Jan Di showed up bright and early at Ji Hoo's house the next day. She went to visit Jun Pyo the night before, but didn't stay long much to his dismay.

Ji Hoo was just coming out of the shower when she arrived. He had a towel draped around his waist.

Jan Di gasped and quickly averted her eyes. Ji Hoo ran a hand through his wet, disheveled hair, embarrassed.

"Umm...you're up early today," he managed to say.

Jan Di's head was turned away, which was a good thing because she was turning a deep shade of red. "I...um..." she stammered.

"Let me go change." He went inside his room and got dressed unusually fast. He was wearing a pale-yellow sweater with white horizontal stripes on top of a white collared shirt and a pair of jeans. He slipped on his favorite white coat to finish his ensemble. He gave her a puzzled look. "Is Jun Pyo outside?"

"No. I just thought I'd go to school today with you."

"Oh. I'm not going to school today."

"Oh."

"Yeah, I have enough credits to graduate already." He smiled at her, that smile of his that he gave her so often, and Jan Di wondered for a moment if she had imagined what she saw the night before.

"If Jun Pyo's not coming, I can drop you off school?"

She nodded almost too quickly before she could stop herself.

She debated skipping school that day so she could hang out with him, but she didn't have the luxury to miss her classes. It felt like a hundred years passed by when her last class finally ended. He had told her he would be in the music room that afternoon and sure enough, she found him sitting there playing his violin.

"Sunbae," she began, a huge grin spreading on her face, "let's go somewhere."

He looked puzzled. "Where?"

Jan Di had thought long and hard where to take Ji Hoo that afternoon. She remembered the only date they ever had when he took her to Namsan tower. She had been feeling extremely guilty about having hurt Jun Pyo back then, so she couldn't focus on their date. She remembered him saying that was his first time riding the cable car, and she was such a miserable date then she was sure he didn't enjoy himself. She decided she was going to take him there, and this time, she was going to be a great tour guide. Before, everything in Namsan tower reminded her of Jun Pyo and made her sad. But she felt different now. She was going to make her memories of that place happy. Her focus was on making her sunbae smile again.

His eyes widened when they arrived at Namsan tower. His face was full of questions he never bothered asking her. He just followed her lead, listening as she showed him around. They stepped into the cable car and he looked out the glass window. She stood close to him, their arms touching. She began pointing out the landmarks (she was sure he knew them, but she was pretending to be his tour guide so he played dumb). When he pointed to a building far away that she didn't know of, she made up an answer that left them both laughing hysterically at each other.

They were sitting on the floor talking when his eyes caught the writing on the wall across from them. Jan Di froze. She had forgotten all about it.

The writing read, "Gu Jun Pyo and Geum Jan Di's first night together." It was too late for her to cover it, so she sat there, turning beet red. They weren't even together then but Jun Pyo wrote that to stake a claim on her. Thankfully, Ji Hoo didn't say anything about it and acted as though he never saw it, much to her relief.

"We should probably go," she heard him say after a while. "It's getting late."

She asked if he could stop by the campus first, as she had to get something from her locker. He nodded and drove her to school.

They walked side by side on the way back to his car.

"How are things with Jun Pyo?" his question caught her off guard.

"Good, I guess. I've gone for dinner a few times at their house now." She made a face. He laughed.

"That bad, huh?"

"It was so awkward, sunbae. Madam Kang still scares me. I mean, she's trying to be um, nice to me, I guess. But it gives me goosebumps every time she smiles at me. She wants me to take a class on high society etiquette so I can 'blend' in easily with them." She faced him, frowning. "I think I liked it better when she hated me."

Ji Hoo playfully messed up her hair. "You're still a funny one, aren't you?"

She beamed at him and punched him playfully on the shoulder.

Ji Hoo stopped dead in his tracks. A black car was parked right in front of them. The door opened, and Madam Kang stepped out, head high and walking straight towards them. Jan Di's smile disappeared from her face.

"I thought I might find you here," she began, accusingly. It took a minute for Jan Di to realize she was addressing her. "Did you know my son is looking for you?"

Jan Di looked confused. Jun Pyo could have just called her. He didn't have to send his mother after her.

"I think it's quite improper for a woman who's engaged to someone, to be seen hanging out so much with another man, don't you?" Her tone was hard, her voice laced with condescension.

"Excuse me?" She couldn't believe she was hearing this. "Are you saying I can't hang out with him? With your son's best friend?"

With my best friend? With my soulmate? She wished she could say those out loud.

Ji Hoo stood there, his hands at his sides, his fists clenching and unclenching. He was silent, but his gaze was hard and steady.

"Yes," she stated, matter-of-factly. She motioned for two men in black suits to come over. "Go put her in the car. We can bring her home." Mr. Jung, the Gu family's head of security, stood quietly beside Madam Kang. He seemed uncomfortable at this exchange.

Jan Di's eyes narrowed. "No. I'm staying here. If he wants to see me, he can come here."

Madam Kang sighed, as though Jan Di was too stupid to understand. "Come along, I don't have time for this."

Ji Hoo stepped in front of Jan Di, arms out protectively. "She wants to stay."

Madam Kang rolled her eyes. "I heard." She looked at Ji Hoo, amusement on her face. "You should know your place." Her eyebrow arched, as if she was telling Ji Hoo, I can make still make her life hell. And yours too.

Ji Hoo looked and saw Mr. Jung's pleading eyes. Please don't resist, or you'll only make it worse, his eyes seemed to say.

Jan Di saw Ji Hoo's shoulder drop, as if whatever courage he had vanished. It made her furious. She opened her mouth to speak, but Ji Hoo touched her gently on the arm and shook his head.

"Go with them," he prodded. His eyes looked defeated. "I'll be ok."

Jan Di had no desire to go with them, but since Ji Hoo had asked her, she reluctantly conceded.

She was fuming in the car as she sat across from Madam Kang who was purposely ignoring her as she read the Financial Post.

"Why would you do that?" she finally managed to speak. "We weren't doing anything wrong! He's my best friend too!"

Madam Kang folded the paper and narrowed her eyes. "I heard my Jun Pyo complaining about how you spend more time with that pretty boy than him." She crossed her arms at her chest and managed to scorch Jan Di with a look. "What game are you playing, exactly? First it was, 'I'll do anything to get Jun Pyo'. And now that you have him you're shoving him aside?"

Jan Di was speechless. She knew there was some truth to Madam Kang's words. She lowered her head and bit her lower lip.

Madam Kang seemed satisfied at her reaction. "I thought so."

...

Jun Pyo was in the games room playing pool when Jan Di stormed in, smoke coming out of her ears.

"You sent your mother to get me?" It wasn't a question.

Jun Pyo shrugged, unaware of the volcano about to erupt beside him. "She said she was on her way out anyway. I just asked her to keep an eye out for you."

Jan Di smacked his back. Jun Pyo flinched. "Why didn't you call? Or text?"

"I did."

Jan Di froze in place. She remembered feeling her phone vibrate earlier, but she ignored it. The fight left her as a feeling of guilt swept in. She hunched her shoulders. "I'm sorry, Jun Pyo." She sat down beside him. "I don't know what's wrong with me."

He looked at her, face serious. "Is everything ok...between us?"

She looked at him, this guy she fought so hard for to be with. "I think so." I hope so. She forced a smile and gave him a hug.

"Good," his face broke into a mischievous grin. "Because tomorrow things are about to get hectic."

...

The next day news about the heir of Shinhwa's engagement got "leaked" to the media.

Jan Di was horrified to find throngs of reporters waiting for her to step outside her door. Apparently, having one of Korea's most eligible bachelors engaged to a "commoner" was big news. Jan Di felt suffocated by all the attention. The paparazzi was relentless in their pursuit of her. She couldn't even go to school or the library without hearing hundreds of shutters click continuously. What she wore and ate were put up for public scrutiny. She felt very uncomfortable and refused to even leave her room after a few days. Even her mother and brother, both of whom revelled in the attention at first, had gotten tired of it.

When will this end? She thought. She had begged Jun Pyo to make it stop, but he told her to just wait it out. Sooner or later some other big news will come out and she would be old news again. That is, until their wedding. Madam Kang seemed pleased with all the publicity they were getting. Jun Pyo had tried to visit her a few times, but she was in no mood for visitors.

She had gotten a call from Ji Hoo though. He just wanted to make sure she was ok.

"I'm anything but ok, sunbae."

A pause.

"Sorry I can't come rescue you. I'd have to turn invisible to get past all the eyes watching you, and I haven't quite mastered it yet." She heard him sigh. "Apparently it's impossible. But you know me – I love a challenge!"

She chuckled. She missed this. "How have you been?" She was worried about him too, since she hadn't seen him since Madam Kang took her away.

"I'm good." Another pause. "You know, you're going to have to get used to this, Jan Di. This is Jun Pyo's life. They're always being watched." He sighed. "That's the price of being a billionaire."

She scowled. "I don't think it's something I'll ever get used to."

"Just take it a day at a time."

She imagined him smiling right then, and her heart gave a little jump. "Thanks, sunbae."

...

True enough, it was almost 3 weeks before a huge scandal broke with one of their top actresses and most of the paparazzi shifted their attention away from her. Jan Di's life wasn't as exciting as they expected anyway. A couple of them still lingered around, but Jan Di managed to pretend they didn't exist and went about with her daily life.

"Told you," Jun Pyo had picked her up that morning.

"How could you possibly enjoy all that?"

He shrugged. "I guess I'm just used to it."

I don't know if I'll ever get used to it. She thought to herself. Jun Pyo took her hand and held it in his. He leaned over and was a few inches from her face. She hadn't kissed him at all since he got back. He had tried many times to, but she always moved away. She closed her eyes as his lips touched hers.

Sunbae, her mind whispered.

Her eyes popped wide open, her heart hammering in her chest. Jun Pyo noticed the split-second change in her expression and pulled away. She dropped her eyes, unable to look at him.

What is wrong with me? They sat in silence for the rest of the ride.