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After a couple of times since the last time, Jeonghan finally accepts her invite for dinner. Seunghee's relieved. Because she doesn't know what to do next if he rejects her one more time.

They meet at an expensive Japanese restaurant, both dressed professionally, arriving at exactly 8PM. She looks stunningly gorgeous in her formal attire and he looks dazzling enough to walk with her. She can't help but wish this is not just a professional meeting they're having, but a simple catching up date.

They take their seats at a reserved table, which was her doing.

"I hope you like it here," she says.

"Yeah, it's okay," he replies.

They order their meals and start discussing only about work. It's hard for Seunghee to open up to him. His concerns are all about his business. But she will take her time. She can't let this night pass without talking to him about what happened to them in the past. After about an hour of senseless chitchat for her, he finally opens a window.

"I see you're still single," he suddenly utters. "Why is that? Sorry if I sound like intruding."

It shatters her all over. His tone is as insensitive as ever. And his face is as cold as ice. It's heart breaking. She stares at him as he eats. She can't even touch her food. With him like this in front of her again, it's almost as if she's already full from the heartache.

"Jeonghan..." she starts. It's the first again that she calls him only by his name in eight years and it feels nostalgic. "Can we talk about us? About us eight years ago?"

His expression doesn't change. "What about it? It's long over. I don't think it should still affect us now."

He's still as unsympathetic as ever but she shuts her fears and just go on with what she prepared. She waited for this for eight long years, she can't bite her tail now.

"It still does to me. All this time, the only thing I have in my heart is regret. For hurting you. For breaking my word. For being the girl who betrayed you," she starts, with an expression so sorry, she's almost teary. "I'm sorry. I still say these words in the back of my head, consciously, or even in my subconscious for years and it won't just stop."

Seunghee can only stare at his unwavering expression. He's not showing any tinge of sentiment towards her. It's a poker face, but she can't really tell what's behind it.

"Jeonghan, I still wish for us to try again. I can prove to you that it was all just a mistake. I will-"

"I wish I could say the same. But I think time has different ventures for both of us."

This time it totally wrecks her. He stares back at her like some kind of stranger who doesn't really matter. Looking at him, her tears instantly fall down her eyes in front of him.

"Hey, don't cry here. People might get the wrong idea," he says as he passes her the tissue.

It doesn't matter to her though. She gets tissue and wipes her tears, but she can't even look at him anymore. This outright rejection is just too much. He doesn't intend to give her any hope. Or anything to hold on to anymore. It's too much to handle for her grieving heart.

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She drowns herself in alcohol for the third time that week. She hasn't been teaching her classes and she hasn't gone to the Cube office for days. She only sobers up in the mornings and waste away the night again. She only wants to run a way for a matter of time. She only wants to sink her frustrations away. She hasn't been this humiliated her entire life. Face to face with rejection, it takes all of her dignity to stand up to him over and over again. But she can only bear so much. And this time she needs to rest for a little while. Before she stands up to him again and work her way steadily to his heart one more time.

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"You're drinking again," Taehyung finds her in the bar again, intoxicated on a fourth night. "You need to stop this."

He attempts to get the glass from her but she shoves his hand away. "Don't! ...you touch me. Just leave me alone. I need this. I need to think."

"This is the fourth night Seunghee. Pull yourself together. Don't tell me you'll drown yourself in alcohol for as long as it relieves you?" He feels so bad seeing her like this. Just like that time Jeonghan left. She was almost out of it every day. He couldn't really talk to her. She wouldn't even look at him. The only things she did were cry, drink, and lock herself up in her room for days.

But this time he won't let her be like this again. Now that Jeonghan is back, he will make her realize she's just wasting her time with this nonsense. That she has to pull through. That she has to make him come back to her, cuz if not, he will definitely own her. Whether she likes it or not.

"You're going home," Taehyung commands, grabbing her arm and yanking her out of the bar.

Seunghee vigorously struggles from his grip, "Let go Taehyung!" But she can't really get away from him.

He has dragged her out of the bar and inside his car and she couldn't even stop him.

She yells at him as he starts the engine, "Why do you keep on prying? I did not ask you cuz I don't need your help! Let me off this car!"

Disregarding her, he silently drives off the alley to her condo unit near the bay as she continues to nag on his ears on their way.

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Taehyung gently tosses her to the bed. She hasn't stopped nagging at him since they left the bar. She didn't even wanna get off the car so he had to lift her up on his shoulders just to bring her to her unit. And now here they are in her room, still arguing about it.

"Who gave you the right to do this?! I'm not drunk! Can't you see? I'm not!"

This time, he finally responds at her, "If you don't stop screaming you're not gonna like what I'll do next."

"You're gonna do what? Do what huh? Do something that would make me hate you?! Hit me? Just do it! So I won't ever have to see you again! So I can get rid of you!!"

Taehyung snaps and aggressively pins her down the bed and tells it right into her startled face, "I'm gonna make you mine before he even does it."

Her eyes widen at his statement and she doesn't have time to even react cuz he crashes his lips on hers hard on. He plans to scare her. He plans to just kiss her and give a lecture but his body forgets to follow those plans. It's been a while since he last kissed her and he missed it. He missed her so much he can't stop himself tonight. He loves her. He still does so badly, after all this time. And he can only wish he's the one she's suffering for. He can only wish he's the one she's longing for all these years.

She's struggling under him. The feeling she hated the most is when he touched her. Because when she let him, she lost him. That was the most painful thing she ever had to go through. And she won't let it happen ever again.

But even if she doesn't want it, pushing him away doesn't help. The gap in their strengths is just too wide. He's all over her now, and he's too strong for her to stop. His hands roam around her body, one hand cupping her breast and the other on her thigh under her skirt. And his mouth devours hers lips, owning them like there's no tomorrow. She's almost going insane with him doing this to her and she bursts out weeping under him. She doesn't need any of it. And she really hates it even more that she can't do anything about it.

Taehyung finally knocks some sense in himself and gradually loosens his grasp off her. He eventually lets go and stands on his feet. Seunghee is still crying on the bed, trying to compose herself with her anger building up fast.

But he tells her, "If you don't get him soon, I won't think twice again. I'll definitely make you mine next time. Cuz if you bear my child, I don't think you can ever run away from me. So go get him, before I completely lose my cool and have you for myself. I've waited long enough and I think I deserve to be with you too."

Seunghee doesn't look at him, but hearing him say this leaves a sharp pang in her heart.

But he reiterate clearly what he's trying to do, "I'm not sorry I have to do this. Cuz I don't want you idling down, doing nothing to appease your pain. You have to give it everything you've got. Don't give him another reason to let go of you again. Cuz I'll be right behind catching you, and I won't give him a chance to take you back."

She finally realizes he's done the most extreme way of showing support. Though he has his own personal reasons, he's only all about her. All about her happiness.

"I don't want you to be with him, but I won't hinder you from doing it. Cuz I love you Seunghee. And I know he's the only one who could give you what you need. That he's the only one who can make you happy."

Taehyung finally walks away and leaves her unit without another word. When he fell for her, his world became clouded and right now, it's the darkest it has been. But he will wait for the sun to shine on him again, once she has found her happiness.

Seunghee feels dazed. She feels downright shattered. The same guy who became the reason she lost him is the same guy who's pushing her to her limit to bring him back. It's ironic. But he's right. She can't stop now. There's no time for her to be idling away. She needs him in her life. And she has to give it everything she's got to make that happen.

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With a new set of determination, early morning the next day, she welcomes him before he opens his shop. Jeonghan is quite surprised she's there in her casual clothes, and from the looks of it, she's likely to stick around the store today.

"Good morning Jeonghan-ssi," she cheerily greets him as he gets off his car.

The smile on her face is genuine, he can see. Despite what occurred a few nights before. He responds with a nice but reserved smile too. "Good morning."

He walks inside his shop with her tailing him. He even holds the door for her since she obviously plans to stay for the day.

"Why, thank you," she tells him.

She comes in before him and the staffs greet them altogether. "Good morning Madame, Boss!"

The sound of everyone's voices tingle in her ears. It's too good to be true. The feeling like she's part of the place, like she's a part of him. It feels so flattering. But before she drowns in her fantasies, his voice brings her back to reality.

"What are you here for today Seunghee-ssi? I bet you have better reasons than just asking me out for dinner again."

His words are sharp. It's hitting her deep down to the core. But she can't be shaken by that anymore. She has gone past that point.

"Well, I have a proposal for you," she tells him directly.

It catches his attention and later, they talk about it in a very professional manner.

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To be continued...

(16.12.20)