Chapter 2: His Story

A.N.: Hello all. Thanks for the reads, reviews, favorites and follows for "A First Anniversary To Remember". January is also a first anniversary to remember for me. My first fanfiction "What Should I Do" was published this month last year. I am grateful for the love and support here. There're no other words to say but Thank You Very Much. Have a great year everybody. Just remember, behind every obstacle and hurdle, there lies a silver lining. Just be strong and believe that out there, there is at least one person who loves and supports you.

A.A.N.: Am afraid to promise a sequel to All I Ask, JaeBin and JD-JP stories. Can I just say "If they happen, then they happen"? ^_^ But I thank you again for the requests. Appreciate them very much.

Disclaimer: I don't own these characters.

Published: January 17, 2017

It was ten minutes to eleven. Yi Jeong parked the car in front of the house and entered. He went straight to the kitchen and grabbed a small bottle of mineral water and emptied the whole bottle in a few gulps. He then went upstairs. He was tired. Dinner with Mr. Baek and Lily ended earlier but the gathering then moved to a posh bar. Mr. Baek wanted to wind down before heading home and asked Yi Jeong to show them his favorite bar. One hour there, he excused himself for he would have to wake up early. His Harabeoji had requested for an early breakfast.

He slowly opened the door, not intending to wake Ga Eul up. To his surprise, she was not there. Where could she be? Oh, she might be in her work room. She did oftentimes stay there up late when she had extra work. Yi Jeong then went to the bathroom. Not long after, he went straight to bed. It was still empty. Yi Jeong debated whether to go and check up on her, but decided not to. He was too tired. Furthermore, he needed to wake up early tomorrow morning. And so, he closed his eyes and in just a few minutes was already fast asleep.

The alarm clock blared out loud telling its owner that it was already 6 a.m. Yi Jeong pressed the button on the clock to shut it off. He mumbled something and cursed for he was still sleepy. Unfortunately, he had to meet up with Harabeoji in an hour. He rubbed his eyes for a while and sat up. There was no movement next to him so he turned his head a little to glance at her. Her side of the bed was like it was untouched. Ga Eul might have gotten up early and had gone downstairs to make breakfast. Too bad he would not be having breakfast at home. He then went to the bathroom.

Forty minutes later he went downstairs. He could hear sounds of activities in the kitchen but did not have time to go and see Ga Eul. He was running late. His Harabeoji did not like people who were not punctual. He would text her later.

The morning went by as usual. Breakfast with Harabeoji and meeting after meeting consumed his time. It was now lunch time. His next schedule was a lunch meeting with a client. However, while walking to the elevator of the Museum on his way to the meeting, his heart suddenly stung and his stomach churned. He abruptly stopped and pressed his chest, over his heart.

"Ga Eul…"

Out of a sudden, her name came out of his mouth and his heart beat faster.

"Ga Eul…"

He had not seen her since last night… No. Since yesterday morning and she had not messaged or called him today. He quickly pulled out his cell phone and dialed her number.

The call went to voicemail, so he tried again but still no answer. "Is she busy? Or did she forget her phone at home?" Yi Jeong thought. He decided to try later. Right now the meeting was his priority.

However, he could not focus on the meeting. A few times, the client had to repeat his words as Yi Jeong seemed far away in thoughts. Yi Jeong apologized and tried to concentrate and give his fullest attention to the client.

After the meeting, he immediately called his wife. Again, it went unanswered. Was she that busy? What was her schedule again? Did she have classes today? Ga Eul had quit her permanent teaching job, but two days per week she would come in and give some pottery lessons to the kindergarten class. He then sent a message asking for her whereabouts but received no reply. Strange. Her replies normally came within a minute of his messages.

He then decided to call her school. To his shock, she did not come in today.

"What did you just say?"

The lady in her department told him that Ga Eul applied for a leave but did not say for how long.

"Is Ga Eul sick? Why didn't she tell me?" Yi Jeong started to wonder. He quickly dialed for Ahjumma Choi. Ahjumma Choi was one of his house staff. She was like Yi Jeong's aunt and had been with his family for years. Ga Eul was closest to Ahjumma Choi.

"Yoboseoyo Ahjumma."

"Yoboseoyo Sir," answered the middle-aged lady.

"Is Ga Eul at home?"

"No, Sir. I haven't seen Madam since yesterday afternoon."

"WHAT?" Yi Jeong felt his heart stopped.

"Sir? Are you alright?" Ahjumma Choi became worried at her employer's cry.

"What do you mean you haven't seen Ga Eul since yesterday afternoon?"

"Yes, Sir. She went out yesterday afternoon. She said she was meeting an old friend. I'm sorry Sir. I thought you knew."

Yi Jeong did not know what to say. There were a million thoughts than rushed into mind, but not many were good.

"Why didn't you tell me yesterday or this morning?"

"I'm sorry Sir. I thought she came back home late and … and you came home late too. I didn't tell you this morning since I assumed she was at home and was still asleep," Ahjumma Choi felt guilty and worry for Ga Eul immediately seeped in.

"Then why didn't you call me the moment you realized she's not there? Is Mr. Kim there? Get him now. I want to talk to him." Yi Jeong was going crazy.

Where could Ga Eul be? Was she kidnapped? Noooo! But he did not have any enemies. Why would someone kidnap Ga Eul?

"Yoboseoyo Sir." It was Mr. Kim the driver.

"Mr. Kim, did you take Ga Eul anywhere yesterday?" He nearly shouted at the older man.

"Madam asked to drop her at the porridge shop. Madam said she missed the place and wanted to see the owner."

"And you didn't think to wait for her and guard her?"

"I… no, Sir. Madam said she was going to take some time there and told me to go home. Madam said she might meet up with some other friends and ask them to send her home."

Yi Jeong massaged his temple. It started throbbing hard the moment Ahjumma Choi relayed that she had not seen Ga Eul since yesterday afternoon.

"I'm sorry Sir."

"That's alright Mr. Kim. Thank you."

"I can go to the porridge shop and ask the owner there, Sir."

"Yes, please Mr. Kim. Call me if there's anything."

"Yes, Sir."

Yi Jeong called his assistant and told him to inform his Harabeoji that he was canceling all his appointments for the remaining of the day. He had an urgent matter to attend to. He also instructed his assistant to ask Harabeoji to substitute him should the old man disapproved of canceling those meetings.

Yi Jeong went to his car and sped off to Woo Bin's office. In his car, he dialed Ga Eul's number repeatedly, but she was still not answering. He left voicemails asking her to call him back or send him a message. Yi Jeong wanted to throw his phone down out of frustration but instead, searched for Woo Bin's number.

"Hey, Woo Bin. I'm 10 minutes to your office. If you're in a meeting, finish it fast."

"Whooaaa. Bro. Hello to you, too. What's with the order? You sounded like Jun Pyo," Woo Bin teased the potter.

"Woo Bin, I have no time to joke around. This is far more important than your meeting. My wife is missing." His voice trembled and he was shaking hard.

"WHAT? You must be joking, right?"

"Is this a matter to joke about? I'll tell you when I get there," and he ended the call.

"Ga Eul, Ga Eul, Ga Eul… Where are you? Arrgghhhhhh!"

He was going out of his mind. Wait… could she be at her parents' place? The last time they visited her parents was seven months ago. She must have missed her parents very much and went to stay over. If she was, that would be a relief. He did not mind her going there for he knew she must be feeling lonely at home. But at least, she should have told him before she went.

Yi Jeong scrolled for his father-in-law's number and was about to swipe on it when a thought came to him. What if she was not there? Would it not be suspicious of his in-law if he asked about Ga Eul? It would just lead to more curiosity and worry on the elder's side, and he definitely did not want that.

"Woo Bin." The door swung opened, startling the Mafia Prince.

"Hey, Yi Jeong." Woo Bin immediately rushed to his very distraught best friend.

"Ga Eul, she's… she's not at home, not at school, not at the porridge shop. Bom Choon-Sik said she left the porridge shop at around two yesterday but she told him she was going home. Woo Bin, I don't know where she is!" Yi Jeong screamed at Woo Bin.

"Calm down now Yi Jeong. Why don't you sit down first and we'll go through this together?" Woo Bin held Yi Jeong's shoulder and led him to the leather sofa in the middle of his office.

Yi Jeong sat down and leaned back. His eyes closed as he rubbed his temples.

Woo Bin watched Yi Jeong's heavy breathings slowed down with time. When he was sure that Yi Jeong was calmer, he would start with the Q&A.

"Aren't you supposed to tell your men to start looking for Ga Eul?" Yi Jeong snapped at his best friend.

"Whoa, bro. Watch it. I know you're worried, but there's no need to get angry at me. And to answer your question, my men are already looking for Ga Eul."

"Really?" There were relief and hope in his voice. "I'm sorry Woo Bin. I shouldn't have screamed at you."

"That's alright. I understand. Now tell me how this happened."

"Are you out of your mind, So Yi Jeong?" Woo Bin nearly yelled at the man in front of him.

Yi Jeong flinched at the sound of his full name. He had just finished telling Woo Bin about it.

"What were you thinking? Haven't you known your wife well by now?"

Woo Bin stood up and started to pace around the sofa. "I don't think she's kidnapped. I think she has run away. You are in big trouble Yi Jeong and you have a lot to explain and make up to Ga Eul. I don't know if she will trust you easily after this."

"I thought I was doing the right thing… I didn't realize." He lowered his head in shame. His heart crushed at the thought.

"We have to find her soon. I don't think Jan Di will forgive you if anything happens to Ga Eul. Heck, you're lucky if she doesn't kill you." Woo Bin was serious. Yi Jeong further lowered his head.

Silence engulfed Prince Song's huge office room. Each was in his own deep thought. Woo Bin was angry and frustrated at his best friend. Yi Jeong surely had shocked him with his nonsense illogical reasoning of his ridiculous cruel behaviors toward Ga Eul.

Yi Jeong, on the other hand, was guilt-laden and his heart swelled with regrets. How could he do that to his wife? Thinking about it now, how did he come to it in the first place? He scolded and cursed his own self.

He then thought hard of places that she could go to. He was still hoping that she would be at her parents' place but the hope began to chip away the more he thought about it. Her parents' would be suspicious if she stayed there longer than they used to, what more without him with her. Yi Jeong shook his head. He then tried harder to recall all the places that they had visited. There were so many that he did not know where to start from. Yi Jeong pulled his hair in frustration.

Then, their last conversation came to mind. She had requested for a lunch date today and tomorrow. It was true. They had not gone out for lunch for so long now. "Heck, not only lunch you idiot," scolded the voice in his head. He had not had a decent conversation with her for far too long. He was so busy with work and the new deal with Mr. Baek and Lily consumed most of his time. And what was his reply to Ga Eul? Yi Jeong cursed himself again.

Tomorrow! Their first anniversary! Tomorrow! His heart crushed even more.

Wait, did she bring a luggage? He forgot to ask Ahjumma Choi and Mr. Kim. Was it a big one? "Stupid, stupid Yi Jeong." Did it matter what size her bag was? What mattered most was that she left because of him. He cringed at the hard hurtful fact. But still… He then pulled out his cell phone and looked for Ahjumma's number.

Just then, the silence was broken by a loud shrill of Woo Bin's phone. Yi Jeong quickly stood up and approached Woo Bin. Woo Bin gave him a stop sign and answered, his eyes never left Yi Jeong's as he responded to the caller. Yi Jeong's heart thumped heavily and faster. He could not decipher Woo Bin's look on him.

"OK. Thank you, Mr. Lee."

Woo Bin's face lit up.

"Busan. Yi Jeong, your Ga Eul is in Busan."

Woo Bin's men managed to get yesterday's CCTV recordings of Ga Eul buying a train ticket and hopping on a train to Busan.

Yi Jeong immediately hugged Woo Bin and cried. "Thank you very much, Woo Bin. Thank you." Woo Bin patted his back.

Yi Jeong broke the hug and turned around to leave. He was going to Busan.

"Yi Jeong. We don't know specifically where in Busan she is. My men are still working on it."

That made Yi Jeong halted in his steps. He turned back to face Woo Bin. He had a frown but it soon disappeared.

"Then tell me when they've found her. I'm going now. I need to get my wife back. Our first anniversary is tomorrow. Hey, Woo Bin. Please don't tell the others, especially Jan Di."

Woo Bin nodded as he watched his best friend leaving the room, literally running. He then called someone to send a few men to follow Yi Jeong's car. He already had men in Busan to search for Ga Eul but he also needed to keep Yi Jeong safe on the road.

Busan. Ga Eul was in Busan.

Yi Jeong remembered that he brought Ga Eul to Busan a year and a half ago. Busan is South Korea's second-largest city, and some people called it South Korea's San Francisco, with its many fish markets, bridges and beaches, scenic mountains and hilly residences. He remembered one particular day.

Ga Eul was reading a travel magazine as the plane descended toward Incheon Airport on one of their many travels. She came across a picture of San Francisco's Golden Bridge and admired the beautiful structure. Yi Jeong saw how her eyes widened at the picture. He smiled and nudged her shoulder, making her turned to him. He asked if she would like to visit the city and her cheeks blushed red in an instant. He promised to take her to San Francisco, but before that he would bring her to see South Korea's own San Francisco. And so they went.

Yi Jeong choked some tears at the memory. He remembered more of their trip. "Ga Eul, is that the reason why you are there right now?" His heart clenched in guilt but there was also a sliver of hope, a hope for her to still remember that moment.

A normal drive from Seoul to Busan would be five to six hours, but Yi Jeong did not have that much time. It was half past seven in the evening and he was already on the road for three hours. With the speed that he was going, he would reach Busan within an hour. He was tired but he had to fight the fatigue. He needed to find her soon. He could not bear thinking that she was all alone there. His countless calls to her went straight to her voicemail. To make matter worse, Woo Bin had not called him but he hoped that Woo Bin's men would be able to find her fast.

The whole length of his drive was filled with worry, regrets, self-reflections and recalls of their good memories together. Occasionally, his tears came down when his heart hurt thinking of her. It never occurred to him that his wife could simply up and leave him. It was all his faults.

During the years of knowing each other, and during their courting and dating periods, he admitted that there were times when they fought. The longest that they did not talk to each other was three days, and during those three days, he missed her like crazy. He promised himself at those times that he would try not to get on her nerves and anger her again. He just could not stand being apart from her. And she, she was the kindest woman that he had ever met. She had a loving heart but she was also a sensitive soul. Fortunately for him, she was also a forgiving person. She would always easily forgive him for every fight that he started. She said it was because she believed that the fights were not his real intentions, rather him going overboard with his temper. Most importantly, it was because she loved him.

But look what happened now, So Yi Jeong? Again, he went overboard and took it too far that she was so hurt by him that she lost her trust in him and would not find her pathway back to him. Yi Jeong smacked his head with his left hand.

Impatience took over and he dialed for Woo Bin.

"Hey, Woo Bin. Any news? Have they found her?" In an instant, he threw in his questions the moment Woo Bin greeted Yoboseoyo.

"Sorry, bro. No news yet. They're trying to access all the surveillance cameras there, on the roads, junctions, pavements, stores, malls, hotels and others. It's not an easy task. Please give them some time. Please trust them. Have they ever let you down before?"

"I… aish… I'm nearing Busan now. I need to know where she is." He was getting frustrated but knew that he should not vent out the frustration on his best friend and his men. They were doing their all to find her. But still…

"You should rest and cool off when you get there, Yi Jeong. You'll be able to think properly of places that she could go to. Hey, I've already made a room reservation for you at Shinhwa Hotel. Just go there and rest. Take your dinner. You've been driving non-stop now."

"How can I rest and eat when my wife is missing? I don't know if she's taking her meal, I don't know if she's at a safe place, I don't know if she's fine, I don't…" His voice was a little higher in the note.

"Yi Jeong…," Woo Bin's voice went up a note as well. He understood Yi Jeong's worry but he was also worried about Yi Jeong. A tired Yi Jeong was not going to think properly and rationally.

"Just…" Woo Bin sighed.

"I'm sorry. Yi Jeong. But can you just please not argue with me this time. I know you're worried about Ga Eul. I am too. But I need you to calm yourself so that you can think properly. Think of all the places there that you and she have been to. Try to remember her favorite places there."

"…"

Yi Jeong went quiet. He admitted that Woo Bin was right but his heart was unrest.

A few seconds later, "Beaches, my Ga Eul loves the beaches there, and the temples…." But he suddenly could not remember a particular beach's name. He thought harder but the name just did not come to him.

"Good Yi Jeong. That's valuable information. I'll tell my men. Hey, do as I say OK? Go get your rest… and eat, Yi Jeong."

"OK, Woo Bin. Thanks, man."

"I'll call you as soon as there's news."

"OK."

Ga Eul, Ga Eul, my Ga Eul…. Please be safe.

As he approached the city of Busan, he debated whether to scour the beaches or go to the hotel. It was already dark and he was very tired. If he went to the hotel, he felt like he was a bad husband who was not concerned enough about his wife, but if he went to the beaches, it would take him another half an hour to arrive and it would be harder to look for her. After a few minutes of a monolog, Yi Jeong headed to the hotel.

"Hey Woo Bin, I'm at the hotel. Just arrived. Any news?"

"Sorry, Yi Jeong. Not yet. Get some rest now and dinner, or something to eat."

"OK, Woo Bin. Thanks."

Yi Jeong threw the phone on the bed. He walked to the bathroom for a shower but stopped midway when he suddenly remembered that he did not bring any bag or change of clothes. He was so worried about her that it skipped him totally. All that was in his mind was Ga Eul. He was about to call the Hotel Manager when a message came in. His heart thundered wild. Was it Ga Eul? He quickly picked up his phone. To his dismay, it was a message from Woo Bin. His shoulder dropped. But wait. Have Woo Bin's men found Ga Eul? He quickly swiped on the message.

"I've asked the Hotel to prepare your change of clothes, toiletries and all. They should be in your room."

Yi Jeong sent a Thank You message to his best friend and went to the wardrobe. True enough, everything was there. Yi Jeong was grateful to have a 'brother' like Woo Bin.

An hour later he was already done with his shower and light dinner that he ordered from room service. He was on tenterhooks waiting for Woo Bin's call. Not able to stand the flutters in his stomach and the wild beats of his heart from the anxiety, he left the room. He was going to look for her himself. The beaches would be too dark and the temples would be closed by now. So he decided to try to scour the streets and roads, just in case, she went for a walk. If he truly knew about Ga Eul, she loved to go for night walks, taking in the beautiful lights in the city. But could she still be out at this hour? He did not care. He had to try.

As he searched for her, he kept dialing her number and leaving voice messages. He was not giving up. Years ago, he used to be able to find Ga Eul where ever she was. It was like he had a tracker on her. He would surprise her and showed up in front of the porridge shop, her school, while she was walking on the streets, at the beach and many more. Why could he not feel where she was now? Had he lost that ability? But why? Why could he not know how to find her? Was it because he had been distant from her for far too long? Yi Jeong felt another wave of regret crashed into his heart.

He stopped his car near a piazza. There were still many people there, enjoying the comforting night breeze and colorful lights. In the middle of the piazza was a talk clock tower. Yi Jeong went out of his car to rest and loosen up his tight stressed muscles. He leaned his back against the car and observed the many people, hoping that maybe Ga Eul was among them.

And then he saw her.

"Ga Eul… Ga Eul? Ga Eul!"

Yi Jeong sprinted toward the clock tower. "Ga Eul!"

He grabbed her arm and turned her around.

"I've finally found you, Ga Eul."

"Hey! What are you doing Mister?" The woman jerked her hand away, scowling at him.

"Oh! I'm… I'm sorry. I thought you're someone I know…" His heart shattered to pieces.

The woman then quickly left. Some people who were nearby looked at him, puzzled and curious. Yi Jeong stood rooted to the ground as he watched the woman walked away. She did look like Ga Eul from afar.

Just then, the clock tower chimed. It was midnight. Slowly, tears escaped and made their way down his cheeks.

"Ga Eul…" Yi Jeong clenched a fist over his heart. "Where are you, my love? I'm so, so, sorry Ga Eul."

The new day was supposed to be their happy first anniversary.

He could not sleep. His thoughts were solely on her. He thought of their wonderful years together, their ups and downs, fights and banters, teasers and jokes, and most importantly, her love for him. She would do anything for him, but he had miscalculated her feelings and patience.

He had sent her numerous texts, asking for her forgiveness and pleading for her to tell him her whereabouts. He also wrote that he remembered that it was their first anniversary today. He wrote that he wished he was with her.

It was nearly five in the morning when he succumbed to sleep and tiredness. Four hours later, he woke up to a bad dream, sweating. She waved him goodbye as her vision faded away. He shook his head and checked his phone. No messages from Woo Bin or her. He sighed in frustration.

Forty minutes later he was already on the road. His destinations: the temples. When he arrived, he did not waste any more time and asked the monks there if they had seen her. He showed them her pictures. Unfortunately, they said no.

There was one more temple to go, a temple by the scenic sea. He remembered bringing her there. She loved the gorgeous sea view from the deck of the temple. Lady luck must have pitied him. A staff there recognized him as So Yi Jeong and knew about him and Ga Eul. Their wedding last year made headlines and their pictures plastered in almost every newspaper and celebrity magazine. His heart felt like it was going to burst in relief when the staff also remembered getting a glimpse of Ga Eul at the temple yesterday evening. He asked the staff over and over and over if the latter was sure that it was her. The staff nodded and affirmed. He thanked the staff and quickly went to his car. He called Woo Bin to inform him about it.

"Hey Woo Bin, I…"

"Yi Jeong! I was about to call you! They've found her! They've found Ga Eul!"

"What? Really?" He felt like jumping up and down for the long awaited news. Tears of happiness and relief sprung afresh.

"Where is Ga Eul? Where is my wife?"

"They saw her came out of a clinic."

"What? Is Ga Eul hurt? Is Ga Eul sick?" His stomach felt like it was squeezed hard. The thought of his wife sick hurt so much, what more, she was alone here.

"I don't know. The clinic doesn't want to disclose patient's information. I'm sorry Yi Jeong."

"Where is Ga Eul now? Is she with the men?"

"No. But they are following and watching her close. I don't want to scare her and I want you to be the one to get her. She's at Songjeong Beach."

"Songjeong Beach?" Yi Jeong's heart beat faster. It all came back to him now.

"That's fifteen minutes from here. Thanks, Woo Bin. I owe you and your men big time."

"Hey, you know I'll do anything for you and Ga Eul. Now go get her. I'll send you Lee's number so you can check if she's still there." Lee is Woo Bin's right-hand man in Busan.

"Thanks, Woo Bin. I'm going now."

Songjeong Beach. It's not a very well known beach but the shallow waters and white fine sand were her favorites. He had brought her there on their last visit over a year ago. Yi Jeong stepped hard on the gas. When he arrived he sprinted out, afraid that she would leave before he got to her.

He stopped on his track and his heart which was already pounding fast from the run thumped faster.

She looked gorgeous.

A sunhat shielded her lovely face from the bright rays of the sun and her long silky soft curled black hair swayed with the breeze. Her sundress flapped gently. She had her knees bent as her upper body leaned forward and her elbows rested on her knees. Her eyes focused on the wide blue and green sea. Her feet buried in the sand and her sandals and handbag, next to her.

Oh, how he had missed her. Yi Jeong shed some tears but quickly wiped them away.

"You seem to be in deep thoughts. Are you thinking of how much you hate this jerk husband of yours?"

Her head snapped to his direction, and she froze. Her eyes widened and mouth agape before the tears ran down. He gave her a smile, an apologetic smile.

A few seconds later, she wiped her tears and abruptly stood up as she grabbed her sandals and handbag. She then bolted away to the opposite direction. Yi Jeong's jaw dropped, shocked at her sudden reaction. His heart felt like it was stabbed over and over and over.

"Ga Eul… GA EUL!"

A brief second later, he ran after her. He was not going to let her leave him again, ever. Fortunately, his long legs did not fail him. He was now an arm's length behind her.

"GA EUL!"

"NO! STAY AWAY FROM ME!" she screamed thought she did not look back. Her sun hat had flown off but she did not care.

He reached for her arm and gripped it firm. He jerked her arm backward that made her turned around and crashed onto his chest. In an instant, he enclosed her tight. She squirmed and struggled to get free but he held on tighter.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! LET ME GO, SO YI JEONG!" She punched his arms and shoulders, crying.

"NO! I WILL NEVER! I'm sorry Ga Eul. I'm sorry Ga Eul. I'm sorry," he chanted the words repeatedly. Tears fell free and he did not care about the curious eyes around them.

A few men approached them but before they could come closer, Woo Bin's men were already blocking them. "That's his wife," said Lee. The men looked at the two, Lee and his men, and backed off.

Ga Eul cried louder. She had stopped fighting for with every struggle, Yi Jeong tightened his hold.

"Please… please, Yi Jeong… please let me go…please leave me alone… I want to be alone…" she pleaded. Her tears were dampening his shirt.

"Ga Eul, please… I'm sorry… but please don't leave me. I can explain."

Ga Eul did not respond.

"Please Ga Eul. Please let me explain. This is all a misunderstanding but I am at fault for it, for all of these."

She was still crying but it had toned down to sobs.

"I made a colossal mistake. I thought I was doing the right thing. But I was dead wrong. I know now that it was stupid of me. I'm sorry."

The shaking of her body slowed down, along with her sobs. She was tired.

"Ga Eul, today is our first anniversary. Do you think I would forget about it?"

Her sobs came back.

"I will never forget about it. I love you, Ga Eul. You are the only one for me. I haven't forgotten my vow on our wedding day. I will love you until the end of time." He kissed atop her head.

She cried louder but her arms were now around his waist. He cried in happiness. There was still hope for him.

Suddenly she pushed away. Her teary eyes showed hurt.

Shaking her head, "Let go of me. You don't love me. You don't love me…"

"Ga Eul! I love you!"

Still shaking her head, she tried to peel off his hands. "No, you don't, you… acted like I didn't exist… you ignored me… you… you didn't care about me… you didn't have time for me… you… another woman… Lily… please let go of me…"

"I'm sorry for being a jerk and made you think that I don't love you. I was wrong. I thought I was doing the right thing. I told you I know that now. Lily… we have a project together…"

Ga Eul shook her head again. She did not trust him. She was afraid to trust him and get hurt again.

"Ga Eul," he cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes.

"Please, please believe me. Please come home with me. If you don't want to go home now let's go to your place. We'll talk about this. I promise I will tell you everything. Please, Ga Eul. I love you."

She searched for sincerity and honesty in his eyes, while her eyes showed fear and hurt.

"I wouldn't leave work and come here after you like a crazy man if I don't love you, would I?" he gave another try to convince her.

She did not answer. Instead, she looked deep into his eyes.

"Ga Eul, here is not the place to talk. Let's go back to your place. Please." He tried again.

"Look at you. You're so pale…" he felt guilty for her condition. It was all his fault.

"I hate you So Yi Jeong. I hate you… I hate you… I hate you," she cried as she pressed a cheek against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. Yi Jeong embraced her and kissed the top of her head.

"I'm sorry…"

Minutes went by as they stood still, embracing and indulging the contentment of being in each other's arms again after so long. The warmth that had been missing these past two months had finally returned.

"I love you, Ga Eul. Let's go home…"

She nodded as she gazed into his hopeful eyes.

Ga Eul led Yi Jeong into her room. It was in an apartment service hotel about twenty minutes from the beach. It was only a 3-star accommodation but the room was clean and offered basic necessities for one.

She left him at the sofa and went to the bathroom to clean her face. When she got out, he was waiting for her, leaning against the wall outside of the bathroom. It reminded her of that time in the club before he took her to see his father.

He then took her hands and led her to the bed. They sat on the edge, facing each other. His left hand held her right one as he caressed her cheek with his other hand.

"I need to start from the beginning." The drive from the beach to the apartment hotel was spent in silence.

Ga Eul nodded.

"Lily…"

Ga Eul' eyebrows knitted close. Her heart stung from the sound of the name coming out of his mouth. Yi Jeong squeezed her hand softly to ease her insecurity. His lips stretched wide, forming that similar smile that she had missed so much.

"Yes, the museum signed an MOU with her father's art gallery three days ago. That's why I've been working late these past two months, preparing for the documents and all."

The hurt in her heart intensified but she also felt a surge of anger. She thought that she was ready to hear his explanations, apparently not. Now that he had confirmed that he had spent those times with Lily and his father, it was too much for her to accept. Those smiles of his whenever he talked about the woman assaulted her mind. Her heart broke yet again.

"The early mornings and the late nights… breakfasts, lunches and dinners with them, not counting the many meetings at the Museum, just to come to an agreement and prepare the documents? You were with them all the time. Why? Was the MOU too important that you think it's alright to ignore and neglect me? You didn't even bother to call or text me or asked if I was doing OK, and when you came home, you barely acknowledged that I was there. It was like I was invisible."

Ga Eul pulled her hand away from his and inched farther.

"Ga Eul…" he reached for her hands. She tried to pull away again, but his grips were firm.

"That's not what I meant. I had other works and projects too, and you are never invisible." He defended himself.

Ga Eul stared at him, her forehead wrinkled. "Oh yeah? Definitely not how I feel."

"Yes, I am guilty of what I did to you, I know that now, and I apologize, truly. I know now that I'm a jerk for being so and that was wrong, but at that time I thought I was doing the right thing because I have my reason to act that way."

Ga Eul's jaw dropped.

"What? You purposely ignored and neglected me? Purposely treated me like I was a burden to you? Purposely treated me like my presence disgusted you? Those were all intentional? You're unbelievable, So Yi Jeong."

She jerked her hands from his and stood up, balling her fists at the sides of her thighs to control herself. She glared at him in anger and disbelief.

Yi Jeong stood up as well and tried to touch her.

"No! Don't touch me!"

"Please Ga Eul. Let me explain."

"Then explain. Let's hear this 'brilliant' reason of yours," stressing on the word brilliant.

"I wanted to surprise you on our first anniversary. I've been working days and nights on a set of vases that represent you, me, us and our story. I also wanted to give you a collection of paintings of you and us. They are my gifts for you. That's why I went to Lily… no, Miss Baek. The project that I told you, the paintings are the project. She's the artist."

Ga Eul's eyes widened, in surprise. What did he just say?

"Other than working on the MOU, we've been discussing and working on the paintings. I planned to give them to you today."

Ga Eul felt her head swirling and dizzy. What was he saying?

"What?"

"It's true Ga Eul. I can show you the pictures." He pulled out his phone and held it out to her but she did not take it.

"It still doesn't justify why you treated me like that, So Yi Jeong. You hurt me deeply. You made me feel like I was a useless worthless wife."

"And I'm sorry. I… You know how you have this power on me? The…"

"What power So Yi Jeong? Are you blaming me for your unacceptable behaviors?" She did not let him finished for she was too angry. She could not put two and two together. She could not see his rationale for treating her so badly.

"Ga Eul, I'm not blaming you, please…" He had a hand on his hip and another in his hair. How could he make her listen and believe him?

"Ga Eul, before I met you, I was the master of secrecy. I hid my real self behind a mask, showing people what they wanted and expected me to be. But after I met you, you, in your special way that even maybe you did not realize, you threw away that mask. You made me be my real self. No more secrets to hide."

Ga Eul became more puzzled. What had all these got to do with their current predicament?

"Since then, I can't keep a secret from you. Even if you don't say anything, just one look from you makes me tell everything. No matter how tired I was from a long day at work, once I saw you, your lovely face, your beautiful smile and your loving gaze, I felt recharged and happy. Did you not notice? Whenever I got home, I told you everything that happened in my day and shared stories with you. You knew everything that happened at the Museum."

Ga Eul was still looking at him with a creased forehead.

"These paintings and pieces, I can't let myself blurt them out and spoil my surprises for you. That's why I started to distant myself from you…"

Her eyes widened to their fullest. What did he just say? She felt her head pounded in ache. Was she to believe his story, his reason? She could not believe it. She massaged her temples.

"Ga Eul, are you alright?" Yi Jeong came closer but she held up a hand and stopped him.

"Wait… Are you telling the truth, Yi Jeong?"

"Yes."

"Unbelievable. That is the stupidest illogical reason I've ever heard."

"Ga Eul… I know that now… I thought that I was doing the right thing to keep the secret gifts safe. Please forgive me…"

"Two months, Yi Jeong. Two months. You have no idea how you hurt me because of it."

"It hurt me as much to restrain myself from touching you, hugging you, being in your arms, talking to you and loving you. I missed you so much."

Ga Eul laughed out loud, surprising him. "Ga Eul…"

"Are you sure you are So Yi Jeong? Where has the smart intelligent cool So Yi Jeong gone to? Surely there are other ways to keep them a secret?"

"I'm so sorry…"

"But I don't know if I should believe you, Yi Jeong… I saw you with a woman at a coffee shop that day. I called you but you said you were having a meeting. I even heard you told her "That's her." and she laughed."

"That was her. We did have a lunch meeting because that was the only time that I could squeeze in. Yes, she laughed but not at you. I was telling her how I was so excited for the paintings and that I love you and can't wait for our first anniversary, and that was when you called. She laughed because she believes that you and I are truly soul mates since whenever I talked about you to her, I would immediately get a call or a message from you. She said that you and I are like linked together telepathically."

Ga Eul was speechless. Was he for real?

Yi Jeong took the opportunity to come closer and held her arms. She looked into his eyes, her mind trying to absorb his words and finding the logic and honesty behind them.

"There will never be another woman for me, Ga Eul. You are the only one, my only soul mate. I truly regret the pain that I've inflicted on you because of my stupid crazy decision. Please forgive me, my love. I swear I will never do it again. I love you, Ga Eul, until forever."

Ga Eul was not sure of what to do.

Yi Jeong pulled her closer and leaned down to capture her lips fully. Oh, how he had missed her soft sweet lips. How did he get to be so stupid and deprived his own self of her touch, her embraces, her kisses, her love and her everything? Yi Jeong deepened his kiss.

Tears rolled down from the corner of her eyes as she closed them the moment his lips touched hers. Her heart beat crazily as she felt his sincere love pouring out into the kiss. It was the same exact feeling every time he kissed her. She brought up her arms to encircle his neck and returned his kiss as passionately.

He showered her with kisses after kisses, making up for the lost wasted two months. When his heart beat faster than he could bear, he broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. She was also panting heavily.

"I hate you, Yi Jeong…"

"I know…"

He then embraced her tight, her left ear pressed onto his chest, listening to the thunderous heartbeats slowly calming down.

A while after, he gently scooped her up and carried her to the bed. He laid her in the middle of the bed and lied next to her. He caressed her face and kissed her lightly on the lips. She then interlaced her fingers with his. Oh how she had missed his warm palm against hers.

"Ga Eul, please don't leave me ever again."

She nodded as her promise. She leaned up to kiss his cheek.

"Can I ask you something?"

She nodded again.

"Why here in Busan?" He was sure of his answer but he wanted to hear hers.

Her lips curved upwards. "I thought you know."

He just smiled at her.

"Songjeong Beach… you proposed on Songjeong Beach. I… I needed to come here and be at that same spot to think about us."

Yi Jeong knew the spot the moment he saw her on the beach.

"I needed to remind myself of why you proposed and I accepted. Then relate them to what happened between us these past two months. The hurt was so deep that I didn't know if I would be able to be a good wife anymore. But I also blamed you that I didn't know if I could love you like before… That was why I ran away from you at the beach."

"Ga Eul, I'm…" Ga Eul pressed a finger to his lips. She did not want to hear any more apologies from him.

"Yi Jeong, I was 'cursed' the moment I met you years ago. No matter how far I tried to get away from you, you would always find me. No matter how hard I tried to hate you, I could never do it. But now, I know now that you love me, and I love you. My heart is yours, forever yours."

She pulled his head down for another long deep kiss, showing him how much she loved him. He shifted over her as their kiss turned more passionate.

"Happy first anniversary, my love, and much more."

"Happy first anniversary, Yi Jeong, and much more."

And they kissed again.

"Wait. Ga Eul, Woo Bin said you went to a clinic this morning. Are you sick?" He just suddenly remembered.

Red hues rushed to her cheeks and she bit her lower lips.

"You are not the only one with surprises for our first anniversary, Yi Jeong." She gently pushed him down on his back and placed his hand over her stomach. Her cheeks were still rosy as she smiled at him. Yi Jeong's eyes widened when realization sank in. He looked at his hand on her stomach and then at her. Ga Eul smiled wider and nodded.

"How… how far along are we?" His face glowed in happiness.

"Two months…"

"Two months…" he repeated her words.

He then flipped her on her back and towered over, but instantly got off her. "I'm sorry, did I hurt you? Sorry, baby. Appa didn't mean to hurt you," he gently massaged her stomach. Ga Eul giggled at his reaction. She then shifted closer and placed her arm over his waist. He tilted her chin up and gave a lingering kiss.

"Yi Jeong, saranghae."

"Nado saranghae, Ga Eul."

Never in their married life that they thought could their first anniversary be this way. Out was the extravagant surprise party that he was going to hold for her where he would present her the paintings and vases. The surprise gifts would have to wait. Right now at this moment, he was grateful and blissful to be just with her, the two of them alone, far, far, away from home. This was the time for them to rekindle their love.

This day, it was indeed a first anniversary to remember. He had learned his lesson well. But this day, the most memorable about it was her surprise for it was the best that a husband could ever receive.

T. H. E. E. N. D.