Chapter Text
"We'd like to formally ask you to sign the contract for our future joint company, Mr. Park."
Daniel smiled widely at his soon-to-be father-in-law as his attorney gave the contract to him.
Mr. Park raised his brow as he took the contract. "I thought we had decided on signing this once you and Jihyo are already married?"
"It doesn't matter. It's three days before the wedding, and I don't think there's anything that will stop it," Daniel replied, shrugging.
"That's true, Mr. Kang, but I would like to be sure first that you won't run away with my company before you marry my daughter. Let's wait for the right time."
He put back the contract on the table and refused to sign. There was something going on in his house that kept on pushing him to consider Jihyo's engagement with Daniel.
Daniel frowned, but then still smiled as he couldn't piss Mr. Park yet. "Alright, sir. You are right to think like that. But I really love Jihyo, and I know Jihyo also likes me."
Mr. Kang hummed and nodded, but it was soulless. "If that's so, then there's nothing to worry about and rush things out."
"Of course. My dad and I are just excited, but the decision is on you. Anyway, is Jihyo home? She's not really replying to my texts and not calling me back. As my future wife, please remind her that it's her duty to report to me."
Mr. Park sighed upon the mention of his eldest daughter. The whole family could see the devastation in her. They knew Jihyo as someone who had composure and could handle her emotions pretty well, but...
It was different now.
She didn't want to marry Kang Daniel... and something else that was bothering else.
"My daughter's decision regarding this is out of my control. But I'll try to talk to her. You may go now."
"Thank you, Mr. Park. Or should I call you Dad? I'm sure I need to get used to it myself."
"Whatever pleases you, Mr. Kang."
Daniel happily went out of his office, leaving Mr. Park sighing and massaging his head.
"Sir, Mr. Kim Namjoon is here, he wants to talk to you. Should I let him in?"
"Kim Namjoon?" Mr. Park wondered. He had no business with Kim's Corp, so his visit came as a surprise.
"Let him in."
----
It was hard. Or would the word 'hard' be enough to describe her situation?
"Oh my gods, you look like a mess!"
Yup. That would best describe how her life had been since the time Dahyun chose to walk out of her life.
A mess.
"What are you doing here, Jeongyeon?" she asked soullessly.
She was using her phone, scrolling through a new article about Dahyun's month-long hiatus for personal reasons. It was the last article about her.
"Your mom is worried about you because you're not going out of your house so she called me to check up on you."
Jihyo didn't answer. If it was Jeongyeon, saying that she was okay was clearly a lie. She already knew that she couldn't get away from her through words.
"I'm not fine, but just tell them I'm busy working here. I eat meals with them looking just fine."
"Yeah? I kept on reading your sisters' rant on Twitter about your ill temper. I guess it's Dahyun?"
Her heart squeezed at the mention of the name, but she kept quiet. Her throat was constricting again, and her eyes were brimming with tears.
"You broke up?" Jeongyeon's tone became soft. She went to Jihyo's side and stroked her back comfortingly.
Soon enough, her sob filled the room, and Jeongyeon shushed and comforted her as best as she could.
Their relationship was difficult. It was supposed to be easy-Dahyun was willing to risk it all, but Jihyo's side was a mess. She was going to marry Daniel, and her family had been receiving threats.
Jeongyeon pitied the two.
"It's okay. You'll get through. Everything will be alright."
It was empty. Just like Jihyo. They both knew it wouldn't be alright if she was getting married.
"We didn't break up. She said we didn't, and she still loves me, and that she'll wait until I fix everything, but... she's not even answering my texts, not calling me, I don't even know what she's doing right now."
"Oh my, you're so clingy," Jeongyeon remarked, rolling her eyes. "Do you want me to call her?"
With that, Jihyo's huge eyes looked at her. "C-can you do that? I promise I won't say anything, I just... I just want to hear her voice."
Jeongyeon took her phone and immediately dialed Dahyun's number. It was the best thing that she could do for her best friend at the moment.
It rang a few times before Dahyun finally answered. "Hello?"
Jihyo sobbed and Jeongyeon immediately silenced her because Dahyun might hear. "Dahyun-ah, what are you doing?"
"Now? I'm just at home, making the most of my rest. I'll start working again tomorrow. What's up?"
Dahyun's voice sounded colder and tired than before. There was no smile as she spoke, and she sounded formal even when it was Jeongyeon she was talking to.
"I haven't heard about you for so long, but I'm glad you're still alive."
"Yeah...barely. Is that all you want to ask?"
"Another thing, actually. Do you still love Jihyo?"
The other line went silent, and if not for the number still going, she would think she had already ended the call. Her question was too straightforward and unexpected.
Every second that passed, Jihyo was anxiously biting her nails. She badly wanted to confront Dahyun for answering that too long, but she still wanted to hear her voice.
"It won't vanish that fast, unnie. I love her so much, but it hurts. I can't stay in a secret relationship anymore. We don't deserve loving with limitations."
"What if she won't be able to fix everything?" Jeongyeon asked as if reading Jihyo's head.
"If it's not meant to be, then it's not."
Jihyo closed her eyes, threw herself on her bed, and cried once again. She cried like she did last time.
"Thank you, Dahyun. I hope you're doing well. Jihyo loves you."
"..."
"I'll end the call now."
"Can I..." Dahyun stopped for a while. "Can I hear her voice?"
Jeongyeon hesitated for a while. Of course, Dahyun knew that she was with Jihyo. They rarely call each other.
Still, Jeongyeon poked Jihyo and put the phone near her, mouthing, 'She wants to hear your voice.'
"B-baby..." she called, cringing at her hoarse voice. "I miss you. I love you, too."
The call suddenly ended. Dahyun ended it. Jihyo's tears started racing down her cheeks once again. She wanted Dahyun. Only her.
It sucked that she couldn't do anything.
"You'll be fine, Jihyo. Who knows, there might be a miracle, right? Keep on trying for yourself."
Jihyo hoped she could. But everything was not her decision to make.
She went home a mess almost three weeks ago, and she was still a mess until now. She was even useless now in the company.
She was working at home, specifically asking her father so she wouldn't go to the office only to cry. At least no one would see her crying when she was in her room.
It was hard to suppress her grief or to grieve alone. She couldn't tell any of her family about her and Dahyun. What was the sense now when it was already too late?
She also couldn't tell her father that she wanted to back off from the marriage. Her father's expectations of her were high, and she couldn't seem to break them even though she was having a hard time.
Aside from that, she was going to marry Daniel in three days, and they would look bad in front of so many people if they would back off.
Hence, the only thing that Jihyo could do was cry.
She had been crying for the entire month, until she fell asleep, then would wake up to do the same thing. Whenever she would look at her conversation with Dahyun and there was no reply nor wasn't even reading a single one of them, she was hurt.
She badly missed Dahyun.
Her mother and sisters were worried about her. Her mom even sent her a classical playlist covered by Dahyun, and it only brought her to tears more.
But whenever she would come out, the only thing she could do was pretend... and get angry as a cover-up.
"Can you at least clean the house instead of just lying there? You're not princesses. This is the only thing you could do to help and you're still slacking. You're glad your father wouldn't sell you to an annoying jerk."
Or, she wasn't really that good at hiding her feelings.
Her two sisters looked at each other, completely annoyed by their sister's sudden general cleaning of the house, and then they looked at their mother who was also watching the situation. Mrs. Park motioned the two to stay quiet and just get out of there.
The least thing they could do was to add to whatever was stressing their sister, so they couldn't say anything back but merely understand.
Her friends would also ask her to go out, but she would rather drink by herself than let them see her crying and burden them with her broken heart.
Jihyo was raised to be a CEO, the perfect daughter, trained to control her emotions, and she liked everything about being her father's right hand.
But Dahyun came and changed all of it. She just wanted to be by her side.
"Jihyo, how about you go out with Nayeon and Sana? Chill out and relax?"
"I'm fine here, Mom."
"Don't you want to talk about it?"
"About what?"
"Your sad eyes."
Jihyo shook her head. "Maybe you should get used to it once marrying Daniel pursued."
She went into her room, closing her door a bit louder. But her mother understood her.
At the same time, Mr. Park announced his arrival, sounding tired and a bit frustrated and stressed.
"What's with your face?" Mrs. Park asked, taking her husband's bag and walking him to the couch.
"A big problem. We've found out about the traitors."
---
Two days before Jihyo's wedding, and Dahyun still hadn't heard about her. No good news, which definitely means bad news.
The wedding would pursue, and that would leave Dahyun at the side, as one of the maids of honors because she couldn't back out. How messed up.
She was currently at backstage. She was prepped up for her small fan meeting for a brand that she was endorsing.
She was back on her schedule after a whole month of just staying in her house, crying over what fate put her and Jihyo through.
"Your eyes look sad. Are you okay?" her makeup artist asked, noticing how her eyes didn't shine bright as much as before.
Dahyun smiled a little. "Yeah. A bit tired, I guess."
Dahyun was not too different from Jihyo. She cried every night, cuddled with Chaeyoung, and cried some more. She was a mess, and Chaeyoung would always tell her that every day.
She also told her how stupid she was for wasting a whole month crying instead of spending time with Jihyo.
"What if she won't be able to fix it? Then where would that put you? You could have just parted properly instead of wasting time like this."
She thought she wouldn't experience pain as painful as breaking up or heartbreak at all because she was beautiful and she could have men wrapped around her fingers effortlessly.
She wasn't completely aware that she would be the one to be wrapped around someone else's fingers and a woman at that. A woman who was going to marry someone else.
"Wear your smiles. Your fans are waiting for your return excitedly," Ms. Jung said, patting her back comfortingly as she was aware of her and Jihyo's cool-off.
Dahyun nodded and tried her best to smile. This was the downside of being famous, other people were getting strength with her smile, so no matter what she was feeling, she had to show them her best state.
"You can do this, Dahyun. You're an actress," she cheered herself a minute before she came out.
The cheers of her fans blared through the hall, obviously deprived of Dahyun's appearance to the public lately.
Dahyun didn't realize that her smile became sincere upon seeing the people who supported her. Aside from Jihyo, she was getting her strength from them, too.
"Did you know, Dahyun, you have a special fan here?" the emcee suddenly said while in the middle of the interview.
"Really?" she asked while smiling, looking at her fans to see who it could be.
"Yes! She said that she's been your fan since before. Do you know Park Jihyo?"
Her heart beat faster at the mention of the name. She wasn't able to answer instantly as she stared at the emcee. Was she there? Did Jihyo attend her event?
"Y-yes. What about her?"
"Her mother is here! She's your biggest fan and she has expressed that on multiple social media platforms, have you heard about it?"
Dahyun shook her head, a bit flustered. "This is my first time hearing this. I'm so honored."
"Let's have Mrs. Park stand, please."
She looked at the crowd, and finally, a woman shyly stood up, waved at her happily, and threw flying kisses. Dahyun smiled at her, but she couldn't help but swallow the lump in her throat as a thought came in.
They would have gone along well together if only Jihyo introduced her to her mother.
"Do you have anything to say to her, Dahyun?"
You wouldn't have to line up here just to see me if you didn't engage your daughter with someone else.
"Oh, uhm, thank you for coming. I hope you and your family are doing well."
"Thank you, sweety, my daughter is also here!"
Dahyun's heart skipped a beat upon hearing that, and her eyes immediately went to the person beside her who was wearing a bucket hat, and also wearing a facemask.
Still, she knew that build, those shoulders, those clothes, that hair, that presence alone. Jihyo was there.
"N-nice to see you, too... Ms. Park."
Jihyo didn't show her face, she just bowed and kept her head low even though her mother kept on telling her to show her face.
The fan meeting continued, but from the moment she heard about Jihyo's presence in the same place as hers, her eyes always gravitated to that side.
There was only once that Jihyo met her eyes, she always looked down for the rest of the event.
Was it her way of saying that there was no chance between them anymore? That she was ashamed because she couldn't do anything to stop her father?
Dahyun hoped it wasn't. She was still hoping that Jihyo could fix it, and only until she was married was she going to give up.
But she was ready. Dahyun was ready to be hurt just in case.
---
"Mom, I don't want to, please! I'll just wait for you in the car."
"Park Jihyo, you're already here! I'm sure you won't regret meeting Kim Dahyun in person. She's so beautiful up close. Don't miss the rare chance!"
Jihyo frowned. If only her mother knew that she had lived with her idol, that she had kissed her, and she badly missed her now. She would probably be elated.
But just like her, when it came to their business, they both had no say in it. Everything was her father's decision.
"Mom, please. I dont-"
"No. I'm sure you'll be happy if you see her. She's like a ball of sunshine."
Jihyo didn't have a chance to argue anymore because her mother just grabbed her hand tightly and pulled her.
Outside the artist's room was Ms. Jung, Dahyun's manager, who also supported them. Ms. Jung wasn't surprised to see her and her mother, probably she was the one who gave this opportunity to her.
"Hi, is Dahyun still there?"
"Yes, Mrs. Park. But she's on her way to another schedule now, so you can only meet her for a few minutes."
"It's okay, I'll just hug her and take a picture, probably reintroduce my daughter to her again."
Ms. Jung looked at her, but she nodded and smiled warmly. She told them to go inside her room where Dahyun was, and even though Jihyo wanted to stay outside, her mother made sure to pull her clothes so she'd be dragged.
As soon as they went in, Dahyun was already standing in the middle, clothes changed into casual, a bag on her shoulder, and was ready to leave.
Dahyun looked at their way and froze on the spot upon seeing Jihyo and her mother come in.
"Dahyun, Mrs. Park would like to see you personally," Ms. Jung said, giving way for Mrs. Park to make way to her.
"Kim Dahyun, I'm sorry to bother you, I'm just really a huge fan!"
She spread her arms and hugged Dahyun, who snapped out of her thoughts and hugged Mrs. Park back with slight enthusiasm.
"Nice to see you again, Mrs. Park. Thank you for coming to see me," Dahyun replied with a smile, her eyes sliding a bit toward Jihyo.
Jihyo was just standing at the back, watching her mom and Dahyun hug. It brought some kind of warmth inside her, seeing the person she loved getting along with the best woman in her life.
Dahyun was very likable. If only the situation was different, Jihyo was sure her whole family was going to love her a lot.
"My daughter is here. Jihyo come here, take your hat off. Show her your face and give her a hug, too."
Upon the injunction, both hearts skipped a beat. It was just a simple request from an excited mother, but for the two of them who had not seen each other for a long, agonizing month, it was a huge, awkward request.
"It's okay, Mom. I don't look that good," Jihyo refused, holding her hat and covering her face.
But what could she do with her demanding mother? She took the matter into her own hands, took Jihyo's hat, and pulled her close to Dahyun.
Now, they stood less than a meter away from each other, uneasy and dodging.
"Hug her," Mrs. Park whispered to Jihyo, her tone was with finality as if telling her to do it or she would never hear the end of it once they came home.
Jihyo groaned, taking a step forward, looking up to glance at Dahyun, who was holding her breath as well, looking at her and waiting for her to do what was asked.
With eyes closed, Jihyo closed the gap and hugged Dahyun. But it wasn't even a second that passed, and Dahyun hadn't put her hand around her waist but she immediately withdrew.
There was a disappointment in Dahyun's face. Didn't she miss her? Didn't she long for her touch as much as she longed for hers?
Was this a sign of retreat?
For Jihyo, she was thinking that Dahyun didn't want to do it. Her mother could be pushy sometimes, and she didn't want Dahyun to be uncomfortable so she just reverted quickly.
Also, she was scared that once she held Dahyun again, she couldn't let go anymore.
"Dahyun has to go now, Mrs. Park. Let me take some pictures for you first."
"Oh, sure, sure! Sorry for taking your time."
"No worries, Ma'am," Dahyun replied kindly.
Jihyo stepped aside, took her phone, and also took some photos of her mother. However, she noticed that Dahyun was particularly looking at her with wide eyes.
"Jihyo, I knew you were secretly Dahyun's fan," her mom suddenly said, grinning at her teasingly which confused her.
Dahyun eyed her phone. She turned it and immediately came eye to eye with another smiling Dahyun, fingers forming a heart, and winking. It was a photo that Dahyun herself put in for some reason.
"Yeah. Sort of," Jihyo just replied, no point in denying it since her mother had already seen it.
"Come here. Let's take a picture together."
Jihyo was already getting annoyed by her mother for having so much demand that always put her and Dahyun close.
She missed Dahyun so badly, that it wasn't appropriate for her mother to know about their relationship in a way that she would just snatch her idol's head and kiss Dahyun right in front of her eyes.
"Stand there at the other side. I swear, Jihyo, you're acting so weird today," her mom said when she stood beside her instead of the space on Dahyun's side.
Yet, she defeatedly walked to the other side and stood there a bit farther than Dahyun. Her mom was busy smiling so she wouldn't know.
However, what she didn't expect was when a hand reached out to her arm, pulling her close, and snaking her hand on her waist.
Suddenly, she became stiff, and Dahyun held her firmly as if trying to say something. That action only had one interpretation for Jihyo.
This girl was mine alone.
They might move in secret, and they might be in a secret relationship, but Dahyun still made it a point to claim what was hers.
Jihyo took it as a chance to put her hand on top of Dahyun's hand on her waist, caressing her knuckles softly, hoping it was enough to tell her how much she missed her, too. Also to affirm the thoughts.
Yes, she was hers.
"Oh, wait, let me just clean the camera. Don't move for a while." Ms. Jung saw the two, so she took a few more minutes to have their moment.
"Jihyo, make sure you're close to Dahyun," Mrs. Park said through gritted teeth because she was smiling while waiting for the camera.
Their hands were already intertwined, and Jihyo was doing her best not to do further and kiss her hand.
If they were just out in public, she could have done better. They could have held each other's hand in front of so many people. They could have proudly introduced themselves to their fans as girlfriends.
Jihyo never realized how badly she wanted that to happen until now. Dahyun deserved more than just being hidden.
But she couldn't do anything. It always went down to that.
---
One day.
Jihyo never cried so hard that night she met Dahyun again and realized that she would never feel her again because she was already bound.
She called Dahyun that night, and desperately spammed her messages, hoping that she would answer at least after their little moment. She wanted to get out of the house, flee with Dahyun, stop the wedding, and hide from her father.
But Dahyun still didn't answer.
Hence, when she woke up, she could barely open her eyes. Her throat was parched, and she was probably dehydrated.
Tomorrow was her wedding but she looked ugly.
Her phone lit up, receiving a message from her father.
Be prepared tomorrow. You'll have a conference early in the morning about the wedding.
Tears started falling down from her eyes again when she realized that tomorrow was really her wedding, and she couldn't, she didn't do anything.
There was a knock on her door, her sister calling her for breakfast to eat. Despite feeling at her lowest, she was raised as someone calm, composed, and unemotional. She was raised as someone who could handle everything.
"Wow, unnie. I thought that gothic look had phased out, are you reliving the trend?"
Jihyo glared at her sister. "Shut up, Seoyeon."
She sat with them around the table, and as expected, her father wasn't there. He was probably busy with talking to the Kang Family regarding their wedding.
She put her phone beside her, still hoping that a notification would pop coming from Dahyun. However, whenever her phone would light up, all of the notifications were coming from Daniel.
"Eat a lot, Jihyo. You've become so thin," her mother told her, putting a plate full of food in front of her.
Jihyo frowned but still ate. She kept on glancing at her phone, and her sisters could see that. Like always, they didn't comment on that, knowing better than to receive her anger.
No one spoke at the table, they just ate while the three looked at each other and at Jihyo. They could feel that something was wrong for a month already, but they couldn't get the courage to ask when Jihyo would always lash out at them.
There was nothing more important to do for the whole day than watch Dahyun's interviews and content. She tried to call her again but still to no avail, which would frequently stress her out.
What if she had convinced her father to stop the wedding, how would she know if she wouldn't answer her calls?
Nonetheless, it was a useless thought. It was done. Her wedding was there, and she deserved that treatment.
Unknowingly, Jihyo already prepared a long message to Dahyun for tomorrow.
A love, apology, and farewell letter for her.
---
"Mr. Park, Mr. Namjoon Kim has sent you confidential files, I'll forward them to you."
"Please do."
Mr. Park knew what it was all about, but even then, he opened the files with shaking hands.
As soon as he opened them, pictures and proofs of the Kang Family's screenshots of their private conversations were compiled.
Even the video of those people who were tasked by Mr. Kang to deliver the threats also spoke, probably paid to go against the Kang family. After all, the Kim family was way more powerful than any of the families in the industry.
"What a traitor," he muttered under his breath, opening his phone and calling his lawyer and the police to act on
After having his lawyer see to it and study what grounds they could sue them with, he decided to give Mr. Kang a call.
"My friend, are you excited for tomorrow?" Mr. Kang enthusiastically asked. "My son couldn't wait. We also couldn't wait to merge our names and businesses to take over the business world."
"You mean to take over my business alone?" Mr. Park snapped, his tone harsh and angry.
"What do you mean? Of course, it's the two-"
"Quit it. I already caught you and your underlying purpose on this proposal. I can't believe I almost sold my daughter to your fraud son. I will sue you!"
"Wait, what are you saying? We're not doing anything. You must have made a mistake."
Mr. Park dimly looked at the conversation in front of him. He read it on the phone to him.
"'Yes, Dad. I'll marry Jihyo and become the CEO of the company.'
'That's right. She's a weak girl. You can just simply snatch the title from her and lure her. Then some other time, find her weakness and break her.'
'Haha. Anything for you, dad. I can also use her however I like.'"
Mr. Park gritted his teeth. "Do you remember that conversation between you and your son?"
Mr. Kang went quiet, pale and looking like a deer caught in the headlight. "I don't... remember. Where did you get that?"
"It doesn't matter. What matters is that you'll be jailed for threatening and controlling us. Tell your egoistic son that the wedding is canceled."
"No, let's talk about this-"
Mr. Park didn't let him finish, he just ended the call and his decision was firm. They had been looking for the person behind the continuous threats that they were receiving.
Though there was no action being done after it, it still limited their moves because they were scared for their lives. Apparently, the reason why there was no action was it was all just part of their plans.
He almost got fooled, and he almost sold Jihyo to those devils. Thanks to Kim Namjoon who gave him a hint about the Kang family's real personalities.
He decided to give Namjoon a call. He admired the Kim family, if he could just match Jihyo to one of the Kim men, he was sure they would take care of her genuinely.
"Mr. Park, good afternoon. Have you received the files I sent you?"
"Hello, Mr. Kim. Thank you for the evidence, I've received everything and asked my team to have them arrested. Is there anything you'd like so I could repay you?"
"Oh, that. Actually, have you canceled the wedding?"
"Of course. There's no use to. Why? Do you like my daughter?"
"No, sir. Not me, at least. But the wedding canceled is all we want so I won't ask you for anything."
"Okay... But if you need anything don't be shy to reach out to me, I'll be glad to help you."
"I'll take note of that, sir."
The call ended and Mr. Park packed his things to go home, ready to break the news to his family.
All that he knew was that Jihyo would be elated.
---
"Unnie, Dad's calling us for dinner together," Jiyoung, Jihyo's youngest sister, called, knocking on the door softly.
Jihyo hummed and answered quietly. She fixed her hair and checked herself first in the mirror before going outside. Her phone was still in her hand, waiting for it to ring.
For some reason, since the afternoon, there have been no more messages from Daniel. Usually, he would send all whatever he thought would get her attention, but right now, it was also silent on his side.
Jihyo hoped it would stay like that for the rest of her life.
When she came out, her whole family was already waiting for her, watching as she walked to her designated seat sluggishly with a messy bun.
"Let's eat first?" Mrs. Park said, putting food on her husband's plate while the three also started getting their food.
Jihyo ate her little food quickly, something that she always did for the past weeks. It was like she wanted to get away from there as soon as possible.
"Eat slowly, Park Jihyo," Mr. Park warned, noticing how she was almost done when he was barely starting.
Everyone could sense that the eldest was going through something, more serious than they thought. But no one asked anything. They were waiting for her to be ready and share it herself. After all, that was their custom.
Yet, it was already a month, and still no words from her. They badly wanted to know what was going on in her mind.
So, the two parents decided to take the matter into their own hands.
"Jihyo."
Jihyo looked up from her plate and glanced at her father curiously, her brows furrowed and obviously displeased from being cut from eating.
"Your brows are near to connecting. What's wrong?"
What's wrong? From the moment he broke his promise that he wouldn't choose someone for her, everything went wrong.
She badly wanted to say it, but she bit her tongue, swallowed the food in her mouth, and answered what she always answered to them. "None, Dad."
Yet, of course, seeing it with their eyes, her parents and sisters wouldn't buy that blatant lie.
"Seems like there is something wrong with our eyes, Jihyo. You know, we're your family. You can tell us everything. We'll listen to the simplest, most boring story, so how much more if it's deeper than that?" Mrs. Park softly told her daughter.
"Also, you have to gather yourself. Clear your mind and everything because you'll be having a press conference tomorrow," Mr. Park added, much to Jihyo's dismay.
Her father messaged her about the press conference. She had to let the media know about her officially taking over the company next week, with Daniel. But she felt like she wanted to cancel it because of how messy her mind was.
Also, she didn't want to break Dahyun's heart with her own words. Tomorrow would be the confirmation that they no longer have a chance, that their relationship ended there, and they would act like strangers again as if they had never been in love.
It hurt her heart already just thinking about it. But she couldn't cry in front of her family, not in front of her father.
She sighed, feeling defeated and hopeless. "I just want to ask, Mom. Am I really going to marry Daniel tomorrow?"
She met her parents' eyes. She was expecting a firm answer of 'Yes' or a smile that they were happy because what they wanted would happen, but instead, she was met with their angered eyes, especially her father, which confused her.
"That family is the traitor. They were the ones behind the death threats that we were receiving. They also planned to steal the company, such a greedy and selfish family. I already sued them," he explained.
Jihyo could feel the anger that was gravitating with his words. Even her mother was frowning and annoyed by the news. While her two sisters looked at Jihyo with shocked faces.
They somehow knew that she didn't want to marry Daniel, so they were also relieved and happy for their sister.
Despite the terrible news, Jihyo's eyes shone. Hee previous sad eyes were suddenly gone and changed into hopeful ones.
"So, does that mean I'm free? I mean, we're free? There are no more threats in our lives? No more private activities and bodyguards?"
Mr and Mrs. Park looked at each other, amused by the sudden change of mood. Her mom was the one to confirm it, "Yes, Jihyo. We're safe now. What's with your festive reaction?"
Jihyo looked at her family, gulping upon seeing that all of them were looking at her and expecting what she was going to say next. This was the perfect time to finally say what she had been meaning to say.
"I know this will be really sudden, probably even making you mad, but I have been dating someone for a year now."
Jihyo dropped the bomb, and as expected, they gawked at her like she just did some shape-shifting, her sisters even dramatically dropped their utensils.
"For a year!?" Seoyeon repeated, completely in disbelief. She might have an idea, but she couldn't believe she hid it for so long.
"You hid it for a year!?" her mother followed with the same tone.
Jihyo nodded. "Yes. I'm sorry for not telling you. I don't want her to be involved in the threats that we're receiving."
As much as she wanted to, her father engaged her with someone else, pushing the idea completely further. If she wasn't just a coward, they would have been publicly happy now.
"We understand, Jihyo. But who's the lucky guy-"
"Girl," Jihyo corrected before her father could finish.
"A girl!?" they shouted in unison this time.
She immediately handed a glass of water to her mother who started coughing from gasping in surprise.
Jihyo suddenly felt nervous as she tensed at the thoughts that came into her mind. Didn't they like me liking girls? Are they against the idea of her being like that?
Nonetheless, Jihyo answered, "Yes. We met at a party you organized two years ago. We talked and got to know each other there then decided to step up our relationship last year."
A smile escaped her lips upon remembering their hot start. She didn't know she would be tangled with Kim Dahyun like that before when she was a complete flirt.
However, her smile immediately dropped upon remembering that they weren't talking for a whole month now and she missed her so much.
"Let me guess, you fought and she's not answering your calls that's why you throw your phone around and your mood changes every time," Mr. Park concluded.
It didn't really need a professional to guess that right. Jihyo was just being extra obvious. She acted very unlikely of her usual composed self. Her eyes were also swollen every day.
"Let me ask again, who is the not-so-lucky girl, Jihyo?" her mother asked, more excited than ever.
For the first time after a while, Jihyo let out a genuine smile. A smile that was enough to tell everyone that this someone was really special. Of course, she had been wanting to tell that to them, and now that she got the chance, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
"It's Kim Dahyun."
As she expected, she received a dumbfounded look from all of them. They looked like they were waiting for her to say 'just kidding' at the end. It was hard to believe so she understood their reaction.
"Unnie, at what level of delusional are you in now?" Seoyeon asked, shaking her head and chuckling. "Who is it? Don't kid around and just tell us!"
"What? I told you, it's Dahyun."
"Do we have the same Kim Dahyun in mind? The famous Kim Dahyun? The model, singer, pianist, rapper, dancer Kim Dahyun? The multi-talented Kim Dahyun?" her mother reacted, enumerating all of Dahyun's skills.
Jihyo nodded. "The one and only."
"Oh my! I'm a fan! Invite her now, Jihyo! Hurry up! Oh my! Oh my!"
Jihyo rolled her eyes. Her mother was going ballistic, and for some reason, she had already seen that coming knowing how huge of a fan she was of Dahyun.
"How did you even get such a beautiful girl, Jihyo? And she's also a Kim, you've got the best taste. I never doubted you. Invite her now," her father added.
She frowned. How would she be able to call Dahyun when she wasn't even answering any of her calls? She tried for like a hundred times but all of those ended up in her missed calls. She even felt sorry for her phone at this point.
"She wasn't answering unnie's calls, remember? They obviously weren't on good terms. Jihyo unnie probably messed up big time."
Jihyo looked at Jiyoung in disbelief. Did she just take Dahyun's side just like that? What a perfect sister.
"Ah, right. But anyway, we are not against your relationship. I'm actually happy that you found someone who will make you really happy. I am also sorry for pushing you to a marriage that you don't want. I know how angry you are with me."
Jihyo felt like tearing up again. Her father's apology made her realize that she was really finally free from being bossed around, telling her what to do. Their relationship was back to what they were before the Kang family's arrival.
"Whatever happened between the two of you, I know you know what to do. But for now, you have to practice your script and be ready for the conference tomorrow."
She responded with a nod and a smile. The relief and the happiness bursting inside her brought by coming out and introducing her girlfriend was really making her cry.
The only problem she had now was how to relay the news to Dahyun. How would she tell her when she wasn't even answering and reading her texts?
She sighed and just thought of the conference tomorrow. One step at a--
An idea popped into her head. Why take one step when she could hit two birds at one stone?
---
The media conference was already nearing its end. Jihyo was professionally answering questions, talking about her future acquisition of their company and her plans.
On the other side, Dahyun was watching her from the television in her waiting room. She couldn't keep her eyes off the TV and even her favorite food in front of her went cold as she watched and stared at Jihyo's beautiful face.
She missed her girlfriend so much. She longed for her warmth, kisses, hugs, voice, basically everything about her. She was slightly regretting choosing to hope while they were away instead of just making the most of their time. Yet, she was hurting.
Dahyun's next move whether she would talk to her or would completely break up with her depends on what news that would come out from Jihyo today. The very reason why she was absorbing all of what she was saying.
However, until now, she hasn't brought up the topic of her wedding with Daniel. She looked extra glamorous with her makeup, and obviously, she was getting ready.
Still, Dahyun was still somehow hoping for a miracle.
"Thank you, Ms. Park Jihyo. We wish you and your company all the best of luck and success there is," the reporter said as the interview came to an end.
Jihyo smiled. "Thank you. But before I officially end this conference, I want to announce something. Recently, we've been receiving threats in our lives from an unknown person, making our moves calculated and limited. But my father has caught the people behind them now, so we're free from threats."
Jihyo received congratulations from the press. "Since we're free from threats now. I'd like to inform everybody that... I am in a relationship, and I am going to get married soon."
Dahyun's mouth almost reached the floor upon hearing the news, her heart shattered as if someone had been squeezing it tightly. Her breathing became ragged and her tears started brimming out of her eyes.
"Should I turn off the television, Dahyun?" Ms. Jung asked, seeing her state.
But before she could answer, Jihyo spoke again.
"It's Kim Dahyun. We had a little fight so she wasn't answering my calls, so I bet she was shocked and must be crying now. I'm sorry, baby. But call me immediately if you're watching this now and tell me your answer. I want to marry you. I'm not going to marry anyone but you."
"Does that mean the engagement of Kang and Park is no longer pushing through?"
"That's right. The Kang family are the ones behind the threats after our lives. They want to steal our wealth and take over the industry. We've sued them already and are awaiting trial."
Dahyun's mind went blank. She thought it was someone else. She thought the merging of two companies would push through. She never read all of Jihyo's messages for two days because she was afraid of what news she brought.
She couldn't believe that Jihyo, the girl who kept on insisting they wear disguises and kept their relationship secret, would announce their relationship to the public, on national television.
"Am I dreaming?" she muttered to herself, and if it wasn't for her manager smacking her here, she wouldn't realize it was all true.
She immediately stood up from her chair and took her phone, finally calling back Jihyo's number after a while. And with just one ring, like she had been waiting for it, Jihyo answered.
"Yes, Jihyo... I will marry you. I will marry you, baby."
---
Breaking News: Singer-songwriter Kim Dahyun and her now wife, CEO Park Jihyo, show off their marriage in Bali, Indonesia with a romantic beach wedding!
The beautiful wedding is attended by family and friends and some famous personalities. Congratulatory messages also flooded their social media accounts as they celebrated the special day.
Congratulations to Mrs. And Mrs. Park!
Dahyun's dream came true. They were no longer in secret, she had proudly told the world that she was taken by Park Jihyo, and she was marrying her.
She knew they would come to this point. She was so glad that they never gave up on each other and they stayed until the end.
Dahyun kissed Jihyo. Again and again. Until Jihyo burst out laughing, while their friends begged them to stop.
"Get a room! Ugh!"
"Just let them be, Jeongyeon. They have been wanting to do that in front of us before but they couldn't. Better get used to it now since we're going to see a lot of those from now on."
Jeongyeon just rolled her eyes and looked away. Momo immediately covered her eyes as if they were any better.
They were all happy for Dahyun and Jihyo, they were aware of the struggles the two had. Chaeyoung couldn't even stop her tears before the wedding could even start, if not for Tzuyu who was keeping her sane, she would have cried with Dahyun at her side and delayed the wedding.
The two newlyweds were also the happiest in the room. Dahyun was so proud of their relationship, and Jihyo accepted everything from her with a huge smile on her face.
After everything that they had gone through, they deserve what they have now. It all made everything sweeter, better, and stronger.
They were slowly dancing in front of the guests, foreheads close together and stealing kisses from each other. It was such a momentous part to capture.
They looked undeniably in love that those who were watching were jealous.
Jihyo put her hand on Dahyun's nape and grabbed her for a soft kiss, to which Dahyun immediately responded with their eyes closed.
"I can't live without you, Dahyun," Jihyo whispered, her hand on Dahyun's back as they swayed.
"I love you so much, Jihyo. You mean the world to me."
It was just Dahyun's dream-to post Jihyo's face on her social media accounts to show her off to her fans, to see their faces together in a newspaper confirming their relationship, to walk hand in hand freely outside for a date, to see their faces together in billboards for their successes, to do all that normal couples do without hiding-but now, they all came true.
Because they know, that such a beautiful relationship should never be kept in secret.