to go into surgery. I'm... I'm going to head to Canada. I'm leaving tonight." 

"Can I go with you?" Seolhee asked, suddenly feeling dizzy. Would he die? 

She had been rude on the phone, and they hadn't spoken since. Tears spilled out of her eyes. That wouldn't be the last time they'd speak, right? He'd be okay, wouldn't he? 

"No," her mother said gently. "You have your studying to do, and you still have school."

"But-" 

"No," her mother said, her voice stern now. "I'll take care of everything. Don't worry." 

Seolhee swallowed the rest of her protests and just nodded, going to help her mom pack. 

***

"My schedules with Ms.Bae are canceled this week," Sunwoo heard his father say on the phone from the other room. This piqued his interest and he waited outside, wondering why he'd canceled his plans. 

Had their scheme worked? Was he calling off the wedding?

Sunwoo knew that he should have felt happy about that. After all, that's what he wanted, right?

But if the wedding was called off, then he'd have no reason to fake-date Seolhee anymore. And for some reason, that thought made his heart heavy. 

His father came out of his office and Sunwoo looked at him lazily. "You canceled all your plans? Can you really bear to be parted from Ms.Bae for that long?" he scoffed, pretending to act as though he truly had no interest in his father's plans. 

His father narrowed his eyes, his gaze holding a warning. "She's about to board a plane to Canada," he said after a moment, his voice cold and emotionless. "Her son got into some accident," he said, walking away. 

Sunwoo stood there for a moment, processing this information. An accident? Jacob? 

He suddenly realized that his father hadn't said anything about Seolhee going. Was she all alone at home then? 

Worry blossomed in his chest, and before he knew it he'd ran out of the house, running towards her.